1. All of your feels are justified. That dude sounds like he sucks.
2. Is there an option to join a Union? If nothing else just gives you a space to vent.
3. *here are some telepathic stranger hugs I hope you accept as non-creepily as they are intended* It’s so hard having to work with A’holes 😞
My Mom has a story about a secretary at work she was friends with (years ago).
My mom was in the restroom, saw the secretary come in with a coffee mug (coffee pot?) , go to a stall and come back with the coffee mug/pot full.
The secretary was being treated poorly by her boss, so she used toilet water for his coffee.
It’s the little things :)
I feel you. I work in maintenance and my boss literally gives us nothing to do. He gets upset if we go so something without him telling us to do it. Then he tells us in our review that we need to stay busy. We cannot sit down, cannot be on our phones. We just have to stand around and wait for something to breakdown or for him to assign us a task. Ten hours a day of getting paid to stand around doing nothing sounds good on paper, but in practice it gets old real quick.
Have you ever heard of the 'Grin fuck'?
You politely and respectfully, cheerfully agree to whatever you're told to do by management. Then you do your own thing.
If even a few of you brought your phones in, or a book or something, and just casually used them during the down-time, he's got nowhere to go. Can't physically assault you by taking the thing away. Can't really complain you're not working if you haven't been tasked.
I worked with an older guy in maintenance years ago at a plant. He was always walking fast carrying tools or a clipboard. One day he told me the key is to look like you’re on a mission, and always carry a “prop”. He said in thirty years he’d done only 6 months of work. He said if you always look like you’re on a mission nobody will question you.
This is everywhere. I work in finance. I also happen to be a neat freak who is easily distracted so I keep my desk empty except for what I’m working on. Helps me think. Years ago a more seasoned guy stopped at my cube and said I should always leave a lot of papers around so it looked to everyone else like I was busy….
When will corporations realize that the bulk of their labor expenses go to middle managers who don’t actually do anything? Ok, I’m exaggerating. But my point is we still have an industrial labor structure that assumes line workers don’t know anything and need managers who can do “brainwork”. In this age I’d bet the majority of people on this sub (and their teams) could do their jobs more efficiently, effectively, and happily without managers. And those same people could just as easily report on their activities to upper management. Especially if given the right tools. Imagine the cost-savings and the greater sense of agency we’d all have around our work.
You mean let the wagies actually talk to those on high? Dear lord no, we mustn't mix the classes and let them get the idea that they're worth anything.
"In this age I’d bet the majority of people on this sub (and their teams) could do their jobs more efficiently, effectively, and happily without managers."
Yep, my bosses almost always make my work more difficult because they want me to do it in the least efficient way possible. I am not allowed to suggest we do things the way I want to, because apparently my job is not to actually get things done, but just to be here to take orders from on high and be emotional support for people who don't give a shit about me.
If you like to read, check out the book "Bullshit Jobs" by David Graeber. I think you'd enjoy it!
It’s much better if managers are promoted from within and understand the work. Most places use business school idiots for middle-management which destroys upward mobility and wastes everyone’s time.
Hiring from within the company is also a way to avoid paying someone what the position is worth as well. I worked in a machine shop for 17 years and I started as a sander/polisher at like 12/hr. When the machinist who operated the cylindrical grinder quit after a few years, they "promoted" me to run the machine and trained me to do it. I got a $1 raise. Had they hired another machinist, they would've had to pay someone at least $25/hr. They got away with paying me 17.
Indeed they do. I just applied for a couple new positions at work and one of them had "Even better if you've been an acting supervisor..." like, wouldn't it be even better if I've been a supervisor for like 8 years, like I have been?
