pathetic b!tch I have to deal with

[Asmodeus]

So our company is expanding a bit. It is good to see growth. We got a couple new techs, and I am training one, guy seems cool enough and put in a lot of extra time he did not have to to help out with an AC compressor for a local clinic that had to get the service done immediately. But we recently got a secretary (ahem, I mean administrative assistant). So I think she knows boss, or is family I have not asked. But she went on complaining about her pay, and seems to think her degree entitles her to be paid better than the techs most of whom do not have higher education but do have years of experience and certification. She sits in an air conditioned room shuffling papaer and I am the one getting my hands dirty fixing AC systems and sweating balls during the worst heat wave we have experienced. Worst however is that me and the boys would always joke around a lot. Just casual crass potty mouthed IDGAF joking. It sounds crass, but it was all in jest and it was part of the blue collar camaraderie... But apparently she complained about our casual joking and all we all get wrung out for being unprofessional. It has been like that for years. It was a dynamic that I honestly cannot deal with the silence that ensues when she is around. She turned a friendly blue collar joking work environment into a safe space. All the other techs, even the new guy, thinks she is a b****.
What do I do about this... The techs do listen to me and I have been with the company for 4 years and longest of all of the current ones, I trained many of them.
I have no problem with women in the workplace... So long as they do not mess with the dynamic we have. I love my job mostly because of the dynamic. Nobody took anything seriously, but we always got the job done and trusted each other to do it. Everything was fine and good here until this.

 

[Julian]

thats life boiyo, get accustomed to this as us older guys know its nothin new.

Your have 2 options, either quit and go into business for yourself or work elsewhere or

Use your machievellian tactics to get her in trouble. By that I mean, allow her to make herself look stupid...you just need to add some lubrication to get her slippin. IE, request to her some things you and the boys need. Send a couple different requests. Do this every week...eventually you will catch her slippin then you can blame any problems on the job, on her inadequecy and incompetence and prove to your boss you have been trying to communicate with her and made certain requests and blablabla.


If your tight with your bosses which everyone should try and be..just keep it real with him. Tell him look we are busting our ****in asses out there and we dont need an administrative assistance interfering with our work environment. Look I got all the guys out there complaining to me daily about it and since ive been here so long they are looking at me like I should do something about it, so I wanted to voice my concern with you and that Im noticing a decrease in productivity since her arrival.

 

[searching solace]

Sounds like it's imperative that you do keep your existing social dynamic as this is what makes the job enjoyable for you.

Why should you change this for a new hire at a secretary level, regardless of gender? Unless you are joking about rape, degrading women or cracking jokes at her expense (even passively) in front of her, then it sounds like she took things too far by complaining already. And most degrees aren't worth **** these days. Sounds like she needs to learn a few lessons about the workplace.

I would not even entertain the thought of leaving the company because of this. You've been there 4 years and the company relies on you to train new hires. I'm surprised it has worked you up this much actually.

 

[Asmodeus]

We do say racist jokes sometime, like I call a Mexican guy I work with Taco because (his name sounds like it), but he says cracker/Russian fvck (I am not even Russian)/ and cusses me out in Spanish. But then we just laugh about it all and slog back a couple beers after work. It is just the environment, one that I probably created. But we get work done and are never like this in front of clients.

I am tight with the Techs. I am the one who kind of has senority and I am the one they ask when they have problems. I will rally them... I do not think she will last here with this attitude. I am telling everyone that we are not going to change what we do and who we are because of her. Secretaries are replaceable, a dime a dozen. We techs, especially ones with experience and who are not. It was by our efforts the company got where it was.
Boss will have to choose. Appease us, or appease her.

 

[Von]

Sounds an educated + women clash with blue collars dilemna.

Other than telling her to stop complaining and why she's here if she complains or don't like it.... you have to expect people doing such comments about your blue collar bromance.

It's a typical work guys work spot having women enters it. Usually the female becomes part of the guys if she's nice and does the joking around.

Unless she gets her own space or you men up by what I wrote above... Get used to it or move on.

I know a guy in the AC repair-manufacture business, owns it, worth 20 millions... if you smart you could get around and above too

 

[Mike32ct]

I agree that men should be allowed to be men. I know some HVAC people personally and totally understand how they talk. It relieves some stress and make a difficult job fun.

