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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - 9:55 pm
I understand how incredibly frustrating that can be. Even if you are sitting at your desk on a lunch break (rather than going out) and relaxing with a little look at a couple of websites, you can get the old dirty looks. There is far too much emphasis on "looking busy" in many companies and not enough emphasis on results and productivity.
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Karen
Member
09-07-2004
| Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - 10:09 pm
I know the feeling, NY, 100%. I'm at the point at work now where I've "earned my keep", so to speak, so I don't worry so much about what others think if they see me here or on Facebook. But, I've been there many, many time and learned a few "how to surf at work" tips: * use a browser that allows for tabbed browsing (I'm sure you do). Keep your company's Intranet, or any relevant website that you're justified in looking at during the day, open in one tab. Browse in the other. Not sure what browser you use, but in Firefox, Ctrl+Tab = tab through open tabs. Use this when you see/hear/feel someone coming. * if you're looking at sites for mostly content (like TVCH, or news articles, etc., not a YouTube or other media-heavy site), then do a Ctrl+A on the page to select everything and copy it into Notepad (not Word, as that will keep all the formatting, pictures, etc.) Resize the Notepad window to be the same size as the preview pane in your email client, and position it overtop. People walk by, they think you're intently reading a client email, when in fact you're reading this very post. * make a mental "Screw You" note in your head for anyone who sneers at you for enjoying a personal moment or three at work. It's all about the billable hours, right? As long as you're clocking your 9-12 legitimate hours a day (I say this assuming that your industry is like mine, lol), surf away!
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Nyheat
Member
08-09-2006
| Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 5:54 am
Aww, you guys are great! Thanks for the tips. It's a very results-heavy office, and not acting like you're in a panic every minute is frowned upon. To be fair, my boss is very stressed out, as she's taken over managing another dept., which is a complete mess. I need to figure out how to go in and just do my job and not take things so personally. But it's hard when you're there every day. Okay if you see me posting here today smack me!
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Denecee
Member
09-05-2002
| Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 11:30 am
I know how you feel Nyheat. The place I work has some extremely slow times as we are a wholesale company that only employs 5 people. Nobody ever has to wait for me to get something done and I do all my work the moment I get it except for scanning(which doesn't matter too much) and yet the manager thinks he needs to ask others if they have anything they need help with because Denecee doesn't have anything to do. The last time one of my co-workers told me about it, I told the manager that I ask on a regular basis if anybody needs help. Even though I know they don't need help because they are on the internet, reading, watching shows on their cell or whatever. I'm not the type to put off work and refuse to sit here and pretend to be busy. If the phone rings, I'll answer it. If an order comes in, I invoice it. We are down to a core of employees, meaning we can't afford to let anyone go because if someone were to get sick, there would be a shortage. I consider myself lucky to have a well paying job but do wish I had more busy work.
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Nyheat
Member
08-09-2006
| Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 5:47 pm
Thanks again Dee for the comments. The truth is that I put in longer hours because I'm *slower* than the other two CAD people; the worst part of it is that the one girl was hired the same day I was and seems to be wizzing through everything while I slog through desperate to keep up. Every day feels like a competition and it stresses me out big time. She's younger, faster, and kinda bossy to me too, and seems aware that she's "winning." She even got the good chair. My chair has mystery CSI stains on it and kills my back. It sucks. Today the other girls ran out at lunch to get their free Godiva truffles and I had to sit there chained to my desk figuring out how to process yet another design problem though my aging brain. (NYC has a lot of food freebies advertised in the morning newspaper and the girls love to run around and get them at lunch.) I felt very sorry for myself. Free chocolate. The bright side is my boss is very nice, and I'm learning *tons* in Illustrator, so will eventually be very good myself. Strong competition is good for me, as it pushes me to get even better. This is just the downside of switching fields at a later age and playing catch up with the younger generation. It'll get better--it's just been a long week.
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Texasdeb
Member
05-23-2003
| Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 6:45 pm
My gripe is work related too. Why have I become the "fireman"? I've been at my job for 12+ yrs & have a very heavy work load that I bust my rear at to just keep everything rolling smoothly. I would bet you on any given day that I spend a good 2 - 3 hrs putting out other folks fires. I love being the one who knows everything (their words, not mine) but, because we have so many key positions being held by folks who have only been in the positions for 2 to 8 months, I find them & their employees coming to me for answers. I totally adore all of my co-workers & take the time to not only figure out their questions but include them in the process. Kind of a "I'll show you how I did this so next time you'll be able to figure it out for yourself" approach. It's just too dang easy for me to do it for them. I get stressed sometime because I'm working aprox. 50 hrs/wk & individuals at other Co. locations who hold my same position rairly work over 40. I'm paid well but so are these other people. They are always so appreciative. I guess I'll just suck it up & deal cause I really do like my job.
