Need New Job

I've been at my job for six years, and I love it. That is to say, I loved it. Two months ago, my male boss got fired by the new female COO. She in turn hired one of the female office staff to be our new boss.

I swear to god this woman is OCD. My job fluctuates and varies a lot, so it's almost impossible to put it into a schedule. It appears she doesn't like this, and has been trying to organize my job into a schedule. It's come to a point where I don't know how to do my job anymore.

So I've been trying to figure out a plan of action. Here's my options:

1) Get a new job ASAP. Get the fvck out of there with at least SOME of my sanity intact. While at this new job, I'd look for a better job that's more in line with my field of work.

3) Wait it out and see what happens. Two people are no longer at my workplace due to her 5hitty management. I also get paid good money, have the most seniority in my department, and have only 4 more years to go until I get a 5th week of holidays.

I could also go on stress leave for a while. They can't replace me because they're unionized. Make them feel the crush without me there to do my job.

And there's always risk. I have a son to support, and a mortgage to pay. I have to think about these two things as well.

Any opinions? Ideas?

I'm sure most people will tell you to leave, but it sounds like you have a lot of time invested there. I wouldn't take that too lightly, especially since apparently there is only ONE person there that you're having problems with. Too bad that one person is your boss.

I know people who have taken the "stress leave" approach or found some other sort of dodge to take extended leaves, and yeah that option is out there, but to me it's a cop out, milking the system, and just isn't my style.

If you really think you want to move to a different job, I would do it like how women branch swing: Find the new one before you quit. Make sure you have a firm grasp on the new branch before letting go of this one.

Of course, these are just my opinions, it's your life and you're going to have to decide what's best for you.

Play the game bro. You have a lot of time with this place, so don't throw it all down at the drop of the hat. She is your boss, so give into a few of her demands. Make her feel in charge and that you are going to help her. Try that for 6 months. But while you do that, do this too:

zekko said:

If you really think you want to move to a different job, I would do it like how women branch swing: Find the new one before you quit. Make sure you have a firm grasp on the new branch before letting go of this one.

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Always have that backup plan. Look at it as jumping out of a comfort zone.

This crap hits a nerve with me (what your female boss is doing). Hiring other females just, because. It could be that this woman is the best person for the job and your ex-boss did some dumb things to get fired, but it's more likely your new female COO just wants more females in charge. It happens with minorities too (I know, I know, yes it's race, but this bullsh*t is a REAL issue, as you are finding out).

I'd wait it out and see if your company does better or worse. There's something to be said for success, no matter who is in charge.

Hold on a minute. You stated you're unionized at your work? Then by all means use it to your advantage and get out on stress leave or whatever to get some time for yourself. Who cares if it's milking the system? Hell I'm about the same age as you and 10 years ago I might have said suck it up, but life gets in the way, mortgages become reality and kids need support and if you have a mental breakdown that's not helping anyone.

Take time off using this stress leave if you can, and use that time to interview at different places. It's definitely best to have that option available if things become worse.

You're just going to have to man up and fvck your boss. I don't care how ugly she is. Do it for your career.

Agree with the others, don't quit. At least not now.

Jobs are not abundant in this country, and being employed (especially in a union) is something to be grateful for every day. Use your stress leave if you can and get a bit of space. The LAST thing you wanna do is jump ship and find yourself either a) unemployed, or b) in a WORSE job making less money.

Any chance you can talk to HR about her or maybe an even higher up?

Seems to me the adult way to handle this would be communication. Repeat about half of what you said here to your boss.

"Hey bosslady, could I discuss something with you that's been bothering me?
I love my job, I've been doing it for six years, longer than anyone else in the department. This job is important to me, and I plan on having a future in this company(I.E. more holiday in 4 years). Things have changed since you took over, I'm struggling to adjust. Could we work together to figure this out? Making sure you and I are working together as an effective team is important to me. That way I know what you expect of me and I can make I will get it done."

As long as you honest without being hostile it will be a productive conversation. Unless you communicate she will have no way of knowing. She is new to this position and has no experience or feel of how it operated prior to her.
The DJ is responsible for himself, he doesnt run off to anther job with his tail between his legs, he doesnt run away for a few weeks to make them miss him. She may not be perfect but your sanity and your job security are your responsibility. Figure out how to approach her professionally and without blame, and work with her to solve this. This will be an "I" conversation, not a "You" conversation.

