Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13252576 times)

Torran

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9850 on: August 07, 2015, 08:16:25 AM »
Slow day in the office, which leads to long conversations with a colleague who is temporarily sitting by me. Clearly I've been chatting away while silently inwardly judging, because I'm a terrible person taht way.

I started talking about how charity shops are the best because you can get quality clothes really cheap.
She talked about how she gets good value by asking for a discount in a designer shop when she's making a lot of purchases in one go.

She mentioned that she recently replaced her entire kitchen because she was bored with it. This included installing 2 pizza ovens (one for her, one for her kids), and.... wait for it... throwing away all of her cutlery and buying new cutlery, because she wanted it all to be gold. I assume she meant gold coloured.

This then led on to her bemoaning how hard it must be for young people today.

She also mentioned which 'brands' her husband and kids are. Hollister and Abercrombie are apparently the brands of her children. Not what brands they like... what brands they ARE. (Do they come with washing instructions?)

Her conversations revolve around: brands, new purchases, favourite shops, what she's planning to buy next. From what I gather she's very wealthy (husband is paid a lot) and she's mentioned before that she doesn't need this job for the money. It's just to get her out of the house.

All that money they apparently have... and it's being spent on gold cutlery and Hollister clothes. And she willingly gives up hours of her own time to work in an office doing admin. It is not logical, captain.

FuturePrimitive

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9851 on: August 07, 2015, 08:44:59 AM »
I assume she meant gold coloured.
After reading all that I wouldn't make that assumption....

nobodyspecial

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9852 on: August 07, 2015, 08:50:31 AM »
Hollister and Abercrombie are apparently the brands of her children. Not what brands they like... what brands they ARE.
Designer babies! Wait till Apple here about this, only apple children will be allowed to have rounded corners.
« Last Edit: August 07, 2015, 10:58:42 AM by nobodyspecial »

Taran Wanderer

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9853 on: August 07, 2015, 09:44:06 AM »
Not just clients.  What is they something like that to a peer on another team?  Or my boss?

Mississippi Mudstache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9854 on: August 07, 2015, 10:09:46 AM »
Not just clients.  What is they something like that to a peer on another team?  Or my boss?

Like I said, it depends on the nature of the job. I've had bosses that would probably hire somebody specifically because they said that in an interview. Not every employee needs to be a polished little customer-relations jewel.

lifeinhd

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9855 on: August 07, 2015, 10:12:08 AM »
Everyone here is incredibly Antimustachian. I work in IT, but I work for a company in a blue collar industry, so most of the guys smoke or dip, they buy a lot from the vending machines, own a lot of guns, drive large pickups and SUVs, etc.. They do seem to bring lunch pretty consistently, which is excellent. Thing is, I don't converse with most of them, since they're always going to job sites whereas I'm stuck in an office, so I don't have any great stories.

Except from our warehouse worker.

He's a great guy, but he's in poor health. Very obese, drinks a couple sodas every day, only gets exercise walking between his desk and the forklift. We were discussing my biking-to-work habit (yes, I'm probably the only one who has ever done this in the 50 years this company has existed) and how this area is incredibly bike-unfriendly. He mentioned that he only lives a mile away, and back when he lost his license, he would sometimes walk it. I said "oh yeah, that's such an easy walk and an even easier bike ride, I don't think I'd ever drive if I lived that close" and he laughed and said "bike? I don't think they make a tire big enough to hold me!" Guess he'll keep commuting that mile in his V8 F150.

Now to contribute to the foam:

I think I had to go back 2 years to find someone in MS/HS with my name (granted small school), but at my current company of 35 employees, 5 of us are Ryans.

My company employs ~70 people. There are at least four Ryans. What is up with that name....

If a man gets offended by being addressed in a group as "ladies," he can grow a thicker skin or fuck off.
MOD NOTE: This topic has pretty much exhausted itself and i'm tired of getting reports. Time to drop it folks.
The reverse also applies.

Quote
folks

Quote
folks

The irony was not lost on me.