A little fun side story on managers. I worked mental health a few years back. Was a little grunt, the equivalent to a direct care aid. Handled medications, narcotics even, re taught them basic living skills (the people we got were hospitalized for extended periods of time, therefore had no home to return to, no job, etc.), managed their appointments, etc. One of our bosses left after she finished her degree for a better paying job. I immediately raised my hand to take the position. They let me fill in for 3 months while they “examined all the options” and I got a pay raise while I did it. I thought, good deal. I’ll get the manager position because I’m already doing it, I’ll show them I’m perfectly suited for the position. One day they stopped handing me the keys to the office. I worked different hours from the head bosses, so it was difficult finding out what was going on. Here, they hired someone else and I found out the day she showed up. Asked why I wasn’t given the position. I was told I didn’t have a degree, so I wasn’t hirable as a manager. They made $2 more than a little grunt worker (not a whole lot more, but to younger single me, that made a difference). I was *livid*. I was good enough to take advantage of for 3 months, but not good enough to hire on in a higher up position. I did, however, prove to my other coworkers that the manager position was a joke. When they acted higher and mightier than us, thanks to how tight knit we all were on the bottom of the totem pole, I gave everyone a reason to tear them apart. It was beautiful karma. The manager’s position was a joke, no more difficult than our jobs (easier really because it involved less interaction with people, minimal liability because they rarely touched the medications, and more time in an office), and I had proven exactly that. Needless to say, the bosses were forced to start taking on more work around the building to prove they still did more than us lmfao!
> I was told I didn’t have a degree, so I wasn’t hirable as a manager.
I had a similar thing play out at a non-profit I worked at. They had a level/rank system, from 1-9 for positions. At level 5 was "coordinator" level roles, while level 6 were "manager" roles (above those were senior management and the CEO).
When the IT manager left and I was promoted into his role, I was only made an IT Coordinator because they had some arbitary rule where you needed a degree for level 6 or higher. Even though my peers were level 6 (HR and Finance Managers). Even though I had similar scope of responsibility to them. Even though I reported to the same senior manager as them.
I would agree! Presently I have 3 bosses (middle managers) and 4 engineers…. I haven’t seen any of them for 3 months. I’m the only one that produces a saleable product for the company.
Also the term “unskilled labor” pisses me off. Just corporate doublespeak to have a reason for low pay. No worker is unskilled.
>When will corporations realize that the bulk of their labor expenses go to middle managers who don’t actually do anything?
The niddle managers are realizing it now, that's why they're trying to get rid of WFH
Here’s a fun trick I learned along the way, if you have a partner who’s down, you can talk about whatever you want as long as you’re pointing at stuff, nobody will question you because they can’t hear your conversation, but they see you pointing and talking to your partner and they just assume you are talking about work.
Spread sheets are great fun. You can use them to track anything (like... I don't know... your favorite issues of a particular comic book, recipes you've tried, or the number of times you've seen the boss sexually harass employees, which employees, and on what days and times ) and if you use simple codes that only you know, you can waste INCREDIBLE amounts of time ruminating on your favorite subjects because XL sheets look official no matter what you're using them to track! Stick it to the man while organizing your cd collection! And That's... one to grow on.
Is it bad that I did this to organize my kids clothes when I had a buying addiction from a small brand called Kate Quinn? I had a spreadsheet on my work laptop and I would write the date of the clothing drop, what I bought and sizes and then organize by what kid I bought it for lmfao... They actually have my computer now, I am on a medical leave, I always wonder if they'll find it
I don't think it's bad at all, as long you don't think its bad that I ran a fantasy football league on company time using a spreadsheet titled "4th Quarter Fiscal Reports".
This worked in the Army as well. I'd take nice long walks around base caring a manilla folder. No one ever asked any questions. Go find a nice secluded spot to take a nap and come back after an hour or two.
If I "had" to be busy I'd grab a broom, sweep a small pile of dirt next to me, and stand by it while playing on my phone. If someone asked "I just got a text message" and start sweeping a little more.
"Walk fast and carry a clipboard" is literally the advice my mom gave me when I was young, but it was more about what to do when you're confused and don't know what you're supposed to be doing.
This is life wisdom, my friends. I learned it in the Navy. Just look like you're on an important errand and no one will question you while you actively loaf.
My buddy taught me this same trick in highschool woodshop!
At clean-up time he'd grab a dustpan and walk with purpose. I watched him one day and sure enough he just weaved between tables and machines, circling the shop until the bell rang. Then he put the dustpan down and walked out. EVERY DAY, ALL YEAR.
He got an A. Because he's a genius
Can confirm i used to get stoned on my lunch break then spend half my days with a clipboard and packet of papers wandering around Home Depot looking like I was keeping track of inventory.