Espi said:

And dont fool yourself. The place will be just fine when you decide to quit. Theyll find somebody to replace you.

I personally take great delight in quitting jobs. I find it liberating and it often leads to unexpected pay raises. Often the only way I find to get a raise is to quit.

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Word.

They'll replace you with someone who is desperate enough to work for less. They won't do any better job, likely worse, but today the bottom line (profit) is more important than quality of product or service. So, they'll be fine. Leave. When I left my job, I told them: "I'm going on vacation for a month to go overseas. When I get back, if this job isn't worth coming back to, I won't be. "
Boss (female): "What is it going to take to, as you say, 'make it worth coming back to'?"
V: "I have a job to make money. To make up for the less-than-adequate pay I've been getting in the past couple years, it's going to need to pay $3 more per hour."
Boss: "But, I don't think I'll be able get that approved! In fact, I'm almost sure."
V: "I don't care who you point the finger at for telling me 'no'. If whoever doesn't want to 'approve' of paying me appropriately, they will need to 'approve' a replacement.
Boss: "Well..." (now in a huff, copping an attitude) "...times are tough, you know. You're lucky to have a job."
V: "Luck has nothing to do with how employable I am. Every single person I work with at some point has told me I am the most proficient person that's ever held this position. I'm not going for 'luck' as the reason I have a job that I'm excellent at."
Boss: "Okay, well, I'll see if I can get that approved."


(Later)
Boss: "Okay, so I checked with the higher-ups..."
V: "I can already see we're done talking before you even finish."
Boss: *Nodding gravely*
V: "That's a shame. It's going to be a nightmare for you and whoever is here in May. Well, you're telling me that my last day is (the last day before vacation), huh?"
Boss: "I guess so."

That was back in February...

...May came around, I hadn't worked there in a few months, the phone rings, and they offer $2.75 more an hour to come back for a limited time (about a month).

V: "'Two seventy-five' sounds nothing like 'three'. Why exactly did you call me again?"
Ex-Boss: "The higher-ups would only approve $2.75."
V: "How's the replacement working out?"
Ex-Boss: *big bothered sigh* "It's really busy, Vulpine. We could really use your help."
V: "I'm shocked: you couldn't just hire a burger-flipper off the street to slide right in and ink-up the presses, and run the whole printshop? Were the 'higher-ups' at least able to save some money by 'approving' someone who'd work for even less than I was?"
Ex-Boss: (dead air)
V: "Driving an hour-and-a-half one-way to 'help' you, not 'work for appropriate pay', isn't the best use of my time. I'm too busy this spring to be 'helping' folks that aren't helping me in return."
Ex-Boss: "I see. Well, thanks anyways."

Just like dating, Des, get more plates. That is, get your resume out there (sarge), go to a couple interviews (dates), and get your options to a point where you can drop your job (HB4 ƒuckbuddy) and hook-up with a better one with your built-up confidence. Or, at least, have the sack to tell them: "ƒuck you; pay me."

Right?

"A man is only as good as his options." You're a pimp, dude, don't sweat it.

I know! Get a crummy "disposable" job, bang all the chicks that work there, then leave when you land a job in your field. Two birds with one stone!

I hope the transition is smooth for you, man.

Espi said:

Des I would use every bit of the paid sabbatical to which you're entitled ("stress leave"). During that time I would add income by finding work in a low-skilled position--just to keep busy, earn extra money, and deposit it into the bank, while you look for another good paying gig. The blessing of the Internet is that you can apply for jobs at any time of the day.

So you can have enough time to work 40 hours a week at a job that you could give a fvuck less about, while looking for something better. THAT is the perfect position for a man to be in, in my opinion. That way you can boost your income for a few months before either ultimately coming back to your current job (refreshed), or venturing out and securing a new opportunity.

I wouldn't disclose specifics as to why I'm taking a sabbatical. And dont reveal that it's because youre unhappy with the company. Be vague and dont let them talk you out of using every single hour of leave that you have--stress, vacation, sick days. Use EVERYTHING that you have.