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 11:11 pm
as long as there isnt a 'next time' for something you already showed the person you are making an investment in the future, teaching them to do it themselves. I do that at my job but I have no patience for the ones that after a year still can't do what I showed them.
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Christy358
Member
07-10-2007
| Friday, November 21, 2008 - 12:55 am
Nyheat, I think I remember a few posts from you on this same job and same younger co-workers. You sound much more confidant now. LOL You know you can do it. As for the Godiva truffles, I think I can see them on her *&^ as she sits in your chair.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, November 21, 2008 - 2:51 pm
Stupid gripe coming up. I love the bead store. The one closest to my house is owned by a woman who usually has both her parents there to help out. Most of the time she's chatting up customers about their projects or helping them pick out things, giving lessons, or just offering advice on how to do something. Her dad is almost always in the back making beads and mom is usually at the cash register. I've gotten used to the fact that even while chatting or helping people, they still watch their customers like a hawk. I can understand it even...they have a lot of little beads loose in containers that'd be easy to steal. It's not the most comfortable thing to be watched while shopping, but it's usually not bad. I'm a pretty regular customer and tend to go in more often this time of year than any other. When I do go in, I'll start chatting about what project I'm working on while going straight for whatever I went in for. Then I spend a while wandering around looking at all they have, especially the new stuff they've gotten (right now, lots of Christmas beads!) I went in this morning and they've hired a new girl or else have a younger relative working there. The lady who owns the store wasn't in or I'd have complained. As I was grabbing a tube of seed beads, she popped up out of nowhere and asked if she could help? No thanks, I said, I know where everything is. Walked over to get some wire, she wanted to know if I was sure I didn't need help? No thanks. After a few more minutes of the "are you sure's" she stopped asking...but dangit that girl stayed on my heels the entire time I was looking around. I was looking at some charms, she was right next to me pretending to arrange another tray of containers. Walked around the table to look at some glass beads and she followed me to straighten a display. As I was checking out, she was right behind me like I was going to conk the old lady on the head and run out with my $4.32 of merchandise without paying. She even followed me to the door! I thought she was going to frisk me! I love the bead store. I love looking at all the pretty things they have and checking out the new stuff and looking at displays to get ideas. I love being able to pick something up and see just how it feels or looks in the light and most of all I really enjoy being able to chat about my projects or new products they have in. But dang, if that continues, I'm gonna have to start doing all my bead shopping online. I can't stand to have someone breathing down my neck like that!
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Neko
Member
08-03-2001
| Friday, November 21, 2008 - 3:22 pm
LOL War, I used to get that all the time when I was younger. When I was between the ages of 10-16, I was followed ALL THE TIME by people in the stores because I was *obviously* going to steal something </sarcasm> How young was the girl? The next time you go in you should mention it to the owner. They want to be careful, but I doubt they want to lose business too.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, November 21, 2008 - 3:40 pm
Neko, she was no older than 20 if I had to guess, which is what made me think she might be a younger relative of the woman and her parents. I actually stopped shopping at the other bead store in town a couple years ago (will go there only if I absolutely have no choice) because of that type of thing. And when I started shopping at this store more, had a couple conversations with her about that, how uncomfortable it was to shop with someone following you and how I liked her store cuz even though they are watchful they don't do that. I will mention it to her though when I see her again. Hopefully the new girl is just overly enthusiastic or at least once she figures out just how often I'm there will realize I'm not ripping em off, lol.
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Friday, November 21, 2008 - 4:08 pm
I would print what you just posted and take it to the store, give a copy to the girl and to the owner. The owner will appreciate it because she will lose business if this keeps up
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Nyheat
Member
08-09-2006
| Friday, November 21, 2008 - 5:35 pm
Thanks for the comments Christie! Different job, same whining, lol. I had a really bad allergy attack yesterday and it pretty much lasted until this afternoon, making me even more whiny than usual. Today was much, much better. Things slowed down, and pretty much everyone admitted they were so glad the week was over. PS The boss swiped me a new chair, lol. TGIF!!!!
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Denecee
Member
09-05-2002
| Sunday, November 23, 2008 - 12:40 pm
Yya! Nyheat, you deserve a good chair!
