Author Topic: Overheard at Work 2  (Read 1113039 times)

insufFIcientfunds

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1750 on: November 14, 2019, 12:41:54 PM »
I'm in the break room waiting in line to heat up my lunch.
Gov civilian likes to wear his pants couple of inches above his ankles, without socks, comes in.
I look down at his feet, then make eye contact. I know the guy somewhat, so I ask how that sockless ankle-show feels since we had a cold front that day, temps dropping 15-20F.
He says it feels good, he likes to wear his pants "European style". Then proceeds to state his footwear costs more than my "outfit". (I'm wearing a dress shirt, khakhis, shoes - normal office wear.)
I reply saying maybe he should upgrade his clothing to match his shoes. Meanwhile others in breakroom who overheard are giving him the eyeroll and weird faces behind his back.
One of the folks, who knows I'm gunning for FIRE (wife and I are close to FI but we love our jobs and employers and chill work/life balance) mentions when Mr-exposed-ankles and others are gone "you should have told him that you own a bunch of rentals." I said it wasn't worth it, we know we're dealing with a bonafide idiot, we don't need to re-prove a fact given that we have sufficient evidence.
Gov civilian has kid with ex, lives with GF and her kids, has issues saving, always well-dressed in the latest fashion. I'm only angry that my taxpayer funds support this numbnut who doesn't do anything technical but aspires to manage teams of technical contractors.

I had a similar experience (I’m a civilian employee) where I bumped into a friend of mine and his buddy (who is a total d-bag.) My friend made a comment of “nice outfit” at my clearance American Eagle khaki’s, gym shoes, and quarter-zip. Meanwhile, both are wearing “European style” pants with tight blazers, ties, super fitted shirts. My friends buddy had a cardigan sweater instead of a blazer. I said “Thanks, and why the F are you two dressed like that? We ain’t on Wall Street.” My buddy laughed. His friend did not. I left and kept living my life. 

UncleX

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1751 on: November 15, 2019, 12:43:15 AM »
As a European I have no clue what European style pants are…

Hula Hoop

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1752 on: November 15, 2019, 02:27:06 AM »
As a European I have no clue what European style pants are…

Here in Europe, I can guarantee that if the temps dropped that low (which they never do here) no ankles would be exposed.  In fact, everyone would be rugged up in marshmallow style puffer coats and moon boots. 

Hirondelle

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1753 on: November 15, 2019, 05:06:24 AM »
As a European I have no clue what European style pants are…

Same here.. And when I googled it I don't feel like we even wear them at all?

partgypsy

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1754 on: November 15, 2019, 05:18:26 AM »
What do you think Europeans, is this Wiki true?
https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-European

UncleX

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1755 on: November 15, 2019, 05:33:51 AM »
What do you think Europeans, is this Wiki true?
https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-European
Europe consists of 51 countries, some rich, some poor, some hot, some cold, some wet, some dry and a lot in between. There are 750 million people in Europe and about half of those are men. I think that's your answer… :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_countries_by_population
« Last Edit: November 15, 2019, 05:37:01 AM by UncleX »

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1756 on: November 15, 2019, 06:07:32 AM »
i bet the govt guy is following this guide:
https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/sockless-mankle-guide-men/

Another fucking useless word added to the lexicon: mankle

As someone who's been to various European countries, I have no clue what "European-style" pants/trousers is.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2019, 06:10:05 AM by jinga nation »

insufFIcientfunds

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1757 on: November 15, 2019, 08:00:26 AM »
i bet the govt guy is following this guide:
https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/sockless-mankle-guide-men/

Another fucking useless word added to the lexicon: mankle

As someone who's been to various European countries, I have no clue what "European-style" pants/trousers is.

There's a video on something called "pinroll." wtf.

Jouer

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1758 on: November 15, 2019, 08:10:13 AM »
i bet the govt guy is following this guide:
https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/sockless-mankle-guide-men/

Another fucking useless word added to the lexicon: mankle

As someone who's been to various European countries, I have no clue what "European-style" pants/trousers is.

There's a video on something called "pinroll." wtf.

pinroll, or pinchroll was a thing in the late 80s in Canada, or at least in my town in Newfoundland. A couple years ago I saw someone in Europe (Italy) rocking that look so got all excited and did it, too. Brought back all kinds of memories of my youth.

OtherJen

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1759 on: November 15, 2019, 08:23:05 AM »
i bet the govt guy is following this guide:
https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/sockless-mankle-guide-men/

Another fucking useless word added to the lexicon: mankle

As someone who's been to various European countries, I have no clue what "European-style" pants/trousers is.

There's a video on something called "pinroll." wtf.

pinroll, or pinchroll was a thing in the late 80s in Canada, or at least in my town in Newfoundland. A couple years ago I saw someone in Europe (Italy) rocking that look so got all excited and did it, too. Brought back all kinds of memories of my youth.

Oh lord, we called that "pegging," and in the late 80s we would "peg" our acid-wash jeans and wear them with bright "push-down" socks (big legwarmer-like ankles) and high-top sneakers. SO trendy.

Hirondelle

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1760 on: November 15, 2019, 10:47:53 AM »
What do you think Europeans, is this Wiki true?
https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-European

I just love how they consider Europe as one country. Very American-style topography :p

nnls

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1761 on: November 16, 2019, 12:30:55 AM »
i bet the govt guy is following this guide:
https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/sockless-mankle-guide-men/

Another fucking useless word added to the lexicon: mankle

As someone who's been to various European countries, I have no clue what "European-style" pants/trousers is.

