How do you feel today? v. 3.0

Post by **sgt.null** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:09 am

lorin - take it from someone else who works with crazy, evil people. MOVE. be it NM or wherever. move. move. move. oh yeah, move.

Post by **Rigel** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 7:20 am

Lorin, hope your move goes well. Sending good thoughts your way!

Post by **aliantha** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 3:50 pm

Wow, you guys. What a weekend, huh?

lorin -- You know I'm adding my voice to the chorus, right? MOVE. Get the hell out of there. I'd drive up there and drag you and the dog to DC today, if my building allowed dogs. (I know at least two people who live in Baltimore and commute to NYC on Amtrak. Just food for thought.)

danlo -- I'm glad to hear you're better. Take care of yourself, dammit!

Sorus -- This is ridiculous. Here's what you do: You pick a week for your vacation. Then you write your manager a note that simply says, "Dear Manager: I will be unavailable to work from X day to Y day. Thank you. Sorus." Save a copy in case he *does* put you on the schedule and then tries to fire you for not showing up. You've earned the time off, you deserve it, and you're taking it -- end of story. (This, btw, is how efficient workplaces operate. You give the scheduling manager a note in writing that lists the dates you're not going to be there. There's no pleading involved.)

As for me, well, the cold from hell is better. I got to sleep in four-hour shifts last night, and I didn't have to hack up a lung when I woke up -- hurray! Spent all day yesterday offline, finishing the latest knitting project. It's designed to look like a blazer and it's absolutely adorable, if I do say so myself. And now I have something comfortable to wear in case I decide to start looking for another job myself.

Post by **Orlion** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:07 pm

lorin- I agree with others. Also, helldog deserves a helltreat.... whatever that might be

Sorus- Ali is correct on how these things should be. Even when I worked at Tim Horton's where the managers never wanted to give time off, they respected the two-week notification rule. Give ample time of notification, and don't give in to any of this "b-but... we neeeed youuuuu!" That's code for the managers not wanting to pull their fair share.

Post by **lucimay** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 7:19 pm

yep sorus, ali and orlion have the way of it. good advice.

Post by **sgt.null** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 1:42 am

f-ing angry right now. i got called to the major's office today. he asked if i knew about a broken utensil from the fourth of july. told him yes, they (i/m's) had broken a slotted spoon. i did half of everything right. wrote a note for the board, an entry in the broken utensil log.

what did i forget to do? change the two inventories (board and log) so the number was off. and i cleared the board like that. it was wrong, i understand.

my only defense. we were shorthanded yet again. it was me and one c/o instead of two c/o's. it wasa procedural mistake. one of ommission not intent.

i have busted my ass, working short half of my week. running the kitchen, an dthe trucks because the guy who is supposed to be running trucks manages to leave earlier everytime i look up. i have ten years of no write ups. (ie fact the major was looking at my file and asked if i have ever been written up.}

the results? i can get a letter of instruction (no harm, no foul) i can get a probationary period (6 months to a year), i grade deduction (fsm III to fsm II - which means a pay cut), a suspension. termination.

if i get anything it is likely a letter of instruction.

but i am so pissed, if i get more than that i will seriously considering handing in my stripes to move back to my old unit to be a c/o.

i am also looking at how i can take time off to fix my ankle.

they are about to destroy my ten year run of no disciplinary.

Post by **Savor Dam** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 2:06 am

No wonder you are peeved, Sarge. Apparently you have managed to accomplish so much with so little for so long that they now come down on your six for not being able to achieve everything with nothing.

I understand the importance of keeping track of every kitchen implement in that environment, but to bust your chops for such small oversights when there is clear evidence that you did practice due diligence in recording what happened -- while you were short-staffed! -- is anal in the extreme.

You noted the occurence in two places, the board and the log. That they seem to require four entries reflects a very poorly designed process. Where is the added value in requiring you to note a broken utensil in four different ways? That is just excessive busywork, especially when you are saddled with having to deal with doing the work of others who are conveniently not present.

[rant]
Perhaps instead of disciplining you, they ought to hire you as a highly paid process improvement consultant to help them streamline their internal processes and eliminate all this horse-hockey that does not increase safety, decrease cost, or otherwise add value...instead just complicating the workday of people trying to do a difficult-enough job without having the bureaucracy get in their way!
[/rant]

Post by **Sorus** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 3:00 am

Ye gods, Sarge - that is the epitome of pettiness. I've worked places that required absurd paperwork, but that takes the cake.

Lorin, you're doing the right thing.

And as for me, I was in HR for 5 years. I know state employment law backwards and forwards and a hell of a lot better than any of my current management. I know they're walking all over me, and I need to put my foot down about it. It just seems like everything is a battle and an ordeal right now, and I'm trying to pick my fights.

Post by **aliantha** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 3:20 am

Sarge -- yeesh, that's ridiculous. Hang in there.

Sorus -- I'm not trying to argue with you.

But this shouldn't be a battle or an ordeal at all. Give the guy a note that says you're going to take vacation on X days. He can whine and moan, sure, but if you drop dead of exhaustion he'll have to find someone else to fill the shift anyhow....

