I just read a thread that got me thinking...

I work in an office, doing general office work.. not quite rocket science, actually quite brain numbing most times to be honest. I should be glad I have a job that pays more than the local wal-mart or office depot with benefits.. but this isn't quite what I want to do and isn't what I did back home.. There are many people in this office.. a few of which I work closely with, one of which is so stressed and at the point of breaking that it makes me wonder why they (the bosses) put up with them.

I think it's in part because they've been there longer than most of the current bosses and the other part is they are a brown noser. They know the system and know how everything works but quite often attempt to take control of things, micromanage it all the way down to how someone composes a letter. They will make them feel like $hit about how they didn't compose that letter correctly or how could they make that mistake.. and other times they couldn't care less... Then there are almost monthly times when their personal life takes over to the point where they rush out of the building in tears heading home on a phone call that "who ever" did what ever he/she did.. yet again... Their personal life interferes with and is part of their work life daily without fail. They have even became verbally confrontational to a point with their direct supervisor almost refusing to do what they are being asked, because they don't like/agree with it.

I have to ask, is this normal over here? I mean back home there were the not so nice employees that got away with everything but.. I'm just barley scratching the surface. I'm shocked that a person like the above is still in position and still working. I mean I just sit tight and make no waves... I don't become involved or interact too heavily, I remain cautious at all times, even logging my times coming into and out off the office. I got in trouble before I believe on the word of this person because I wasn't at my desk as I was using the toilet after I switched on my computer in the mornings. I'd prefer not to be in this job but this is better than nothing! I am actively searching for something else!

Sorry for the long post!

I worked in an office in Dublin that sounds just as stoopid and passive aggressive as that one. I suppose everbody's got them.

That is why I've stayed so long in my present job...it may not be very well-paying, but I work with a fantastic group of people and know that that is rare indeed.

oh man, it would drive me crazy working in an office, I don't think I could ever do a job like that, unless I had no choice.

THREE MONTHS AND I AM OUT OF MY OFFICE JOB.





I guess that would be a yes.

Are they hiring? I'll come kick their asses!

My Husband is about to start looking for a job here, near Orlando, hopefully he won't end up in that office! Sounds like the one he just left in Calgary!

Anyway, sorry you are stuck there for the moment, hope you find a better environment to work in soon

Tell me about it. I can totally relate, although I work in a research lab..

It's really annoying! And they treat new employees like $hit.

Crappy people in offices are universal! Not just restricted to the US.

Well I feel much better knowing I'm not alone, unfortunately. Maybe soon we'll all escape these people...

I've had crappy workplaces that were offices AND non offices. I don't think it's only applicable to office jobs.

A number of years ago, I worked in an office. Hated every single moment of it. That's probably why I loved the movie "Office Space" so much. It was sadly accurate in many cases.

Not all offices are bad, though. My Dad's medical office is apparently pretty good. He gives his secretaries the normal "hour lunch break" on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; on Wednesdays they get two hours (for some reason or another) and on Fridays, they only have to work a half-day. Each year, they also get a raise. Since my Dad is usually so busy seeing patients or in the hospital, he's rarely "looking over their shoulders" so they're free to run the office almost as they see fit. Needless to say, when he does need them to stay later or do something unusual (like pick up a package), they do it, since they like working there.

Being "the boss" isn't all it's cracked up to be, either. It sounds great in theory, but it really means longer hours, more work, more stress, lots and lots of paperwork and that your salary is whatever is leftover after office and personnel expenses. Sure, you never need to ask anyone if you want to go on vacation, but you also don't get "paid vacation days" either. Every day you take off is lost potentially lost income.

So there are good and bad points to being an employer or an employee.

I think it depends on who you work for. I've worked in offices for 13 years now and I've had really dreadful jobs and others, like the one I currently have, which I love. I have a great boss who's very flexible with my schedule, I can take a 1 or 2 hour lunches if I want and he won't question anything. I'm pretty much free to do as I please and the work still gets done. So we're all happy.

Diana

I don't work in an office and I STILL work with some idiots...
I think it depends a lot on your co-workers and boss.