And if/when you find another job and its time to quit, dont give them any notice. Personally hand your HR rep a typed brief professional letter which simply announces your resignation. Follow up the letter with an email to the HR person. Documenting your resignation means that You can sue them if they ever tell another employer that you were fired.

And dont fool yourself. The place will be just fine when you decide to quit. They'll quickly find somebody to replace you. Somebody who may be younger and is willing to work harder for less money. THAT is the reality of today's workplace, in my opinion. There's no loyalty. Screw them before they screw you.

I personally take great delight in quitting jobs. I find it liberating and it can occasionally lead to an unexpected pay raise. Often the only way I ever get a raise is to quit and move onto something else.

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"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Espi again."

Totally agree with the bold. The days of company/employee loyalty are over (if they ever existed). Employers---unless it's a very small business where you have a personal relationship with your boss---will have absolutely zero hesitation in terminating you once their interests are secured.

These days, unless you have some really rare and valuable skills, there are 100 people who would take your job tomorrow. Don't ever make the mental mistake of thinking you are irreplaceable.

A few months back I "resigned" from my job. Basically I came in monday morning and without any fanfare or warning, I was called in to the office and asked to resign, which is a nice way of being canned. Paid out for the week and escorted out the building. Now I actually knew this might be coming, because I hated the place for the last 5 months or so and was actively looking for work, but 2 of my colleagues had just quit and the company saw this as an opportunity to start with a clean slate. I found out that 3 new providers had already been hired on the sly and started the following monday.

It was definitely a good thing for me to get out of there, but the point is, it's dog-eat-dog and employers do not give one single fvck about replacing even the most loyal employees if they have to. There are simply more people than jobs, and unless you have a skillset that is so rare or outstanding you cannot be ignored...you are expendable like everyone else. Have no qualms about handing in a letter of resignation without notice if necessary. Legally, in most states they cannot defame you or give specifics as to why you quit anyway. If they do you can sue. This is today's workplace.

So I took the day off sick, just to stop myself from going crazy. I had a good day doing "me" stuff.

What's transpired so far: She fired the temp she hired to do the job of the person who's on stress leave. She's been handing out demands constantly and gave one of the other people in my department heck for following her orders. She's a fvcking nutcase.

I've been doing a bit of thinking about the whole thing. This is a woman, and to my knowledge, is actually somewhat attracted to me. When she was a regular co-worker, I treated her pretty much like I treat every other woman which usually results in attraction. I'm not hard-core negging or anything, just using typical c/f and humour. I've stopped doing it since she became boss.

The way to stand out to a woman is to do things differently than every other man. In this case, it's every other employee. As much as that cvnt doesn't deserve it, I'm going to give her a Christmas card. I never give anybody Christmas cards. All the other employees hate her, so chances are nobody else is going to give her one. I've got a bunch that I scrounged out of the trash, so it isn't even going to cost me any money. Nothing fancy, just wish her and her family (yeah, she's a single mom too) a good Christmas.

Is it butt kissing? Sure, but it's well placed butt kissing. 5hit that comes out of left field catches them off guard and gives emotional fluctuation. THAT is where I need to be, and now it's a two-for-one deal; she's a woman AND a manager.

Colossus said:

Use your stress leave if you can and get a bit of space.

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This is one of the rare times I disagree with Colossus (and apparently everybody else here). By "stress leave", I assume you are talking about the Family Medical Act. One of the worst laws ever enacted. There were good intentions behind it, but like so many things (like welfare and disability) people have abused it and turned it into a way to become parasites. I know a good many people who routinely use this as a dodge to get out of work. This is what's wrong with the country today, people want something for nothing. They don't want to work for what they have.

You don't get ahead by taking "stress leave", you get ahead by working hard and smart. Stress leave is for pvssies and deadbeats.
Rant off.

Espi said:

....in my opinion, companies and the corporate elite have been taking advantage and giving workers less and less while keeping more for themselves.

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I think you and others who feel this way have the wrong enemy. I think we are better served fighting the higher taxes and things like that, that force CEOs to give workers less. These people are paying a decent wage, this isn't the era of sweatshops, where people truly were taken advantage of. The role of unions is a relic of the past. Now they just f*ck sh*t up.

Espi said:

It's no wonder to me that so many people are willing to take whatever they can get.