Post by **Cameraman Jenn** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 3:34 am

Sorus, that totally sucks but use the workforce management system in the portal. It will red flag it if he tries to schedule you for days you have requested off and it also is on record for both Donna and Lori and if you put in the days two weeks or more in advance he has to approve them unless someone else has requested them prior to your request or there is inventory week.

I'm tired. I had a nice brunch with Julie, Heatherly, BGB and Mike this morning. Then I went and did laundry and then I came home and made some beef stew. It was delicious. I also made parmesan laced drop biscuits to go with it. Yummers. Now I am intermittantly puttering, checking the watch and reading "The Scar." Probably go to bed early tonight.

Post by **Sorus** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 4:13 am

Cameraman Jenn wrote:Sorus, that totally sucks but use the workforce management system in the portal. It will red flag it if he tries to schedule you for days you have requested off and it also is on record for both Donna and Lori and if you put in the days two weeks or more in advance he has to approve them unless someone else has requested them prior to your request or there is inventory week.

Hmm... I always use the calendar in workforce management - good to know that it's not easy to 'miss' requests... /sigh

Hell, maybe other people have requested first, and this is where a little communication would come in handy.

You're right, it shouldn't be a battle. And I'm going to settle it 1:1 in a civilized fashion, but it's still going to have to wait until after all the back-to-school stuff is over. Being pulled in on my day off (when we're not even open) to do price changes is bad, but being replaced would be worse. This job pretty much sucks, but I can't afford to lose it.

Post by **Cameraman Jenn** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:05 am

Ashlee does miss some requests despite the "red flag" so I just adjust the schedule to accommodate the employees when she overlooks things. She commonly forgets that Jasmine can't work Wednesday night anymore and forgets to schedule me a cashier and schedules Jasmine out of habit despite the bright blue WARNING it posts to the schedule. I just flip Dale to Wednesday and Jas to Thursday and it's all good. As the store manager, she sets the main schedule but as a department manager performing the job of an assistant manager, I move things around to improve coverage and so forth. She doesn't care as long as I don't go over our alloted hours and I know you are familiar with the pathetic payroll allotment each store is given. If you are having an issue with what's his face, ask Ryan or Gilbert to help out. They can also change schedules.

Post by **sgt.null** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:52 am

sd : the worst part is the captain's second - who is supposed to pitch in and fill? does none of that and we ened up catching his work because she seems blind to his obvious shirking. he fails in so many ways and does not get a single contact log.

sorus - we pay a group to tell us about more and more paper work. so even though the building is literally falling down around us, we still get acreddited.

ali - i have even been told not to call in on sunday, since no one is available to fill in for me. and she just brought someone in to help us, and put him on the opposite card of mine - even though they have more people scheduled than i do.

i need to win the lotto.

Post by **JazFusion** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:01 am

Waiting to hear if my husband got this job or not.

I have no hair or beer left.

Post by **Cameraman Jenn** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:09 am

Just got home from work about 15 minutes ago. Left the house at 11:30 this morning to go to work. This commute is so seriously suckass and getting suckier by the minute. I've been looking for places in Berkeley but I'm really not that inspired. I feel quite a bit drained and a bit depressed. At brunch with Heatherly and the gang this past Sunday I watched her talk about Portland a tiny bit and I kinda felt like maybe a change of scene would do me some good too. I'm now back to seriously thinking about relocating to Portland with Heatherly but just for a year. I even went so far as to look at some places online and the rent for really nice dog friendly two bedroom places is about $200-400 bucks cheaper than a studio dump in the worst ghettos of SF. The job market here still sucks, I feel stuck with work and stagnant financially and I'm not sure what to do about it. Ok, thanks for listening.

Post by **Savor Dam** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:16 am

Yay, Jenn! Come north for a year, be it Portland, Seattle or any number of other smaller cities. At the end of the year, I wager you will not want to leave...

Post by **sgt.null** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:26 am

jazz - good luck! buy more beer, some smuttynose - have one fo rme. i miss my beer.

jenn - good luck with either way you go.

sd : but you are stuck with the mariners.

Post by **Cameraman Jenn** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:37 am

Ah but you forget Savor Dam, I lived in Oregon for many years. Eugene area. I can assure you it would only be temporary. That is not a bad thing however, get out of here for a bit and regroup my head and readjust my perspectives. Have a new adventure to help me break free from the cycle I feel stuck in now. Again, it's just serious thoughts right now.

Post by **Phantasm** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:23 am

Sarge, that sucks big time. A common sense approach to management is obviously lacking in your superiors, as well as a simplified method for recording items that are broken and need replaced.
Hang in there, and good luck with the lotto.

Post by **lorin** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:40 pm

it's noon. i havent left the house in three days. Had a margarita for breakfast and having one for lunch. Bethanny's Skinny Girl Margarita. But I keep looking at myself and it's NOT making me any skinnier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want my money back

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How do you feel today? v. 3.0