May 05, 2008

Time to go in a different direction?

I had a blast last weekend, and yes I did get wet. Heck, I'm not sure I'd know what to do if I didn't get rained on. I've got a lot of stories, but I'm going to save those for now. I'm waiting for some incriminating evidence to show up in my inbox.

Returned to work today after the fun weekend. Like every day, it was full of meetings. I've decided I could be a very productive member of my company if it wasn't for all of the meetings. Today we had the grand daddy of the least productive meetings we've had. A meeting to determine how to schedule the late night shift.

In my department we have flexible hours. Meaning you can start anytime between 7:00 AM and 9:30 AM. You can leave after putting in your 8 hour day (plus 30 minute unpaid lunch). The last "shift" ends at 6:00 PM. We have to have a supervisor there until 6:00 PM every night. Most of us really don't want to work that late unless we really have to. In fact none of us want to do it. So we all take turns taking a couple of nights each month.

Now of course when ever the schedule comes out, someone complains about the nights they have or having to take time to pick nights, or just to complain. We've done this in many different ways and no-one is ever happy, except me because I don't care. Since enough people complained about it today we had this meeting. We were going to decide if an office assistant was going to do the schedule or if we were going to get together and work it out ourselves.

One supervisor in the meeting has a very domineering personality and always wants things her way, I'll call her "L". Another has a very domineer personality and wants to be in control, I'll call her "M". A third has control issues, Hence forth known as "H". Of course there is me. There were 12 people in this meeting. Yet most of the talking was done by L, M and H.

It started off with a vote, but everyone had to pontificate why they wanted to do it. As I was the second to last person to be asked and we'd been in the meeting for 25 minutes already I just said, "I don't care how you do it, someone's going to b&tch anyway." Some people were offended, some laughed, I just stewed at the stupidity of this figuring this meeting could have been over 5 minutes after it started.

Then H brought up that she hadn't been on the weekly schedule, just the weekend one, because her position dictates she has to get there early, like around 5:00 AM. She has to have the inventory and work set up for everyone by the time we start at 7:00 AM. This brought up a huge argument. L and M thought H should be on the nightly rotation anyway. H said she had no problem, but on the days she is on the schedule someone else would have to come in at 5:00 to do the inventory. L thought it wasn't fair and wanted to evaluate how H did her job. M agreed with H. They brought up the fairness of her staff and so on. This went back and forth. The whole time my anger just stewed.

Finally I blew up in a level of, well historic proportions. I've had an average of 9 late nights every three months. Normally I just pick up extras because I don't want to hear the bitching. L has picked up an average of 6 every 3 months. M and most of the other supervisors did an average of 7. If anyone had a right to be pissed off over the late night schedule, it should be me... and I wasn't.

I went on an angry tirade and ended up calling them all a bunch of whiny fifteen year old school girls. Which really pissed L and M off. Actually I shocked everyone in the room. It's been a while since I've gone that mental in a meeting and I don't think they expected it. A couple of the people thought I was okay and was sticking up for H, whom L and M were attacking. Some thought I was being rude and uncalled for. My response to that in the meeting was, "I don't F#CKING care!"

Three of my peers after the meeting ushered me out of the building and took me to a restaurant for lunch. They knew I was hot and was just a cross eyed look from erupting again.

Anyway, I think I may have gone over board this time and have crossed THE line. I probably won't find out until next week, but honestly if I did. Owell, it might be the best thing that's happened to me in a while.

Posted by Contagion in Tales from the Work Place at May 5, 2008 05:55 PM | TrackBack
Comments

Are the peons at work so untrustworthy that they can't be at work without a supervisor?

I feel for you, stupidity and childishness really grate on my nerves.

Posted by: Quality Weenie at May 6, 2008 07:05 AM

Maybe you should apply for a job teaching sensitivity classes.

Posted by: Petey at May 6, 2008 07:16 AM

OMG! And these people are MANAGERS!?! That is just ridiculous. I hope you are keeping your eyes open for other job opportunities....

Posted by: Carmen at May 6, 2008 07:57 AM

We have a saying, "Bitching Sailors are happy Sailors." They sound like happy Sailors to me.

Posted by: Navy CPO at May 6, 2008 09:08 AM

I guess I shouldn't tell them the hours my husband has put in for years at his jobs. If I'm lucky, he gets home at 7pm. (half hour drive). Then there are the 9pm overseas calls several nights a week and a few 7am morning calls for various projects.

Posted by: Teresa at May 7, 2008 09:53 AM

No joke. I'm sitting here doing a 60 to 70 hour work week for a measly 35k.

And they're complaining?!

Posted by: BloodSpite at May 7, 2008 11:43 AM

I love my Job!

Posted by: Bruce at May 7, 2008 06:54 PM

If worst comes to worst you got a lunch out of it.

Posted by: Jabbah at May 7, 2008 07:55 PM