Author Topic: WTF moments!!  (Read 10168 times)

albireo13

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WTF moments!!
« on: April 02, 2019, 03:44:32 PM »
Tell us about the wtf moments that convince you to retire!
Here is mine. Last week I had my scheduled colonoscopy (yay).
I let folks know I would be out all day v
Anyway, I am just getting onto the gurney around 10AM and start getting pinged
from work ... “are you done yet?”
I told them no, it is running late but soon.
So, 30 min later I am lying there with an IV in my arm and close to starting and
I amg getting pinged again from work with technical questions and  ... “xxx wants an update on xxx”.
Are you kidding me ??  WTF?!?!
This convinced me that Jan 1 I give notice.

CheapScholar

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2019, 04:46:47 PM »
Fuck that place.

rantk81

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2019, 04:49:06 PM »
If I'm in the hospital, I am certainly not going to be using any electronic devices that allow co-workers to contact me.

phildonnia

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2019, 05:19:42 PM »
I'd be like:

"You seem to be suspicious of whether I'm actually undergoing a colonoscopy right now.  If you'll just accept video, I'll try to be more convincing..."

scottish

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2019, 05:25:53 PM »
"Are you done yet?"  ROFL.

Perhaps you could stream the imagery to them from your cell phone!


albireo13

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2019, 06:36:05 PM »
I only had my phone because I was bored out of my gourd
waiting my turn. 

This place is full of dumba$$es!

ender

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2019, 06:39:44 PM »
Solution: disable notifications on your phone.

Better solution: remove apps from phone entirely.

katsiki

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2019, 06:52:45 PM »
Solution: disable notifications on your phone.

Better solution: remove apps from phone entirely.

+1

Or..  airplane mode

jim555

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2019, 06:56:26 PM »
I would have done a massively rude reply and blame it on the anesthesia.

bluebelle

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2019, 07:30:13 PM »
the joys of being high profile technical support.   People are just clueless.  And I've learned that they will push you as hard as you let them.   I know I've used the line "my pay and title are not commensurate with this level of importance"

gerardc

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2019, 08:50:41 PM »
Solution: disable notifications on your phone.

Better solution: remove apps from phone entirely.

+1

Or..  airplane mode

+1000

My work-induced stress levels went down significantly since I turned off notifications on my phone for work email, calendar, and chat. Works wonders, really. I still have the apps but open them less often.

ysette9

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2019, 09:26:33 PM »
I'd be like:

"You seem to be suspicious of whether I'm actually undergoing a colonoscopy right now.  If you'll just accept video, I'll try to be more convincing..."
Lol!!

Freedomin5

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2019, 09:54:04 PM »
I know I've used the line "my pay and title are not commensurate with this level of importance"

LOL

I may have to borrow this line.

Spiffsome

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2019, 09:54:28 PM »
"Congratulations! Thanks to you, the tube up my rear end is only the second biggest pain in my ass today!"

Too much?

ToTheMoon

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2019, 10:33:03 PM »
"Congratulations! Thanks to you, the tube up my rear end is only the second biggest pain in my ass today!"

Too much?

This is amazing.

This convinced me that Jun 1 I give notice.

FTFY

Freedomin5

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #15 on: April 03, 2019, 01:38:03 AM »
Ooohhh....I just thought of a little WTF moment I had in the past.

At my work, I bill by the hour as a consultant. My book of work is usually filled a couple months in advance, which in my line of work is really really good. As a senior person, I charge a premium for my services. I am paid based on my billable hours and the revenue I bring in.

Several months ago, I received an email from my boss's boss asking if I would be willing to work on a new account. They were targeting a different market which could not bear my current rates, so he asked if I could work for a 25% discount. Sure, I'll work at a 25% discount, but the discount will be applied to the client, and not directly deducted from my billable hours, right? So basically, I still charge my regular rate (and my commission is based on my regular rate) and then the accounting folks just give them a discount, right? So if I bill $100, I make commission based on $100, but the client only pays $70, correct? NOPE. Commission is based on the discounted rate. Oh, and by the way, we'll have to take you off one of your existing accounts that is billed at regular rates (with no one to replace you) to put you on the discounted account. Oh, and you'll have to increase your travel time by two hours per day, since the client site is waaaaaay out at the other end of town. Oh, and your travel time is not compensated. Oh, and if you want to keep your current accounts, that's okay too; you can just work more than full-time -- the more hours you work, the more money you make!