There's a video on something called "pinroll." wtf.

pinroll, or pinchroll was a thing in the late 80s in Canada, or at least in my town in Newfoundland. A couple years ago I saw someone in Europe (Italy) rocking that look so got all excited and did it, too. Brought back all kinds of memories of my youth.

Oh lord, we called that "pegging," and in the late 80s we would "peg" our acid-wash jeans and wear them with bright "push-down" socks (big legwarmer-like ankles) and high-top sneakers. SO trendy.

to me pegging is something else entirely

OtherJen

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1762 on: November 16, 2019, 04:43:01 AM »
i bet the govt guy is following this guide:
https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/sockless-mankle-guide-men/

Another fucking useless word added to the lexicon: mankle

As someone who's been to various European countries, I have no clue what "European-style" pants/trousers is.

There's a video on something called "pinroll." wtf.

pinroll, or pinchroll was a thing in the late 80s in Canada, or at least in my town in Newfoundland. A couple years ago I saw someone in Europe (Italy) rocking that look so got all excited and did it, too. Brought back all kinds of memories of my youth.

Oh lord, we called that "pegging," and in the late 80s we would "peg" our acid-wash jeans and wear them with bright "push-down" socks (big legwarmer-like ankles) and high-top sneakers. SO trendy.

to me pegging is something else entirely

Yes. Keep in mind that we were 8–12 years old and very sheltered in a conservative Catholic school at the time.

Imma

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1763 on: November 16, 2019, 10:31:59 AM »
What do you think Europeans, is this Wiki true?
https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-European

Well, some of the "european" style drawings look like my work clothes, but I never considered that a classic "european" look?

Seriously, there's a big difference between the various regions of Europe. I'm in NW Europe which is very casual 'skinny and flats' territory, while Germany, the next country to the east, the general style is a lot less casual, and my impression is that the further south you go, the less casual people tend to dress - but of course, that doesn't mean every single person dresses like that. And I haven't visited every single country in Europe. The weather is also very different across the different countries in Europe, so that certainly plays a role. Where I live it doesn't get cold, but the climate is wet and windy and we walk and bike a lot. So there's no point in dressing up too much.

I wouldn't consider ankle length trousers a very European thing? As far as I know they are supposed to reach but not cover the shoe, not show a bare ankle.

The stereotypical American tourist can be described as wearing oversized and very casual clothing at an age where such 'casual' clothing is maybe not as common in my country. Oversized clothing isn't so common and people over a certain age don't usually wear t-shirts. Certainly not the people that are wealthy enough to be able to afford a trip across the Atlantic. It seems like American women
over a certain age are also more used to wearing trousers rather than skirts. But this is the type of tourists you'd recognize from a distance, of course there are many more people you'd never notice.

For American exchange students, it used to be the white shoes but these days everyone wears the same type of sneakers. Big hoodies with university logos seem to be something Americans particularly like, as well as manicured nails.

auntie_betty

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1764 on: November 17, 2019, 02:15:44 AM »
I live in Spain and dress is very informal, jeans are acceptable wear even for bank and solicitor's staff. Vey young children are dressed formally and always have shoes on, allegedly a throwback to when being able to afford shoes for your children was a sign of relative affluence.

Come Easter though all the glad rags are out. Synthetic is the order of the day, strike a match nearby at your peril.


As a European I have no clue what European style pants are…

Here in Europe, I can guarantee that if the temps dropped that low (which they never do here) no ankles would be exposed.  In fact, everyone would be rugged up in marshmallow style puffer coats and moon boots.

Only if it was between November and April though. Coats go on in November and stay on, even if we have a heatwave. Then they come off and stay off regardless of the weather.

In spring and autumn there are big disparities between the locals and more northern immigrants such as us. We dress along the lines of what level of warmth do I need if I'm sitting in direct sunshine in the hottest part of the day. The locals ask themselves what would be appropriate if they ended up sitting outside in the wind at 2am. So we'll be in t-shirts and they'll be in jumpers and scarves, all looking at each other as if the other is crazy.

lemanfan

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1765 on: November 17, 2019, 02:28:44 AM »
What do you think Europeans, is this Wiki true?
https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-European

I just love how they consider Europe as one country. Very American-style topography :p

This. :)

Imma

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1766 on: November 17, 2019, 03:28:11 AM »
I live in Spain and dress is very informal, jeans are acceptable wear even for bank and solicitor's staff. Vey young children are dressed formally and always have shoes on, allegedly a throwback to when being able to afford shoes for your children was a sign of relative affluence.

Come Easter though all the glad rags are out. Synthetic is the order of the day, strike a match nearby at your peril.


As a European I have no clue what European style pants are…

Here in Europe, I can guarantee that if the temps dropped that low (which they never do here) no ankles would be exposed.  In fact, everyone would be rugged up in marshmallow style puffer coats and moon boots.

Only if it was between November and April though. Coats go on in November and stay on, even if we have a heatwave. Then they come off and stay off regardless of the weather.


Hahaha yes this is something I definitely recognize from my childhood! We got new summer clothes, shoes and coat at Easter and you're going to wear them no matter the weather. When Easter is early in the year it's not unusual that it's snowing or freezing in my country. We'd just wear thights with our summer outfit. I was raised Catholic so we went to Mass and visited a lot of family and you were supposed to dress in your Easter best.

