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Office Space - rant

My administrative assistant sits outside my office. She constantly complains about sounds in the cube farm that are NBD. Now, I'm sensitive to real issues and address them - like people clipping their nails, talking super loudly on personal calls, popping gum, tapping a pen on the desk all. day. long., etc. But this woman gets mad when someone opens a granola bar. Or takes keys out of their purse. Or puts on a raincoat. She even complained about someone typing too much. Yes, typing in an office... Shocker. 

She is my administrative assistant, so I've had conversations with her about this several times and it's a SMH waste of time when she brings it up. She just came into my office with an "emergency" about someone eating a bag of Famous Amos. I was like "people are allowed to eat at their desks, you need to find a way to focus on your work." She said she wants an office. Yea f-ing right. Even some managers are in cubes. I can't justify giving her an office because she can't handle office noises. Ugh.

What's up with your office/place of work lately?
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Re: Office Space - rant

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    That's so ridiculous. I'll admit that I'm especially sensitive to sounds, so I would probably be very annoyed by some of the things you listed (yes, loud typing drives me nuts) but I know that it's part of being at work and it's my issue not anyone else's. Your administrative assistant needs to learn to deal with it.


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    Is she allowed to wear headphones? Because she could use a noise-cancelling pair, even if she doesn't want to listen to music with them in. Not sure if that will work if you are a "call out to the assistant" culture vs. an "IM/buzz them on their phone" culture.
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    This baby knows exactly how I feel
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    Is she allowed to wear headphones? Because she could use a noise-cancelling pair, even if she doesn't want to listen to music with them in. Not sure if that will work if you are a "call out to the assistant" culture vs. an "IM/buzz them on their phone" culture.
    Yes, she's allowed to wear head phones. She can listen to her ipod all day if she wants to. As long as she gets her shit done. 

    We're kind of a "both" culture. No offense if anyone does this, but I see "calling out" to her as kind of disrespectful. I either call her on the phone or walk over to her cube if it's urgent.
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    I have one gentleman who sits behind me... he sounds like hes hitting the keys on his keyboard from a foot in the air.  He is older and seems to think he needs to jam the buttons hard to get things to work correctly. He also calls IT at least weekly if not more to get silly things "fixed".
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    I'm a department manager and one of the other two people in my department is out on maternity leave. The other one is remote and moving several states away and has had some drama with that. It's a very small office and typically they don't like more than two or three people out at once. But last week the moving girl was out all week and several other people had time off. I was literally the only person in the office ALL DAY Wednesday. So yesterday moving girl decides she's moving this Thursday afternoon and will need that day, Friday and all next week. I already was scheduled to be off Thursday afternoon. Boss tells me I can't have Thursday afternoon off. I tell him that's crap and I will not be here Thursday afternoon. He decides that my time off - planned way before moving girl's - is not as important because I'm doing something fun. I don't care - I'm leaving here at noon. Get over it. But he couldn't possible cancel his vacation next week while moving girl is out, but I'm expected to cancel my time off because of it.

    Blow it out your ass, little man. 
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    My boss is looking at more software to "manage" our work so that we can get stuff done.

    I can't begin to tell you all the apps and such that he has downloaded and instructed us to learn/train on in order to help him. He doesn't follow through on any of it so it gets to be a big time waster.

    The only thing he's never tried to get more stuff done is actually work/bill an 8 hour day.
    *msstaticfancypants*
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    That's so completely ridiculous. 

    Our plant manager has been here 6-7 months. He's been out of the office over 20 times already.He's out again today. He's called in sick more times than I have in 6 whole years. And as usual, I'm stuck picking up the slack when he's not here. Fucking asshat! 
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    levioosalevioosa member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited October 2014
    I lost my shit on Friday because my coworker finally found my knife that I've been missing for two weeks.  It's my knife I use specifically for food, and I always keep it hidden in the back of my desk drawer.  It was all covered in scum because our visiting coworkers used it to open boxes (that's what fucking scissors are for).  Turns out my boss heard them asking about something to open a box with, went, "Oh, Levioosa has a knife!" and then she went through my drawers until she found my knife....when she knows exactly where my scissors are.  

    So. annoying.  

    ETF: Words


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    Is she allowed to wear headphones? Because she could use a noise-cancelling pair, even if she doesn't want to listen to music with them in. Not sure if that will work if you are a "call out to the assistant" culture vs. an "IM/buzz them on their phone" culture.
    Yes, she's allowed to wear head phones. She can listen to her ipod all day if she wants to. As long as she gets her shit done. 

    We're kind of a "both" culture. No offense if anyone does this, but I see "calling out" to her as kind of disrespectful. I either call her on the phone or walk over to her cube if it's urgent.
    Yeah, when I was an assistant the other two assistants' bosses yelled out to them (because they didn't know how phones work, I guess?). I was assisting two people, neither of whom had had an assistant before. I trained them to call me right quick (I mean, I had to, since one didn't sit within shouting distance, but still). I don't think the other bosses realized what an effect it had on the whole atmosphere with them yelling all the time, even if the tone was not angry.