Oh yes...when you put it that way, I can really see you're working hard to get me to say yes. What a great opportunity!

ysette9

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #16 on: April 03, 2019, 02:28:06 AM »
Ooohhh....I just thought of a little WTF moment I had in the past.

At my work, I bill by the hour as a consultant. My book of work is usually filled a couple months in advance, which in my line of work is really really good. As a senior person, I charge a premium for my services. I am paid based on my billable hours and the revenue I bring in.

Several months ago, I received an email from my boss's boss asking if I would be willing to work on a new account. They were targeting a different market which could not bear my current rates, so he asked if I could work for a 25% discount. Sure, I'll work at a 25% discount, but the discount will be applied to the client, and not directly deducted from my billable hours, right? So basically, I still charge my regular rate (and my commission is based on my regular rate) and then the accounting folks just give them a discount, right? So if I bill $100, I make commission based on $100, but the client only pays $70, correct? NOPE. Commission is based on the discounted rate. Oh, and by the way, we'll have to take you off one of your existing accounts that is billed at regular rates (with no one to replace you) to put you on the discounted account. Oh, and you'll have to increase your travel time by two hours per day, since the client site is waaaaaay out at the other end of town. Oh, and your travel time is not compensated. Oh, and if you want to keep your current accounts, that's okay too; you can just work more than full-time -- the more hours you work, the more money you make!

Oh yes...when you put it that way, I can really see you're working hard to get me to say yes. What a great opportunity!
I hope you laughed in their faces.

Livingthedream55

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #17 on: April 03, 2019, 07:53:29 AM »
A coworker once followed me to the women's bathroom and proceeded to ask me a question while I was in the stall!

Just Joe

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #18 on: April 03, 2019, 08:18:57 AM »
Ah yes, important conversations in the loo! Talk about people who don't understand personal space.

fuzzy math

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #19 on: April 03, 2019, 09:06:58 AM »
A coworker once followed me to the women's bathroom and proceeded to ask me a question while I was in the stall!

was that coworker at least female?

bacchi

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #20 on: April 03, 2019, 09:15:00 AM »
Me and a coworker worked overnight at the office to fix a bug for an important client.

As we were leaving at 9:30am, successful, the boss saw us packing out. He knew we had just finished and we looked and smelled like...we had just stayed up all night.

"Are you going home already?"

albireo13

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #21 on: April 03, 2019, 09:50:50 AM »
Me and a coworker worked overnight at the office to fix a bug for an important client.

As we were leaving at 9:30am, successful, the boss saw us packing out. He knew we had just finished and we looked and smelled like...we had just stayed up all night.

"Are you going home already?"

Was he trying to be funny?   Ha-ha.

BlueHouse

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #22 on: April 03, 2019, 10:16:42 AM »
Me and a coworker worked overnight at the office to fix a bug for an important client.

As we were leaving at 9:30am, successful, the boss saw us packing out. He knew we had just finished and we looked and smelled like...we had just stayed up all night.

"Are you going home already?"


I used to run into a boss who worked late hours (came in late and worked late).  I came in during normal working hours (8 or 8:30 am) and routinely worked about 10-11 hours.  He would show up for the day as I was going home and every time would say "leaving so soon"?  In a sing song voice. 
I think he meant it as a joke, but it made me feel guilty, especially if other people were around.
Finally I just started to answer him with "Late lunch!"   

thd7t

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #23 on: April 03, 2019, 10:18:14 AM »
Me and a coworker worked overnight at the office to fix a bug for an important client.

As we were leaving at 9:30am, successful, the boss saw us packing out. He knew we had just finished and we looked and smelled like...we had just stayed up all night.

"Are you going home already?"