Vashy

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1767 on: November 17, 2019, 03:50:39 AM »
What do you think Europeans, is this Wiki true?
https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-European

Nope. (Having lived in Germany, and the UK, and having visited Spain, Italy and France for extended periods.)

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1768 on: November 17, 2019, 06:39:30 AM »
In spring and autumn there are big disparities between the locals and more northern immigrants such as us. We dress along the lines of what level of warmth do I need if I'm sitting in direct sunshine in the hottest part of the day. The locals ask themselves what would be appropriate if they ended up sitting outside in the wind at 2am. So we'll be in t-shirts and they'll be in jumpers and scarves, all looking at each other as if the other is crazy.

Haha, reminds me of my holiday in Tunisia in early spring. We winter-steeled Germans walked bare feeted through the mediteranean, at 17°C air temp, with only a thin pullover and jacket bound around the waist.
The locals in their scarfs and wollen hats and thick winter clothes would look at us as if calculating if they should run away from those clearly mad people :D

RetiredAt63

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1769 on: November 17, 2019, 06:43:08 AM »
In spring and autumn there are big disparities between the locals and more northern immigrants such as us. We dress along the lines of what level of warmth do I need if I'm sitting in direct sunshine in the hottest part of the day. The locals ask themselves what would be appropriate if they ended up sitting outside in the wind at 2am. So we'll be in t-shirts and they'll be in jumpers and scarves, all looking at each other as if the other is crazy.

Haha, reminds me of my holiday in Tunisia in early spring. We winter-steeled Germans walked bare feeted through the mediteranean, at 17°C air temp, with only a thin pullover and jacket bound around the waist.
The locals in their scarfs and wollen hats and thick winter clothes would look at us as if calculating if they should run away from those clearly mad people :D

I'm giggling at this because this is the same scenario as Canadians (snowbirds) in Florida in February. It's not cold, it's 18 with a high forecast of 25.   ;-)

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1770 on: November 17, 2019, 05:30:26 PM »
In spring and autumn there are big disparities between the locals and more northern immigrants such as us. We dress along the lines of what level of warmth do I need if I'm sitting in direct sunshine in the hottest part of the day. The locals ask themselves what would be appropriate if they ended up sitting outside in the wind at 2am. So we'll be in t-shirts and they'll be in jumpers and scarves, all looking at each other as if the other is crazy.

Haha, reminds me of my holiday in Tunisia in early spring. We winter-steeled Germans walked bare feeted through the mediteranean, at 17°C air temp, with only a thin pullover and jacket bound around the waist.
The locals in their scarfs and wollen hats and thick winter clothes would look at us as if calculating if they should run away from those clearly mad people :D

I'm giggling at this because this is the same scenario as Canadians (snowbirds) in Florida in February. It's not cold, it's 18 with a high forecast of 25.   ;-)

I feel the same when I look at asian visitors from very warm countries who are wearing coats and scarves on the hottest summer day in South Island NZ!

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1771 on: November 18, 2019, 01:38:16 AM »
I feel sorry for my coworker. Not so long ago he bought a new, fancy pellets oven for a lot of money. Now it turns out the oven doesn't work as well as he expected and he wants to sell it on the second hand market, where you usually can't get more than 60% or the new price.

Last year he bought a (second hand) car, not knowing what Norwegian winters are like, and bought one that didn't have 4x4 or spike tires. Now he has bought a replacement second hand car. Every time you buy a car, you pay a fee (600$ or so) to get a car registered in your name.

It seems to me that he made some unfortunate choices that cost him money now.

Sugaree

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1772 on: November 18, 2019, 05:32:35 AM »
It's bonus week and the leave/earnings statements went out Friday.  It seems that many people don't realize that supplemental wages are withheld at a higher rate.  There has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth about taxes on this bonus being withheld at ~34%.  This has been the case for each of the last 10 years, so why it would be different this year, I don't know.  And I imagine that by February many will have forgotten about it and won't realize they're getting it back in the form of a tax refund.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2019, 06:05:00 AM by Sugaree »

Hula Hoop

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1773 on: November 18, 2019, 05:48:13 AM »
In spring and autumn there are big disparities between the locals and more northern immigrants such as us. We dress along the lines of what level of warmth do I need if I'm sitting in direct sunshine in the hottest part of the day. The locals ask themselves what would be appropriate if they ended up sitting outside in the wind at 2am. So we'll be in t-shirts and they'll be in jumpers and scarves, all looking at each other as if the other is crazy.

Haha, reminds me of my holiday in Tunisia in early spring. We winter-steeled Germans walked bare feeted through the mediteranean, at 17°C air temp, with only a thin pullover and jacket bound around the waist.
The locals in their scarfs and wollen hats and thick winter clothes would look at us as if calculating if they should run away from those clearly mad people :D

We get those kinds of "crazy Northern" tourists here in Italy too.  In the wintertime, the locals are wearing puffer jackets, scarves, even hats, boots etc.  The tourists are wearing shorts, t-shirts and sandals with no jacket. 

The inverse is also true though.  A LOT of Northern Europeans (being an American expat here I have no horse in this race) seem completely clueless about how to dress in summer.  They seem to think that showing as much of their (neon white) skin as possible is the way to go even during the middle of the day in July and August.  I see so many lobster colored shoulders, faces, necks and chests on northern European tourists in summer.  It looks miserable and I wonder about skin cancer rates up there in Northern climes.  In 'mother goose' mode I've told some Northern European visitors about the wonders of covering your shoulders, neck and arms and wearing a sun hat during the day when it's hot out but they tend not to listen.

talltexan

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1774 on: November 18, 2019, 07:38:14 AM »
Haha... no :) (It doesn't take very long, and as old as that elevator appears to be... I don't want to give any additional active loading to it!)

