Could do with some job purrs (OT)

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
Lesley Madigan wrote:

Tomorrow I am having to go to work and ask my line manager;s line
manager to become my line manager.....The week before last I had a
grievance upheld about an inappropriate referral to Occupational
Health- for most of that week and the week after she was off
sick.There's a lot of bad feeling about her, we have regular mediation
meetings and she's already having special meetings with 2 of the
others- she's alienated everyone pretty much- this has been going on
and off for over 2 years the only time it stops is when she's on long
term sick, which she pretty much does once a year but although she's
made some comments and decisions I didn't agree with (Like when I had
to leave early because Dave's dad died and when she found out all she
could say was "When will you make the time up?") I have tried to stay
out of it because firstly I come to do my job and go home I don't much
fancy taking sides etc and secondly I am not in the same office so
don't have too much to with her and thirdly she's very loud and comes
accross as a bit intimidating even when I don't think she means to be
and I am not very good at handling intimidation..

Anyway at the end of last week we had our monthly 1 to 1 and at the
end of it she casually remarked she;d sent off the referral to
Occupational Health and I should get an appoinment soon.....I did a
double take and she said a comment had been made about an "odour" so
she could do it i.e. someone says I smell. Huh? Of course she can't
tell me who but given she's hardly been in since my grievance was
person tries to say she did something
collaborate. !

You definitely need a new manager, but luckily I will never have to worry
about this any more

wrote in message
...
jmcquown wrote:

I had a supervisor once who said I spoke too loudly. I was doing
telephone
tech support and sat right across from her. She said she couldn't
concentrate because my voice was too loud. Now what the hell was I
supposed
to do? I was speaking conversationally, not yelling over the phone.
What
was I supposed to do, *whisper* technical instructions over the phone?!
It
wasn't my fault she couldn't concentrate with any sort of noise around
her.
She needed to wear earplugs, not ream me out for speaking in a clear,
lucid
voice. The problem was hers, not mine. The solution was to move me to
a
different cubicle.

The solution is to put people in private offices with doors that can be
closed. I've never understood why departments such as tech support or
customer service have seating arrangements where everyone is often in
the same room together, with the chatter of multiple conversations going
on all around you. It's a wonder *anyone* can concentrate.

Unfortunately, in my experience the only people who have offices with doors
are upper management folks. Definitely not the drones and worker bees. I'm
good at tuning out extraneous noise. I can read a book with the television
on and have no idea what's happening on the screen, much less what they're
talking about. John finds that admirable. I find it handy

There was a guy who used to bug the crap out of me when I was sitting
outside on break (reading a book). I'd be reading, he'd sit down and start
yakking at me. That trait about being able to tune out extraneous noise
helped a lot. Too bad he never noticed I wasn't listening to him. LOL

This doesn't help Lesley's situation. Purrs continue for her to deal with
her manager and keep the job.

Jill

On Nov 4, 12:19*am, "jmcquown" wrote:
.. *That trait about being able to tune out extraneous noise
helped a lot. *Too bad he never noticed I wasn't listening to him. LOL

I used to know a guy who talked endlessly about the same half a dozen
or so topics- his catchphrase was "I don't know if I told you this but
I'll tell you anyway". We were at a party and he started talking to me
when I couldn't hear him so I looked at him and when he paused I
nodded- this lasted for half an hour or so and at no point did he
cottton on that I couldn't hear a word he said

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

"Lesley" wrote in message
...
On Nov 4, 12:19 am, "jmcquown" wrote:
.. That trait about being able to tune out extraneous noise
helped a lot. Too bad he never noticed I wasn't listening to him. LOL

I used to know a guy who talked endlessly about the same half a dozen
or so topics- his catchphrase was "I don't know if I told you this but
I'll tell you anyway". We were at a party and he started talking to me
when I couldn't hear him so I looked at him and when he paused I
nodded- this lasted for half an hour or so and at no point did he
cottton on that I couldn't hear a word he said

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs



It's funny how some folks are so completely oblivious, isn't it? I never
meant to offend Fletcher by ignoring him, it's just that nothing he had to
say was interesting. Like your guy. Yes, I've heard it before so you don't
have to tell me again.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:

"Lesley" wrote in message

I used to know a guy who talked endlessly about the same half a dozen
or so topics- his catchphrase was "I don't know if I told you this but
I'll tell you anyway". We were at a party and he started talking to me
when I couldn't hear him so I looked at him and when he paused I
nodded- this lasted for half an hour or so and at no point did he
cottton on that I couldn't hear a word he said

It's funny how some folks are so completely oblivious, isn't it? I never
meant to offend Fletcher by ignoring him, it's just that nothing he had to
say was interesting. Like your guy. Yes, I've heard it before so you don't
have to tell me again.

One word: iPod. (Jill, you wouldn't need that since you can tune out
talking when you're reading. I can do that if the conversations around me
have nothing to do with me, but if someone was talking to me I wouldn't
be able to tune it out.)

Did you see my post from a few days ago, about my college roommate from
long ago who used to prattle on and on about the plot details of her
soap operas and romance novels? Stereo headphones saved me!

Joyce

--
A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going
somewhere. -- Groucho Marx

"Lesley Madigan" wrote in message
...
On Nov 2, 1:13 pm, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
You cannot be sent to OH because someone thinks you smell.

It;s a bane of my department- if someone makes any allegation to a
manager then they seem to feel it's their duty to "investigate" it
regardless of whether that allegation was made up out of spite/
vindictiveness because the person who made it will have to be pacified
by being told something was done

But you;re right I cannot be sent to OH because someone commented
about an "odour"- what does that mean? My office smelt of fish and
chips because I had them for lunch? They're jealous about how good I
smell?