Ghzbani

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9856 on: August 07, 2015, 11:15:48 AM »
I saw all that "basic" talk and thought people were really getting into old school programming languages or alkaline chemistry. But no, it's just clothes. In fact, clothes that are even more boring than normal clothes. What a letdown.

Agreed. For the past 2 pages I've been trying to come up with a good chemistry pun, hopefully one that includes foam.

KittyCat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9857 on: August 07, 2015, 11:58:07 AM »
I assume she meant gold coloured.
After reading all that I wouldn't make that assumption....
I dunno about that; gold is a soft metal, and it would fare even poorer when heat is involved. If anything, gold-plated stainless steel.

If a man gets offended by being addressed in a group as "ladies," he can grow a thicker skin or fuck off.
MOD NOTE: This topic has pretty much exhausted itself and i'm tired of getting reports. Time to drop it folks.
The reverse also applies.
Ah, I know that this is an older post, but it's something I can relate to! While at restaurants with even one female friend, we are often referred to as "ladies" (I am a guy btw). I've also been addressed by "miss" and "ma'am" while ordering face-to-face. I find it amusing~
« Last Edit: August 07, 2015, 12:08:12 PM by KittyCat »

Avidconsumer

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9858 on: August 07, 2015, 01:03:16 PM »

That was me
I wasn't serious about the killing BTW.
The fact that I have to point this out makes me slightly less confident in the long term probability of success of the human race though :)

i understand that. :)

my comments were also somewhat tongue-in-cheek but somehow that got lost in translation i guess.

Ah ah fantastic!
To add to the confusion I will say that I love the basicness of polos :)

What's basic? Walking in Camden town in London it may be easy to assume that there are a bunch of unique people wearing very unique outfits, but is it really unique when everyone is trying to stand out and actually look very similar with their colorful hair and outfits.

Basic changes all the time. Look at the hunger games for example. It would be quite easy to stand out from the crowd wearing a "basic" polo shirt in the city.

A manager wearing a polo shirt instead of a shirt actually stands out in an office and a lot more comfortable than the normal attire.

Suits, shirts and ties have been slowly dying out in offices and I can definitely see it dying out completely in the future as there is no real comfort in wearing a suit. Polo shirts/short sleeve shirts are the natural progression. Shoes have been progressing gradually as well.

So what's basic? It really depends on your environment in my opinion.

Seppia

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9859 on: August 07, 2015, 01:22:53 PM »

Hollister and Abercrombie are apparently the brands of her children. Not what brands they like... what brands they ARE.
Designer babies! Wait till Apple here about this, only apple children will be allowed to have rounded corners.
LOL

Seppia

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9860 on: August 07, 2015, 01:27:03 PM »
@avidconsumer: we were both just joking. Polos are awesome, I wear them all the time outside of work

SwordGuy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9861 on: August 07, 2015, 05:21:32 PM »
Not finance related, but gave me a good belly laugh on a Friday afternoon:

CW1:  Maybe you [did this piece of work] at store#1, then when you were at store#2, since you couldn't see that it was done (because it was at store #1), you did the same work again?
CW2 (with attitude): I'm not working THAT hard!

I once had two clients who needed the exact same program written for them at the same time, so I wrote it and billed them both for the work.   It was sweet!

tofuchampion

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9862 on: August 07, 2015, 08:41:56 PM »

He's a great guy, but he's in poor health. Very obese, drinks a couple sodas every day, only gets exercise walking between his desk and the forklift. We were discussing my biking-to-work habit (yes, I'm probably the only one who has ever done this in the 50 years this company has existed) and how this area is incredibly bike-unfriendly. He mentioned that he only lives a mile away, and back when he lost his license, he would sometimes walk it. I said "oh yeah, that's such an easy walk and an even easier bike ride, I don't think I'd ever drive if I lived that close" and he laughed and said "bike? I don't think they make a tire big enough to hold me!" Guess he'll keep commuting that mile in his V8 F150.

I have a coworker who drives less than a mile to work, in an SUV (not sure what kind). I used to live close to him, and would always walk or bike the 1.9 miles I had to go, and he said I was crazy. Um... by the time you go around to the back of the building (where employee parking is), find a spot, etc., you've probably doubled your commute and could walk it just as fast.

