Vent-Budget Buster- Evil new bosses

[hereyago]

Then, she had also brought in a tree and said everyone should put ornaments on it... today after the meeting, someone hung a really stinky car air freshener on it... I think the idea is funny, but it smelled so bad I wanted to throw up!

That co worker rocks! So let me get this straight: she wants the employees to bring in either ornaments that you have personally or to buy some? Um, heck to the no. that Christmas tree would be Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

The other co worker that got upset, he rocks as well because he was absolutely correct about the nicknames,etc.

 

[clh2]

Oh Golly Gee...can we PLEASE have some "mandatory fun"????

I do know how to "end" the mandatory chili cook-offs - and YES - this really happened in my office by someone who was well-intentioned, albeit clueless:

She used the same spoon to sample all the different pots of chili.
EWWWW.

Whenever there is a pot-luck or something food-related - there is now a look0out...you just need to make sure you are in line before her,

 

[hereyago]

She used the same spoon to sample all the different pots of chili.
EWWWW.

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW do I mention EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

 

[C*Beans]

She just suggested, in all seriousness, that we put signs up in the ladies room "that if you need to go #2, you only use the stall right by the fan."

I've had micromanagers before, but telling people where to... do that... that's a new one

LOL

Reminds me of a story my DH told me when he worked in a hot warehouse in FL building cabinets. They asked the owner to please run some a/c into the restrooms b/c it was quite miserable. The owner said, "why would I want to make you guys more comfortable in there - I want you in and out!"

The guys responded by rerouting the bathroom exhaust fan to run directly into the owners office!

 

[neatokimmo]

Wonderful ideas, the spicy chili idea made me laugh, which I definitely needed right now!

I also shook salt in a circle around my desk (ever seen "The Skeleton Key" ? ) Even if it accomplishes nothing but making me feel better... it's cost effective

She just suggested, in all seriousness, that we put signs up in the ladies room "that if you need to go #2, you only use the stall right by the fan."

I've had micromanagers before, but telling people where to... do that... that's a new one

You need to welcome your new boss to the team with a treat. Cut up fiber one bars, roll them into balls, dip them in chocolate. Deliver with a smile. Then lock the door of the stall next to the fan......

 

[It'sWDW4me]

You need to welcome your new boss to the team with a treat. Cut up fiber one bars, roll them into balls, dip them in chocolate. Deliver with a smile. Then lock the door of the stall next to the fan......

We have a winner!

I once worked for a micromanager at a bank where we had mandatory, off-the-clock, forced "fun" cold call phone-a-thons. There were only 9 branches of a hometown bank that was swallowed by the bigger fish. Bigger fish planned a phone-a-thon in which, after we closed our respective branches for the day, all the tellers were to report to the previously hometown bank's "main office". We were supposed to get dinner (5' Subway sub that was gone by the time my co-workers and I got there), have a little "yaaaaaayyyy, bigger bank" session, divide into teams, and then COLD. call. people. out. of. the. phone book to try to get them to open an account! Over the phone!

We were not paid for the time we spent doing this. Some of us didn't even get the promised meal. One of my co-workers had 2 small children at the time - I think her mom babysat. We were pretty much told we'd be canned if we didn't show up to this "team-building" experience.

I worked a painfully long 6 months for the bigger bank after I had been with the hometown bank for a fabulous 4 1/2 years. I only stayed THAT long with bigger bank in order to be fully vested in my pension (had to be there 5 years). My last day there was 3 days after my 5th anniversary.

 

[m&m's mom]

Especially if you live in a "right to work" state. The workers here in Texas have almost zero rights. Unless your employer is breaking some OSHA regulation, they can almost do what they want to you.

You also have the right to quit and go work somewhere better.

I work at a Fortune 50, consistently profitable, internationational company and EVERYONE from CEO to janitor is to be called by their 1st name. It's a culture of openess. Thanks for reminding me to hug my boss tomorrow.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My husband works with a "you will have fun and do it my way" kind of person. However, she's not the boss. She's the receptionist/admin assistant! The problem is, the CEO and president are either afraid of her or lack the fortitude to tell her to knock it off, so she continues to get her way.