Or maybe it's this......she's just saying that (As I say they'll never
tell you who made the comment it could be she made it up herself)
because I dared to defy her and establish a valid reason why she
should not have referred me to OH in the first place?

Let me explain- we have a policy that if someone takes 3 periods of
sick leave in a rolling 3 month period then it's called "triggering"
and a manager should look and see if there is a pattern (always on the
same day always for a week etc) and "may" consider referral to OH
after having a meeting (for which the affected person has to be told
with 5 working days notice) with the person concerned.

I went sick on the 23rd of August for one day- I'd had a rotten head
cold the Friday before (This was the Monday) and I had worked through
(She even said "You sound rough" on the Friday) hoping it would go
over the weekend but it hadn't.

I'd also had a day sick about the 8th of July- ate something that
didn't want to stay ate

And one on the 25th of May one of those 24 hour horrors with a
blinding headache and vomiting.

So 3 days in just under 3 months by 2 days......No pattern
incidentally it doesn't matter how long or short every incidence is-
the person behind this last year took 1 period of sick in 6 months- it
lasted 5 1/2 months!

She did my return to work interview on the 24th of August for the last
incident and had even ticked the "No further action" box when she said
"It's not like you triggered" and I pointed out by a matter of 2 days
I had.

She then came back to me about 3 weeks ago and told me she'd referred
me to OH for "triggering" back in August- I checked the policy and
that is only one option available to a manager so I discussed it with
her line manager who said "Why are you mentioning this now when you
should have mentioned it at a stage one interview even through
personally I would have done nothing for 3 days with no pattern"

I;d never had a stage 1 interview.....she went spare! And advised me I
had a grievance and she would support me then upheld it aparently when
she said to my line manager "Personally at very worse I would have had
a meeting and advised monitoring things" my line manager said "I'll
start it from now!" but as she said "Lesley has not had a day off sick
since August so to start it now would be to penalise her for being
well"

so she's dumped this allegation of a "comment" made by who and when I
don't have the faintest idea as a way to demonstrate to me that she
referred me to OH and I SHOULD have gone quietly because she WILL
ALWAYS get me one way or another and frankly I am not prepared to work
with a manager who is gunning for me

---------
Be very careful about your alcohol consumption if it's smelled at work on
your breath the next day. I have an idea that that might be the problem as
I know you like to visit the pub every night. It might be advisable to only
drink 2 pints or so if you are working the day after.
I might be wrong about this but as you say you are perfectly clean and
shower regularly, the possibility is the odour that is detected is alcohol.
Tweed

On Nov 4, 7:02*pm, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
Be very careful about your alcohol consumption if it's smelled at work on
your breath the next day. *I have an idea that that might be the problem as
I know you like to visit the pub every night. *It might be advisable to only
drink 2 pints or so if you are working the day after.


It only rarely is 2 pints- I like half an hour to myself at the end of
the working day so it's one pint and the paper then home.

Funnily enough the only time someone thought they could smell alcohol
on my breath I hadn't had any for a couple of days!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

"Lesley" wrote in message
...
On Nov 4, 7:02 pm, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
Be very careful about your alcohol consumption if it's smelled at work on
your breath the next day. I have an idea that that might be the problem as
I know you like to visit the pub every night. It might be advisable to
only
drink 2 pints or so if you are working the day after.


It only rarely is 2 pints- I like half an hour to myself at the end of
the working day so it's one pint and the paper then home.

Funnily enough the only time someone thought they could smell alcohol
on my breath I hadn't had any for a couple of days!

You know and I know that you need be careful about this. I will say no more.
Tweed

On Nov 4, 11:07*am, wrote:
jmcquown wrote:

* "Lesley" wrote in message

* I used to know a guy who talked endlessly about the same half a dozen
* or so topics- his catchphrase was "I don't know if I told you this but
* I'll tell you anyway". We were at a party and he started talking to me
* when I couldn't hear him so I looked at him and when he paused I
* nodded- this lasted for half an hour or so and at no point did he
* cottton on that I couldn't hear a word he said

* It's funny how some folks are so completely oblivious, isn't it? *I never
* meant to offend Fletcher by ignoring him, it's just that nothing he had to
* say was interesting. *Like your guy. *Yes, I've heard it before so you don't
* have to tell me again.

One word: iPod. (Jill, you wouldn't need that since you can tune out
talking when you're reading. I can do that if the conversations around me
have nothing to do with me, but if someone was talking to me I wouldn't
be able to tune it out.)

Did you see my post from a few days ago, about my college roommate from
long ago who used to prattle on and on about the plot details of her
soap operas and romance novels? Stereo headphones saved me!

Joyce

--
A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going
somewhere. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * -- Groucho Marx

Heh, I LOVE my ipod. It's not just tunes, it's a hand-held sanity
preserving device. I have to share a cubicle with a guy who talks to
himself, processing everything he IS doing, everything he NEEDS to do
and everything he HAS done out loud. WIth my iPod playing, I can block
out the distraction and get my own work done without going verbally
postal on him.

Yakkers-- I think there MUST be a circle in hell just for them.

Melissa

Shiral wrote:

Heh, I LOVE my ipod. It's not just tunes, it's a hand-held sanity
preserving device. I have to share a cubicle with a guy who talks to
himself, processing everything he IS doing, everything he NEEDS to do
and everything he HAS done out loud. WIth my iPod playing, I can block
out the distraction and get my own work done without going verbally
postal on him.

Yakkers-- I think there MUST be a circle in hell just for them.

It will be a Silent Retreat for all eternity.

Joyce

--
I don't know that I will ever trust again
It's a price I must pay for all my sins
Time has changed me and left me full of doubt
And my heart may be lost, never to be found -- Alison Krauss