The Workplace...A Modern Tragedy?

[LizzieMaine]

You'd be surprised how many working Americans get no vacation at all. During my years in radio, I was usually able to take vacation only if I was first able to find and train someone to replace me for that one week -- and I had to be on call to come back to work on a moment's notice if a vital story broke. I suspect this was not uncommon in broadcasting, and I'm sure there are other lines of work where there's similar horror stories.

For what it's worth I haven't had an actual paid vacation since July of 1997. (As I remember, I spent it looking for a better job.)

 

[Lincsong]

June will be my 5 year anniversary so I will now get 3 weeks vacation per year. At my prior job this lame brain that worked for me was excited that he was getting 4 weeks off after his first year anniversary. I said; "how do you figure that out?" He replied; "well, I get two weeks for my first year and two weeks for my second so that's four weeks. I just finished my first year and am starting my second year so I should have four weeks off." It took me, a division manager and then the personnel manager to explain to him that he got two weeks after working one year and three weeks after working five years.:eusa_doh: Needless to say he ended up getting fired a couple months later.

I had a client today threaten to stop doing business with us if we didn't deliver his goods today. Let's see; he owe's us $3500 and if we don't deliver more goods and extend him more credit he'll stop doing business with us????? I think it should be; "either pay us or you don't get more goods".:eusa_doh: :eusa_doh:

I had one job where I was fired due to "lack of profitability at the branch I managed" then 30 days later they sent me a quarterly bonus for improvement in profitability!!!!! And the check was for the maximum amount that could be earned on a quarterly bonus!!! I also would have qualified for the yearly bonus but those weren't considered "earned" until announced.

 

[Patrick Murtha]

I have been struck by the vigor of this thread. I must have struck a nerve!

I thought I should share this very funny piece from The Onion, which describes my company to a tee.

http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/these_time_management_issues

In fact, I'm headed to a half-day offsite meeting about "leadership issues" today. Oh joy.

I particularly love the line: "The prioritized goal of these meetings will be to draw up a comprehensive road map for what we should be aiming for while avoiding the stumbling blocks we've encountered in the past." As if!

 

[Fletch]

I had one job where I was fired due to "lack of profitability at the branch I managed" then 30 days later they sent me a quarterly bonus for improvement in profitability!!!!!

Let me guess. You made your branch profitable in the quarter, but still had to take the rap for all the red ink YTD?

We praise the work, but criticize the person.

 

[Lincsong]

Let me guess. You made your branch profitable in the quarter, but still had to take the rap for all the red ink YTD?

We praise the work, but criticize the person.

The quarter???? Heck there was improvement for each quarter that year and for the year itself!!!! I would have also qualified for the yearly bonus, but they fired me before those checks were written. The way the quarterly bonuses were paid, if the employee is employed on the last day of the quarter he is entitled to the quarterly bonus. However, to qualify for the yearly bonus the employee must be employed on the day that the yearly bonus checks are written.

Actually, I had to take the rap for the criminal who was embezzling from the branch 3 years and 2 managers before me.

 

[Paisley]

The way the quarterly bonuses were paid, if the employee is employed on the last day of the quarter he is entitled to the quarterly bonus. However, to qualify for the yearly bonus the employee must be employed on the day that the yearly bonus checks are written.

Been there. :rage: Now I advise people, when they are negotiating a job offer, to get the best wage they can up front and not rely too much on raises and bonuses.