Oh yeah, some co-workers are a piece of work. I can't count the times I've had to bite my tongue whenever I have issues with them. Oh and the gossip, especially when there are a lot of women around!

Diana

I think in the US... in our offices... we like to micromanage stuff so much, and create so many stupid needless tasks, until the stuff gets outsourced to India, and then the jobs are no longer here. Then all of the sudden we realize we could have simplified. Too bad its too late.

Stapler

You're working at my former office???

That's what it was like for me.... I've since left that position for college teaching on a full-time basis (actually several "part-time" positions)

sounds like I'm not alone... I can't wait to get out of this. What annoys me most is they really go into you without saying a word if your late, late meaning if your there after they are even it's still 2 minutes to opening or worse still if your a whole minute or even 2 minutes after the hour! I was thanked the other day for being "on time" because I beat a certain someone upstairs and arrived at my desk as I normally do at about 2 or 3 minutes before the hour! It's really annoying having to apologize for being late if you arrive a minute or 2 after the hour because you couldn't park or someone cut you off, or you hit every red light on the way in or any of the other Murphy's laws that strike yet the same people call in sometimes and say sorry I'll be a few minutes late I'm stuck in traffic. 10 minutes later they arrive carrying a McDonald's breakfast

What compounds all of this is there is a different set of rules for each employee, male/female (male wins each time) then of course by department, rank, age and of course who your buddies are. I mean some people come in on a Friday (which is good) in jeans and tshirt.. others arrive late or leave early and it's ok with everyone.. if I did any of that I'd be sent home. grrr.. soon I'll be free

I suppose it could be worse, I'd just prefer not to have to deal with all the knives in everyone's back and instead just do what needs to be done without counting the seconds...

Mine is bad on the uneven work load distribution. A co-worker who has to work overtime TWICE a month only - total 6 hrs (we are both on salary) moans & groans about the overtime she needs to do. But she forgot all the hours she spent on browsing & talking on the phone. And also all the time she spent chit-chat with everybody possible at work who would listen about her vacation, her kid's day at school, her dogs, her sister. I can write a book on her life.

My Office is pure hell!
There's 15 of us and out of the 15 only 2 of us aren't Mormon. Me & the young maintenance guy ( he's the only one who is nice to me.)
They have all grown up together & went to the same school, know the same people, have the same friends. It's impossible for me to have ANYTHING in common. All they talk about is their Stake, Church events, etc... Every staff meeting ends in one of them reciting Mormon scriptures. It's infuriating.

There's a girl that was hired after me to work noon to 9pm in the office . I was hired to work full time 8 to 5pm monday to Friday. Then they changed my schedule to work one Saturday out of the month ( 10 hr shift alone) I was ok with that, but now they just informed me that I will be working Wednesdays noon to 9pm , 2 Friday nites a month and 3 10 hr shift Saturdays a month.
I am so peeved ya have no idea. They did this because the new girl that was hired to work nights decided she now doesn't want to work every night. Doesn't help that her Daddy is best buds with my boss, and her kids teacher is my bosses wife.
I was also informed yesterday that she is goning to rearrange MY desk. She said she doesn't like where it is. She also put up a bunch of pictures on my desk. Now I have to explain to people that NO those are not my kids ( Ugliest kids ya ever saw) . I have one picture of my hubby & daughter thats a wallet size. It's thumbtacked to a cork board by my desk. She has 4, 8 X 10 pictures of her kids on MY desk!
I moved the pictures to the side of my desk and she threw a fit and told my boss. He called me into his office and said that he understood I didn't like Katrina's kids pictures. Geez!!!!
She only uses my desk for an hour when I leave. She rearranges everything. Goes thru my files, and drawers and reads all my stuff.

I can't say a damn thing though, cuz they'll make my life hell. (As if it isn't already.
Mother's Day is coming up and I was told that since my 12 yr old doesn't live here with me ( She's in Canada until we can get her Visa) that Mother's day weekend isn't really important to me, so I have to work it so Katrina can have it off. WTF????!
I can relate to everyone here who has a crap office job!