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Rissa
Member
03-20-2006
| Friday, November 28, 2008 - 5:36 pm
This is long... sorry in advance! A couple weeks ago I posted that my FIL had sent me yet another in a long line of rascist (if it would not have been rascist it would have been sexist or some other -ist) spam emails. I know he is going through a lot so I usually just swear a blue streak to myself and let it go (with a lot of deep breathing lol). Well, this last one was so offensive that I couldn't ignore it. Gave dh a quick phone call and gave him the option of talking to his own father and he told me to have-at-him, he deserves it. So I sent a scathing but polite email basically saying that I cannot express how completely offended and enraged I was over the email and that while I welcome personal correspondance, there is no acceptance of this type of trash in my home. I never heard directly from him but DH did and FIL promised not to do it again. Well today I get a nice email from him, it read: >>>>Sincere Apologies To All Over the past months I have forwarded funny pictures and jokes to friends who I thought shared the same sense of humour. Unfortunately this wasn't the case and I seem to have upset quite a few people who have accused me of being sexist and shallow. If you were one of these people, please accept my humblest apologies. From now on I will only send emails with a cultural or educational content such as old monuments, nature and other interesting structures. Attached, you'll find a picture of the Pont Neuf Bridge in Paris .. For those of you who are interested,Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge in Paris and took 26 years to build. Construction began in 1578 and ended in 1604. 'Le Pont Neuf' is actually made of 2 independent bridges, one with seven arches and the other with five arches. >>> I thought this was nice of him and even forwarded it to my parents with a note that perhaps he really has learned his lesson. My mom just called me, apparently attached to the email was a pornographic picture (I never opened it so didn't see). UGH!!!!
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Friday, November 28, 2008 - 5:41 pm
Ok I'm sorry but I rofl'g when you said it was a porn pic at the end.
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Rissa
Member
03-20-2006
| Friday, November 28, 2008 - 5:42 pm
Bet you would not be laughing if you had sent it to YOUR mother!!! RFLOL
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Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Friday, November 28, 2008 - 5:47 pm
*snicker, snicker* ... sorry ...
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Neko
Member
08-03-2001
| Friday, November 28, 2008 - 6:05 pm
After reading that over a couple of times, I cann't see how it's a "nice" email. It came off to me as very "smarmy" and not very apologetic, while still getting digs at you (and others I'm assuming). Doesn't surprise me at all that there was a pornographic picture attached!
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Friday, November 28, 2008 - 6:19 pm
Rissa, I was trying not to laugh until I realized you sent it to your mom. I was thinking that crap about the bridge was going to lead into something sexiest or vulgar at the end, hahaa that he didnt go that route he went a step beyond and attchd a pic. I just think he doesnt understand how ppl could be offended if he wasnt
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Rissa
Member
03-20-2006
| Friday, November 28, 2008 - 6:35 pm
Oh he knows Pamy!! He knows that rascism is a hot-button for me so he sends me material he knows will pi$$ me off. Other people get stuff that pushes their buttons. He thinks it's funny to see you get so enraged. I try to ignore it because his life isn't exactly roses right now but it's sooo hard sometimes!! He is losing friends left, right and centre which is just sad because he needs support now more than ever. Last summer his cousin's husband phoned him and told him to never contact his wife again either by phone, email or other and I know other friends have cut him out of their lives too. This particular email would not even rate a heavy sigh from me normally, not even close to the level of trash he sends on a regular basis, it's just the timing of it (coming just a week after our nasty email exchange and him promising not to spam me anymore). ETA: He has always been this way but it was when he went online ('bout three years ago) that he was able to share his glorious level of ignorance with friends/family on a daily basis.
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Friday, November 28, 2008 - 8:22 pm
I'd just block his ass an keep it moving
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Csnog
Member
07-18-2002
| Friday, November 28, 2008 - 8:42 pm
I wouldn't open them and when asked, tell him you never will again, but that's me. He's not my FIL. He knows he sets you off.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-31-2000
| Friday, November 28, 2008 - 8:45 pm
Yeah, I'd block his Email address. In most providers he'll get a polite message when his Emails to you bounce, saying you are not accepting Email from that sender. Is it possible that with age he's actually developing some neurological issues that lead to his inappropriate behavior?
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Rissa
Member
03-20-2006
| Friday, November 28, 2008 - 9:28 pm
I did have him blocked for awhile but had to undo it (sigh). So many other people have blocked him, including his own children and SOMEONE needs to be able to communicate with him for medical reasons. Karuuna, it's hard to tell. He has always had major issues with impulse-control and (frankly) immaturity. We only used to see them maybe twice a year and it was DH was spoke to them on the phone but in June we bought them a condo and moved them out here so we could keep an eye on them and not have them be so isolated. I am not sure if he is getting worse or if I am just more exposed to it.
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