Flip Martian Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 I'm so sorry you're going through so much crap at work just now, Talisman. I feel your pain, I really do. There is nothing worse than being miserable at work. Been there, done that. My job situation has improved somewhat since my chat with one of the owners on Tuesday. All the owners and my immediate supervisor had a meeting yesterday and I'm not sure what was said but I was called into a 40 minute meeting with my immediate supervisor and was basically told that the changes to the teams/shifts, which was pretty much a done deal two days ago, are now not going to happen. Oh, and the staffing issues I was having to deal with are now (hopefully) not going to be my concern anymore which is even better news. I was also told that I'm good at my job and that everything I do is really appreciated by everyone (him, the owners and my colleagues) which I have to admit was nice to hear. It's not often we get any feedback unless it's negative and it's nice to feel appreciated now and again. Mind you they could just be telling me what they think I want to hear to calm the situation down, rather than face the upheaval of me giving it up and having to find someone to replace me. I never actually got an answer as to whether giving up the promotion was an option or not but we'll see how things go over the next few months and I'll take it from there. Friday tomorrow, yay!! Glad to hear it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 It's friYAY! Can't wait to be an absolute lump of laziness this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flip Martian Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 My wife is away until Monday seeing her son in Glasgow from early tomorrow morning so I'm hoping to take a trip to the Book Farm in Astley once again, assuming I am fit enough. Really won't know until I wake up. Hoping to be as active as possible! But without overdoing it, as usual... Hope all here have an enjoyable one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 (edited) I do hope things work out ok for you too at work Autumn. I don't think personally that giving up your promotion is the answer, as that isn't really dealing with why you feel this way in the first place. It is always far better in my experience to deal with this, but of course it is up to you. It is always nice though to be told you are appreciated. This is the thing that gets me to be honest. Everyone there says how much I am appreciated and how good I am at my job, but this does not seem to be reflected in what I earn. Of course it isn't all about money, and it is true that I am far from struggling, but it also true to say that I am the lowest paid person working there, as cleaners very often are. In fact I don't even get a living wage. I am of course talking about the real living wage here as set down by the Living Wage Foundation and not the Governments one, which everyone knows is and was just a higher minimum one. This to me is about a lot of things. Money is an issue yes, but it is also about a lack of opportunities to advance in my career. Perhaps more than anything though, it about feeling valued and being treated with respect. It goes back really to when my previous Manager left at the end of April. He had been responsible for managing all the onsite maintenance team, including us cleaners, but when he left they decided to put the Offsite Manager in charge of the entire maintenance team. They also decided though to create a new post of Cleaning Supervisor, which I applied for. I had my interview and was told I did really well, but I didn't get it. They offered it instead to someone half my age with just a few months cleaning experience. The reason I was given for this was this he has Management experience (from running a mobile phone shop) where I don't. This new Manager, who failed to tell them that he has ADHD, told me in confidence however that the real reason I didn't get it was because they were concerned that I would not be able to manage one particular team member, and that he would make life so difficult for me that I would leave. This is the same person who was recently off sick for 2 months - an alcoholic who hasn't done his job properly for years, and spends most of the time complaining about the place, yet because he has responsibility for ordering our stock and maintaining the COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health) sheets. earns £1000 more than me. Rather than deal with that then, they decided to make my life much more difficult than it needed to be - this in my opinion says more about them than it does me, as it means that are not prepared and/or able to offer support to new Managers when they need it. This man's behaviour and their lack of support to him was certainly a contributory factor to my previous Managers resignation. When I first started there 2 1/2 years ago as a full timer, I replaced someone who was part time. The job then of course changed as I had time to do a lot more - many of the extra things that my colleague does, but my predecessor did not - using the scrubbing machines for example (she was never trained in how to do this) and replenishing stock in the various departments around the site (again, she never even had a key to our storage shed, whereas as I do). My job spec was though not updated to reflect this, hence the fact that I am now asking for a pay rise. It seems only reasonably after all, since my job and my duties have changed considerably in those 2 1/2 years. They are saying though that this is insufficient grounds. The point is though that if all they are going to do is keep saying that it falls under other appropriate duties then I will never have the chance to move up and get that rise. They need to specify exactly what it is I need to do to show that I am doing more and make this clear. There are various disciplinary things also going on with my colleague, which of course I can't go into, and his days there may well be numbered. BUT my previous Manager tried to get rid of him for years and didn't succeed, so I will believe that when it happens. In the meantime, my Manager is trying to get the responsibility for ordering stock taken away from him, as he isn't very good at it anyway. He seems to think that moves are afoot to transfer that to him and then upgrade all our job specs minus the stock control. If that does happen then assuming my colleague is still there, they won't have a leg to stand on, as we will both be doing the same job. They won't be able to take his higher salary away from him so that means they will