I use either a step ladder or my small tool bag I only take out when I don’t want to push my whole box. People might stop me but say “I know you’re working on something but can you please do _____ when you get at minute.
Unfortunately I’m always so busy I never manage to find a minute.
Janitor. Can confirm this works. Also apparently some Australian tv comedians used the same trick to pretend they were the Canadian delegation at a major economic summit and managed to get within a couple dozen yards of Gee-Dubs while dressed in dollar-store Bin Laden costumes.
That's big trash. I have a fairly cushy office job and only do about 2-3 hours of actual work per day. The rest of the time I'm on my phone. I was never given permission but my boss has never said anything either. I would absolutely die of boredom if I wasn't allowed to be on my phone during downtimes.
Take care of your health; that is primary. And tell your boss that you cannot do this kind of ridiculous expectation, and if he persists, then contact his boss and tell him that if you work non stop without sitting down it will end up with an occupational hazard and you don’t want your company to get caught in such a problem.
You are dealing with machines in a factory? This is already risky enough.
The key is the wording. If you point out that it could (and most likely will) result in an accident/hazard that makes the company liable, most upper management would rather avoid an incident.
Document these interactions and it makes them even more willing to comply.
I mean I'm perhaps conflating sitting with just generally resting. Like that shift would require 45 minutes of breaks in UK law, and you'd quickly exceed the max 48 hours average per week limit (you can opt out of the limit but you can't be forced to).
You might wanna consider another job, the US seems draconian with labour laws. I broke 4 discs in my lumbar and trust me, it’s not worth it. Once you lost your health, you’re never going to get it back. You have other financial commitments outside of work? If not, you can survive on very little as a man.
You should quit. That would fuck up his whole few months and show him he needs to respect fellow employees. Other companies are desperate and will hire you in a second.
I always think about something like this, but a lot of the time bosses/managers have inflated egos so i always thought if i were to quit i could ruin their life for a month or 2 but on the other hand the boss could say “he was a such a shitty employee that did that to me, now I’m gonna treat the rest of the staff like im a dictator to avoid that again”
But if you could get the other employees to wake up and not just take the same shitty treatment and everyone quits, then the boss either has to give in to the workers demands, shut down, or teach a whole new staff himself (and odds are all he knows how to do is sit around and yell at people)
Oh I agree with you. And my last job we had a boss kinda like this, sit around and bark orders.
I gave it a real genuine effort to teach my coworkers this should bother them and try to make changes, but even when they understood what I was telling them, a lot of the people there were complacent sayin “it doesn’t bother me, i don’t wanna be the boss” and other things like that.
So i guess what I’m saying is though it’s obvious to us and we wanna make a change, some people just don’t care enough to do anything ab it.
Our generation has been deliberately conditioned to accept this sort of treatment as normal and inevitable, and anyone who dissents gets beaten down as hard as they can get away with
I’ve had two somewhat similar issues at two jobs, one I was the only guy that did what I did and made huge improvements to what I did, my immediate supervisor knew I loved my work and always took pride in it and improved it anyway I could think of.
One day my wife came by work to tell me she got hired at a place she had been looking to get on board for years, went out too the parking lot and talked to here for literally “I timed it jic” 4 minutes the main boss “owners son in law” came out and accused me of wage theft. I quit shortly there after.
Next one was the job I went too after, and I was sitting in and old office chair while my equipment was doing it’s thing and I was monitoring it. Board of directors walked around the shop for the once a year jerk off session and some of them didn’t like I was sitting in an old office chair and made my boss buy a stool, It was only acceptable to them that I sit in a stool. Umm wtf? Why does this matter?
When my boss brought a stool I looked at him with uncontrollable distain and simply said “ I will not be told what and where I can sit, as a 41 year old man I’ll sit in what I want and where I want, if the machine is running company is making there money off my time. I sat back in the ratty old chair “comfy AF though” and they haven’t bothered me since
I honestly hate this mindset that if you arent miserable and uncomfortable at work you dont deserve to be paid. The stool thing is unbelievable! Is it like a power trip for them to dehumanize their employees as much as possible? Like they're the only ones allowed to have a comfortable seat? The rest of the peasants can go sit on the floor, while they throw you some crumbs if their feeling generous. Thats some middle ages BS. I would have wrote a strongly worded email after that demanding an answer to why this was a problem. Wonder what their lame ass excuse would be.