Do you spend much time in the office around her? If most of your job is in the field, you could just save the "guy talk" for in the field or driving in the truck/van.

Of course it isn't fair that you'd have to turn it on and off, but I'm not sure what else you could do about this one.

 

[Asmodeus]

Sounds an educated + women clash with blue collars dilemna.

Other than telling her to stop complaining and why she's here if she complains or don't like it.... you have to expect people doing such comments about your blue collar bromance.

It's a typical work guys work spot having women enters it. Usually the female becomes part of the guys if she's nice and does the joking around.

Unless she gets her own space or you men up by what I wrote above... Get used to it or move on.

I know a guy in the AC repair-manufacture business, owns it, worth 20 millions... if you smart you could get around and above too

You are right... Educated woman clashing with blue collar guys.

It is not because she is a woman. If she was joking around and being a part of the family it would not be a problem.

I will make one attempt at peace. I will tell her clearly that we have a very casual environment. We joke around a lot, most of the joking is not PC, but it is all just play. It is not atypical of blue collar environments. I will communicate that we have a dynamic here, one that is fun and funny and all the techs love it. Maybe she just needs time to adjust to this...

I do not see her all day, most of the work is out of office as you can imagine. But we are in the office a bit, have meetings and such. And I see most of the crew in the office as typically we do assignments individually or as two man teams.

I may start my own business someday. I am saving up for it, and getting connections. But planned that in my 30s or so. long term plans...

 

[CuddleJunkie]

You are right... Educated woman clashing with blue collar guys.

It is not because she is a woman. If she was joking around and being a part of the family it would not be a problem.

I will make one attempt at peace. I will tell her clearly that we have a very casual environment. We joke around a lot, most of the joking is not PC, but it is all just play. It is not atypical of blue collar environments. I will communicate that we have a dynamic here, one that is fun and funny and all the techs love it. Maybe she just needs time to adjust to this...

I do not see her all day, most of the work is out of office as you can imagine. But we are in the office a bit, have meetings and such. And I see most of the crew in the office as typically we do assignments individually or as two man teams.

I may start my own business someday. I am saving up for it, and getting connections. But planned that in my 30s or so. long term plans...

Asmodeus, I like Julian's take on this. Being honest and upfront with her could be putting your ideas about her in the light. And this could make your attempts at getting her fired later on fail.
Take your time to think on the pros and cons.

 

[Asmodeus]

Maybe then no peace. Wait it out a bit and if she does not get it... Then if she still does not I will have boss wonder why all the techs are getting pissed off and have the secretary be a source of increasing frustration for the staff. I have the advantage here, I am more valuable to the company and I am viewed positively by everyone. One against many...

BTW I would HATE to work as a white collar guy. I honestly think it would make me flip my sh!t and go ballistic. I mean is this how most offices are? Suit/tie, sitting at a desk all day, being so proper and "professional" that it is like everyone has a stick up their colon. Most of the day spent doing paperwork. I been in offices fixing their units and all I see this...

 

[Alvafe]

I would ignore her, she is not part of teh conversation and if she ever buts in I would toss that on her face, telling your boss she is creating a annoying work space would also help, you know your boss, would he be listering you if you told him all guys here are complaining about her?

 

[Alvafe]

Maybe then no peace. Wait it out a bit and if she does not get it... Then if she still does not I will have boss wonder why all the techs are getting pissed off and have the secretary be a source of increasing frustration for the staff. I have the advantage here, I am more valuable to the company and I am viewed positively by everyone. One against many...

BTW I would HATE to work as a white collar guy. I honestly think it would make me flip my sh!t and go ballistic. I mean is this how most offices are? Suit/tie, sitting at a desk all day, being so proper and "professional" that it is like everyone has a stick up their colon. Most of the day spent doing paperwork. I been in offices fixing their units and all I see this...

not always but you need to keep to yourself most of time, too much noise is not good, but it also depends on who you work with, had one no one talked with anyone, had another everyone talk with everyone and haven't problem with talking and so on, and another who I would talk with half the team and teh otehr half I would ignore be sarcastic, and piss then off just to put then in place for thinking they are smart

 

[The Duke]

Tell that biatch to go back home. Women are better off barefoot and pregnant standing over a stove!