I used to run into a boss who worked late hours (came in late and worked late).  I came in during normal working hours (8 or 8:30 am) and routinely worked about 10-11 hours.  He would show up for the day as I was going home and every time would say "leaving so soon"?  In a sing song voice. 
I think he meant it as a joke, but it made me feel guilty, especially if other people were around.
Finally I just started to answer him with "Late lunch!"   
This is totally one of those "joke but not a joke" situations.  Your response was spot on.

mm1970

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #24 on: April 03, 2019, 10:51:09 AM »
"Congratulations! Thanks to you, the tube up my rear end is only the second biggest pain in my ass today!"

Too much?

I like this one.

I was in the hospital in labor, and had to make a phone call to tell the guy I was meeting that afternoon that I was in labor, and that "just go ahead without me".

In the meantime, my husband ran home to grab a sandwich, and there were THREE messages from work on there "we need XYZ". Um.  No.

mm1970

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #25 on: April 03, 2019, 10:52:51 AM »
Ooohhh....I just thought of a little WTF moment I had in the past.

At my work, I bill by the hour as a consultant. My book of work is usually filled a couple months in advance, which in my line of work is really really good. As a senior person, I charge a premium for my services. I am paid based on my billable hours and the revenue I bring in.

Several months ago, I received an email from my boss's boss asking if I would be willing to work on a new account. They were targeting a different market which could not bear my current rates, so he asked if I could work for a 25% discount. Sure, I'll work at a 25% discount, but the discount will be applied to the client, and not directly deducted from my billable hours, right? So basically, I still charge my regular rate (and my commission is based on my regular rate) and then the accounting folks just give them a discount, right? So if I bill $100, I make commission based on $100, but the client only pays $70, correct? NOPE. Commission is based on the discounted rate. Oh, and by the way, we'll have to take you off one of your existing accounts that is billed at regular rates (with no one to replace you) to put you on the discounted account. Oh, and you'll have to increase your travel time by two hours per day, since the client site is waaaaaay out at the other end of town. Oh, and your travel time is not compensated. Oh, and if you want to keep your current accounts, that's okay too; you can just work more than full-time -- the more hours you work, the more money you make!

Oh yes...when you put it that way, I can really see you're working hard to get me to say yes. What a great opportunity!

Did you make them say all of this out loud...slowly?

Livingthedream55

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #26 on: April 03, 2019, 10:54:10 AM »
A coworker once followed me to the women's bathroom and proceeded to ask me a question while I was in the stall!

was that coworker at least female?

LOL   Yes

mm1970

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #27 on: April 03, 2019, 10:55:52 AM »
Me and a coworker worked overnight at the office to fix a bug for an important client.

As we were leaving at 9:30am, successful, the boss saw us packing out. He knew we had just finished and we looked and smelled like...we had just stayed up all night.

"Are you going home already?"


I used to run into a boss who worked late hours (came in late and worked late).  I came in during normal working hours (8 or 8:30 am) and routinely worked about 10-11 hours.  He would show up for the day as I was going home and every time would say "leaving so soon"?  In a sing song voice. 
I think he meant it as a joke, but it made me feel guilty, especially if other people were around.
Finally I just started to answer him with "Late lunch!"   
I used to work with an older guy, who doesn't have kids and probably never worked with many women.

So now, I had young kids and I worked a schedule where I came in early (around 7, 7:30 am) and left early (4).

Every. Single. Friday. as I packed up at around 4 pm, he would LOUDLY say "leaving so soon??" but ONLY if the boss (VP) was around.  I finally got really tired of it, and made a comment to the VP.  VP had a talk with him and it stopped, and he apologized "I didn't realize!"  Um, yeah you did, or you are clueless.  At one point, I finally said "Dude, it's not my fault if I can get more done in my 40 hours than you can in 50+."

mbl

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #28 on: April 03, 2019, 10:56:34 AM »
If I'm in the hospital, I am certainly not going to be using any electronic devices that allow co-workers to contact me.

There it is......

bacchi

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #29 on: April 03, 2019, 11:03:08 AM »
Me and a coworker worked overnight at the office to fix a bug for an important client.

As we were leaving at 9:30am, successful, the boss saw us packing out. He knew we had just finished and we looked and smelled like...we had just stayed up all night.

"Are you going home already?"

Was he trying to be funny?   Ha-ha.

No, it was done in a disapproving voice.

He was one of those "You may work late, you may work early, but you'll be here 9-5!" old-school, ass-in-the-seat, bosses.