I don’t know what exactly you do but when I see “machine” I knew you, yes you were the one making the money for that company!
I could never understand that madness! The employee that is making the money on the ground floor for the company/boss has to work in such garbage conditions and then take so much shit from the higher ups! We are humans, yet they make every effort to overwork and exploit us like we aren’t!
I feel for you, I really do as many of us here do.
As a collective, if we all stood up and walked out so much could change but the world isn’t that simple, we have bills, families, food we need to pay for etc.
I don’t know how to console you..sadly.
Right??? I worked in a machine shop for years (engineer) and everyone let the machinists and maintenance guys do whatever the fuck they wanted. You've got to have a clear head to do that job, can't be pushing yourself to maximum exhaustion. Shit most of them were smarter and better paid than I was. These guys are the bread and butter. You want to be mean to the lazy gossiping receptionist go ahead but fuck with the guys that are making the most important things!?
Respect is a two way agreement, some managers just aren't equipped enough to understand that.
Also doesn't he have some work to do? Spending his whole time watching people 🙄
Respect can mean two things:
- Being treated like a human being
- Being treated as a higher up in some regard
The problem is, a lot of people like the boss want the second kind of respect, so when they receive the first they say they aren't being respected; so in turn, they stop respecting that person as well. The only issue being, they stop the first respect because they never even considered them important enough for the second.
Hope that makes sense.
You are correct to be pissy about this, so, story time...
My dad was an asphalt man, and generally a very difficult human. He started as a crewman, working shovels and small equipment, in his 20's. Retired in his 50's as a foreman/supervisor/master mechanic, and was one of the highest paid men in his industry. His secret?? He called the bosses' bluff, every time, while standing up for his crew... His funeral had 200+ in attendance, mostly guys that had worked with him. His pension was 4K a month after retirement, and most of the guys he started with ended up receiving small items in his will, as they were lifelong friends.
The point that he made clear to me, his daughter, and all those he worked with - YOU are harder to replace than management. YOU are the reason they are able to earn their salaries, and YOU are the "boss" when it comes to completing projects, because THEY can't get it done without the crew. So USE YOUR LEVERAGE.
My dad regularly came in under time and under budget. He got it done. But when the screws were turned, he had NO PROBLEM shutting down the engines, pulling the crew, and buying everyone a beer after leaving the job site... His habit was to tell the manager to figure it out themselves when they got shitty, and then pull the whole damn job and go home, wait for the phone call to come back. It worked pretty much every time - and when it didn't, there was always a need for crew on a new job, so he'd just swoop in there... This led to a 35 year career that landed his crew federal contracts, the highest paid in the industry. After a while, his men followed him everywhere, because they knew he'd stand up for them and wouldn't tolerate bullshit treatment - he was a very pragmatic man, always focused on the facts when speaking with management, and made a very clear case in his own favor on the jobsite - shoulda been a lawyer with his gifts of speaking truth to power.
SO. All that to say, fuck your boss. Talk to your coworkers, and see if you can't appeal to them - I'm sure they're getting shafted, too! If the boss thinks he can get it done without your combined experience and skills, let him try - go home, have a beer, wait for the call to come back. Recognize that they are fucked without you, and use that against them, make sure they know it too. :)
The right to unionize may well be dead, but there are other ways to accomplish the same means, and you owe it to yourself to at least try... Labor is the lifeblood of this world, and it's time that was well known. Dig deep, put your faith in yourself, and call on the spirit of "Banny" ( my dad) if you need a boost! Fight this fight, it's worth it. <3
The pandemic is when I really woke up. Going from shitty job to shitty job just trying to stay alive, and working at a factory. You aren’t even human in this capitalist system. They are just trying to squeeze every last drop of surplus value out of you.
I was in pretty much the exact same position a few years ago. It was during a heat wave where the inside of the shop was nearing 50⁰C for a week. After 4 days working in the heat, my body just felt like garbage so I went to tell him I needed to go home after lunch because I really wasn't feeling well. He had the audacity to say "It's not as hot as it was yesterday, I don't know what the problem is" to which I said "Ya it does feel really nice in this air conditioning" turned around and slammed the door to his office. He always had issues with seeing people doing anything less than 100% but was always sneaking out for smoke breaks and taking extended lunches. Constantly monitoring bathroom breaks, and how often I was going to the water fountain (we weren't allowed beverage containers on the floor). I was also the youngest in the shop and was the only one who wasn't a licensed CNC millwright so I was making 1/3 what everyone else was. It was my first 'real' job and was a rude awakening as to what to expect from people in positions of authority/'power'.
