Worst day at the office...

[Linea_Norway]

This is one of those days...

Today I am having one of these worst days at the office. In this case it is project leaders, sitting somewhere else, discussing with our partners to perform several days of test. Then they announce it to use to do this testing the same week. We need to improvise, because some people are free on those days. I need to find replacements who don't feel qualified. Then I need to provide work instructions for them on a way more detailed level than I would have use myself. Then we need to remake certain required data. This is in place but we also need to build a new software release, which is a lot more work. Then we get to hear that we need different certificates for the server. The person who can install that is not available. I need to cancel the testing. Then we find out that the testers still want to test other things. I need to reschedule.

The whole day I am running around, communicating with this and that person, in person and by email, organizing, cancelling, reorganizing. And in 45 minutes I may also have a meeting with all contractors, some in the US, so therefore the meeting is quite late and I can't go home early as I had wanted.

And I still need to visit the optician shop to complain about my glasses having texts carved into them.

Outside the sun is shining and I am sitting fedup in the office, comfort-eating bananas.

Tomorrow I can look forward to a whole day of pretty chaotic testing inside a hall without daylight, talking to a speaker phone all day.

Please share your frustrating days.

[ncornilsen]

The incident that made me realize I needed F-U money:

I get a call from the (at the time) plant manager, friday AM. "We need 4 new part rework stations. By monday. The Chinese are invading... we have parts that need moved and I'm handling the staffing." (His statement about the chinese invading is a longstanding thing he said whenever someone would push back on his kneejerk, crazy ideas. "what would you do if the chinese were invading, and the military needed those parts? My response of "learn mandarin" wasn't appreciated, but I digress.)


Anyway, that ment I needed to have them built over the weekend. Vendors were slammed. That left me. My boss was out, so I went at it. I got a text approval from the plant manager to buy materials on my own credit card for re-embursment. (fine by me, I like the points)
 I worked ALL goddamned weekend, installing tables, running flex duct to the dust collector, making air manifolds. He walked by friday afternoon, and again saturday mid-day, and looked at my progress, and left without a word.

I send him a text sunday afternoon that they were done and ready for his guys on Monday.  no response.

Tuesday mid-day I visit the area again. The benches hadn't been touched. Well, maybe the guys are in training? My boss complains about something I didn't get done on friday that I postponed to do the new bench projects.  I explained the weekend shitshow. My boss stares at me for a minute, and tells me how he got a call from the plant manager friday mid-day saying he couldn't get the staffing, that the plant manager was going to tell me to stop work.

It wasn't bad enough that this asshole KNOWINGLY let me waste my whole weekend for nothing, had two chances to tell me to stop... but he refused to sign off the expense report for the materials I bought for the project! A stop by HR got that resolved easily enough, but still... fuck. I was so mad. that event really ruined my motivation for a few months, till that guy got canned.

[cheapass]

This is one of those days...

Today I am having one of these worst days at the office. In this case it is project leaders, sitting somewhere else, discussing with our partners to perform several days of test. Then they announce it to use to do this testing the same week. We need to improvise, because some people are free on those days. I need to find replacements who don't feel qualified. Then I need to provide work instructions for them on a way more detailed level than I would have use myself. Then we need to remake certain required data. This is in place but we also need to build a new software release, which is a lot more work. Then we get to hear that we need different certificates for the server. The person who can install that is not available. I need to cancel the testing. Then we find out that the testers still want to test other things. I need to reschedule.

The whole day I am running around, communicating with this and that person, in person and by email, organizing, cancelling, reorganizing. And in 45 minutes I may also have a meeting with all contractors, some in the US, so therefore the meeting is quite late and I can't go home early as I had wanted.

And I still need to visit the optician shop to complain about my glasses having texts carved into them.

Outside the sun is shining and I am sitting fedup in the office, comfort-eating bananas.

Tomorrow I can look forward to a whole day of pretty chaotic testing inside a hall without daylight, talking to a speaker phone all day.