It eventually hurts work place morale. I've been in the same situation. We complained to our boss and he never did anything about it either, although he understood. They would rather appease one minority whiner than keep 10 guys(majority) happy. Its the sad world we live in. So plain, vanilla, and boring. Too many living in fear. Be glad you dont work in corporate America.

I would also make sure to inquire to your boss about her whereabouts on the days she is late, or leaves early or doesn't come back from lunch on time!

 

[Bible_Belt]

I looked a little into Virginia law. If she is driven out of her job because of a hostile work environment that specifically relates to her status in a protected class, which includes gender, then she has a right to sue.

The irony of these laws trying to support women and minority employment is that they give those classes the right to sue when fired, but that right doesn't exist for straight white males. So it puts the employer in the position of having the choice to hire workers who can sue them when fired, versus workers who can't. If the policy goal is to promote minority and female employment, the actual effect does the opposite, by giving the employer a good reason to avoid hiring from those groups of people.

 

[Asmodeus]

I would ignore her, she is not part of teh conversation and if she ever buts in I would toss that on her face, telling your boss she is creating a annoying work space would also help, you know your boss, would he be listering you if you told him all guys here are complaining about her?

We all said to him that our behavior was the norm for years, he should understand this and has been around us and even a part of it before. But he still wrung us out for Unprofessionalism. I don't get it... It was not what I predicted, I mean he basically choose a new secretary over multiple other people who worked with him longer and a guy who worked for him since he started up the business. I do not understand... What kind of white knighting BS is this?
I mean does loyalty mean anything anymore?

 

[Asmodeus]

I looked a little into Virginia law. If she is driven out of her job because of a hostile work environment that specifically relates to her status in a protected class, which includes gender, then she has a right to sue.

The irony of these laws trying to support women and minority employment is that they give those classes the right to sue when fired, but that right doesn't exist for straight white males. So it puts the employer in the position of having the choice to hire workers who can sue them when fired, versus workers who can't. If the policy goal is to promote minority and female employment, the actual effect does the opposite, by giving the employer a good reason to avoid hiring from those groups of people.

That is such a double standard... If they make a law they should make it apply to everyone equally.

 

[ubercat]

I'd second the sneaky approach. See how woman operate in the workplace always get really close before they plant the knife. Take Julian's advice but become her new best friend and whenever it's just you and and she mentions the requests for say oh whenever you get time. Build up a dossier and then pull the trigger.

 

[CMNILS87]

1. Woman comes in
2. Guys joke, she doesn't like it
3. Woman feminizes whole group to try and pull frame.
4. Nobody wants to step on her toes
5. Works no more fun.

It's that way everywhere nowadays. When a new career path is opened up that doesn't have a ton of hard labor, women flock for easy money. Feminizes culture and now men walk on eggs shells. It's the same dynamic when is buddies do a retreat to the cabin and one ******* always brings a new GF with. Ruins everything. It's like church for us guys, go up there fuvk around, voice out complaints. Now here's a new chick and were suppose to be on good behavior.

Funny how a lot of these women complain about the crass racist/sexist jokes and then go on a date or go home and take it in the azz. Weird how that works

 

[Desdinova]

It's my experience that new employees who start complaining about their co-workers early on either get fired quickly or move on quickly. If she's complaining about the atmosphere, she won't be around for too long. Just keep doing what you're doing and wait for her to be history.

 

[cola]

What a b*tch. As a fellow blue collar guy i get it. We work our a** off usually for MORE than 8 hrs a day and the way you get through it is laughing and telling inappropriate jokes.

The secretarys of the past would understand and let the boys be boys and assume a sisterly role. Not these spoiled girls today. Smh

 

[hockeyfreak79]

Yeah typical b*tch power move, she's miserable and wants to bring down anyone around her. Hopefully she won't be around to long. Sh*t she's probably playin around with her phone half the day and taking naked selfies in the bathroom too.

I've worked with some really raunchy broads too but this doesn't surprise me. My last female boss would take Monday's off and on Friday she would always remember to say C U Next Tuesday