LeRainDrop

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9863 on: August 07, 2015, 09:11:50 PM »
Popped collars are a prep school subculture thing; everyone popped them where I went to high school. Apparently, we are now lighting teenagers on fire for making dubious fashion choices, which seems rather cruel.

Must just be regional, or you went to high school a long time ago. I've hung out with plenty of polo-shirt, white shorts, boat shoes kind of guys (who, yes, were all in frats)- never seen the popped collar. But that was in Texas, not New England.

I've never been a fashion-plate. I'm sure people judge me for my laziness, but whatever. As long as I don't look like I smell bad (and don't smell bad) that's good enough for me.  I have nice outfits for client meetings.

Teenagers have always made bad fashion choices, and adults (and other teens) have always judged them for it. I used to joke that the way you could tell I wasn't a student when I worked at a university (I look very young for my age) was my shoes. I usually wore something like Merrells- comfortable, easy to walk in. The girls going to class- man they all wore some crazy 'fashionable' shoes.

I'm 26, so not a long time ago. It may well be a New England thing; I've never lived anywhere other than New England or New York. Did your type of preppies wear Nantucket Reds? I don't know if those are a New England thing too, but I had coveted an awesome Nantucket Red miniskirt with tiny blue lobsters embroidered on it when I was in high school. The boys wore the pants version.
Yeah, I was gonna say, popped collars were a big trend when I was in law school, sometime around 2006-ish, in Virginia.  It was a very polarizing thing -- either you loved the popped collar, or you hated it.  I generally found the guys popping their collars to be pretty arrogant.  Anyhow, count me in favor of guys wearing polos -- collars down, of course!

LeRainDrop

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9864 on: August 07, 2015, 09:20:10 PM »
I actually just went to get a (hot) coffee and switched over to an open office in another building because it was so damn cold in my seating area. I would have just went home but I don't want to push it. I'll take a bit of fresh air and different atmosphere, but seriously, when people have to bring in hoodie's because they're so cold and it's 90+ outside, there's an issue.  I'm going to wear a bright plaid flannel tomorrow since my light hoodie isn't enough.
A few years back, my firm gave a bunch of us nice black fleece jackets with a small print of our logo on the breast.  Several of us ladies keep them in the office to put on over our sweaters while we work!

Silverado

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9865 on: August 08, 2015, 05:09:26 AM »

Relative:  "Tell me something about yourself that I won't find on your resume"
Interviewee:  "Ass-tat"

If I'm the interviewer (relative), my next step is to stand up, shake hands, thank the millennial for his time, and end the interview.  But maybe I'm just old fashioned that way.

I wouldn't trust someone who talks about their ass-tat in an interview for any job outside sex work or a tattoo parlor to interact with clients properly.

Why do you assume that the job involves interacting with clients? Depending on the nature of the job, and the rest of the interview, I would either be very impressed with the candidate's sense of humor, or very put off. But personally, I think the type of professionalism that is expected in most work environments today is one of the worst things about having a job. I think we should all have more fun at work.

You can't. As this thread and whole community shows, there are people who go through life apparently seeking out ways to be offended. And sometimes they push others to be offended. So until this growing chunk of the population is somehow eliminated, no fun to be had.

One coworker was 'complaining' that one of the two engines on his boat was acting up. Another commented 'you need something to do with your disposable income'

I am pretty sure they both are in decent shape though.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9866 on: August 08, 2015, 07:05:43 AM »

A few years back, my firm gave a bunch of us nice black fleece jackets with a small print of our logo on the breast.  Several of us ladies keep them in the office to put on over our sweaters while we work!

I was so happy when work gave me a fleece with a logo. It's a men's size, so it is way too big for me, but I feel like it is "official" so I don't even feel guilty about wearing it everyday, like I did with my regular fleece (which I always worried was too casual, but then I was too cold to really care.)

PizzaHawk

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9867 on: August 08, 2015, 07:57:48 AM »
CW and I recently "moved" from CO to WY for a temporary work assignment. Talking at work, mentioned that I still haven't gotten internet service (been here a month) at my apartment here, and probably won't.