I have heard from a few people who have been stuck in elevators at work. Usually they get i touch with a person when they use the alarm function. But it can still take some hours to fix the elevator and get them out. Better bring along some food, drink and an empty bottle on the ride, just in case. Luckily I only have 2 staircases at work and I can walk them.

Years ago, I started a new job at a new client in a new city I had to commute to and from every weekend.   I got dropped off at the client location and was introduced, then my customer contact left for the day.  I popped into the elevator to go down to the cafeteria on the first floor.   The elevator went straight to the basement and stopped working.   The doors wouldn't open.   No one heard me yell.   I found a small door panel on the elevator wall down at ankle level.   It had a old style phone headset in a fixed cradle with a very short cable.  So I bent over very awkwardly, picked it up and said "Hello?  I'm stuck in the elevator."

"Ok.  Where are you?"

"I'm in the elevator stuck in the basement."

"No, where are you?"

"Huh?"

"What address are you at?"

"You mean you're not in the building?"

"No, we're a national service bureau."

At this point I start to panic because I don't know where I am and they don't either.   I know the name of my client's company, but it's not their building.  I'm just in a building in the DC metro area.

"Oh,  let me give you the phone number of someone who does knows where I am."

I was in that elevator for just under an hour.

Now I always make sure I don't have the slightest urge to pee before I get in an elevator because that last 15 minutes was uncomfy.

You have to establish the pee corner early.

Yep!

Forgot to mention that the address of the building was not in the elevator.   The certificate frame had a paper in it that said "Certificate on file in office."  I went back and wrote the address on the inside of the door to the phone.

I always see those elevator signs that assure me that the certificate is on file somewhere else, and I think, "Yeah, sure it is..."

SwordGuy

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1775 on: November 18, 2019, 07:42:23 AM »
It's bonus week and the leave/earnings statements went out Friday.  It seems that many people don't realize that supplemental wages are withheld at a higher rate.  There has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth about taxes on this bonus being withheld at ~34%.  This has been the case for each of the last 10 years, so why it would be different this year, I don't know.  And I imagine that by February many will have forgotten about it and won't realize they're getting it back in the form of a tax refund.

The sad thing is that all that drama is totally unnecessary!

If the bonus was coded as a one-time payment rather than a recurring one and the payroll software was coded correctly, it would correctly estimate the annual income and only withhold the correct amount.

Sugaree

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1776 on: November 18, 2019, 08:01:19 AM »
It's bonus week and the leave/earnings statements went out Friday.  It seems that many people don't realize that supplemental wages are withheld at a higher rate.  There has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth about taxes on this bonus being withheld at ~34%.  This has been the case for each of the last 10 years, so why it would be different this year, I don't know.  And I imagine that by February many will have forgotten about it and won't realize they're getting it back in the form of a tax refund.

The sad thing is that all that drama is totally unnecessary!

If the bonus was coded as a one-time payment rather than a recurring one and the payroll software was coded correctly, it would correctly estimate the annual income and only withhold the correct amount.

I thought that was an IRS thing?  The two options from Pub 15 are to tax it at a flat 22% or to roll it into the taxable amount of the paycheck that it's paid with, which for most of us would push at least part of it into the 24% bucket.

SwordGuy

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1777 on: November 18, 2019, 08:29:13 AM »
It's bonus week and the leave/earnings statements went out Friday.  It seems that many people don't realize that supplemental wages are withheld at a higher rate.  There has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth about taxes on this bonus being withheld at ~34%.  This has been the case for each of the last 10 years, so why it would be different this year, I don't know.  And I imagine that by February many will have forgotten about it and won't realize they're getting it back in the form of a tax refund.

The sad thing is that all that drama is totally unnecessary!

If the bonus was coded as a one-time payment rather than a recurring one and the payroll software was coded correctly, it would correctly estimate the annual income and only withhold the correct amount.

I thought that was an IRS thing?  The two options from Pub 15 are to tax it at a flat 22% or to roll it into the taxable amount of the paycheck that it's paid with, which for most of us would push at least part of it into the 24% bucket.

Let's say I get paid $1000 weekly.  So, on week 1, I earn $1000.  The payroll software needs to calculate $1000 * 52 weeks / year, for an annual income of $52,000.   It then looks up the income tax on $52,000 and divides that by 52 weeks to calculate how much income tax to withhold.   This is very straightforward.

Now, let's add a $5000 bonus in week 50 and not tell the software it's a one-time payment.  In addition, let's be lazy programmers.    So, we take ($1000 wages + $5000 bonus) * 52 = $312,000 annual income.  So, we look up the tax owed for that much income (which is in a much higher tax bracket) and divide by 52, and take out the calculated amount.

That's why the bonus money is withheld at such a high rate. 

Now, let's tell the software it's a one time bonus and assume the programmers did a better job.  We'll take $1000 wages * 52 weeks/per year = $52,000 + $5000 bonus for a $57,000 annual income.  Look up the tax on that and then divide by 52 to get the withholding amount.   The bonus won't be withheld at the $312,000 income rate so more of it will go home right away (and the tax refund will be smaller).