have to pay me the same, as of course you can't get away with paying a woman less for doing the same job. There is then as you can see an awful lot going on, and I need to get on top of this before they do get rid of him. I suspect I also need to send a lengthy email over the weekend to my Union rep .... Edited October 21, 2016 by Talisman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autumn Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 Can't wait to be an absolute lump of laziness this weekend. This pretty much sums up my plans for the weekend too. There are various disciplinary things also going on with my colleague, which of course I can't go into, and his days there may well be numbered. BUT my previous Manager tried to get rid of him for years and didn't succeed, so I will believe that when it happens. Are you sure we don't work for the same company? This whole scenario is very similar to one we've had recently at my place of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 This pretty much sums up my plans for the weekend too. Are you sure we don't work for the same company? This whole scenario is very similar to one we've had recently at my place of work. I suspect this sort of thing happens in a lot of companies. The people I work for are actually a charity. They offer different types of accommodation to disabled adults according to their level of need - residential care for those unable to live independently, and supported living accommodation for those who can. This can be either at our Main site or out in the wider community in one of the houses or flats that the charity owns. Support staff help the clients to manage their finances and look after their flats, and generally act as mentors for them. Most of the clients also attend skills and activities training at our main site, which includes things like creative arts and textiles, horticulture, IT, retail and catering, which is aimed at helping them to find paid work. We also have what we call day clients who live with their own families or in accommodation which is provided by other organisations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 22, 2016 Author Share Posted October 22, 2016 I hope everyone has a nice weekend . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Yes have a good weekend everyone. It's lovely and sunny here at the moment, and I've just planted some more spring bulbs, and picked a few more tomatoes which are nearly ripe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lau_Lou Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 They'll be lovely when they're in full bloom! Well it's nearly November. That's all I have to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 (edited) What a day it has been! Thankfully the job situation seems to be finally (almost) resolved, and as is often the case, when I got right down to the nub of it, it turns out that the problems I have had there are not really anything to do with what I thought they were. It was staring me in the face really all along. I spoke to my Union rep yesterday to fill her on it on the whole situation, and she advised me to make it an official grievance. I really did not want to do that if it could possibly be avoided, so resolved to speak once again to my own Manager, who encouraged me instead to go and see the CEO. Yes, I know this sounds a bit drastic, but our CEO is not like most others I have met. This is a woman who shook my hand on my first day of work and said how pleased she was to have me on board. This is also a woman who has an OBE for her work in the House of Lords to do with helping those with disabilities to achieve equality in the workplace. No ordinary woman then - a formidable business woman, but an approachable one at that. I managed to see her just before 9am and explained (between tears) the situation re the breakdown in communications. She was very concerned re this, as I knew she would be and said she would speak to HR on my behalf as soon as their own Manager arrived, which she did. Later that morning she informed me that she had arranged a meeting between the three of us for later that afternoon, to discuss things, clear the air and for them to give me a response in writing that I could take home and digest. The meeting was in the end very productive and I am really glad I did this in going to see her. It is clear that I am not going to get anywhere re a pay rise, at least not for the moment, but there are things I can do to try and change that, and I was given some good advice on how to do this which can be taken up with both my own Manager and his. I think for me, especially after being turned down for the Supervisor post that I applied for earlier in the year, there is also a sense of frustration re the lack of opportunities to progress in such a small department. These are again discussions that I need to have with own Manager as to what can be done to try and rectify this. The most important thing that I got from this though is the realisation that it is frustration re my other colleague, the one who was recently off sick that really lies at the heart of all of this. It is more than anything his attitude, and the fact that does not do his job, but appears to get away with this while being paid more than I because of the extra responsibilities that he has. I discussed this all the time with my previous Manager, and was under the impression that he had brought many of these issues to their attention, but it seems not, he only mentioned the problems that he himself had with this man. Among other things he has made snide comments about me shirking when he sees me chatting to other staff members and/or clients, constant accusations of me wanting to do everything and sucking up to the boss, not giving me the information that I need to do my job and deliberately trying to undermine my efforts at work. A good example of this was that when my previous Manager trained me in how to use the scrubbing machines. He was watching through the glass doors, pretending to clean them, in an effort to deliberately try and put me off. When he knew I had applied for that Supervisor post earlier this year, he also told me to my face that he did not feel I had the experience to do it, and that if I got it he would not cooperate with me. Just the other day I caught him trying to read my personal emails as well. It turns out then it is him that I really have a grievance with and I am not the only one. I know my Manager already has one pending re his refusal to cooperate with or even speak to him. He has been disciplined so many times for many different things, but