CW: But what do you do in the evening??
Me: Read, workout, various hobbies, etc. I've got my phone for miscellaneous internet, and I can use the computers at the library if I need anything more in depth.
CW: The library is for poor people.
Me: It's one of the ways I save money so I'll never be poor.
*Blank stares from CW and a few other people that overheard* CW just walks away.

gaja

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9868 on: August 08, 2015, 11:18:51 AM »
This thread moves to fast, so I'll just drag til hog discussion up again:
If the hunting trip is in Texas, that's a pretty cheap figure. Unlike more normal parts of the United States, there is very little huntable land in TX. So the land owners can charge thousands to people even for hunting quail, turkeys, or deer. Then there are the big game ranches, where you pay sometimes in the tens of thousands to 'stalk' exotic African and Asian ungulates.

Texas is the 2nd biggest state with over a quarter million square miles.  Does it really have very little huntable land?  I find that mind boggling.

Don't they pay people to hunt feral pigs? I heard there were millions of them creating property damage around the state.

They, meaning landowners? Probably some do. The etiquette that is often practiced is that if you 'know someone' and get an in to hunt for free on their land, you shoot any feral hogs you see as a matter of courtesy. If you feel ambitious, you can butcher them for meat, but hog butchering is apparently a whole new level of gross (I've never tried, though I've helped butcher many deer and butchered various small game), so many hunters just leave the hogs and don't bother.

They meaning the government.  Many counties offer a tiny reward for each hog bagged.

How is butchering a hog a new level of gross above butchering a deer, or a domesticated hog?  Seems like it would be worth it for all that free pork.

I had to Google for info, but yes apparently some Texas counties pay between 2 and 5$ per hog.  But again, you need access to land first, so I'm not sure if that applies on private and public lands, or what. I haven't been around feral hog butchering, so can't speak from first hand experience. Several people who are experienced hunters said the fat is very greasy and stinky, which makes it more unpleasant than average.

Apparently, whether you taste and smell the stinky element of hog meat, is up to your DNA: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0035259
If you are  androstenone-sensitive, it will smell and taste like sour piss and sweat. If you are not, it will taste like any pork.

sheepstache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9869 on: August 08, 2015, 11:54:39 AM »

Relative:  "Tell me something about yourself that I won't find on your resume"
Interviewee:  "Ass-tat"

If I'm the interviewer (relative), my next step is to stand up, shake hands, thank the millennial for his time, and end the interview.  But maybe I'm just old fashioned that way.

I wouldn't trust someone who talks about their ass-tat in an interview for any job outside sex work or a tattoo parlor to interact with clients properly.

Why do you assume that the job involves interacting with clients? Depending on the nature of the job, and the rest of the interview, I would either be very impressed with the candidate's sense of humor, or very put off. But personally, I think the type of professionalism that is expected in most work environments today is one of the worst things about having a job. I think we should all have more fun at work.

You can't. As this thread and whole community shows, there are people who go through life apparently seeking out ways to be offended. And sometimes they push others to be offended. So until this growing chunk of the population is somehow eliminated, no fun to be had.

Oh calm down.

Taran Wanderer

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9870 on: August 08, 2015, 06:16:23 PM »

Relative:  "Tell me something about yourself that I won't find on your resume"
Interviewee:  "Ass-tat"

If I'm the interviewer (relative), my next step is to stand up, shake hands, thank the millennial for his time, and end the interview.  But maybe I'm just old fashioned that way.

I wouldn't trust someone who talks about their ass-tat in an interview for any job outside sex work or a tattoo parlor to interact with clients properly.

Why do you assume that the job involves interacting with clients? Depending on the nature of the job, and the rest of the interview, I would either be very impressed with the candidate's sense of humor, or very put off. But personally, I think the type of professionalism that is expected in most work environments today is one of the worst things about having a job. I think we should all have more fun at work.

You can't. As this thread and whole community shows, there are people who go through life apparently seeking out ways to be offended. And sometimes they push others to be offended. So until this growing chunk of the population is somehow eliminated, no fun to be had.

Oh calm down.