Please share your frustrating days.

How long til FIRE?

[Linea_Norway]

How long til FIRE?

I'm affraid it is another 6 years. Maybe earlier if we manage to save more than 60% as we did last year, before becoming Mustachians.

[cheapass]

How long til FIRE?

I'm affraid it is another 6 years. Maybe earlier if we manage to save more than 60% as we did last year, before becoming Mustachians.

When I am frustrated at work I tell myself "...just a few more years..." It motivates me to tighten up on spending when I think about the thousands of other things I'd rather be doing than sitting in a cubicle.

[dandarc]

Going on a month of Groundhog Day at the office.  Asshole Middleware Project Manager will feature today.

AMPM: OK, we changed a setting on the server.  Should work now.  Try it.
Us: We tried it and it appears your unnecessary middleware can't handle the load, which is only 10% of what we'll be sending you.  Would you like us to review the code?  We think we know what is wrong.
AMPM: Nope, we have to work this with the server team.  Lets try again tomorrow.

Repeat.  If your code won't scale, doesn't really matter how your server is configured.  But don't tell AMPM that.

[steviesterno]

my dad says there are only 3 days at the office, good days (raise or bonus or whatever) shitty days (you get fired or hurt) and days. Nothing happens, it's annoying, something that's a big deal won't be soon in the future.


He also says my job isn't to make this place any better, it's to bring home a paycheck and provide for the family. I actually like that way of thinking about it. So now my emails don't go to my phone, so no more nights or weekends. I take on other new projects only if they help my resume or make my life easier. otherwise, thanks but i'll pass.

[scottish]

Going on a month of Groundhog Day at the office.  Asshole Middleware Project Manager will feature today.

AMPM: OK, we changed a setting on the server.  Should work now.  Try it.
Us: We tried it and it appears your unnecessary middleware can't handle the load, which is only 10% of what we'll be sending you.  Would you like us to review the code?  We think we know what is wrong.
AMPM: Nope, we have to work this with the server team.  Lets try again tomorrow.

Repeat.  If your code won't scale, doesn't really matter how your server is configured.  But don't tell AMPM that.

Boy that sounds familiar.    I have to wonder if it's the same AMPM.

[nick663]

He also says my job isn't to make this place any better, it's to bring home a paycheck and provide for the family. I actually like that way of thinking about it. So now my emails don't go to my phone, so no more nights or weekends. I take on other new projects only if they help my resume or make my life easier. otherwise, thanks but i'll pass.

Eh, I disagree.  You're going to spend 40 hours at work regardless so you might as well get involved and make the place better.

Put forth some effort and it's amazing how the money flows your way.  I'm not talking about working 80 hours a week but the types that shut down their computer at 3:55pm so they can leave at 4pm everyday never get first crack at interesting projects and the boss isn't going to fight for an above average raise for them.

[ElleFiji]

In my office, today someone brought in cake to share.

About an hour before going home, a co-worker disappeared to the bathroom, and then we all fell in short succession.  Office wide food poisoning.

I'd still probably take this over an extra frustrating job

[cheapass]

He also says my job isn't to make this place any better, it's to bring home a paycheck and provide for the family. I actually like that way of thinking about it. So now my emails don't go to my phone, so no more nights or weekends. I take on other new projects only if they help my resume or make my life easier. otherwise, thanks but i'll pass.

Eh, I disagree.  You're going to spend 40 hours at work regardless so you might as well get involved and make the place better.

Put forth some effort and it's amazing how the money flows your way.  I'm not talking about working 80 hours a week but the types that shut down their computer at 3:55pm so they can leave at 4pm everyday never get first crack at interesting projects and the boss isn't going to fight for an above average raise for them.

Depends on your timeline to FIRE. If you bust your ass, work a bunch of extra hours and get a promotion you might get double the stress and bullshit for a 10-20% pay increase. Maybe that knocks a few months off your time till FIRE but probably not a lot.

