Annoying things your work colleagues do all the time? #4

[petitspois]

My colleague pushing a shared responsibility on me because he 'just doesn't like doing that'. I don't know who told you it was my favourite pastime activity but they were lying I just said 'mm-hmm' and didn't continue discussing it, I don't know if I should have clapped back with some sort of response but I was too surprised at the nerve. Audacity of some people never fail to amaze me. And when I ask him to do something, it's a series of instructions for me about how I can do it myself. Fuck off...

OMG don't get lumbered. Just say 'neither do I fuckwad' and hand it back. How dare he.

 

[shadowcat5]

Opening the window all the time. It’s fucking raining dick breath!!

 

[TheGlossy]

I’m on a training and the instructor is like “I will give you FOUR minutes beak only because we’re late”.

Like not 5, but FOUR. I can’t stop laughing because it is ridiculous. We’re late - whose fault is that lol. Yours buddy.

I just can’t right now.

 

[TheGlossy]

I have a huge bandaid on my face and felt self-conscious during a (non work related) presentation my team gave in front of 50 people, so I had my camera off. I wasn’t a speaker as the presentation was given by one person only. Apparently they did not like it that I didn’t have my camera on.

I’m sorry but I felt uncomfortable with this thing on my face. I wasn’t even a speaker anyway but I was in the office. I honestly don’t see the big deal especially as people were looking at the screen being shared, not people’s faces.

 

[Mollywobbles]

I don’t know if I’m being overly negative or reading too much into this, but:

This morning the manager sent me an email the importance of some random ‘relationship cultivating’ training and how I need to take it because learning how to build relationships will help me with ‘my current role and overall career.’

I mean I have a decade experience in the industry including client facing experience. I don’t see the relevance of this training at this point of my career. I’ll take it to make sure I meet her requirements but I find it odd she’s sending me this after the ridiculous lecture.

She’s making it sound as though I’ve no interpersonal skills and need training or am the ‘bad seed’ in the team. She has access to my past feedbacks from prior role in the company and it’s 100% not the case. I think she’s just adding more fuel to the fire.

I think you need to keep a diary of her emails, etc.
Also, after a conversation with her, email her outlining her statements just for “clarification “
You may have a case for bullying.

 

[petitspois]

There’s this one dirty bastard that I work with and he farts ALL. THE. TIME. He doesn’t even attempt to be discreet about it, or move away from people before he lets rip. It’s absolutely vile, and it smells like an animal carcass that’s been decomposing for a week in the sun. It makes me sick to my stomach knowing me and my work colleagues are breathing in his shit particles. I actually think he‘a some sort of unhinged sexual predator that gets off knowing that we are all inhaling gas that he’s released from his anus. And the worst of it is, he doesn’t even excuse himself or apologise!

He needs to be taken down the disciplinary route for that. I’m serious. I had a member of staff that stunk once and the rest of the team complained to me. I was dreading speaking to her about it so asked HR for advice. They said to speak in private with them and make it clear you don’t expect it to happen again. If it does then it’s a warning…etc

 

[TheGlossy]

Management refused to give me a promotion after almost 3 years of hard work and they may be looking at hiring my replacement with the promotional title I never got. Also, my horrendous manager is getting promoted (after losing his entire team in 6 months).

This is a farce. I just did my handover - glad I’m out of here.

 

[DA Stella]

I love when one of the managers replies to an email I sent six weeks ago, scolding me because "we discussed this in our meeting yesterday!". Well, yeah, I sent that email six weeks ago! If she bothered to actually read her emails sooner than six weeks after they were sent she wouldn't be wasting time responding to outdated questions.

 

[shadowcat5]

I don’t know how people skive off for months at a time like you’re all describing. I wouldn’t have the neck for it. Was only talking to someone recently about pretty much feeling like I can’t leave the house if I’ve a sick day - I’m obviously built wrong

Agreed!! I think it’s cause it was drilled into me as a kid “if you’re too ill for school, then you’re too ill do anything besides watch tv on the sofa”. some people clearly were not raised that way

 

[Ensay]

I've ranted about it before, but people who book meetings in your diary when you're already busy.

This latest one has annoyed me more than most because she's usually more considerate, as she usually drops me an IM to at least try and negotiate clashes, whereas this time she's just booked it in. So I'm pretty sure she's scanned my diary and thought her meeting is more important than the one I've already got.