I'm not offended by the ass-tat comment, but I recognize that it's impolite and someone else might be offended.  To not recognize that it is potentially offensive indicates a lack of judgment, and this is a risk in the workplace.  So, interview is over.  Now over beers among friends after work, it would be worth a good laugh.

nobodyspecial

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9871 on: August 08, 2015, 08:46:24 PM »
I'm not offended by the ass-tat comment, but I recognize that it's impolite and someone else might be offended.  To not recognize that it is potentially offensive indicates a lack of judgment, and this is a risk in the workplace.  So, interview is over.
And the developer goes to the competing startup across the road, they get to market first and they get the $Bn call from Google
In my business competent qualified candidates with tourettes would still be considered a great find.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2015, 08:55:06 PM by nobodyspecial »

nobodyspecial

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9872 on: August 08, 2015, 08:57:06 PM »
You're in software? So is my husband. Relative to every other industry I've worked in, qualified engineers get an enormous amount of leeway.
Worse than that - I'm in the "sorry you only have a PhD from where?" area of software in medical diagnostics.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2015, 09:11:44 PM by nobodyspecial »

Brilliantine

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9873 on: August 08, 2015, 09:06:35 PM »
I'm actually in software and this kid fits what we would call a "little-head" (rosh katan, from Hebrew) type. The kind of person who follows an instruction to the letter but refuses to honor the spirit of it. You know, the funny guy who answers "Yes, I do" when you ask him "do you have the time?"

These types usually perform just good enough. You ask the person to fix a bug in the software and they go and fix that bug, AND THAT BUG ONLY.  In reality, there are probably more bugs in that particular part of the sotware that anyone who looks closely enough can see and should be able to fix. The best performers either go look for similar bugs in the entire body of code and come up with a fix for all of them or at least fix all similar bugs in the immediate vicinity.

We don't like these "little-head" types. So, no. The guy who answered "ass-tat" doesn't get hired. And in my experience he doesn't have the drive to go start the next Google.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2015, 09:13:51 PM by Brilliantine »

nobodyspecial

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9874 on: August 08, 2015, 09:17:01 PM »
We did have a hiring game once where we asked the stupid "what's your greatest weakness" question and decided we would hire anyone who said kryptonite, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle or being limited to the speed of light.

Saying they had an ass-tat would just sound silly, having one on view during the interview would be almost normal ( http://www.amazon.com/The-Nudist-Late-Shift-Silicon/dp/0767906039 )
 
 

Pooperman

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9875 on: August 09, 2015, 05:48:18 AM »
We did have a hiring game once where we asked the stupid "what's your greatest weakness" question and decided we would hire anyone who said kryptonite, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle or being limited to the speed of light.

Saying they had an ass-tat would just sound silly, having one on view during the interview would be almost normal ( http://www.amazon.com/The-Nudist-Late-Shift-Silicon/dp/0767906039 )
 

And I thought 'chocolate' was the best way to answer that bad interview question!

Jenni

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9876 on: August 09, 2015, 10:02:13 AM »
I learn a lot here. Including that in some areas people have been popping collars post-James Spader teenage villain 80s movies.

Lol, libraries are for the poors. Great response!

Zamboni

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9877 on: August 09, 2015, 10:22:34 AM »
One of my friends once told me that he never goes to the library because libraries are for unattended schoolchildren and hobos.

"Ass-tat" interview answer guy would not be hired by me. To put this in context, when I had a co-worked moon me with his yellow smiley face ass-tat, I thought it was hilarious because, in the particular situation we were in, it was hilarious. So it's not that I'm uptight or don't think it's funny, it's just that he gave such an obviously terribly inappropriate response given the situation. I agree that he is probably a "small head" (love that phrase, by the way.)

Wolf_Stache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9878 on: August 09, 2015, 05:15:40 PM »
I actually just went to get a (hot) coffee and switched over to an open office in another building because it was so damn cold in my seating area. I would have just went home but I don't want to push it. I'll take a bit of fresh air and different atmosphere, but seriously, when people have to bring in hoodie's because they're so cold and it's 90+ outside, there's an issue.  I'm going to wear a bright plaid flannel tomorrow since my light hoodie isn't enough.
A few years back, my firm gave a bunch of us nice black fleece jackets with a small print of our logo on the breast.  Several of us ladies keep them in the office to put on over our sweaters while we work!