    Your assistant, on the other hand, needs to figure it out. For better or for worse, most companies these days have an open plan. A friend of mine (who was stuck sitting next to chatty interns) had to ask for a whole year before she got an office of her own. She was certainly not at assistant level at that time, though. She had to earn that office!
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    In my old office my boss was a nightmare. She would come into my office and pop her gum so loud that my assistant could hear it with my office door closed. She would pop her gum all day every day. By the time I was ready to leave that place, I was like this with my boss:

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    edited October 2014
    Oh and your admin would HATE it here. None of our walls go up to the ceiling. People are always screaming over the half walls to each other instead of using their phones and you constantly are subjected to 3 conversations all going on loudly at the same time. 
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    My assistant is constantly coming in and out of my office telling me things I should be doing. "Don't you think we should call these people?" No, I want you to call them on Friday." Five minutes later... "I just called those people." UGHHHH

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    emmaaa said:
    My assistant is constantly coming in and out of my office telling me things I should be doing. "Don't you think we should call these people?" No, I want you to call them on Friday." Five minutes later... "I just called those people." UGHHHH
    Ugh. That's kind of insubordination. You tell him/her not to do XYZ and because personal preference she does XYZ anyway? Yea no.

    My assistant is inherited, so at first when I'd ask her to do something she'd be like "well [name of previous boss] scheduled her own committee meetings." Well, she isn't here anymore. And you are here to do administrative work, so please find a good time for us to meet, if you would be so inclined. Please and thank you. FFS.
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    I've posted about this before but I used to sit next to a guy who would constantly rip the loudest most epic farts, and at the end of each fart he would grunt. They moved me to a different area and said they have an awful time figuring out where to put this guy cuz no one will sit by him. Wonder why. 
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    kat1114 said:

    I feel pretty lucky. My area is only 11 people, only 1 of whom isn't in an office. Everyone is super nice and we all get along. 5 of the 11 are also executives at our company, and they tend to travel a lot or be in meetings, so generally it's pretty quiet. And our kitchen has snacks and coffee all day. 


    Also, I've achieved my professional ambition...

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    One of my coworkers has a desk that's configured so that nobody except him can see the screen. So jealous, especially since it's been fairly slow lately.
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    emmaaa said:
    My assistant is constantly coming in and out of my office telling me things I should be doing. "Don't you think we should call these people?" No, I want you to call them on Friday." Five minutes later... "I just called those people." UGHHHH
    Ugh. That's kind of insubordination. You tell him/her not to do XYZ and because personal preference she does XYZ anyway? Yea no.

    My assistant is inherited, so at first when I'd ask her to do something she'd be like "well [name of previous boss] scheduled her own committee meetings." Well, she isn't here anymore. And you are here to do administrative work, so please find a good time for us to meet, if you would be so inclined. Please and thank you. FFS.
    God, when I hear these stories it makes my blood boil. I worked my ASS off as an assistant and never said boo even to the stupidest requests. Because I was well aware that that was my job: do the admin work, placate your bosses, and eventually you can move up. 

    There can be no ego in assisting!

    All of this is to say that I was certainly not cut out for that gig (or the one that it "led" to). But doing the exact thing your boss told you not to? Complaining that "other boss didn't make me do that?" Are you kidding? Was I the only person who lived in fear (rational or not) of being fired for offenses much smaller than that?
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    steph861 said:
    I feel pretty lucky. My area is only 11 people, only 1 of whom isn't in an office. Everyone is super nice and we all get along. 5 of the 11 are also executives at our company, and they tend to travel a lot or be in meetings, so generally it's pretty quiet. And our kitchen has snacks and coffee all day. 

    Also, I've achieved my professional ambition...

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    One of my coworkers has a desk that's configured so that nobody except him can see the screen. So jealous, especially since it's been fairly slow lately.
    I have stopped caring if people can see my screen.  Everything I do on the internet is being monitored anyway so hiding the screen won't stop my company from knowing that I am on TK or Facebook or searching for a new artificial Christmas tree.  I get my work done in a timely manner (always before the deadline) and if things pop up I always offer my services so sorry not sorry there isn't enough work to keep me occupied for an entire 9 hours straight.

    And since throughout the day when you walk by others cubes and they are on FB and watching youtube videos, reading newspaper articles, shopping for clothes, etc, it really makes it easier to not care.

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    I have my own office so I don't have to really worry with that. But one of my coworkers/employee keeps coming into my office to hang out. Yes we are friends but go do work!
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    ShellD13ShellD13 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited October 2014
    At one of my former jobs, I was a manager and my boss had the office right next door to me.  He would routinely call to me from his office and or try to correct me WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE or talking to an employee.  Problem was he hadn't done my job in nearly 15 years so his "corrections" were never really relevant.

    Another workplace - it was open plan with cube walls that were about 6 ft tall but my boss always left his cell phone volume turned all the way up and his children had recorded his ringtone personally.  So at least 4 or 5 times a day you would hear "Pick up the phone Dad, Pick up the Phone Dad, Daaaad PICK UP YOUR PHONE!"