DH started the job on January 10 this year. A week later was the company holiday party. It was a casino night that she had planned. She said everyone had to wear white, black and red to match the cards! I had planned to wear a black skirt and a patterned blouse that was black and purple. Since my DH had just started and we didn't want to make waves, I switched to a white blouse. Turns out that most people complied with her demand because, as DH's friend and co-worker put it, they know better than to argue.

At the company picnic, she hired a guy to lead the games (the cliche sack races, egg toss, etc). There were three very lively volleyball games going on when she announced that the games would start in 10 minutes. DH's friend, who is also the chief scientific officer, said, "We're all having fun over here with volleyball." She held up her megaphone and screeched back, "Oh you WILL play these games, and you WILL have fun!" After 10 minutes, she proceeded to unhook each volleyball net and herd everyone over to the games.

For Halloween, she announced that 100% of employees WOULD wear costumes. I was going to bring the kids to the family Halloween party in my regular clothes, but DH cautioned me about her wrath. I ended up dressing in black and throwing on a pair of cat ears to pacify her. She walked into the party dressed as Cleopatra and holding a huge cauldron of candy. She announced to the kids that they could take as much as they want. One guy told his son just to take a few pieces. She said, "Oh no! It's Halloween and they can have as much as they want!" So now she's overriding the wishes of parents!

The family Christmas party is next week. DH has yet to tell us what we "have to do" in order to be in compliance. The holiday party in January will be a casino night again. Guess I still can't wear my black and purple blouse!!!!!

 

[hereyago]

My husband works with a "you will have fun and do it my way" kind of person. However, she's not the boss. She's the receptionist/admin assistant! The problem is, the CEO and president are either afraid of her or lack the fortitude to tell her to knock it off, so she continues to get her way.

DH started the job on January 10 this year. A week later was the company holiday party. It was a casino night that she had planned. She said everyone had to wear white, black and red to match the cards! I had planned to wear a black skirt and a patterned blouse that was black and purple. Since my DH had just started and we didn't want to make waves, I switched to a white blouse. Turns out that most people complied with her demand because, as DH's friend and co-worker put it, they know better than to argue.

At the company picnic, she hired a guy to lead the games (the cliche sack races, egg toss, etc). There were three very lively volleyball games going on when she announced that the games would start in 10 minutes. DH's friend, who is also the chief scientific officer, said, "We're all having fun over here with volleyball." She held up her megaphone and screeched back, "Oh you WILL play these games, and you WILL have fun!" After 10 minutes, she proceeded to unhook each volleyball net and herd everyone over to the games.

For Halloween, she announced that 100% of employees WOULD wear costumes. I was going to bring the kids to the family Halloween party in my regular clothes, but DH cautioned me about her wrath. I ended up dressing in black and throwing on a pair of cat ears to pacify her. She walked into the party dressed as Cleopatra and holding a huge cauldron of candy. She announced to the kids that they could take as much as they want. One guy told his son just to take a few pieces. She said, "Oh no! It's Halloween and they can have as much as they want!" So now she's overriding the wishes of parents!

The family Christmas party is next week. DH has yet to tell us what we "have to do" in order to be in compliance. The holiday party in January will be a casino night again. Guess I still can't wear my black and purple blouse!!!!!

Um, that female has too much time on her hands and with that attitude, I can see why. lol I think for the casino night: how about dressing up as a cigar cigarette girl, that would shock the crap out of her.lol
Someone needs to spike her drink with some chil ax medicine and she is not even a boss? DANG! yes the pres and ceo dont have to big golden round pair sounds like to put her in her place.

 

[tink2dw]

As far as the Lunchs could you develop Celiac Disease. Go to one or two of the lunchs and start to puke at the table then run to the bathroom. That should freak her out enough.

And help you, people with Celiac Disease can't eat hardly anything and nothing in restaurants! Everything is contaminated. And you have to cook your own food to be sure it is ok to eat it!!