The above is still lazy programming, though.   The reality is our payroll system should know how much we've paid the person for the year so far, so it should only be estimating based on the rest of the year.   So, to calculate our annual income, we would look up how much the person has already been paid, add in what we're paying them this time, and then estimate the recurring payments for the rest of the year.    That way, our estimate gets progressively better each pay period as the year goes on.   
Plus, if someone has an uneven income, although the initial high income paycheck will be withheld at a high rate, the lower paychecks after it would be withheld at a lower rate to compensate.   So the person would get more of their income earlier instead of having to wait for a refund.   

Downside is if you changed jobs half-way thru the year, the 2nd job would be under-withholding for the remainder of the year, because it wouldn't know about the prior job's income.

Sugaree

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1778 on: November 18, 2019, 09:03:32 AM »
It's bonus week and the leave/earnings statements went out Friday.  It seems that many people don't realize that supplemental wages are withheld at a higher rate.  There has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth about taxes on this bonus being withheld at ~34%.  This has been the case for each of the last 10 years, so why it would be different this year, I don't know.  And I imagine that by February many will have forgotten about it and won't realize they're getting it back in the form of a tax refund.

The sad thing is that all that drama is totally unnecessary!

If the bonus was coded as a one-time payment rather than a recurring one and the payroll software was coded correctly, it would correctly estimate the annual income and only withhold the correct amount.

I thought that was an IRS thing?  The two options from Pub 15 are to tax it at a flat 22% or to roll it into the taxable amount of the paycheck that it's paid with, which for most of us would push at least part of it into the 24% bucket.

Let's say I get paid $1000 weekly.  So, on week 1, I earn $1000.  The payroll software needs to calculate $1000 * 52 weeks / year, for an annual income of $52,000.   It then looks up the income tax on $52,000 and divides that by 52 weeks to calculate how much income tax to withhold.   This is very straightforward.

Now, let's add a $5000 bonus in week 50 and not tell the software it's a one-time payment.  In addition, let's be lazy programmers.    So, we take ($1000 wages + $5000 bonus) * 52 = $312,000 annual income.  So, we look up the tax owed for that much income (which is in a much higher tax bracket) and divide by 52, and take out the calculated amount.

That's why the bonus money is withheld at such a high rate. 

Now, let's tell the software it's a one time bonus and assume the programmers did a better job.  We'll take $1000 wages * 52 weeks/per year = $52,000 + $5000 bonus for a $57,000 annual income.  Look up the tax on that and then divide by 52 to get the withholding amount.   The bonus won't be withheld at the $312,000 income rate so more of it will go home right away (and the tax refund will be smaller).

The above is still lazy programming, though.   The reality is our payroll system should know how much we've paid the person for the year so far, so it should only be estimating based on the rest of the year.   So, to calculate our annual income, we would look up how much the person has already been paid, add in what we're paying them this time, and then estimate the recurring payments for the rest of the year.    That way, our estimate gets progressively better each pay period as the year goes on.   
Plus, if someone has an uneven income, although the initial high income paycheck will be withheld at a high rate, the lower paychecks after it would be withheld at a lower rate to compensate.   So the person would get more of their income earlier instead of having to wait for a refund.   

Downside is if you changed jobs half-way thru the year, the 2nd job would be under-withholding for the remainder of the year, because it wouldn't know about the prior job's income.

I get all that.  But what I'm saying is that the IRS specifies exactly how bonuses are taxed and the way my payroll office does it is correct as per the IRS instructions.  So, the programming is correct, but the instructions are dumb.



https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15.pdf

Section 7 about Supplemental Wages
« Last Edit: November 18, 2019, 09:06:24 AM by Sugaree »

merula

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1779 on: November 18, 2019, 09:23:40 AM »
Exactly what Sugaree says. The IRS doesn't ever want to risk under-withholding, and lots of people change jobs, which is why (1) filling out the W-4 perfectly will always result in over-withholding, and (2) why they specify bonus withholding the way they do.

If you set up a payroll software system the way Swordguy laid you, any companies who use it are at risk of IRS fines for underwithholding, and officers of the company can be found personally liable. https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/employer-and-employee-responsibilities-employment-tax-enforcement

The way to get the result Swordguy proposes (and what I think most Mustachians would want) is to figure out your taxes ahead of time, back into the withholding needed to get there, and submit a W-4 accordingly.

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1780 on: November 18, 2019, 10:47:29 AM »
Exactly what Sugaree says. The IRS doesn't ever want to risk under-withholding, and lots of people change jobs, which is why (1) filling out the W-4 perfectly will always result in over-withholding, and (2) why they specify bonus withholding the way they do.

If you set up a payroll software system the way Swordguy laid you, any companies who use it are at risk of IRS fines for underwithholding, and officers of the company can be found personally liable. https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/employer-and-employee-responsibilities-employment-tax-enforcement

The way to get the result Swordguy proposes (and what I think most Mustachians would want) is to figure out your taxes ahead of time, back into the withholding needed to get there, and submit a W-4 accordingly.

From what I've seen of the new W-4, it looks like that's what the IRS is trying to do. 

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1781 on: November 18, 2019, 12:55:03 PM »
I feel sorry for my coworker. Not so long ago he bought a new, fancy pellets oven for a lot of money. Now it turns out the oven doesn't work as well as he expected and he wants to sell it on the second hand market, where you usually can't get more than 60% or the new price.

Last year he bought a (second hand) car, not knowing what Norwegian winters are like, and bought one that didn't have 4x4 or spike tires. Now he has bought a replacement second hand car. Every time you buy a car, you pay a fee (600$ or so) to get a car registered in your name.

It seems to me that he made some unfortunate choices that cost him money now.