If she'd asked nicely, I may well have moved the clash, but because she's overbooked without checking, it's made me want to decline her meeting much more.

 

[ChastityDingle]

Name dropping me as the person to go to in the team as I have the strongest skill set and asking me to train the new starters, one of which is actually paid more than me. I’ve ignored her today, I’m not there to help better someone else. I don’t give a shit if it’s selfish or sounds horrible, if I am someone’s junior in terms of scale and pay then they should know what they’re doing and if not then bollocks to them they can learn like I had to. It’s a piss take and I’m not here to play about when I have the ability to work up the scale myself, someone else can deal with it.

Saw something similar happen to a former colleague. She was unsuccessful in an interview for a job that she had basically being doing anyway. And doing it very well, really good image for the company, built up great contacts, and so forth. Job was advertised with a nice fancy title and a very good salary.

The guy who got the job ended up asking her questions constantly and to be fair, she did help him out, at first.
She mentioned this one day to some of us and after hearing the views of others, I think she probably pulled back on supporting him quite as much.

 

[CatCafe234]

When someone sends you an IM just saying "Hi Heidi". Nothing about what they want! I messaged back around 30 mins later saying "Hi Mary" and nothing back.

We use Teams and I hate it when someone does that and then the ‘Suchabody is typing a message …’ notification stays visible for aaaages. You wonder if they’re sending you an advance copy of their memoirs or if they’ve started typing a message and got distracted. Whatever it is, it’s very distracting to see.

 

[Sheeeet]

In my old job, I shared an office with people from a completely different team. I had a very different type of job, a big workload and needing quiet to concentrate, goodness knows why my manager took years to move me out. Their mates used to come in to chat with them whilst I was working and sit ON my desk for sometimes 30 minutes at a time, the desk wobbling every time they gesticulated or laughed. I got myself some big piles of old paper forms which put a stop to it.

 

[ChastityDingle]

Thank you so much for the kind words & support. I really don’t have anyone to talk to about this, so it means a lot

Honestly, how many times did I attend a presentation and couldn’t even recollect the face afterwards of the presenter because the focus is on the presentation, not the speaker.

It’s really sad because I’m always going to link this huge personal milestone with her drama.

I agree that I’ve had my fair share of grief with this company. Changing teams just
caused me to go from one issue to another. I’m not interested in this company anymore.

BIB - You don't have to do that though.

I know it's human nature to remember criticism more readily than we remember praise. You actually can decide that Nitpicking Nellie wanted to deflate you, for whatever reason. But you can also decide that you won't allow her to do it.

I'm not saying it's easy but it would be a shame to allow her to do that, imo. But you get to choose your reaction to what she said.

Btw, she is clearly out of her depth with that comment about it not being a formal reprimand. Why would she even say that! It's nonsense. Imagine what an idiot she would look, going into HR, 'I have to issue a formal reprimand to TG...oh my god, what did she do? Er, she eh, er hadn't her camera on when...er, eh, um.. forget about it'

My advice (and I have dealt with a couple of arsehole managers in my time), is, for now, keep your powder dry. Don't rush into anything. If she mentions that you cried, say something like oh I was just relieved it was over and so many people gave me great feedback. (Shots fired )

Start to look around. It sounds like you are highly skilled at what you do and now you know you are good at presentations too. Freshen up the CV. Meantime play her game.

And now like I said earlier, put it out of your mind and enjoy your weekend.

 

[Hello Kitty]

2 little rants today:

I have just emailed someone to see if they they are free for a quick catch up call (we are supposed to be working on a project together but of course it's all me at the moment.) and I got a list of everything they're doing and why they are busy but they will call me anyway. No worries hun, I'm never busy and doing extra work

For the past 2 weeks I've been doing my work, managing a group of 10 and covering for someone as they are off and not forgetting the person that constantly calls me for help. I made one minor mistake and then someone from senior management calls me. It just annoys me that 99% of the communication from him is only when people have done something wrong, never to give you any praise yet everyone else above me gets treated like they are bloody royalty

 

[petitspois]

Perfect place to rant about my OLD boss!!!

I work in healthcare, a very small company. My boss and I were the only workers, but she works part time and I was the only full time worker. Essentially I made all the money and she did f all.

I called in sick one day, the next day she called a meeting and said “okay I’m getting straight to the point, this isn’t working out”. Her reasons were not only ridiculous, but she never even discussed these with me prior.

