When the boss is a jerk

L A Daily News ^ | ELLEN SIMON

[Sloth]

I'll take my HIPAA advice from someone who actually knows how to spell it, thanks. But if you don't believe me, call HHS yourself, or read this.

[ßuddaßudd]

I can safely say that my boss is inept, ineffective & pretentious. Just tell him what he wants to hear and he will always follow the path of least resistance. Anyone hiring?

[Sunshine Sister]

"I'm glad I don't work with you."

Likewise.

[Petruchio]

3. In the facility I worked at, we didn't have enough bathrooms (toilets) for the number of people on the given floor (5th). I usually go to the 3rd floor bathroom when I needed to use the library option since there was never traffic there. One of his "favored" boys saw me and reported me and I was called into his office. I was chewed out and he asked why the 5th floor bathrooms are not good enough for me. He then told me to use the 5th floor bathroom from now on even if I had to wait 15 minutes for a toilet to open up.

I once had a Stupidvisor say something similar to that to me. I said "Fine. Next time I will use the wastebasket in your office."

Problem solved.

[duckbutt]

You may get your HR department after him to remind him that is questions may be a violation of HIPPA --the patient's confidentiality.


Or...tell him you're trying to get rid of a persistent case of nosey-itis....

[art_rocks]

So did you get rich by shorting the stock???

[Old Professer]

I think he ate the evidence; are you volunteering to get it back?

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

"are you volunteering to get it back?"

Yeah, that follows from what I wrote.

But no, I'm not. I have no interest in looking in your freezer.

[RipSawyer]

I've often had a theory that a crowbar to the jaw is a quick cure for a boss who is a jerk...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"attitude adjustment, it'll work every time"
Hank Williams Jr.

[wally_bert]

I have one of those myself except he sees himself in charge even though he isn't. However, he probably will be one day as he is the informer to the commisar upstairs. It will probably take a lot to stop it from happening.

The other role this guy has is the office bully and almost went too far one time. I mentioned the word "lawsuit" to the commisar and that seemed to calm things down a lot. Never got so much as an phony apology, not that I ever expected it.

It is totally different when the informer isn't around. The atmosphere is so different and pleasant.

This guy will be around forever and no one ever moves up out our department, no matter your ability or experience. That is a state gov't job for you .

[Moonman62]

Sugar free chocolates have a little warning on them because of the maltitol content... the boss and owner spend the rest of the day fighting for the mens room. ;)

Funny, but it should be illegal to sell anything containing sugar alcohols.

[ByDesign]

"3. In the facility I worked at, we didn't have enough bathrooms (toilets) for the number of people on the given floor (5th). I usually go to the 3rd floor bathroom when I needed to use the library option since there was never traffic there. One of his "favored" boys saw me and reported me and I was called into his office. I was chewed out and he asked why the 5th floor bathrooms are not good enough for me. He then told me to use the 5th floor bathroom from now on even if I had to wait 15 minutes for a toilet to open up."

My immediate response would have been "%#$^ you and your job". Seriously. Life is TOO short!

[technochick99]

Tell him it's from work-related stress. You're hoping to prevent having to file a disability claim.

[ByDesign]

"I didn't just burn bridges, I exploded bridges at that company."

I did that at a job, problem was, the company was privately owned and the owners did'nt care. I was out the door anyway, so I just let them have it, face to face - did'nt accomplish anything, but I felt better!

My father taught me and my siblings a long time ago not to let abusive bosses bully you, and there's very few jobs worth it. He was the VP of a major corporation, and he knew what he was talking about. He said that it might seem impossible to find a new job, but the reality is, if you have skills, ambition, and motivation, you can replace ANY job - you just have to be willing to make the sacrifices (comfort zone, money, relocation) to make it happen.

Yelling in particular is a no no. There is NO reason to yell at anyone in a workplace, period. If anyone were to yell at me, especially if I was doing nothing wrong, I would simply pack up, tell that person's supervisor why I was leaving, and go. I always have 6 months of bills and rent in the bank for this very reason. Honestly, there is not enough money in the world to let anyone yell at me like a child - and I don't want to work for anyone who allows it.