I too have to wear a hoodie or sweater at work. My current place a thick hoodie is enough, but a job I worked a few years ago there was a row of us who brought in thick hats, mittens, and parkas because it was so flipping cold. And no, it wasn't just the ladies!

ysette9

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9879 on: August 10, 2015, 10:44:58 AM »
If I can veer off the current topic and back to the original thread (hah), I have a small gem from work. I work for a big technical company and most of us are engineers making good money, so usually people don't talk about money or behave too absurdly. I was talking with a friend at work a little while ago about how I would like to figure out a way to spend less on groceries each month. With genuine interest and curiosity he asked "what do you want to spend that money on instead?" I replied "I want to save it". His response was a puzzled look and something along the lines of "why would you want to do that?"

I really like this friend who is very smart and fun but somehow money is a subject where we are light years apart. He has made comments on the order of "only 35 more years!" when I joke that I don't want to work anymore. I can only conclude that while we are all smart and are good with math, upbringing as a kid makes an enormous impact on how each of us approach money as adults.

snappytom

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9880 on: August 10, 2015, 11:06:30 AM »
Another original thread topic for my first post ....
Working at a large software vendor where people are generally well compensated, a popular CW is holding court at lunch with a full table of CW's.  He is going on about having just paid his son's college tuition and sums it up by saying " ... I just pulled the $$ from my 401K .... because that's what its for .....".
There were a number of young CW's at the table so I spoke up immediately and said no, that's not what it is for.  I realize you are doing what you need to do but do not for a minute think that this is the best option. 

I am actually very good friends with the CW who said this but money is a topic in which we are miles apart.

Tjat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9881 on: August 10, 2015, 11:15:38 AM »
You will all think I'm making this up but.... Stereotypical encounter on the train commute home the other day.

This lady was venting to some poor dude because she has to kick in more than she thought to pay for healthcare for her live-in nanny. The overage will total about $100 a month. She then proceeded to talk about how she has cut costs just about everywhere she can before unleashing the kicker of "What am I supposed to do, get rid of cable??? get rid of my cell phone?!? No way!" (I swear this is as close to exact as I can remember). She then proceeds to talk about how she and her husband have been good because they barely go out to eat, but then talked about dropping $300 every time they do and saving money by going to the bar and *only* spending $50 per person...

We get off at the same stop, she puts away her iPhone, climbs up into her newish 8-person SUV, and proceeds to go drive over the line of cars between her and exit - monster truck style (I may have embellished the last part) 



eyePod

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9882 on: August 10, 2015, 11:23:04 AM »
Anyone else's company have 401k contributions as part of a whole % (no decimal place)?

Now, I'm not able to put away the entire 18k this year, but would like to be there soon. I asked HR if there was a way for us to have an input of actual dollars instead, and they said "it's out of our hands." I contact fidelity "it's out of our hands." Well, who's hands actually hold this?

Assuming I get a raise, then I'm going to have to re-calculate what I should be inputting into my 401k and I'll have to time it successfully (have the change go in place after the pay is increased and in between pay periods). On top of that, whole % doesn't let me get exactly to 18k on the dot.

My co-workers couldn't understand what I was talking about. HR lady thought I was a nut for even mentioning fully funding my 401k.

Cherry Lane

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9883 on: August 10, 2015, 11:49:08 AM »
Anyone else's company have 401k contributions as part of a whole % (no decimal place)?

Now, I'm not able to put away the entire 18k this year, but would like to be there soon. I asked HR if there was a way for us to have an input of actual dollars instead, and they said "it's out of our hands." I contact fidelity "it's out of our hands." Well, who's hands actually hold this?

Assuming I get a raise, then I'm going to have to re-calculate what I should be inputting into my 401k and I'll have to time it successfully (have the change go in place after the pay is increased and in between pay periods). On top of that, whole % doesn't let me get exactly to 18k on the dot.