    As for assistants, we had one that thought she didn't have any admin support responsibilities.  It was ridiculous.  Her desk was right outside of my office.  And I can't even tell you how many times I heard her telling VP's - "Oh I can't do that it really is easier if you do that yourself!" This included submitting their expense reports and booking their travel which was explicitly part of her job description!  She lasted in the role for 5 yes FIVE years.

    Edited for words.
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    edited October 2014
    My co-worker just spent the last 10 minutes telling me all about the plantar's wart on her foot. 
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    Our restrooms are now out of order.

    When the upstairs offices flush, it is causing ungodly things to come up in our floor men's room urinal.

    There is "water" now coming out from under the men's room door and creeping along the carpet. 

    Roto-Rooter is here and he's uncapping covers to check things. I feel terrible for our clients in the waiting room as there is a cap right behind our service counter!! There isn't a smell-free zone that I can move them to. :(

    I really hope I get that other job.
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    Is it just me or is Boss's Day a ridiculous and unnecessary holiday?

    Because the office brown-noser just noticed it on his calendar, and is now pumping us for money to get the bosses flowers...and gift cards...and pie. Apparently he wants each of us to contribute some individual gift. Uh, no thanks. I don't like the bosses that much and I don't like him either.

    Thanks for letting me vent. I'm seriously about to scream over the cube wall at this guy.
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    blabla89 said:
    Is it just me or is Boss's Day a ridiculous and unnecessary holiday?

    Because the office brown-noser just noticed it on his calendar, and is now pumping us for money to get the bosses flowers...and gift cards...and pie. Apparently he wants each of us to contribute some individual gift. Uh, no thanks. I don't like the bosses that much and I don't like him either.

    Thanks for letting me vent. I'm seriously about to scream over the cube wall at this guy.
    Not just you. I agree! I get annoyed with all the "bosses day" "administrative assistant day" "nurses day" "firefighter day"..... it's just like UGH make it stop! 

    If you want to show someone appreciation for DOING THEIR JOB, then find a time to say "Thanks, I really appreciate all you do." 

    I get annoyed at all the dumb shit promoted by the wedding industry... and this is dumb shit promoted by Hallmark and floral companies to make a buck. 
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    I'm going to go ahead and admit to being the pen clicker/chip cruncher/loud typer. I can't help it. When I'm stressed, I fidget. My co-workers throw paper clips at me, and I stop.
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    Most of my nurses are idiots and think charting is NBD and optional. 
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    steph861 said:
    I feel pretty lucky. My area is only 11 people, only 1 of whom isn't in an office. Everyone is super nice and we all get along. 5 of the 11 are also executives at our company, and they tend to travel a lot or be in meetings, so generally it's pretty quiet. And our kitchen has snacks and coffee all day. 

    Also, I've achieved my professional ambition...

    image
    One of my coworkers has a desk that's configured so that nobody except him can see the screen. So jealous, especially since it's been fairly slow lately.
    I have stopped caring if people can see my screen.  Everything I do on the internet is being monitored anyway so hiding the screen won't stop my company from knowing that I am on TK or Facebook or searching for a new artificial Christmas tree.  I get my work done in a timely manner (always before the deadline) and if things pop up I always offer my services so sorry not sorry there isn't enough work to keep me occupied for an entire 9 hours straight.

    And since throughout the day when you walk by others cubes and they are on FB and watching youtube videos, reading newspaper articles, shopping for clothes, etc, it really makes it easier to not care.
    This is me, too. We all know the company monitors our internet usage and also know that they're not going to do anything with it if you're getting your work done. One of my coworkers does his MBA homework all day, another planned basically half her wedding at work, another spent hours every day looking at house listings, etc. I don't think my knotting at work is any more offensive than any of that, and I'm super productive, so whatever. 

    On topic, though, we have a lady in my company who has severe allergies, so she started coming to work with one of those face masks on every day. Well, apparently that wasn't enough and "things" were getting in through the mask and irritating her again, so she eventually campaigned hard enough to get her own office / "clean room." She isn't any kind of supervisor, and even our supervisors don't all have their own offices. THE BEST part of this, though, is that she has this office filled with fake flowers and other dust-collecting tchotchkes, in addition to an urn with her dead husband's ashes. I'm at a loss to understand how none of those things bother her allergies. 
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    I had never really known having an office as being a big deal until I got an office. I've had three different grown ass adults declare its "not fair" I get an office and they do not. I didn't make  this decision, go yell at my boss, who is also your boss, who is also the owner, about how you deserve an office for "reasons", and leave me the fuck alone.
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    edited October 2014
    larrygaga said:
    Most of my nurses are idiots and think charting is NBD and optional. 
    Wow really? that's insanely offensive. You clearly have no idea what a nurse actually does. the main reason charting is necessary is for legal reasons. it has very little bearing on the care  actually given to the patient. I'd rather spend my time doing actual patient care than spending time in front of a computer so you know what was done. 

    I was going to ask what job you have where you feel so entitled to say something so offensive, but regardless it doesn't matter what job you have to say such a thing.
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