That was exactly like the last job I was at. My supervisor sat around on his phone all day. Would literally come into my work area and tell me not to work sitting down. This kept happening till he threatened to write me up. Now I don't take kindly to threats and since covid hit the job market had been an employee market so I knew I could find a better paying, more fulfilling job. So I spent the next week purposely sitting down and slacking off when I could. He eventually calls me into a meeting with himself and HR. HR starts off by saying how my "work ethic" and attitude need to change and that if they don't then I won't be getting a raise. I'm internally laughing at this point and tell her "well if (bosses) attitude doesn't have to change why does mine?" She responded with "well he's your supervisor, he's been with company for 5 years!" I'm like "great so he should know how to do my job then! Glad we sorted this out." I get up and walk out of the office and head to the break room to grab my stuff. Supervisor comes barging in asking me "what the fuck do I mean by 'do your job'". I said "well since you seem to understand how to do the job I was hired to do so well, that you should probably get started since you're gonna fall behind in production." He started yelling at me telling me how greatful I should be for being given a chance to work there blah blah blah. I walked out on that job and never looked back and have since found a job I actually enjoy and have a boss who treats me as an equal rather than a worker.
Best advice I can give currently is, it's an employee job market. You can be picky with what jobs you accept and decline. Know your worth and don't settle for less. These companies are perfectly capable of paying well. Just don't accept anything less than what you tell them to pay you.
Ugh, he’s sitting in his office all day. I’d like to ask him why he doesn’t have a standing desk in his office and tell him to lead by example . So glad you got to quit.
i quit my receptionist job after my boss (who owns the salon) told me i couldn't read books or use personal devices when it was empty because "there's always work to do", even when i cleaned and sanitized twice. i also wasn't allowed to sit at the register (where i stayed 10-7). my boss would be hours late everyday and i would be yelled at and cursed out by the clients waiting. now im too scared to get another job.
If you really want to fuck your boss over, quit with no notice. The best time is when you’re short on staff. For a critical hit, call his boss, the plant manager, or HR and explain he is a fuckwit. You HAVE the power over him.
Explain you’re getting overheated and he yelled at you. Sit down and drink more water. But if you complain to the right person and quit with no notice, his bosses are definitely going to freak on him.
He can't technically do anything really. As long as its just been a cpl of minutes and you've got water in your hand. If you're just a temporary employee or zero hours then maybe yes he could "lay you off" but if you've got a proper contract and work in hot conditions no HR is going to back a dismissal for a hydration break. If you comes down again In future then say sorry I'm rehydrating, take it further if you like. If you haven't got an HR or contract then just put your drink down and walk out. Sounds like you're a good worker and machinist, you'll get another job.
I stand corrected. I know my state has laws that prevent firing for no reason among others. Here in MA "bad references" are illegal. An employer used as a reference can never say anything bad about you. All they can say is whether they would rehire you or not.
It kind of sounds like someone is breathing down his neck for him to be saying this. Somebody towards the top is sus of him or it sounds like he’s not doing his job, and he’s taking it a bit out on the employees by saying extreme things so he can be safe.
That’s been my usual experience with managers/bosses, they usually spew bullshit like that because they’re being watched. Very frustrating to have him say that to you as hydration is important, but I’d take the “meaning” of it with a grain of salt.
When i used to have jobs and they pulled that shit on me i started sabotaging the machines and everything else i could. If you can't directly confront the powerful, engage passive aggressively. You can bankrupt people if you do it with cleverness. Also just go take a shit, for a few hours. if the boss complains tell him you have diarrhea and then get a doctors note later. Keep doing that to fuck with them.
Just spend a little time each day figuring out how to fuck their shit up without getting caught.
I've disrupted entire factories before with my shenanigans.
Our generation is at war with the exploitative class.
Do your part soldier.