That stinks for him, and he clearly is someone who could benefit from research rather than learning by experience.  Many people suffer from the same affliction.

But what stuck out to me was the "pellets oven," because that is something I never heard of before.  Now, thanks to you and google, I know.

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1782 on: November 18, 2019, 01:47:22 PM »
What do you think Europeans, is this Wiki true?
https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-European

Well, some of the "european" style drawings look like my work clothes, but I never considered that a classic "european" look?

Seriously, there's a big difference between the various regions of Europe. I'm in NW Europe which is very casual 'skinny and flats' territory, while Germany, the next country to the east, the general style is a lot less casual, and my impression is that the further south you go, the less casual people tend to dress - but of course, that doesn't mean every single person dresses like that. And I haven't visited every single country in Europe. The weather is also very different across the different countries in Europe, so that certainly plays a role. Where I live it doesn't get cold, but the climate is wet and windy and we walk and bike a lot. So there's no point in dressing up too much.

I wouldn't consider ankle length trousers a very European thing? As far as I know they are supposed to reach but not cover the shoe, not show a bare ankle.

The stereotypical American tourist can be described as wearing oversized and very casual clothing at an age where such 'casual' clothing is maybe not as common in my country. Oversized clothing isn't so common and people over a certain age don't usually wear t-shirts. Certainly not the people that are wealthy enough to be able to afford a trip across the Atlantic. It seems like American women
over a certain age are also more used to wearing trousers rather than skirts. But this is the type of tourists you'd recognize from a distance, of course there are many more people you'd never notice.


For American exchange students, it used to be the white shoes but these days everyone wears the same type of sneakers. Big hoodies with university logos seem to be something Americans particularly like, as well as manicured nails.
I can see this.  I dress very casually (at work and elsewhere), and I'm 49.  So, I can see where some countries might have middle-aged women be more put together.  I don't really care to be put together.

I have never really liked skirts, even when in the military and required to wear them occasionally.  In fact, I do not own a single skirt right now - and only one dress.  I did notice more skirts in Copenhagen this summer (and they biked in them!)  To be honest, I don't find dresses and skirts to really flatter me.

I don't have manicured nails, but when it is cold, my warm weather jacket is a hoodie, with an elementary school logo.

merula

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1783 on: November 18, 2019, 03:01:07 PM »
Exactly what Sugaree says. The IRS doesn't ever want to risk under-withholding, and lots of people change jobs, which is why (1) filling out the W-4 perfectly will always result in over-withholding, and (2) why they specify bonus withholding the way they do.

If you set up a payroll software system the way Swordguy laid you, any companies who use it are at risk of IRS fines for underwithholding, and officers of the company can be found personally liable. https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/employer-and-employee-responsibilities-employment-tax-enforcement

The way to get the result Swordguy proposes (and what I think most Mustachians would want) is to figure out your taxes ahead of time, back into the withholding needed to get there, and submit a W-4 accordingly.

From what I've seen of the new W-4, it looks like that's what the IRS is trying to do.

Thanks for the info! I had no idea there was a new W-4 in the works. Now I'm wondering if my state is going to respond, as they currently have a ban on claiming more than 10 exemptions.

Fomerly known as something

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1784 on: November 18, 2019, 05:32:46 PM »
In spring and autumn there are big disparities between the locals and more northern immigrants such as us. We dress along the lines of what level of warmth do I need if I'm sitting in direct sunshine in the hottest part of the day. The locals ask themselves what would be appropriate if they ended up sitting outside in the wind at 2am. So we'll be in t-shirts and they'll be in jumpers and scarves, all looking at each other as if the other is crazy.

Haha, reminds me of my holiday in Tunisia in early spring. We winter-steeled Germans walked bare feeted through the mediteranean, at 17°C air temp, with only a thin pullover and jacket bound around the waist.
The locals in their scarfs and wollen hats and thick winter clothes would look at us as if calculating if they should run away from those clearly mad people :D

I'm giggling at this because this is the same scenario as Canadians (snowbirds) in Florida in February. It's not cold, it's 18 with a high forecast of 25.   ;-)

A friend of mine just moved from Miami to Indianapolis.  She commented the locals were wearing less in 10*F than the people in Miami wear at 65*F

RetiredAt63

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1785 on: November 19, 2019, 08:57:24 AM »
In spring and autumn there are big disparities between the locals and more northern immigrants such as us. We dress along the lines of what level of warmth do I need if I'm sitting in direct sunshine in the hottest part of the day. The locals ask themselves what would be appropriate if they ended up sitting outside in the wind at 2am. So we'll be in t-shirts and they'll be in jumpers and scarves, all looking at each other as if the other is crazy.

Haha, reminds me of my holiday in Tunisia in early spring. We winter-steeled Germans walked bare feeted through the mediteranean, at 17°C air temp, with only a thin pullover and jacket bound around the waist.
The locals in their scarfs and wollen hats and thick winter clothes would look at us as if calculating if they should run away from those clearly mad people :D

I'm giggling at this because this is the same scenario as Canadians (snowbirds) in Florida in February. It's not cold, it's 18 with a high forecast of 25.   ;-)

A friend of mine just moved from Miami to Indianapolis.  She commented the locals were wearing less in 10*F than the people in Miami wear at 65*F

That is -12C. Cold enough for a warm jacket,  gloves, and a hat if it is windy.  Certainly overkill for 18C. My apartment is at 19 and I have on shorts,  a t-shirt and flipflops. No wind, of course.  What do people in Miami wear at 65F?