Dances With Fire

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #30 on: April 03, 2019, 11:25:28 AM »
I was sent to the East coast to help open a new retail store for a small but growing franchise as one of the trainers....Left my hotel early one morning after a (light) snow had fallen...

Not ONE, not a single employee showed up that morning. The managers finally strolled in a couple of Hours later...WTF, this isn't even MY store....Apparently a effing snowflake is a reason to stay home for the day...

I was on the next flight home that I could arrange...

albireo13

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #31 on: April 03, 2019, 11:49:10 AM »
I made the mistake of giving out my cell number to management at work.  It was mostly leftover from a work trip I had taken with them a few months back.
I used to check my work email on my iPhone as well but, finally decide .. WTF .. I paid for this phone and don't need the work creep starting.
I removed that.

Travis

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #32 on: April 03, 2019, 11:54:25 AM »
Me and a coworker worked overnight at the office to fix a bug for an important client.

As we were leaving at 9:30am, successful, the boss saw us packing out. He knew we had just finished and we looked and smelled like...we had just stayed up all night.

"Are you going home already?"

Was he trying to be funny?   Ha-ha.

No, it was done in a disapproving voice.

He was one of those "You may work late, you may work early, but you'll be here 9-5!" old-school, ass-in-the-seat, bosses.

In the Army we're lousy when it comes to work/life balance.  Everyone at my current rank/position is convinced our worth is measured by how late we're in the office.  There's a little bit of truth to it in that we run the organization at our rank; however, I've run into officers who just suck at managing their time or must hate their families.  That tradition is reinforced by more senior officers who lived it and still believe their way was the right way and future generations must suffer accordingly.  I was back from Iraq for a couple months and just transferred to a new unit as a junior officer.  I was going home at 5pm with all my work done and was thoroughly shamed by the more senior officers (of which rank I now hold).  One of those officers is now a full bird colonel and likely has a damaged relationship with her children.  They made their resentment of her work hours public back when I worked for her at the age of 10-12, and yet I continued to receive work emails at 5am and 9pm.

I work insane hours in my current position, but that's because we have a shortage of people and "that's why I get paid the big bucks."  I'm not asking anybody else to stay and keep me company for appearances sake.  When they're done I kick them out of the building.  I usually take work home rather than stay late if I can help it.  I don't bother people on vacation, but I might give them a hard time later if they didn't farm out their work before departing.

StarBright

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #33 on: April 03, 2019, 11:59:27 AM »
I work for a small company and didn't have any FMLA coverage or maternity leave.

Had a client complaining to my boss that I had made a mistake on a quote to them (small typo, nothing major at all) - made while I was in active labor. They were then complaining that I was taking too long to get back to them because it would take me several hours to respond to their requests but I was in the hospital for post birth complications.

Instead of explaining that I had just given birth and then had a life threatening complication a week later (and was still working but a bit delayed), boss emailed them saying he would talk with me and make sure I fixed the error. I'm sure he didn't want to look like a jerk for not giving me any leave.

I began saving in earnest for FU/retirement that week.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2019, 12:19:22 PM by StarBright »

Pizzabrewer

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #34 on: April 03, 2019, 12:02:30 PM »
Solution: disable notifications on your phone.

Better solution: remove apps from phone entirely.

Best solution:  Cologuard instead of colonoscopy.

Pizzabrewer

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #35 on: April 03, 2019, 12:15:41 PM »
I've had several WTF moments in my career. 

At my previous employer I was hired as the assistant to the head of operations.  This despite being fully qualified to run the joint, he (my boss) was on board before I even knew of the place.  But I needed a job and it was a pretty amazing local opportunity.  It was a family-owned startup business but it was an eight-figure startup so it wasn't small potatoes.  I later learned from the owners that I was hired as an "insurance policy" in case they had trouble with the guy.  They were paying him over 3x my salary, plus he got medical benefits (which I didn't).

So as it turns out they fired him after less than a year and promoted me to the position.  My "raise" was less than $10k/yr, and still no medical.  So I was still about 40% of my predecessor's compensation.  I stuck around for a while because it was a really cool facility and a good resume-builder but it grated on me.  Whenever I brought up my low (by industry standards and their own precedence) compensation, they'd say "that's all we can afford".

