The Workplace...A Modern Tragedy?

[RetroBabydoll]

Is this a job site for the blind???? I would have assumed that you would be tired of so many guys talking to you and flirting all day. [huh] What's up with that???

I've been here a year and they were really nice in the beginning. I guess they got used to me and don't care anymore. I would be happy with a "thank you" for buzzing them into the office or a "good morning." I am sooo ready to leave this job that I posted a year calendar with the days marked off until I can leave. I have 273 days......wish me luck.

 

[Miss 1929]

I am so thankful

that I don't work in a normal workplace!
I work for a non-profit music school. All of us are valued and respected by the boss, who works harder than all of us put together. No benefits, not much pay, but on the other hand, I don't have to be a conformist and I can have a day off for a gig whenever necessary.
I have tried the corporate world and it is just stultifying! I don't know how people do it.

 

[Paisley]

In the past, is hasn't been proper to initiate a greeting to one's superiors, but this is a very fine point of etiquette, and I don't think anyone should be bothered if you wished them "good morning" or "good bye." If that doesn't make your next 273 days more pleasant, is there anyone else in Burbank you can send your resume to?

 

[RetroBabydoll]

In the past, is hasn't been proper to initiate a greeting to one's superiors, but this is a very fine point of etiquette, and I don't think anyone should be bothered if you wished them "good morning" or "good bye." If that doesn't make your next 273 days more pleasant, is there anyone else in Burbank you can send your resume to?

I have to stay here because of the health insurance and the pay is alright. I tried other places.....went through different interviews....tests....more interviews....had to go for second interviews. Interviewing for jobs caused me to miss work and I can't afford it. I will tough it out. At least I have the Fedora Loungers to help. You are all such wonderful people.

 

[RetroBabydoll]

that I don't work in a normal workplace!
I work for a non-profit music school. All of us are valued and respected by the boss, who works harder than all of us put together. No benefits, not much pay, but on the other hand, I don't have to be a conformist and I can have a day off for a gig whenever necessary.
I have tried the corporate world and it is just stultifying! I don't know how people do it.

I don't know how they do it either. I know most of them hate their jobs here.

 

[AmateisGal]

Being in a toxic work environment literally makes you physically and emotionally ill. My last job was like that. Management couldn't get a hold on the finances of the company because theyir expenses were off the charts. Problem was, the employees could see where they could easily cut expenses, but that would have entailed that the CEO and VP didn't commute between New York City and Lincoln, Nebraska.

At any rate, all the people I worked with for the two years I was there have since left - and just in time. The company got sold to a leading competitor and they recently announced that they're closing the Lincoln office and moving. All those people, with the exception of a select few, have lost their jobs. Yeah, this happens all the time, but when you see how mis-managed it was, it's not hard to see how it happened.

My old co-workers and I still get together for lunch every month and our old manager came one time - she remarked on how much better everyone looked now that they weren't working at that company anymore. I know I'm definitely a happier person.

My lesson learned? Get out of a bad working environment if at all possible. It's not worth your health.

 

[Paisley]

Definitely get out of a bad working environment.

I've gotten out of several--and I never had my utilities shut off or went hungry. As my father said, "I was looking for a job when I found this one."

 

[Lincsong]

I've been here a year and they were really nice in the beginning. I guess they got used to me and don't care anymore. I would be happy with a "thank you" for buzzing them into the office or a "good morning." I am sooo ready to leave this job that I posted a year calendar with the days marked off until I can leave. I have 273 days......wish me luck.

Perhaps I can send a clue bat down there so that you may knock it against some heads in that place.lol

I'm in 15-25 different places a day dealing with clients so I deal with all types of people, plus I'm in traffic all day so no two days are the same. I only had one client that gave me a bad time and I totally dreaded going in there. One day we butted heads, now I don't have that bad karma polluting my day. I'm actually only in the office about 3 times a week and then it's only about 3-4 hours each day. The guys always comment that I'm "too business" and don't cut the bull with them too much, but then I save the schmoozing for the clients.

I have one client where the receptionist is like you, one day I asked her why it was so quiet in there every time I came and she said it's like a morgue in there, no one talks much and few of them talk to her.

In college I had a summer job for a couple weeks, it was a mistake, and the boss realized that. We got along personally but we couldn't get the hours during the week to coincide with my classes so I ended up working the weekend and maybe a couple hours in the afternoon during the week. When I put in my 2 weeks notice the boss said; "hey all you need is one week".lol I should have just followed my friend and parked cars in the evening with him at a hotel.

 

[RetroBabydoll]

AmateisGal- I'm glad you're not working for that company. Sounds awful! I did notice I'm sick moreso than normal, but I'm not sure if it's because I'm exposed to more people. It's probably the negative vibes from coworkers and from people that call in. This is the only job that has made me cry from the callers yelling and it's never me they're upset at.....but I take it to heart.

Paisley- You're so lucky you've been alright when leaving a job. I wish I didn't need health insurance or else I'd be out of here.

Lincsong- Sounds like you have a neat job that changes everyday. Even though your in traffic....it still sounds nice because you can have the radio playing. I sneak crocheting while I'm on the job so I don't go batty when nothing is happening and I'm in a quiet room. Maybe it's just what comes with being a receptionist.....being in a quiet room alone.

 

[Paisley]

Don't let yourself be abused

AmateisGal- I'm glad you're not working for that company. Sounds awful! I did notice I'm sick moreso than normal, but I'm not sure if it's because I'm exposed to more people. It's probably the negative vibes from coworkers and from people that call in. This is the only job that has made me cry from the callers yelling and it's never me they're upset at.....but I take it to heart.