is still here. It really is maddening. I get the feeling though that after today when I really didn't mince my words, that this will be taken a lot more seriously. As for me, I need to start documenting all this stuff. I have been keeping a work diary for the last 2 months which will help, but of course he was off work for 2 months anyway, so I now need to start writing down every single thing that he says and does. I am though really glad that all this stuff is finally out in the open and they now know exactly where I am coming from. Edited October 25, 2016 by Talisman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 26, 2016 Author Share Posted October 26, 2016 That's good to hear Talisman, I'm glad they listened to you. I hope good will come of it. It was my birthday yesterday and I had a great day. We'll celebrate it with the family in a week and a half, but yesterday was with just my parents and Michael (my boyfriend) and me. Michael and I made homemade Oreo cheesecake and in the evening the four of us had my favourite meal - gourmetten (if you're unsure what this means, just Google gourmetten and you should find some pictures of what it is.). I was also given presents. Overall I had a great day yesterday, it was brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lau_Lou Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 Glad to hear it too, Talisman. Let's hope you get the positive outcome you deserve. Happy Birthday for yesterday, Athena glad to hear you had a great day Well that food looks amazing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 26, 2016 Author Share Posted October 26, 2016 Happy Birthday for yesterday, Athena glad to hear you had a great day Well that food looks amazing!! Thank you ! The food was really nice, I loved it. I hope you have a nice day today . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 So glad to hear you had a lovely birthday Gaia. I am on the third and last day of my visit to my parents in Suffolk, it has been lovely and relaxing. My brother is joining us today and we are going to spend a few hours in Aldeburgh which is a pretty Suffolk seaside town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 26, 2016 Author Share Posted October 26, 2016 I am on the third and last day of my visit to my parents in Suffolk, it has been lovely and relaxing. My brother is joining us today and we are going to spend a few hours in Aldeburgh which is a pretty Suffolk seaside town. That sounds lovely . I wish you lots of fun and relaxation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 Happy belated birthday Athena, glad you had a nice time (and nice food!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 26, 2016 Author Share Posted October 26, 2016 Happy belated birthday Athena, glad you had a nice time (and nice food!). Thanks Madeleine ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virginia Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 June, I'm so glad you spoke up for yourself and things are taking a turn for the better! Happy Belated Birthday, Gaia! Glad you had a great day. That tray looks intriguing. Lots of different meats, correct? Are some cooked and some uncooked? It kind of reminds me of a sushi tray. I spent the last two days being down with a stomach bug and getting over it. It was sudden (overnight) and was over for the most part yesterday, but left me tired and unable to really eat anything. Much better today. One way to loose a few pounds is to have a stomach bug, lol! Today I'm going to meet a friend who is dealing with heartbreak. She was seeing this man who couldn't let go of his ex. She would call him, started back getting in with his family (they've been divorced since 08 and their kids are grown). Anyway, he's called her by the ex's name on a few occasions and its hurtful to her. They've been dating for a year now. He should know her name. Long story short, I'm going to offer tea and a shoulder. After that, more time at the library and then my philosophy class, back home to rest and study. Y'all have a great day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 I do hope your stomach gets better Virginia, and I am sorry to hear about your friend. That's a tough one for her to deal with and not something I would be hapoy about either. A year is long enough for him to know her name I would have thought. I am so much happier now though that it looks like things are getting resolved, and that everything is out in the open. I am also really pleased with myself in the way that I managed (in the end) to deal with it, and the fact that our CEO got involved too, as this means that they will finally do something about it. Now that she knows it really cannot be ignored. Having said all of that .... He was today supposed to have a meeting with my Manager and HR to discuss the greivance thta my Manager raised agaisnt him, and he didn't turn up. He didn't bother to even let them know, which I think if pretty bad form - they phoned him at home to find out where he is, and he said that he forgot to call them .... But it's all okay, as all the time that he keeps doing this sort of thing, he is digging himself a deeper and deeper hole. Actually in a way the fact that he did do this did us a favour, as it meant that I had to clean his areas (again). So this time I took my phone with me so that I record the evidence of how he is not doing his job. There was dust and dirt everywhere. Most of the cleaning tick sheets had not been filled in to prove that he has cleaned anything at all, and a lot of the stock that is missing from our storage shed has turned up in the COSHH cupboard in what we call the main house (it had been out of use for a while due to building works). I have then emailed all the evidence to my Manager and tomorrow, which he had booked as holiday anyway, I will make a list of everything that is in that cupboard. As it stands, because he has not been recording what that he has taken, there are several hundred pounds worth of stock unaccounted for. We have no proof of where any of this has gone (other than the stock that is in the cupboard I mentioned). Most of it has no doubt been distributed to different parts of the site, but we have no proof of that whatsoever, and perhaps more to the point, neither has he. When you are in a hole, you really do need to know when to stop digging ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 27, 2016 Author Share Posted October 27, 2016 Happy Belated Birthday, Gaia! Glad you had a great day. That tray looks intriguing. Lots of different meats, correct? Are some cooked and some uncooked? It kind of