So finally we're at the point we need to hire more people.  I ask what's the salary range we can pay (low), they said "well we'd be willing to offer medical benefits but if they waive them we could pay more."

Less than a month later I had found a new job.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2019, 01:06:56 PM by Pizzabrewer »

Pizzabrewer

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #36 on: April 03, 2019, 12:22:43 PM »
Another WTF moment.  Much earlier in my career I was head of production at an old, run-down, struggling industrial business in the northeast.  The workers were unionized and it was an old-school union.  Management was the enemy and there was no cooperation to try to help the place succeed.

I had many skirmishes with the shop steward and the union president.  I'd regularly get 3am hang-up phone calls, a target painted on my office door, equipment mysteriously damaged, etc.

So as background to my "last straw/WTF moment", the union guys would never use the restroom during their break or lunch hour.  Legally you can't deny someone the use of the facilities during working hours and the saying was "I'm not taking a shit on my time, I'll do it on the company's time".

One guy in particular took it to an extreme.  He'd clock back in from lunch then disappear into the bathroom.  I wouldn't see him at his job for 10, 15, 20 minutes. 

So I'm talking about this with the shop steward. 
"How long do you think it SHOULD take?"  he asked me.
"I don't know, 5 minutes?" I replied.
"What about 6?  What about 7?  Maybe he has a medical condition?" was the retort.

It was at that moment I said to myself "this is not what I want to be doing with my professional life".  It took a little while before I moved on but that was indeed the last straw.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2019, 01:10:34 PM by Pizzabrewer »

Dianalou

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #37 on: April 03, 2019, 12:55:20 PM »
I was working for an accounting firm (still am actually) doing the marketing for the firm and I was going on a two week road trip with my husband, camping and attending a family wedding along the California coast. I had been warning the firm about the trip for months, all of my tasks were setup for people to just hit 'go' on while I was out, and everything else was automated. My boss asked me if I was going to bring my work cell phone. I told her no, I would be camping mostly and I wouldn't have service anyway. She got all panicky and asked, 'but what if there's an emergency!?' I just stared at her for a second and told her there was no such thing as an accounting marketing emergency, and the firm would survive two weeks without me. Not long after I gave them an ultimatum that I couldn't do the marketing anymore (soul sucking), so either I need a different position or I'm out. To their credit they changed my position to part-time and I'm only admin now which is great. So much less stress, politics, networking events where you have to pretend big business owners are important. No one bats an eye when I leave at 4:00 and I actually get to see my family.

I firmly believe that work phones are the spawn of satan. Nothing good comes of your employer having your phone number and the ability to reach you at any time of day. And then lord it over you if they can't reach out. Not to mention that ONE TIME you respond at 6 pm on a Sunday, you've now opened the box that you can be reached whenever. Ugh I hated that freaking phone ...

Parizade

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #38 on: April 03, 2019, 01:03:43 PM »
I woke up one morning years ago to a raging blizzard. The DOT and Highway Patrol issued dire warnings to stay off the road. So I fired up my laptop and sent my manager an I'M to let her know I was wfh. Her response was "your coworkers are here."

I joined MMM shortly after.

Travis

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #39 on: April 03, 2019, 01:08:12 PM »
She got all panicky and asked, 'but what if there's an emergency!?'

If your organization can't handle someone taking vacation, you're either short on manpower or poorly organized. 

BlueHouse

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #40 on: April 03, 2019, 01:30:51 PM »
Me and a coworker worked overnight at the office to fix a bug for an important client.

As we were leaving at 9:30am, successful, the boss saw us packing out. He knew we had just finished and we looked and smelled like...we had just stayed up all night.

"Are you going home already?"


I used to run into a boss who worked late hours (came in late and worked late).  I came in during normal working hours (8 or 8:30 am) and routinely worked about 10-11 hours.  He would show up for the day as I was going home and every time would say "leaving so soon"?  In a sing song voice. 
I think he meant it as a joke, but it made me feel guilty, especially if other people were around.
Finally I just started to answer him with "Late lunch!"   
I used to work with an older guy, who doesn't have kids and probably never worked with many women.

So now, I had young kids and I worked a schedule where I came in early (around 7, 7:30 am) and left early (4).