OMG, what a bi-atch! excuse me for the language. That lady had my blood boiling just by reading your post. Would you consider finding another job?

She reminds me of my co-worker!!

I wish I could find another job, but everything here has such low wages compared to what I make plus my benefits. I am looking though. But like my husband says, If I quit, then they win!

That's what my friends say too, quitting shouldn't be an option. But there are days when you just dread reporting to work because of the unwanted stress your co-worker puts you into. When that happens, I think quitting becomes a valid excuse. I have my resignation letter (always in my handbag) if I could not take the $hit anymore, but things seem to improve lately. I used a different approach to this special co-worker of mine. I befriended her and try to look past her "rudeness" and crazy antics and believe me, it's soooo hard to do.

I don't know if you tried this already but maybe use another approach, befriend your co-worker and praise her kids. Put her in a good mood by using flattery. See if things turn around.. it may take a while (or forever?) before you see some changes in her.

Good luck.

When you do find another job, and you will, you can tell Katrina what a disgusting little person she is, and then throw all of her ugly family pictures out of the window. After that, tell your boss what a snivelling little sh*te he is, empty all your files onto the office floor, and walk out with your head held high and a big smile on your face. Personally, I would have knocked dear old Katrina out by now but thats me. I guess Im lucky that I work with a great bunch of people and have a boss that is fun, likeable, and sensible. As long as work gets done, we all can do it from home, the office, vacation, wherever. Everyone supports eachother and if I ever need help it is there. I am never complaining again about something minor !

Thats funny.. I actually have my letter saved on my computer (can't say I have any need for a handbag lol), just waiting for the day that I can find something else and actually print the stupid thing and leave! I mean it could be a lot worse and a lot better.. I suppose I shouldn't complain so much it's a job after all!

Hmmm Think I'll write up my resignation letter right now and keep it handy.
Just had a huge blowup with one of the co-workers that's giving me grief. I absolutley hate this place! Too bad everywhere else pays such low wages compared to what I make plus the benefits. Sighs! Still applying for jobs while I work for this company.
When I do walk out of here I won't be leaving quietly, I can assure you that!

Well, I did it. I told them where they could shove there job.
It's a weird feeling. relief cuz I don't have to deal with their Bullsh!t anymore and also Anxiety cuz I don't have a job and we have bills to pay.
So, tomorrow morning I will start my search for a job.
Wish me luck.

Before I went self-employed I found I had problems like that with employers.

One employer that shall not be named wanted me to repair computers. I took the job on as a computer repairman. The wage was lousy at $10 per hour with no benefits. The guy was a crook - an out and out bad guy - and I left him after 2 weeks because of this. What was he doing? Telling people more was wrong with their computers than there was, telling them there was something wrong when there wasn't, not informing people that hard disks need to be secure erased not just formatted, breaking passwords without permission, viewing people's personal photos without permission, installing, selling and using pirated software. I brought the subject of cracked software up and he said "I prefer not to think of it as cracked. I prefer to think of it as activated". That was pretty much when I decided to resign so lunchtime I went home and typed out a non-specific resignation letter and plopped it on his desk at the end of the day. Given that software piracy is a criminal offence, I did not wish to be involved with a criminal and be subject to criminal investigations and possible revocation of my Permanant Residence permit. He got up to a ton of other things - the number of electric shocks I had each day from his defective office equipment was pretty high. No wonder he didn't offer benefits - the benefits people wouldn't have touched him with a bargepole - too big of a risk!

wow, have you ever thought about telling the authorities about his 'business practices'?

Congratulatios raphael! Good for you for getting out of there, good luck in finding a nice place to work

Oh I did. Just about everybody I could but the guy is still in business. He should be in jail.

Good luck on your job hunt! Claim what is rightfully yours and hang in there.

With my job, things seem to improve, a lot. But I'm still clinging to that resignation letter, who knows it might come handy one fine day.

I refused to save anything "personal" in my computer. The IT has a way of randomly digging into personal files and am just being cautious.