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1786 on: November 19, 2019, 10:46:32 AM »
In spring and autumn there are big disparities between the locals and more northern immigrants such as us. We dress along the lines of what level of warmth do I need if I'm sitting in direct sunshine in the hottest part of the day. The locals ask themselves what would be appropriate if they ended up sitting outside in the wind at 2am. So we'll be in t-shirts and they'll be in jumpers and scarves, all looking at each other as if the other is crazy.

Haha, reminds me of my holiday in Tunisia in early spring. We winter-steeled Germans walked bare feeted through the mediteranean, at 17°C air temp, with only a thin pullover and jacket bound around the waist.
The locals in their scarfs and wollen hats and thick winter clothes would look at us as if calculating if they should run away from those clearly mad people :D

I'm giggling at this because this is the same scenario as Canadians (snowbirds) in Florida in February. It's not cold, it's 18 with a high forecast of 25.   ;-)

A friend of mine just moved from Miami to Indianapolis.  She commented the locals were wearing less in 10*F than the people in Miami wear at 65*F

That is -12C. Cold enough for a warm jacket,  gloves, and a hat if it is windy.  Certainly overkill for 18C. My apartment is at 19 and I have on shorts,  a t-shirt and flipflops. No wind, of course.  What do people in Miami wear at 65F?

It's all about relativity. A few years ago I went to Bonnaroo in Tennessee in June. It was 40C in the day and 20C at night. I grew up in Newfoundland where 20C at night is the nicest evening of the year. But in Tennessee, after it being 40C a few hours earlier, 20C felt pretty damned cold. Not hat and mitts weather...but certainly a hoodie and pants.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1787 on: November 19, 2019, 04:12:31 PM »
In spring and autumn there are big disparities between the locals and more northern immigrants such as us. We dress along the lines of what level of warmth do I need if I'm sitting in direct sunshine in the hottest part of the day. The locals ask themselves what would be appropriate if they ended up sitting outside in the wind at 2am. So we'll be in t-shirts and they'll be in jumpers and scarves, all looking at each other as if the other is crazy.

Haha, reminds me of my holiday in Tunisia in early spring. We winter-steeled Germans walked bare feeted through the mediteranean, at 17°C air temp, with only a thin pullover and jacket bound around the waist.
The locals in their scarfs and wollen hats and thick winter clothes would look at us as if calculating if they should run away from those clearly mad people :D

I'm giggling at this because this is the same scenario as Canadians (snowbirds) in Florida in February. It's not cold, it's 18 with a high forecast of 25.   ;-)

A friend of mine just moved from Miami to Indianapolis.  She commented the locals were wearing less in 10*F than the people in Miami wear at 65*F

That is -12C. Cold enough for a warm jacket,  gloves, and a hat if it is windy.  Certainly overkill for 18C. My apartment is at 19 and I have on shorts,  a t-shirt and flipflops. No wind, of course.  What do people in Miami wear at 65F?

It's all about relativity. A few years ago I went to Bonnaroo in Tennessee in June. It was 40C in the day and 20C at night. I grew up in Newfoundland where 20C at night is the nicest evening of the year. But in Tennessee, after it being 40C a few hours earlier, 20C felt pretty damned cold. Not hat and mitts weather...but certainly a hoodie and pants.

Gotcha.  Today was +2 and it felt warm.

In summer 20 is too hot at night, you can't get the house cooled off.   ;-)

Gerard

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1788 on: November 19, 2019, 05:12:04 PM »
I grew up in Newfoundland where 20C at night is the nicest evening of the year.

When I lived in Newfoundland, I used to think the local kids wearing shorts when it was 8 celsius were weird. Then I saw the Labrador kids wearing t-shirts in February!

DaMa

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1789 on: November 19, 2019, 06:42:08 PM »
I live in Michigan.  When it's 50 F in January, we wear shorts and t-shirts.  When it's 50 F in July, we wear jeans and jackets.

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1790 on: November 19, 2019, 07:55:42 PM »
I once visited Cuba in February, from Ottawa (Canada). It was, I am told, an unusually cool winter. One morning, I was swimming in the outdoor pool while the local groundskeepers were doing their landscaping work. Wearing tuques. AFAIK, everyone was comfortable enough. Sure, the unheated pool was a little cool getting in (as pools generally are) but felt just fine once I had acclimated. It was probably in the neighbourhood of 22 C or thereabouts. And beautifully sunny.

Fomerly known as something

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1791 on: November 19, 2019, 08:13:12 PM »
In spring and autumn there are big disparities between the locals and more northern immigrants such as us. We dress along the lines of what level of warmth do I need if I'm sitting in direct sunshine in the hottest part of the day. The locals ask themselves what would be appropriate if they ended up sitting outside in the wind at 2am. So we'll be in t-shirts and they'll be in jumpers and scarves, all looking at each other as if the other is crazy.

Haha, reminds me of my holiday in Tunisia in early spring. We winter-steeled Germans walked bare feeted through the mediteranean, at 17°C air temp, with only a thin pullover and jacket bound around the waist.
The locals in their scarfs and wollen hats and thick winter clothes would look at us as if calculating if they should run away from those clearly mad people :D

I'm giggling at this because this is the same scenario as Canadians (snowbirds) in Florida in February. It's not cold, it's 18 with a high forecast of 25.   ;-)

A friend of mine just moved from Miami to Indianapolis.  She commented the locals were wearing less in 10*F than the people in Miami wear at 65*F

That is -12C. Cold enough for a warm jacket,  gloves, and a hat if it is windy.  Certainly overkill for 18C. My apartment is at 19 and I have on shorts,  a t-shirt and flipflops. No wind, of course.  What do people in Miami wear at 65F?