Every. Single. Friday. as I packed up at around 4 pm, he would LOUDLY say "leaving so soon??" but ONLY if the boss (VP) was around.  I finally got really tired of it, and made a comment to the VP.  VP had a talk with him and it stopped, and he apologized "I didn't realize!"  Um, yeah you did, or you are clueless.  At one point, I finally said "Dude, it's not my fault if I can get more done in my 40 hours than you can in 50+."
Love this!

Freedomin5

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #41 on: April 03, 2019, 04:52:19 PM »
Ooohhh....I just thought of a little WTF moment I had in the past.

At my work, I bill by the hour as a consultant. My book of work is usually filled a couple months in advance, which in my line of work is really really good. As a senior person, I charge a premium for my services. I am paid based on my billable hours and the revenue I bring in.

Several months ago, I received an email from my boss's boss asking if I would be willing to work on a new account. They were targeting a different market which could not bear my current rates, so he asked if I could work for a 25% discount. Sure, I'll work at a 25% discount, but the discount will be applied to the client, and not directly deducted from my billable hours, right? So basically, I still charge my regular rate (and my commission is based on my regular rate) and then the accounting folks just give them a discount, right? So if I bill $100, I make commission based on $100, but the client only pays $70, correct? NOPE. Commission is based on the discounted rate. Oh, and by the way, we'll have to take you off one of your existing accounts that is billed at regular rates (with no one to replace you) to put you on the discounted account. Oh, and you'll have to increase your travel time by two hours per day, since the client site is waaaaaay out at the other end of town. Oh, and your travel time is not compensated. Oh, and if you want to keep your current accounts, that's okay too; you can just work more than full-time -- the more hours you work, the more money you make!

Oh yes...when you put it that way, I can really see you're working hard to get me to say yes. What a great opportunity!

Did you make them say all of this out loud...slowly?

I responded with, “So you mean you want me drop a high paying account to pick up a low paying one? Or to add hours so that I am working more than 40 hours per week in order to keep both accounts? Thank you for thinking of me, but please remove me from the list of candidates for this account.” There was no point becoming unprofessional. I also started looking for a new job.

Brother Esau

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #42 on: April 03, 2019, 05:18:55 PM »
Buh bye...

ysette9

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #43 on: April 03, 2019, 07:35:31 PM »
I work for a small company and didn't have any FMLA coverage or maternity leave.

Had a client complaining to my boss that I had made a mistake on a quote to them (small typo, nothing major at all) - made while I was in active labor. They were then complaining that I was taking too long to get back to them because it would take me several hours to respond to their requests but I was in the hospital for post birth complications.

Instead of explaining that I had just given birth and then had a life threatening complication a week later (and was still working but a bit delayed), boss emailed them saying he would talk with me and make sure I fixed the error. I'm sure he didn't want to look like a jerk for not giving me any leave.

I began saving in earnest for FU/retirement that week.
This is utterly appalling and your boss was a horrible human being. It is shameful our country sucks so much that we can’t even get the government policies to support pregnancy, childbirth, and families.

Gone_Hiking

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #44 on: April 04, 2019, 10:50:32 PM »
I work for a small company and didn't have any FMLA coverage or maternity leave.

Had a client complaining to my boss that I had made a mistake on a quote to them (small typo, nothing major at all) - made while I was in active labor. They were then complaining that I was taking too long to get back to them because it would take me several hours to respond to their requests but I was in the hospital for post birth complications.

Instead of explaining that I had just given birth and then had a life threatening complication a week later (and was still working but a bit delayed), boss emailed them saying he would talk with me and make sure I fixed the error. I'm sure he didn't want to look like a jerk for not giving me any leave.

I began saving in earnest for FU/retirement that week.
This is utterly appalling and your boss was a horrible human being. It is shameful our country sucks so much that we can’t even get the government policies to support pregnancy, childbirth, and families.
What @ysette9 said

business325

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #45 on: April 05, 2019, 01:14:30 AM »
Indeed wtf.. Best reason to retire.