Celiac disease - MayoClinic.com
www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319

Celiac Disease Foundation
www.celiac.org/

know it is extreme, but so is making pay for lunchs and buffets!!!

 

[SandrA9810]

Give her a great big bowl of sugar free jelly beans.

I know a story of some one who ate a huge bag of those over the course of the morning. The rest of the day was spent in the bathroom.


I highly doubt I could call every one by their last name. I have a hard enough time keeping track of first names. Even when I worked at Disney, I still sometimes had to read a name tag to remember their name. I'm surprised I've even remember the last name of managers I've had, let alone people I worked with.

I'd probably go in her office every five minutes to ask "how do I do this?", and tell her "I wasn't sure how you wanted it to be done, and wanted to make sure it was done your way". It would be even more amusing to have every one line up at her door to ask. Maybe she'll get a clue that the office can function without her there, and before her stupid ideas came along.

 

[emma'smom]

So what I hear you saying is that you have leadership that is paying attention to the details to try to create a pleasant, collegial, respectful and "fun" environment and you are complaining about it?

OP- instead of griping, why not enjoy your lunches getting to know your colleagues, make a home-made ornament (or pick up a.99 cent one), get into the spirit of things (make a pot of chili--why not?)--- I feel sorry for the "boss" who is clearly working hard to think of ways to build a collegial team!


No offense--but maybe it is negativity like your's that she is trying to work against!?

Even if your not thrilled about every idea---can't you appreciate the fact that it sounds like she is looking for ways to make work a "fun" place to be? If you have other ideas for "fun"--why not offer to organize them instead of complaining?

 

[Boston Tea Party]

So what I hear you saying is that you have leadership that is paying attention to the details to try to create a pleasant, collegial, respectful and "fun" environment and you are complaining about it?

OP- instead of griping, why not enjoy your lunches getting to know your colleagues, make a home-made ornament (or pick up a.99 cent one), get into the spirit of things (make a pot of chili--why not?)--- I feel sorry for the "boss" who is clearly working hard to think of ways to build a collegial team!


No offense--but maybe it is negativity like your's that she is trying to work against!?

Even if your not thrilled about every idea---can't you appreciate the fact that it sounds like she is looking for ways to make work a "fun" place to be? If you have other ideas for "fun"--why not offer to organize them instead of complaining?

Just curious, have you ever unhooked a volleyball net?

 

[Dominus]

You also have the right to quit and go work somewhere better.

I work at a Fortune 50, consistently profitable, internationational company and EVERYONE from CEO to janitor is to be called by their 1st name. It's a culture of openess. Thanks for reminding me to hug my boss tomorrow.

I'm glad you love your job and boss. I work in a unionized environment, so we have more rights than other folks (I guess). I just hear stories about bosses and their ideas a lot. If you don't go along with some boss's silly ideas, they can get rid of you for almost no reason. It's really quiet sad how it works.

 

[Marionnette]

So what I hear you saying is that you have leadership that is paying attention to the details to try to create a pleasant, collegial, respectful and "fun" environment and you are complaining about it?

OP- instead of griping, why not enjoy your lunches getting to know your colleagues, make a home-made ornament (or pick up a.99 cent one), get into the spirit of things (make a pot of chili--why not?)--- I feel sorry for the "boss" who is clearly working hard to think of ways to build a collegial team!


No offense--but maybe it is negativity like your's that she is trying to work against!?

Even if your not thrilled about every idea---can't you appreciate the fact that it sounds like she is looking for ways to make work a "fun" place to be? If you have other ideas for "fun"--why not offer to organize them instead of complaining?

Just curious, have you ever unhooked a volleyball net?

Or placed a sign in the restroom advising employees where to do their business?

Or forbidden the use of first names in the workplace (but assigned cutsie nicknames to everyone)?

It sounds like the OP's boss went about the changing of the guard in the wrong way. Once she alienated the employees, anything that she initiates in the name of "fun" is going to meet resistance. A smart supervisor would ask the most vocal of her detractors to take over the planning for employee fun.