A Canadian Goose Jacket, gloves, hat and scarf I think.

TVRodriguez

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1792 on: November 20, 2019, 07:00:55 AM »
What do people in Miami wear at 65F?

At 65, I'm in jeans and t-shirts if it's sunny.  The first day it hits 55 however, DH has been known to break out scarves and gloves (though he still drives his Jeep without doors), and I've been known to break out my leather jacket that gets hidden in the back of the closet the rest of the year.  Sunday morning it was 56, and our kids were thrilled to get out the "winter wear" and put on scarves to swing in the backyard.  They still left their shoes off, though.

Today it was 64 and sunny when I took the kids to school, and it was glorious.  I'm in jeans and a t-shirt, and kids were still in shorts/skirts and polo t-shirts (school uniform), btw.

In fact, I only realized this week (due to this cold spell) that my 10 year old daughter has no pants that actually fit her.  She wears shorts and skirts all the time, and the last time she put on any pants was last winter.  She's grown since then.  Time for a trip to Goodwill.

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1793 on: November 20, 2019, 08:41:08 AM »
What do people in Miami wear at 65F?

West-Central Florida here. We wear lots of schadenfreude, like how people wear cheap perfume.

Love to see northerners suffer in our "mild" temps of low 80s (Freedom F units). If you can't take the heat, why da faq do y'all keep coming down here annually?

But your snowbird money is very welcome. Spend, birdy, spend.

But seriously, acclimatization takes 2-4 weeks generally to get used to completely different climes, so first impressions are hilarious.
« Last Edit: November 21, 2019, 09:40:08 AM by jinga nation »

reeshau

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1794 on: November 20, 2019, 09:10:13 AM »
I once visited Cuba in February, from Ottawa (Canada). It was, I am told, an unusually cool winter. One morning, I was swimming in the outdoor pool while the local groundskeepers were doing their landscaping work. Wearing tuques. AFAIK, everyone was comfortable enough. Sure, the unheated pool was a little cool getting in (as pools generally are) but felt just fine once I had acclimated. It was probably in the neighbourhood of 22 C or thereabouts. And beautifully sunny.

We had a similar experience with an outdoor pool in Ft. Lauderdale.  My wife was the only one swimming in the pool, on a sunny day.  A cleaning lady was walking by with her cart, looked at her, and said "You must be a Northerner."

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1795 on: November 20, 2019, 01:05:31 PM »
Heard about a new fad last night. Took a while for this middle aged guy to "get it".

https://www.google.com/search?q=vsco girl

Still not sure how old the girls can be - is this a high school thing, a college girl thing, or an adult thing? I heard about it at work.

https://youtu.be/HcaHMT9EABU?t=49

Not sure if she is stuttering or the camera has problems or ???

Never mind, just realized its not really important. ;)
« Last Edit: November 20, 2019, 01:08:28 PM by Just Joe »

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1796 on: November 20, 2019, 03:36:30 PM »
Heard about a new fad last night. Took a while for this middle aged guy to "get it".

https://www.google.com/search?q=vsco girl

Still not sure how old the girls can be - is this a high school thing, a college girl thing, or an adult thing? I heard about it at work.

https://youtu.be/HcaHMT9EABU?t=49

Not sure if she is stuttering or the camera has problems or ???

Never mind, just realized its not really important. ;)

Sksksksk

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1797 on: November 20, 2019, 05:24:19 PM »
Heard about a new fad last night. Took a while for this middle aged guy to "get it".

https://www.google.com/search?q=vsco girl

Still not sure how old the girls can be - is this a high school thing, a college girl thing, or an adult thing? I heard about it at work.

https://youtu.be/HcaHMT9EABU?t=49

Not sure if she is stuttering or the camera has problems or ???

Never mind, just realized its not really important. ;)

My son is in 4th grade and I know of a group of 3 girls (2 in his class) who are into this thing, so it isn't just high school/college.

economista

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1798 on: November 21, 2019, 08:40:45 AM »
Heard about a new fad last night. Took a while for this middle aged guy to "get it".

https://www.google.com/search?q=vsco girl

Still not sure how old the girls can be - is this a high school thing, a college girl thing, or an adult thing? I heard about it at work.

https://youtu.be/HcaHMT9EABU?t=49

Not sure if she is stuttering or the camera has problems or ???

Never mind, just realized its not really important. ;)

My son is in 4th grade and I know of a group of 3 girls (2 in his class) who are into this thing, so it isn't just high school/college.

My coworker’s 11 year old daughter dressed up as this for Halloween.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1799 on: November 21, 2019, 11:45:22 AM »
Heard about a new fad last night. Took a while for this middle aged guy to "get it".

https://www.google.com/search?q=vsco girl

Still not sure how old the girls can be - is this a high school thing, a college girl thing, or an adult thing? I heard about it at work.

https://youtu.be/HcaHMT9EABU?t=49

Not sure if she is stuttering or the camera has problems or ???

Never mind, just realized its not really important. ;)

My son is in 4th grade and I know of a group of 3 girls (2 in his class) who are into this thing, so it isn't just high school/college.
The funny thing about it is...so, they dress like we did in the late 80s/early 90s, with some eco stuff thrown in?  Right on.