The 585

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #46 on: April 05, 2019, 06:18:14 AM »
I used to run into a boss who worked late hours (came in late and worked late).  I came in during normal working hours (8 or 8:30 am) and routinely worked about 10-11 hours.  He would show up for the day as I was going home and every time would say "leaving so soon"?  In a sing song voice. 
I think he meant it as a joke, but it made me feel guilty, especially if other people were around.
Finally I just started to answer him with "Late lunch!"   

I would have started saying something like "FINALLY... about time you showed up! We were about to send out the search party!"

But I can definitely sympathize with the early schedule and being looked at like a slacker for leaving after putting in the full days' hours.

SwordGuy

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #47 on: April 05, 2019, 09:18:00 AM »
I was manager for the application programmers.    We did a damn good job, less than 5% of our programming resources were spent on fixing defects, the rest went to new functionality.   (And most of the defects were in code we had purchased!)

This meant that 99.9% of all service outages were because the network wasn't working instead of our custom software not working.

We didn't have access to the server room or the relevant accounts so we couldn't fix network issues, even assuming we knew how.

One day the CIO mentioned to me that he had ordered pagers for me and for my staff.  (Cellphones were only a dream back then!)

I looked him straight in the eye and said, in a calm voice, enunciating this very distinctly, "When I and my programmers write such bad code that we need pagers, I will find another line of work."   And then i just looked at him.  Didn't say another word.

Never saw those damn pagers.   We would have spent all our time trying to track down the system admins to fix the network issues and there was just no point in our being involved in that drama.


*****************

Same company about a year later.   Revenue was down and company money was tight.  I came back from lunch and saw the CIO manning the reception desk.  WTF??  That's not something you see every day!

Turns out that the rest of the management team decided to cut costs on receptionists by having each department volunteer a staff member one day a week to cover the phones.   My CIO thought that devoting scarce and expensive IT staff resources to that task was stupid, so he just manned the phones himself.  He didn't even tell us why because he didn't want to insult anyone by mentioning it.   The policy got changed. I was pretty proud of him for sticking up for us.


***************

New company, this time I'm a consultant.  I'm responsible for taking consultants in a particular specialty under my wing and training them up over the course of their career, in addition to my own consulting duties.

One of my consultants flies to a week long conference in downtown NYC.  She's there an entire week and her expense report (other than the flight) consists of 5 bagels and one $300 dinner.   

The bookkeeper rejects it because the $300 dinner is too expensive.

WTF??

The consultant comes to me about it.  Turns out she stayed with her aunt and uncle in NYC.  They picked her up from the airport and took her back to the airport.  They fed her each evening.  They drove her to and from the conference center.   As a thank you, the last night she was there, she took them out to a really fancy restaurant for dinner and expensed it.

Armed with this knowledge, I went to the bookkeeper and explained the situation.   I let her know that there were two options to choose from and to let me know which was the preferred one:

A) Accept the current expense report and say a big "Thank YOU!!!" to the consultant for saving the company the cost of a multiple taxi rides, 5 dinners, and 5 nights in a hotel in one of the more expensive cities in the USA, or

B) Accept an amended expense report that includes fees from "Aunt and Uncle Bed, Breakfast and Taxi Service" at the going rates for those services, but no $300 dinner expense.

Bookkeeper decided option A looked pretty good.

BlueHouse

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #48 on: April 05, 2019, 09:48:51 AM »
I used to run into a boss who worked late hours (came in late and worked late).  I came in during normal working hours (8 or 8:30 am) and routinely worked about 10-11 hours.  He would show up for the day as I was going home and every time would say "leaving so soon"?  In a sing song voice. 
I think he meant it as a joke, but it made me feel guilty, especially if other people were around.
Finally I just started to answer him with "Late lunch!"   

I would have started saying something like "FINALLY... about time you showed up! We were about to send out the search party!"

But I can definitely sympathize with the early schedule and being looked at like a slacker for leaving after putting in the full days' hours.

It was 6:30PM!!!!  And he was just arriving (granted, he'd probably work until 2AM, but who really knows?) 
Great memories...   :)

Tinker

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Re: WTF moments!!
« Reply #49 on: April 05, 2019, 10:34:51 AM »
A coworker once followed me to the women's bathroom and proceeded to ask me a question while I was in the stall!
i hope the question was "What are you doing in there, Jack? you're going to get in Trouble!"