[SwordGuy]

A 10-20% raise might knock a few months off the retirement date?

Nope.

Lots more than that.

Going from 5% to 20% knocks 19 years.  Years!

From 20% to 35% is 12 years.   A dozen years!!!

From 50% to 65% is 7.5 years.

From 80% to 95% is 3.5 years.

You might want to rethink your position on making more money.

[cheapass]

A 10-20% raise might knock a few months off the retirement date?

Nope.

Lots more than that.

Going from 5% to 20% knocks 19 years.  Years!

From 20% to 35% is 12 years.   A dozen years!!!

From 50% to 65% is 7.5 years.

From 80% to 95% is 3.5 years.

You might want to rethink your position on making more money.

You're operating with the assumption that Uncle Sam is not taxing that raise at the marginal rate. Also, if FIRE calculations are based on a 2 income household, both parties would need a raise to affect the timeline by the amounts you've outlined.

Typically promotions don't come without additional hours and dealing with a lot more tiresome bullshit as well.

[Linea_Norway]

He also says my job isn't to make this place any better, it's to bring home a paycheck and provide for the family. I actually like that way of thinking about it. So now my emails don't go to my phone, so no more nights or weekends. I take on other new projects only if they help my resume or make my life easier. otherwise, thanks but i'll pass.

Eh, I disagree.  You're going to spend 40 hours at work regardless so you might as well get involved and make the place better.

Put forth some effort and it's amazing how the money flows your way.  I'm not talking about working 80 hours a week but the types that shut down their computer at 3:55pm so they can leave at 4pm everyday never get first crack at interesting projects and the boss isn't going to fight for an above average raise for them.

When I just started out in this job, I worked my ass off to get up and running in a new subject field that I knew nothing about. I felt that I worked extremely hard. When the talk about raise came along, I was told that they had noticed I worked hard. And if I would continue, and lead 2 extra project, I might be one of the few who would perhaps get the extra high raise. Obviously my effort that year wasn't good enough for an extra high raise. That was extremely demotivating, as I felt I couldn't work even harder. Now I am working at a more normalized level.

[Linea_Norway]

In my office, today someone brought in cake to share.

About an hour before going home, a co-worker disappeared to the bathroom, and then we all fell in short succession.  Office wide food poisoning.

I'd still probably take this over an extra frustrating job

Oh dear. Maybe that was the reason the cake was brought to the office in the first place? No-one at home wanted to eat it anymore?

[ElleFiji]

She feels horribly guilty. Apparently she meant to bring it in Monday, it was from a party on Saturday, but she forgot, and of course, she wasn't the baker,but we think the icing may have been cream based, judging by our reactions.

[nick663]

He also says my job isn't to make this place any better, it's to bring home a paycheck and provide for the family. I actually like that way of thinking about it. So now my emails don't go to my phone, so no more nights or weekends. I take on other new projects only if they help my resume or make my life easier. otherwise, thanks but i'll pass.

Eh, I disagree.  You're going to spend 40 hours at work regardless so you might as well get involved and make the place better.

Put forth some effort and it's amazing how the money flows your way.  I'm not talking about working 80 hours a week but the types that shut down their computer at 3:55pm so they can leave at 4pm everyday never get first crack at interesting projects and the boss isn't going to fight for an above average raise for them.

When I just started out in this job, I worked my ass off to get up and running in a new subject field that I knew nothing about. I felt that I worked extremely hard. When the talk about raise came along, I was told that they had noticed I worked hard. And if I would continue, and lead 2 extra project, I might be one of the few who would perhaps get the extra high raise. Obviously my effort that year wasn't good enough for an extra high raise. That was extremely demotivating, as I felt I couldn't work even harder. Now I am working at a more normalized level.

Had the same experience at my first job out of college.  Know what I did?  Kept my head down, got "promoted" to a better title (with 0 pay increase) and then got a 30% raise by taking that experience to another company.