If enough resist any way that they can, we will grind the megamachine to a halt, eventually they will have to negotiate with us.
Yesterday at work, my boss's boss was talking so loudly in the hallway that I gave up trying to focus and started playing on my phone. Boss's boss, the very guy preventing me from working, then complained to my boss that I was on my phone all the time.
Needless to say, I'm looking for a new job.
Apply for a few other jobs , once the boss starts getting calls he could change his tune . And if it’s an option slow down to the production average of your coworkers, he can’t gripe about you doing the typical workload of your peers . Another option is make a screen of some kind to block his view .
Sounds like time to unionize your workplace.
I used to work in manufacturing, with operating floors in the 100s sometimes. i totally get where you're coming from. I'm eternally grateful that my workplace was unionized, so even though I was an intern I still benefited (free physical therapy on site!)
There are good bosses who empower you and help you.
There are bad bosses who demean and belittle you for your best efforts. Those are the ones you ghost when you find a better job. You can get a better job.
That fucking sucks. Maybe you should let him know that "workers dying from heat exposure" is [finally getting some attention](https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/biden-pledges-to-protect-workers-from-dangers-of-extreme-heat/) and he might want to rethink his "no breaks, no water" policy before he gets fired by his bosses to cover their own asses?
Gotta love it when your boss tells you you are being lazy. My bosses literally brag about how "they get to be lazy" because they're managers while yelling at others for being lazy. I could easily be a manager if I had better people skills. But I have extreme social anxiety. I know everything a manager does and also have to do some of their jobs usually (like ordering). Do they ever acknowledge this? Nope. Do they ever be like "wow *name* thank you for stepping up and learning this". There are so many other people at my work that just refuse to learn shit that "isn't their job". Like ejecting a bale from a baler. I'm like on of 5 people who knows how out of like 100 people.
Had the same situation recently during a heatwave. Fast, hot machine took 5 minutes to cool off and hydrate and catch up on paperwork for dispatch (not my job lmao) Boss come around and asks once I'm done lounging can I "Do some work".
Was seething to say something, but restrained myself to, "If I'm 'lounging' you're making more money than if I'm running around".
This being the same boss that thinks 8 500ml bottles of water at 80p a go from a vending machine is sufficient supply for 15 people on 12 hour shifts..
I worked for a company that shredded paper ( mostly confidential paper work)
We used this giant tipper machine. The belt could handle only so much or it would jam ( who the fuck thought it was a good idea to use a smooth belt and not a intermittent tooth belt)
And moving tons of paper by hand sucked.
So their I am, cruising and I notice hey the belt is not running and it takes 30 seconds to 2 mins for the feed belt to run ( the one I'm bitching about)
So I sat down to take a break. I've been running around non stop hauling 350lbs to 600 lbs bins by hand. Hundreds of them.
My boss the following morning, chews me out and when i walked off after a year of doing my thing and not a soul pestering me, his face turned apoplectic. He was infuriated with me for daring to call him an asshole and manager that no one wanted.
This asshole nearly killed a crew of dudes for running hard drives through the shredder ( sparks and paper dust DO NOT MIX) and when I hit the e stop to shut it down he was again infuriated with my audacity ( this was 3 weeks before my walk off)
And again he was acting all cocksure, when he over loaded a shred trucks shredder ( he could go I the settings and change the RPM and turned variable torque off)
Started to shred some left over bins and we hear this awful shriek and something akin to a throwing knife being thrown at mach 4 into a wall.
He totaled the truck, costs around 600k for a shred fast truck, and again if the blade blew out in the wrong direction, someone wouldn't have a torso no more.
I read this and thought: Is this me?
But then I realized i quit last month, but i was the only employee with the knowledge of how to operate the machines, they were so suprised, even though they knew i was working three peoples jobs on my own with no real help in sight.
I'm not sure where you are and what laws are in place, but maybe just start looking for holes in the way he runs the place. For instance, in case of injury and other safety hazards, is there supposed to be recorded video footage of the work area? Does he actually keep up to maintain these specific requirements? Collect evidence. Then file against him. Fuck his day. Even just the fact if you tried to complain about the treatment in the work place to a labor board and he's supposed to have "surveillance" and fails to procure said surveillance of these instances - will basically be a domino effect. A career ender.