But that would mean giving up control of something.

 

[neatokimmo]

Just curious, have you ever unhooked a volleyball net?

Dang now I have diet coke on my keyboard!

 

[hereyago]

So what I hear you saying is that you have leadership that is paying attention to the details to try to create a pleasant, collegial, respectful and "fun" environment and you are complaining about it?

OP- instead of griping, why not enjoy your lunches getting to know your colleagues, make a home-made ornament (or pick up a.99 cent one), get into the spirit of things (make a pot of chili--why not?)--- I feel sorry for the "boss" who is clearly working hard to think of ways to build a collegial team!


No offense--but maybe it is negativity like your's that she is trying to work against!?

Even if your not thrilled about every idea---can't you appreciate the fact that it sounds like she is looking for ways to make work a "fun" place to be? If you have other ideas for "fun"--why not offer to organize them instead of complaining?

Hilarious! Did you miss the point about said "fun cruise director" type boss changed OP's hours so she now has to pay for child care? Lunches in restuarants can add up fast with spending money-this isn't a work lunch-this is a you will eat together and like it type thing. Chili-once again she is not getting paid for her time and supplies,. you go to work to make money, not to spend money on your job. There are ways to build up morale and working together as a team without costing money. It's one thing for employees decide to do a pot luck or whatever on their own, but I'm not cooking for anyone because someone tells me to.

Newby boss should have sat down with her employees and asked about ideas to 1)improve productivity 2) create a more exciting(if they didn't all ready have a fun atmosphere) instead she rolled in like gang busters as miss suzy jekyll/ wanda hyde with her split personality style.

 

[neatokimmo]

Ya, I don't want to play at work. I want to get in, get out, then have fun with the people of my choosing. I am not at the bank to make BFFs.

 

[Zhoen]

So tomorrow, I am supposed to be on leave... whole day, we don't do it by the hour... it's for childcare reasons, pre-planned, pre-approved... I need to be off by noon, but I took the whole day because that's how we do it... I rescheduled training from tomorrow to today to clear my schedule...

... and just now, male-new-boss came by and said "wow, that 730 meeting tomorrow is really an everybody sort of thing. Can you come in for that part of the day?" (on leave.) "And you signed up to bring something, didn't you?"

(As in, it's a mandatory pot-luck breakfast on my own time.)

Regarding whether I'm a party pooper, maybe, but I'm also the one who normally does the morale-baking, I run the little soda fridge we have that gets us money to buy going away presents and participate in little events we do to raise money for fun things... I just don't like being told I *HAVE* to.

I'll *give* a lot... I just resent being *taken* from.

Maybe tomorrow morning they'll announce we're restructuring. I'll be at the front of the "transfer me" line... right next to stocking guy and air freshener man...

 

[It'sWDW4me]

So tomorrow, I am supposed to be on leave... whole day, we don't do it by the hour... it's for childcare reasons, pre-planned, pre-approved... I need to be off by noon, but I took the whole day because that's how we do it... I rescheduled training from tomorrow to today to clear my schedule...

... and just now, male-new-boss came by and said "wow, that 730 meeting tomorrow is really an everybody sort of thing. Can you come in for that part of the day?" (on leave.) "And you signed up to bring something, didn't you?"

(As in, it's a mandatory pot-luck breakfast on my own time.)

Regarding whether I'm a party pooper, maybe, but I'm also the one who normally does the morale-baking, I run the little soda fridge we have that gets us money to buy going away presents and participate in little events we do to raise money for fun things... I just don't like being told I *HAVE* to.

I'll *give* a lot... I just resent being *taken* from.

Maybe tomorrow morning they'll announce we're restructuring. I'll be at the front of the "transfer me" line... right next to stocking guy and air freshener man...

Sheesh this is starting to sound like "Office Space" (movie version)....... "yeah, I'm gonna need you to come in on Saturday. Maybe Sunday too. Mmmm, yeah, and we'll be relocating your desk."

Grab the red stapler and run!!!!