reminds me of a sushi tray. Yes, it's lots of different meat. All the meat is cooked on the heated tray or underneath it (most is cooked on top of the tray, the bacon bits underneath). Underneath the tray you can also bake an egg, which I did on top of the bacon bits (sometimes we add mushrooms and / or onions too but we didn't have those this time). We also had ciabatta bread with it and salad with several kinds of vegetables. I hope you feel better soon from your stomach bug! I had stomach flu in February and lost a lot of weight then. I haven't put it back on, so even though I felt really crappy for about a week, I was happy with the weight loss afterwards (you've got to also see the positives, right?). Good luck to your friend, that's not a nice situation to be in. The man should know her name by now. I hope your support will make her feel better. I hope you have a good day too! I am so much happier now though that it looks like things are getting resolved, and that everything is out in the open. I am also really pleased with myself in the way that I managed (in the end) to deal with it, and the fact that our CEO got involved too, as this means that they will finally do something about it. Now that she knows it really cannot be ignored. I hope it will be finally solved! Good on you for keeping track and recording things / what happens and what work he hasn't done. It wasn't nice of him not to let you all know much earlier that he wouldn't turn up, but then it's another point against him so maybe it'll work in your favour in the end (if that makes sense). Good luck making the list, it seems worrying some things have gone missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lau_Lou Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 Hope you're felling better again, Virginia. About your friend, I hope she realises herself she deserves far more than that. I am going to The Works later on today to get some crafty material for Christmas cards. I'm going homemade this year. Think it'll be fun to do and save abit of money, which is always a bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 I am so sorry I missed your birthday Athena, but glad it was a good one and that you enjoyed your meal. I hope it will be finally solved! Good on you for keeping track and recording things / what happens and what work he hasn't done. It wasn't nice of him not to let you all know much earlier that he wouldn't turn up, but then it's another point against him so maybe it'll work in your favour in the end (if that makes sense). Good luck making the list, it seems worrying some things have gone missing. I think they will eventually get rid of him if I am patient enough. You are right though, he is now digging a much deeper hole. As for the list, I made a start by emailing the pictures I took yesterday to my own Manager, which he said was very helpful. He has only been here 4 months, but is already fed up with the situation and is as determined to get rid of him as I am. We have to be careful of course though as to what we say and more to the point where, as even trees seem to have ears in this place. As for things going missing, yes this is a concern. We never used to have any kind of stock control system in place until this new Manager started (I would have done something similar myself had I got the job). Now everything we take from the storage shed, and everything that is delivered has to be booked in or out so that we know a) how much we have and b) where it is going. I am doing this, my Manager is doing this, but this other guy is not doing it. As a result the amount of stock that we have in the shed does not tally with what is on the stock sheets. If he is the only one not using the system properly, he cannot prove where this stuff has gone, or that he has not taken it for himself. So yes, this will no doubt be something else that he is disciplined for. As for me, I will just keep on writing it all down, and when I have enough, sending it through to HR, until such point that I have enough to form my own grievance. That is assuming of course that he doesn't go off on long term sick leave again. Even that though would be fine, as if he does this for long enough it will give them the perfect excuse to get rid of him on medical grounds instead. After everything that has happened, I think I will be very glad when Friday rolls around ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 28, 2016 Author Share Posted October 28, 2016 I am going to The Works later on today to get some crafty material for Christmas cards. I'm going homemade this year. Think it'll be fun to do and save abit of money, which is always a bonus. That sounds nice, good luck and have fun ! I am so sorry I missed your birthday Athena, but glad it was a good one and that you enjoyed your meal. Thanks, Talisman After everything that has happened, I think I will be very glad when Friday rolls around ! I wish you (and everyone else) a happy weekend . This weekend should be relatively quiet here, the weekend after next some family members will come to celebrate my birthday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lau_Lou Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 thank you I did go they have some really nice things in there. I got myself a little stamp set which was £2. I hadn't noticed that there was only two stamps in when there should have been four. I took it back and there were two young girls at the pay counter and I told them, with one of them getting me another one. It was all fine and there was no problems at all, except for they didn't ask to look at my receipt. Now I know I only wanted it swooping but if I hadn't wanted my money back I hope they would have asked for prove of purchase. Hope everybody has a lovely weekend too, we had my brother and sister over and their other halves. Homemade pizza, which is sooo much nicer to shop bought, and I love pizza. My sister and brother's girlfriend and I are going out for a few drinks later on so I'll be looking forward to that as I don't do it often. Then tomorrow the grandparents are coming over and we are going out for a late lunch. But at the moment I've got to clean my car out.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCat Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 Finally went to the theater this week. I haven't seen a play in ages so I took the opportunity and went to see a play by Chekhov. It was p. cool though some people started yawning and buttoning their mobile phones next to me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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