My co-workers couldn't understand what I was talking about. HR lady thought I was a nut for even mentioning fully funding my 401k.
Your company *should* stop contributions when you reach the annual limit.  So if you want to max, set your contributions for the % that will just exceed the limit.  Your last paycheck of the year will (should) have only enough taken out to reach the limit.  This is what I do.  We can set a $ amount, but I only update that once per year if limits change.  When it doesn't divide evenly (like this year:  18k/27 paychecks), I set it a bit too high and the last paycheck fixes it.

Chris22

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9884 on: August 10, 2015, 11:50:21 AM »
Anyone else's company have 401k contributions as part of a whole % (no decimal place)?

Now, I'm not able to put away the entire 18k this year, but would like to be there soon. I asked HR if there was a way for us to have an input of actual dollars instead, and they said "it's out of our hands." I contact fidelity "it's out of our hands." Well, who's hands actually hold this?

Assuming I get a raise, then I'm going to have to re-calculate what I should be inputting into my 401k and I'll have to time it successfully (have the change go in place after the pay is increased and in between pay periods). On top of that, whole % doesn't let me get exactly to 18k on the dot.

My co-workers couldn't understand what I was talking about. HR lady thought I was a nut for even mentioning fully funding my 401k.

Technically you don't have to, just put in whatever % you want and when they hit the max they'll stop deducting from your paycheck.

Seppia

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9885 on: August 10, 2015, 11:58:18 AM »
Yup, but you might want to pay attention: sometimes companies (like where I work) match on a per-paycheck basis.
So if I reached the limit say by September, I would lose their match for October November and December.
So I just do $18.000/my salary and round it in a way that guarantees I get all the free money

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9886 on: August 10, 2015, 12:03:35 PM »
Is there a way you could put in X% for most of the months and then change the election at the end of the year to Y%?  At least that would get you closer to the full 18k, then if you picked one percent and stuck all year? And since your percent is likely to be way higher than any match, you wouldn't lose a match by maxing the contribution early in the year?

Pooperman

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9887 on: August 10, 2015, 12:21:12 PM »
Bonus payments also tend to screw it all up as well haha. Remember, you need to leave at least the match % worth for the last paycheck if you have the typical version. You can always put the last check up to 100% so you finish the max out. If it's set up right, you should end up with what's left after maxing.

RyanAtTanagra

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9888 on: August 10, 2015, 12:24:03 PM »
Anyone else's company have 401k contributions as part of a whole % (no decimal place)?

Now, I'm not able to put away the entire 18k this year, but would like to be there soon. I asked HR if there was a way for us to have an input of actual dollars instead, and they said "it's out of our hands." I contact fidelity "it's out of our hands." Well, who's hands actually hold this?

Assuming I get a raise, then I'm going to have to re-calculate what I should be inputting into my 401k and I'll have to time it successfully (have the change go in place after the pay is increased and in between pay periods). On top of that, whole % doesn't let me get exactly to 18k on the dot.

My co-workers couldn't understand what I was talking about. HR lady thought I was a nut for even mentioning fully funding my 401k.

Technically you don't have to, just put in whatever % you want and when they hit the max they'll stop deducting from your paycheck.

You can continue contributions to a 401k after the max (not sure why you'd do this).  The last two places I've been I had to warn payroll that I was getting close to the max so they could make sure that on the last paycheck only the amount needed to hit it got contributed, but they said they I had to let them know for them to do it.

RFAAOATB

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9889 on: August 10, 2015, 12:39:56 PM »

Suits, shirts and ties have been slowly dying out in offices and I can definitely see it dying out completely in the future as there is no real comfort in wearing a suit. Polo shirts/short sleeve shirts are the natural progression. Shoes have been progressing gradually as well.

So what's basic? It really depends on your environment in my opinion.

I occasionally wear a suit, a shirt and tie most days even though I'm a programmer and can get away with shorts and sandals.  After watching Mad Men, I wouldn't mind wearing a suit every day if I could drink at the office.

gimp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9890 on: August 10, 2015, 12:47:20 PM »
I not only can drink at the office, I have five bottles sitting on my desk, and a couple glasses.

