DEPARTMENTS

You don't always have to get paid to be abused! I signed up to volunteer as a group facilitator for teens in abusive relatioships. It was supposed to start at the beginning of autumn 2005.

As soon as I met the resident overlord I suspected incompetence and a very bad character, but I believed in this cause so I stayed on.

Indeed there was incomptence. It's now Feb.2006 with no start date in sight.

We were trained in December by a person from the CDC. We were put in groups of three to work on problems that might come up during a group we were leading. I was put in with the resident overlord and another social worker. The topic? What to do if you and a co-facilitator disagree during a group session.

As I'm not a social worker, nor am I officially a staff person I waited for the others to lay out their ideas first. Dead silence. I waited a little while longer, still no response. I considered a call for life support but decided to initiate the conversation instead. Big mistake.

I asked the other team members what they would do. I took notes on their answers and reconfirmed that my notes were what they wanted me to present to the whole group. My overlord was seething because I had taken the lead in the group.

After I finished laying out what each person had said the overlord stood up over me and pointed vigorously at my head. She practically screamed that everything I had just said was wrong. She then went on to explain the "correct" version,. whereupon she literally repeted what I had said almost word for word.

There was a stunned silence and some uncomfortable laughter. I was impressed! She'd really showed us what not to do when a disagreement arises.

After that I was just too busy to help out any more. Too bad, because I believe in this cause but I don't believe in volunteering to work with a bully! LINK

To be fair not all bureaucratic annoyances come from above. Being a large teleco, the company has it's own fun and games from the unions and various government departments.

Now I've often made this point of view known, 'Unions and Government departments aren't motivated by profit. It's completely out of the equation for them. The only way they can justify their existence is to waste your god damn time, force you to pay attention to them somehow then they can claim to be doing something.'

My boss at the time often disagreed with this point of view, but however he did feel that I had the right attitude for an OH&S (Occupational Health & Safety) rep.

It's not fair. You pinky lefty types aren't supposed to be sneaky and smart like that.

The upshot of it that now they come to me to organise their audits and I do everything I can to get them the hell away from me ASAP with minimal impacts. Not that I don't take employee safety seriously, but if you come and tell me that we can't put tinsel up because if might fall and hurt someones eye I'm going to tell you exactly where I'm gonna put the tinsel instead.

But the toaster was a point of contention. Yes apparently this appliance that lives happily in millions of peoples homes is in fact a lethal burning electrocuting trap as soon as you take it out of it's natural environment and into the office. The owner of said toaster (who would often bribe me with toasted ham and cheese sandwiches for breakfast) tried to assure everyone that she had the whole affair under control and everything was fine, but eventually she said she had my permission to do it.

Well I tell you what. I thought that I had finally be busted for stealing Lindy Chamberlain's kid. But no, it was just about the toaster, and how apparently I didn't understand about the cheese burning, and how it might be hot if one person has one then suddenly the office will be full of cheesy hot toasters that are left on 24/7.

All my comments and counter arguments (which largely revolved around, 'Bugger off before you have an OH&S incident') fell on deaf ears. And after two months of this and several threats to get the unions involved I eventually caved and asked toaster girl to keep it in a drawer when it wasn't being used.

Problem solved. BTW the 'If I don't see it..' approach also works for liquid paper, which also isn't allowed in the office, because apparently someone might drink it or sniff too much of it and die.

Personally I say that just evolution in action, but I don't get to make the rules, I just get to ignore them. LINK

I was assigned the project of assessing a new market in Asia. I created a scope of work, work-back schedule, and deadline for launch: six weeks. The CEO signed off on this.

One week later, he called me urgently from this country to "send what I had." I explained I was still researching and working on copy: all I had were some early Word documents. He wanted them anyway. So I sent them.

The CEO returned a week early and called all management into the boardroom, including me. He then proceeded for the next three hours to humiliate me for my shoddy work. LINK

I worked for a very clean bicycle shop. One day a friend of mine was walking past the enormous panel windows that served as the walls of the store. She recognized me, and slapped the window to get my attention. My supervisor, who had been watching the whole affair, shooed her away, and demanded that I wash the windows immediately. One of my peers, observing this overreaction, reacted with a simple shrug and rolling of the eyes. Apparently, this was grounds for his termination, for insubordination. Higher ups vetoed this decision, but he left anyway. LINK

This e-mail was sent to all employees. It is not a joke.

---Original Message---
From: [name]
To: [staff]
Subject: Safety Tips

*Close* the drawers of filing cabinets when not in use

*Move* boxes out of pathways, corridors, and high traffic areas

*Hold* the hand rail when using the stairs, and keep to the left

*Wipe* up spills and wet spots in the tea room and reception

*Walk* - do not run - in the office

When the cleaners are on site, *Look* for the "Caution - Slippery When Wet" signs indicating recently mopped or polished floors

*Approach* blind corners and walkways with caution - give way at T-intersections! LINK