And both jobs were 40 hours per week.  I just actually worked during those 40 hours. :)

[bwall]

He also says my job isn't to make this place any better, it's to bring home a paycheck and provide for the family. I actually like that way of thinking about it. So now my emails don't go to my phone, so no more nights or weekends. I take on other new projects only if they help my resume or make my life easier. otherwise, thanks but i'll pass.

Eh, I disagree.  You're going to spend 40 hours at work regardless so you might as well get involved and make the place better.

Put forth some effort and it's amazing how the money flows your way.  I'm not talking about working 80 hours a week but the types that shut down their computer at 3:55pm so they can leave at 4pm everyday never get first crack at interesting projects and the boss isn't going to fight for an above average raise for them.

I also disagree. I had an employee tell me that she wouldn't worry about the company because the company wouldn't worry about her. That afternoon I placed a help wanted ad. Had a replacement two weeks later. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy!

[CptCool]

I also disagree. I had an employee tell me that she wouldn't worry about the company because the company wouldn't worry about her. That afternoon I placed a help wanted ad. Had a replacement two weeks later. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy!

To be fair, that is supposed to be an attitude or something to keep in mind when asked to do unreasonable things - not something you say directly to your boss

[Linea_Norway]

Another demanding day today. We are sitting in a testlab without daylight with 3 people, of which one is new and needs some explanation. We talk into the phone. On the other side are: 2 developers, obe project manager, one customer and two of my colleagues. We try to run a testcase that we both can see. We perform a step and ask them to do the next step. This takes about 15 minutes, because the other end of the line has meetings with eachother and run different tests then what we do. We have no idea what they are doing and it is all very chaotic. I need to look at one screen to read the test procedure, one screen to see the results and one screen to log the defects.and everything happens at the same time. End of the day I receive an email from my boss calling me in for a meeting to let me report and plan very different things that I don't have time for.... Can't do it right either way...

[sequoia]

I feel for ya. I used to work in a lab with no windows. If all of the monitors and lights are turned-off, it was so dark we can not see our own hands in front of our face. I did have very easy going team that I work with most of the time. We used to call our lab batcave haha

[bunchbikes]

He also says my job isn't to make this place any better, it's to bring home a paycheck and provide for the family. I actually like that way of thinking about it. So now my emails don't go to my phone, so no more nights or weekends. I take on other new projects only if they help my resume or make my life easier. otherwise, thanks but i'll pass.

Your job is to make someone else money.  Depending on the size of the company, that person doesn't know or give a shit about you or your family.

Your attitude is a healthy one, and it sounds like you have your life priorities straight. Gotta look out for you and your own, priority number one.

My last year of full-time employment I was the last employee to arrive, and the first to leave each day.  Got paid the same as everyone else, got the same amount of work done, and got to spend way more time with my family.   More time > More Money

[Linea_Norway]

He also says my job isn't to make this place any better, it's to bring home a paycheck and provide for the family. I actually like that way of thinking about it. So now my emails don't go to my phone, so no more nights or weekends. I take on other new projects only if they help my resume or make my life easier. otherwise, thanks but i'll pass.

Your job is to make someone else money.  Depending on the size of the company, that person doesn't know or give a shit about you or your family.

Your attitude is a healthy one, and it sounds like you have your life priorities straight. Gotta look out for you and your own, priority number one.

My last year of full-time employment I was the last employee to arrive, and the first to leave each day.  Got paid the same as everyone else, got the same amount of work done, and got to spend way more time with my family.   More time > More Money

I also don't get work email om my cell phone. When I am free, I want to be free. This works reasonably well, except for that I often start thinking about work when I wake up in the middle of the night.

[BlueHouse]

I feel for ya. I used to work in a lab with no windows. If all of the monitors and lights are turned-off, it was so dark we can not see our own hands in front of our face. I did have very easy going team that I work with most of the time. We used to call our lab batcave haha

I work in a vault, and the entire building has a metal structure around it.  No windows anywhere in the building.  It sucks.