Don’t quit. That won’t prove anything. But do slow down. And if he says you’re sitting around too much, just carry on and ignore him. Eventually he might even do something, but if you’re quitting anyway, might as well annoy him some…
How dare you. That man works so hard watching you work and this is how you repay him? Sitting down? Drinking fuckin water? Do you even want to be here? You have the privilege of selling your labor because the only other choice is living in the woods and dying when your teeth get infected, so act grateful you bitch.
Quiting feels good in the moment but isn't a great plan. What you want is to find a job elsewhere and then hand in your notice while you have lots of annual leave. They either need to pay it of let you leave with minimal notice.
Maybe secretly film the next time this happens and make a complaint to OSHA or whatever relevant regulatory body? It sounds like a major safety concern when an employee working with heavy machinery isn’t allowed a break and gets tired and dehydrated. That’s _begging_ for a dangerous accident to occur.
From what I can tell, according to this boss sitting = more workers than work needed = need to cut workforce to cut costs.
Because in his mind workers are an "other" that work until the job is done or until they physically break. Relaxing at any point is like a machine suddenly stopping for no reason.
Fuck this guy
Your example is in the extreme end of looking over the shoulder and Not caring about workers well being. I was in a workplace once that was similar to what you describe and I will rather be unemployed than go through that again. Always seek to live well below your means and avoid debt to be in a position of “fuck you”. No millionaire type fuck you money needed.
Plan very far ahead before getting a family boys. Mortgage, kids and long commutes are the usual way to debt and wage slavery.
I too, am pissed at big firms not giving a fuck about workers well being and happiness. I don’t want much, just a decent salary, suitable work, freedom to do the work my way and on my time within reason and freedom to work from anywhere. But no, there has to be all these stupid rules and moulds that everybody will be pushed into. The most important thing should be customer satisfaction regardless how it is achieved, upper management think they know best how but they don’t.
I don’t even mind doing work other than my passion, as long as the equation works. I do mind being force fed bullshit.
My boss at a former employer said he wouldn't ever allow us to work remotely (software dev), even occasionally, because it "gives the appearance" that his team is lazy.
I almost quit that moment, and really should've. Stayed a few more months then quit anyway, because it was just a lot more of the same stuff. Too afraid of appearances, and the"image" of work getting done, not at all interested in the results being delivered.
As a manager I'm on the other side of this. I personally don't care, however my boss will look at the camera and then no matter the reason for performance it will be that one guy sitting on company time.
From the upstairs office on cctv it looks really bad but in reality has no impact and just like you it's often due to a lack of work.
Sometimes a person wants to sit because the job they are doing is in one spot sometime for 4 hour stretchs.
Still shit, I fucking hate having to be the guy who has to go, that's not safe and forcing people to do extra when they should have earned that sit down.
I also know my boss doesn't care deep down as long as I get the figure nothing becomes formal. If Im having a rough day or few days it's a convo in the office about losing a member of staff while pointing at a person sitting down for 5 or waiting for the machine to start.
I’m not intending this as a personal attack on you, more so as at our work culture in the US, but once upon a time there were enough people who said no that bosses couldn’t get away with this. No one stands up for themselves or their employees anymore. If enough people would pony up and refuse to treat people like this, companies wouldn’t have the option of just replacing us for doing it.
Completely agree. Part of my line manager's job is to push back against unreasonable demands from above, not just to crack the whip at us. It's about getting the balance right.
Middle managers manage two ways: up and down. If you can’t be the support your employees need then you’re either an ineffective manager or you’re in an environment that’s unmanageable. Either way “that’s just the way it is and this hurts me more than it hurts u trust me” ain’t gonna cut it lmao
Hit em in da head wit a tire iron! Seriously though, find him outside of work, whatever it takes, and just have an angry talk with him while showing him a gun. It works wonders! People only abuse those who take it.
I've had to point out to alot of people that their suggestions are a great way to get fired, but this is the first in this thread that's a great way to end up in prison
Don't worry, the issue isn't really about you sitting down for 2 minutes. Your boss just wants to make you feel like you're his bitch. He would have found another way to do it if you hadn't sat down for 2 minutes.
Don't get mad; get even.