• she said the thing that made her decide was that “I was off sick”. And I “let her know too late by email and didn’t even call”. She literally told me before that email was fine. And it was only a little later in the morning because I tried to come in, but still told her before my shift. And I had a doctors note.
• She said it’s not just this though, but other things:
• She said “you moan that you have too much work on, and no time to do anything, but you really don’t have that much on”. She saw 2-3 clients a day when she’s in. I saw 5-6 and have to do notes/report/admin/answering the phone.
• She told me I need to communicate with her that I’m struggling, so one morning I did call her saying I had struggled to find the time to prepare for a session. She said it was ridiculous, and that I “can’t be ringing her at all hours for fun” (it was 9:30am).
• I told her my housemate had covid. She said I need to pay for my own tests if I want to test as I don’t have symptoms. A few days later I came in coughing my guts out. She didn’t ask if I was ok, no concern, nothing. So I had to pay for my own tests even though I work in healthcare. She said it’s “because I didn’t come to her and ask”. She said she didn’t ask if I was ok because “I was running a team meeting at the time, and I’m currently moving house, it wasn’t on my mind”. I told her I had a problem with that and she said “yeah whatever”.
• She said I’m “not very good at winging my sessions”. Basically telling me I don’t need time to prepare - as long as I’m earning her money I shouldn’t be putting time to prepare or plan good sessions. She said she puts her family first.

AND IT GOT WORSE.

I go to write a note on the work phone, and there’s a note about all the things I’ve done wrong for me to find. This is SO unprofessional. But also there’s LOADS of things she’s never even brought up with me. Such as

• “leaving covid tests all over the table” I left one used test on one occasion by accident while I was in a session
• “Leaving the cabinet keys too close to the cabinet” fine, but she never told me this. And I came in the other day and SHE’D LEFT THEM IN THERE
• “Requesting she works from home one day while I was away” I literally should not be getting sacked for asking this??? The answer was no and I said okay fine??
• “Looking scruffy at work” again NEVER mentioned this and I know I do not look scruffy at work ever. Sometimes I don’t wear make up??
• “Heating at full blast” never told me to turn it down, and the office is freezing???
• “Not responding to clients emails” one time when I was off sick.
• “Not replying to my email asking if she was returning to work” she had emailed me at 7pm when I was sick, and I replied early the next morning???

I couldn’t be happier to be out of there!!

I hope you gave her a massive FUCK YOU when you left?

 

[Ensay]

Slopey shouldered colleagues. We've got one guy on our current project team who never seems to want to take ownership of anything. Any time the Project Manager suggests he does something, he won't outright refuse, but he'll say "I think [name] also needs to be involved", which is another way of saying he thinks [name] needs to do it all. Even on things that are for him to do.

Mind you, the PM is quite spineless too because he'll call me and say this guy needs to pick something up and that he's going to make the guy do it, but then on calls he'll be a lot less forceful and lets this guy steamroll him every time.

I've got a call tomorrow with me, him and the PM, and I already know how it's going to go. If the PM could grow a pair, he'd just tell this guy that no call is needed and that he needs to just crack on with it - but as there's a call it's obvious the PM will try and push it on to us, egged on by lazy bones.

The PM also arranges meetings at really inappropriate times, too. Like at 10:30am he'll stick in a call for 12:00 midday. That's when I take lunch, as I always have calls at 1:00pm. Or he'll stick in "quick calls" at 5:00pm. Piss off, selfish idiot. Like another poster said, if I stay on beyond 5pm (which is frequent) it's to do actual work and catch up on things, not attend your calls because you're too meek to do your job.

Sorry that turned into a much longer rant than I intended, but I feel better now.

 

[Ouch]

People who accept a 9-5, non hybrid job. Then, as soon as they have passed their probation; ask to work different hours, flexi time and WFH! Why the hell did they even accept the job in the first place?!

 

[Ensay]

Being lazy seems more commonplace than just doing the job.

I used to work at one office that still had a clocking in machine. There were several who’d turn up at 8am sharp, clock in, and then go to the loos to do their make up, get coffee and breakfast from the coffee bar etc then come back to their desk to start work at 9am when the boss arrived.

 

[Norfolking Good]

Yeah happened to me, booked an office for 1 and then got kicked out by a senior because she always sits there (but didn’t book). Then proceeded to vanish for the day and not use it anyway! Drives me mad.