Paisley- You're so lucky you've been alright when leaving a job. I wish I didn't need health insurance or else I'd be out of here.

Lincsong- Sounds like you have a neat job that changes everyday. Even though your in traffic....it still sounds nice because you can have the radio playing. I sneak crocheting while I'm on the job so I don't go batty when nothing is happening and I'm in a quiet room. Maybe it's just what comes with being a receptionist.....being in a quiet room alone.

If business is good, the phone should be ringing constantly.

At my last job, the phone hardly ever rang and the place was, as you described, like a morgue. They were losing money. If your customers are frequently calling and yelling, it sounds like your firm isn't doing a great job at whatever it's supposed to do. That's a bad sign for the company as a business. Is it publicly traded? If so, look up the financial data on the Internet. Is their current ratio over 2? How are the profits? Are the returns growing? Are returns on assets at least positive? How do analysts rate the company? If it's going down the tubes, it wouldn't be the worst idea to get out.

Maybe in your idle moments, you can see if your doctor will give you a discount as a cash patient. Or find some means of continuing through COBRA, or find other health insurance. See if you can get health insurance through a temp agency--some of them offer it.

 

[Patrick Murtha]

It's interesting that, although our country is rightly proud of its democratic nature and heritage, anyone pining for a more autocratic or monarchic form of organization need only...go to work! Because most companies are extremely monarchic. In my (not publicly traded) company, the opinion of the moody CEO considerably outweighs that of the 399 other stakeholders combined. Whenever a new idea is put into the mix, everyone looks nervously toward the king. If he smiles, they smile; if he frowns, they frown (or maybe run for cover). And firing is like a modern version of "Off with his head!"

 

[AmateisGal]

RetroBaby, I hope you can find a different job. I was at a job right after college where I endured abuse from customers on the phone, to the point where they were cussing at me and calling me names. I'd usually hang up.

Since we spend most of our lives at our day jobs, it's really not worth working at a place that makes you so miserable.

 

[AmateisGal]

Here's a question I've been wondering about.

In the UK and Europe (pretty much any place but America), is time off a more sacred thing? It seems like America's whole two weeks a year vacation time is just silly. I know I sure could use more than that, but simply can't afford it. Is this just an American thing? I've had friends from overseas who are astonished at how little time off we have.

 

[dakotanorth]

Previous jobs, vacation time?

Actually the last place I worked gave me a 9% raise, then laid me off a month later! That just embodied their skills. The boss was a classic Back-slapping Fat Cat who couldn't even figure out the most fundamental task of the company. His big trick I figured out: He would ask "So, what does that mean?" He was trying to get people to summarize or evaluate their own statements, but really, he just didn't get it!
Plus the person I worked with directly was just... insane. She couldn't figure out anything and was constantly making up new rules to cover for it. If we had done everything the way she wanted, we would have checked our own work about 10 times and documented everytime we checked it.

On vacation: It's often been said that American Capitalism is a unique creature- this spills over into vacation time. People are overworked, underpaid, labor laws are thin, quality of life is rarely a factor. Personally I think a big secret is to cut back on buying "Toys"- people kill themselves so they can what, a new cell phone? A BIGGER t.v.?? "Pleasure vs Happiness" is a debate every single person needs to examine.

 

[AmateisGal]

On vacation: It's often been said that American Capitalism is a unique creature- this spills over into vacation time. People are overworked, underpaid, labor laws are thin, quality of life is rarely a factor. Personally I think a big secret is to cut back on buying "Toys"- people kill themselves so they can what, a new cell phone? A BIGGER t.v.?? "Pleasure vs Happiness" is a debate every single person needs to examine.

Excellent point, Dakotanorth. And unfortunately, I think it's a big factor in many Americans' poor health.

 

[Feraud]

It seems like America's whole two weeks a year vacation time is just silly.

Just a comment for perspective but many Americans would be thrilled to get two weeks a year.

Personally I think a big secret is to cut back on buying "Toys"- people kill themselves so they can what, a new cell phone? A BIGGER t.v.?? "Pleasure vs Happiness" is a debate every single person needs to examine.

I agree with this. What is the point of vaction and weekends if people are constantly on their electronic gadgets? It is The American Way to work ourselves to death for status goods.

 

[AmateisGal]

Just a comment for perspective but many Americans would be thrilled to get two weeks a year.

Wow. I guess I didn't stop to think about that. Every job I've had offered the standard two weeks. But I'm sure there are those that don't get that benefit.

 

[Patrick Murtha]

Here's a question I've been wondering about.

In the UK and Europe (pretty much any place but America), is time off a more sacred thing?

My underatanding is that the answer to this question is "Yes." I believe the French, for example, get six weeks off as a matter of course.

 

[SarahLouise]

Here's a question I've been wondering about.

In the UK and Europe (pretty much any place but America), is time off a more sacred thing? It seems like America's whole two weeks a year vacation time is just silly. I know I sure could use more than that, but simply can't afford it. Is this just an American thing? I've had friends from overseas who are astonished at how little time off we have.

I can't speak for the whole of the UK but it tends to vary from workplace to workplace. At my previous job I had 22 days holiday but have started a new job this week and have an amazing 6 weeks holiday! I know I am very lucky as most companies are not so generous. To compare, a friend of mine only has 20 days holiday so it does vary.

You only get 14 days holiday?! That's crazy!

 

[Patrick Murtha]

You only get 14 days holiday?! That's crazy!

For Americans, two weeks holiday amounts to 10 working days. You have to spend a considerable amount of time on a job to earn an additional week per year.