I'm blessed, my current position is with a company that does not allow that kind of behavior, period. We got one of the office bullies (40-something know it all MBA twit) who got away with making admins cry and everyone crazy until they reorged her job out of existence, and she walked out of the building alone, everyone arranged to be elsewhere when she left. We work hard, but we respect each other, and there is no politics or BS, in our department, and we keep the gossips and drama queens from CS at arm's length. It's HEAVEN - we can focus on our jobs, not jerks and bullies and drama queens. We get results, too, we are highly regarded (not bragging, we've worked hard for recognition). We're known as the people that get things done.

A lot of companies are like dysfuntional families nowadays - and when you're hired, it's very hard to break free from your pre-assigned role in that dysfunction. Me, I quit. I left several jobs because of that dynamic, it's just not worth it. I turned down what was a dream job, with the head of the department negging me to work there, for twice my salary, because the department head was an abusive asshole. Sorry, not going there. I'll be punching him out in the parking lot within a week, and he's not worth the jail time. That company went under a year later, and as I'm in an industry where locally everyone knows each other, I heard that it was due this guy pissing off customers, and not being able to hold onto talent because he drove them away.

Like my dad said, you need to be firm about what you will put up with for 40+ hours a week when you choose an employer - and if you put up with it, you have no right to complain, because you accepted it. You either change it, or leave. Your time belongs to you, not them, and you can fire your company at will. If they don't deserve you, or treat you with the basic respect that you deserve...why work for them?

And yes, I've been broke from quitting jobs. And yes, it was worth it. And, yes, I'd do it again. My time, skills, mental health and peace of mind are worth too much to let some MBA bozo abuse it.

As a side note, the MBA is effectively destroying corporate America. Too many slack jawed idiots slide and cheat their way to them, and then go and destroy departments and morale. They generally have no real understanding of the compnay or the product/services, generally are abusive #@#@'s who care only about money and prestige, and have no real skill sets of their own, beyond interminable Powerpoint presentations that say nothing. The only MBAs worth a damn in my experience are those who go get them while working for a company for a long period of time, and STAY with the company. The ones that come in from the outside are typically useless and aren't going to stick around anyway, they generally start hitting up head hunters after a year (if that) to get more money.

Luckily, my company isn't sexy or hip, so we don't get them. :D

[GovernmentIsTheProblem]

"Funny, but it should be illegal to sell anything containing sugar alcohols."

Why?

The candy they ate was clearly labeled - they just didn't read the label!

[CORedneck]

That is pretty petty ! When I use to travel on business, we had to do receipts for travel and turn them in. On restaurant bills, I always rounded up to the next whole dollar. Made it easier to do the expense report not having to deal with pennies. The hotel was done through direct billing. This was a trick another veteran co-worker showed me since at the time, I was new in the "game".

I do not travel much but once I rounded a tip up from a restaurant bill from .97 to a dollar on a expense report and he wouldn't pay the .03.

[CORedneck]

Kind of reminds me when I was in my first job after college. This company I worked for 5 years in Indiana, our department was a close knit group. We did a lot of things together outside such as football games and other things.

In my last year with the company, we hired this young girl. She turned out to be a real b*tch. She also worked for me. She and I didn't exactly see eye-to-eye on things and she didn't get along with other people. We had a Syrian guy in the department she despised. He was a likable guy and funny. One day, she was on the rampage and he didn't know. He walked up to her and asked her a simple question and she let him have it. It was funny how he responded. He simply said to her to quit acting childish and to show respect for herself and him by not acting like she did. She then stormed out with a few grunts and slammed the door. Hilarious to watch. A year after, I left the company and she was on maternity leave. Her date to come back was a few days after I departed for Colorado to start a new job. I left all the pertinent things from my desk on her desk and I left a nice note that if she had any questions, she can talk to XXXX - the Syrian guy. One regret, I never got to see her expression on her face when she saw the note. she left the group about a year after I moved away.

There was a guy I knew about a few years back that had the unlucky situation of working under a brand new manager (20 some-odd years old, female, too much make-up, fresh off a divorce) who was an absolute control freak.

He leaned right into her almost forehead to forehead and said "Get the &%@* out of my face!!", which caused her to go even more ballistic yelling for security to come get him. He got his stuff and just walked calmly out the door before anyone had to escort him.

[Sam's Army]

"I always have 6 months of bills and rent in the bank for this very reason."

I do as well, and I affectionately call this the "Go to Hell" fund.