Nobody makes me wear a suit.

(OGD114, Wathen's, JD Single Barrel [yes, believe it or not], balvenie 14, and tonala extra anejo. So it's like mad men, but with better alcohol, and less alcoholism.)

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9891 on: August 10, 2015, 01:12:35 PM »
I don't think the fact that, on average, Americans overuse air conditioning can possibly be up for debate.
I travel a lot for work and every time I enter in a hotel room it's like I open the fridge door.
I see many girls in offices with HEATERS.
In the summer.

But, short sleeve shirts should be a constitutional crime against style, possibly punishable by death.
Wear a polo.

Sorry, my Italian genes obliged me to say this.

back when I lived in Italy I discovered that many downtown office buildings actually had windows that would open - and open they were. At the time (in the south) people were not very keen on air conditioning.

Seppia

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9892 on: August 10, 2015, 01:23:25 PM »
It's still the case today, few places will use air conditioning, and none to the extent that we use it here in the U.S.

Papa Mustache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9893 on: August 10, 2015, 03:25:40 PM »
In the next year or so, I might buy this:



Go ahead, talk shit, I can take it.

That colour of blue would look lovely on a bicycle.

At least it gets about 30 mpg highway if driven sensibly. Better than my four cylinder grocery getter which isn't geared well for interstate travel like the 'Vette.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9894 on: August 10, 2015, 03:29:22 PM »
Anyone else's company have 401k contributions as part of a whole %

Wow, what a pain. My wife's 401k actually let's them choose a fixed dollar amount per paycheck, which makes the math much easier. I don't know why more places don't offer that - it seems like it would be simpler for everyone.

throwerm72

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9895 on: August 10, 2015, 04:08:26 PM »


Is this a mustachian sportscar ? - it's built by Subaru so it will last >20years and does 25/35 mpg
Although you can't put 8x4 sheets of drywall in the back.
Mustachian sports car is probably a mazda miata since they are so readily available used.  The toyotaburu  (frs/brz)   might be a good choice in a few years when a bigger used market is available.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2015, 04:19:16 PM by throwerm72 »

throwerm72

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9896 on: August 10, 2015, 04:11:06 PM »


Is this a mustachian sportscar ? - it's built by Subaru so it will last >20years and does 25/35 mpg
Although you can't put 8x4 sheets of drywall in the back.
Mustachian sports car is probably a mazda miata since they are so readily available used.  The toyotaburu  (frs/brz)   might be a good choice in a few years when a bigger used market is available.
Scratch that.  Mustachian sports car =
Brown Manual Diesel Wagon.

:: sits back and sees if anyone outs themselves.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2015, 04:20:05 PM by throwerm72 »

Hedge_87

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9897 on: August 10, 2015, 04:21:10 PM »
Anyone else's company have 401k contributions as part of a whole %

Wow, what a pain. My wife's 401k actually let's them choose a fixed dollar amount per paycheck, which makes the math much easier. I don't know why more places don't offer that - it seems like it would be simpler for everyone.
We have it where we set a fixed dollar amount and everybody gets all pissy that they can't do a %. They want it this way so they put more in on months when we get a crap load of overtime and then less on regular months. Also that way the govment don't get their hands on it. I've tried to explain to them but get nowhere. I guess atleast they are wanting to save more, although in a fairly in efficient way.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9898 on: August 10, 2015, 04:34:06 PM »
I work in a sales division and we were suppose to get quarterly bonuses at the end of July, but payroll made a mistake so they won't be issued until this Friday.

A couple of coworkers started freaking out and even saying horrifying things like, "I just bought $5,000 worth of Loui Vuitton luggage and was counting on that money to pay rent!".

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9899 on: August 10, 2015, 04:57:57 PM »

A couple of coworkers started freaking out and even saying horrifying things like, "I just bought $5,000 worth of Loui Vuitton luggage and was counting on that money to pay rent!".

In my head, I would likely have thought, 'You spent how much on luggage? Oh wait, it's Loui Vuitton, in that case...I'll make sure you get your bonus right away. We can't you inconvenienced....'