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It's human nature to take whatever you can get, so no, I don't blame those people. But this entitlement culture does not help make society better. We need to remove this 'takes' so that they do not exist for people to want.

Espi said:

Unions and benefits--a lot of companies hate them because they take from the powerful. Any kind of benefit that workers get, I'm in favor of it. Power needs to be checked, and there's not a lot of power checking going on right now. I'm seeing an increasing number of low-wage positions being offered by companies who CEO's are profiting many, many times over the average worker's salary.

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This is how it works. A worker should only be paid the amount it would take to replace them. Not sure why anyone is hating on a CEO who is profiting. It's his company. You get what you pay for. They are creating jobs. If people don't want them, go work somewhere else.

Espi said:

Unions and benefits--a lot of companies hate them because they take from the powerful.

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I think the decline of unions has been a damn shame, and if they can negotiate good benefits for their workers, more power to them. I still think that this "stress leave" that Des is talking about sounds like Family Medical Leave, however, which is a government entitlement, and not a union negotiated benefit. If I am wrong about that, I withdraw my objection.

Point is, Des is physically healthy. Being "stressed" is probably one of the number one dodge used by the deadbeats to avoid work, right alongside fibromyalgia. I don't think people should be using Family Medical Leave unless they are seriously ill, that was the law's intent. That and allowing couples time to take off when they have a baby. But hey, the slackers love it.

The unfortunate thing about the unions is I don't see this economy being worker friendly enough for them to make a comeback. I wish I knew of a solution. We're halfway to full blown socialism, maybe we should just take it the rest of the way.

Bible_Belt said:

You're just going to have to man up and fvck your boss. I don't care how ugly she is. Do it for your career.

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Funny $hit...

Desdinova said:

And there's always risk. I have a son to support, and a mortgage to pay. I have to think about these two things as well.

Any opinions? Ideas?

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This was all I needed to read.

So you:

- Keep working where you are. Maybe things will smoothen out. Maybe she just walked into this with a chip on her shoulder and is trying to "John Wayne" her way to getting everything done. The time will come where she realizes her way isn't the right way or someone else will. It's only been two months, too short to tell if there are any "improvements".

- In that time, keep working. But put your job search on BEAST MODE: ON.

- Branch swing.

- I think somewhere within the next 6 months, this situation will have either resolved itself or you will have a new job.

I'm starting to think I should hold out for a bit. For some reason, I'm always the first target when we get a new boss; probably because my wage is higher from being there for quite some time. The other guys in my department are pissing her off more than I ever will. With the exception of the administration, the job itself is good and the benefits are better than most other places. Not only that, the union protects my ass. However, I'm going to keep my sights on openings at the hospital which is ultimately where I would like to be working, and the pay is top notch.

But I also have a job interview on Friday. I'm going for the hell of it just to check it out.

Desdinova said:

However, I'm going to keep my sights on openings at the hospital which is ultimately where I would like to be working, and the pay is top notch.

But I also have a job interview on Friday. I'm going for the hell of it just to check it out.

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:rockon:


An interview at "DTF Medical Center"? Good choice! There's lube, beds, and hotties all under one roof! Hell, there's probably weed and all manner of pills to really keep the party crankin'!

Get those plates, doggie, get 'em! GET 'EM! GRRRR!!!!
:cheer:

I got a phone call yesterday from a co-worker who's well connected with what's happening with the administration. Apparently the woman who got put into the boss's chair is being removed from it :cheer:

I probably helped with that by working with our clients who are on the board of directors. I gave them fantastic service, but hinted that there was a problem with the administration. I told one of them I was being hauled into the office the next day and he said, "For what? Being a good worker and a nice guy? That's bull5hit!"

I'm probably going to cancel the interview. I looked into the company and it's just maintenance for corporate security systems. I'm probably a half-decent candidate because I've hacked into business networks, but I can't imagine the pay is quite I'm looking for. I probably applied when I was having a bad day.

Vulpine said:

There's lube, beds, and hotties all under one roof!

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I actually had one of our 'missing a few brain cell' clients suggest I fvck one of the nurses and use one of the beds in the personal care home to do it. The nurse who was standing by turned beet red as the other nurses were teasing her

Go bang this nurse and post a field report.