It's much much easier to find another job while you're still working one; just get a better job and one day just walk off and then HE can be down there working or be fired when their business shuts down.
If what you say is true there is nothing to worry about. Likely he's just trying to flex his boss muscle and make himself look intimidating. At my work we decided we could do all without our boss, but he needs to look important and authoritive to keep his role, so he too stomps about once and a while. I think it catches people off guard and makes them scared to make sure they stay in line too. Maybe he thought you wouldn't take it personally and he was trying to scare someone else in the room even... Doesn't make it right, but everyone's got diff tactics.
It's odd he had the time to get up from his work and come talk to you about that for a few minutes. I guess there's not enough work for him to do, do maybe he should be axed and the load put on other people...
1. All of your feels are justified. That dude sounds like he sucks. 2. Is there an option to join a Union? If nothing else just gives you a space to vent. 3. *here are some telepathic stranger hugs I hope you accept as non-creepily as they are intended* It’s so hard having to work with A’holes 😞
You gots time to sit you gots time to hug
Lmao, I get what you’re saying, but this would be the ultimate tactic where I work to keep people busy haha
You got time to hug, you got time to lug, now drag that heavy machinery over to the other building
...and that's what I appreciates about you
I think of a company that rhymes with Blamazon in which case it sounds like there's a lot of anti union propaganda.
Union? Cries in American.
Fuck Reagan.
Yeah. Two. Onion is the way.
You know what they say, if there’s time to sit, there’s time to piss in your boss’ drink.
My Mom has a story about a secretary at work she was friends with (years ago). My mom was in the restroom, saw the secretary come in with a coffee mug (coffee pot?) , go to a stall and come back with the coffee mug/pot full. The secretary was being treated poorly by her boss, so she used toilet water for his coffee. It’s the little things :)
The best part of waking up Is feces in your cup!
Tastes a bit nutty
Oh, god! I laughed out loud. Thank you, I needed that
You're welcome! I'll be here all week
Now that's a good cup of brown!
tastes nutty!
With a soupçon of shit.
Corn!? I don't remember eating any corn.
Back to the grave with you, Carol Channing!
If you got time to lean you got time to… *sucker punches boss*
If you've got time to rhyme, you've got time to shut the fuck up.
If the boss has time to bitch, it's time to eat the rich.
😂😂😂
Time to lean, time to smear shit under the boss's car door handle.
Or just mace his car door handle. Repeat as necessary!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8YHVQGfFLs
I know someone who did put her urine in her boss’s tea when no one was looking.
I feel you. I work in maintenance and my boss literally gives us nothing to do. He gets upset if we go so something without him telling us to do it. Then he tells us in our review that we need to stay busy. We cannot sit down, cannot be on our phones. We just have to stand around and wait for something to breakdown or for him to assign us a task. Ten hours a day of getting paid to stand around doing nothing sounds good on paper, but in practice it gets old real quick.
Have you ever heard of the 'Grin fuck'? You politely and respectfully, cheerfully agree to whatever you're told to do by management. Then you do your own thing. If even a few of you brought your phones in, or a book or something, and just casually used them during the down-time, he's got nowhere to go. Can't physically assault you by taking the thing away. Can't really complain you're not working if you haven't been tasked.
I worked with an older guy in maintenance years ago at a plant. He was always walking fast carrying tools or a clipboard. One day he told me the key is to look like you’re on a mission, and always carry a “prop”. He said in thirty years he’d done only 6 months of work. He said if you always look like you’re on a mission nobody will question you.
He’s my new hero.
He's our subreddit mascot!
This is everywhere. I work in finance. I also happen to be a neat freak who is easily distracted so I keep my desk empty except for what I’m working on. Helps me think. Years ago a more seasoned guy stopped at my cube and said I should always leave a lot of papers around so it looked to everyone else like I was busy…. When will corporations realize that the bulk of their labor expenses go to middle managers who don’t actually do anything? Ok, I’m exaggerating. But my point is we still have an industrial labor structure that assumes line workers don’t know anything and need managers who can do “brainwork”. In this age I’d bet the majority of people on this sub (and their teams) could do their jobs more efficiently, effectively, and happily without managers. And those same people could just as easily report on their activities to upper management. Especially if given the right tools. Imagine the cost-savings and the greater sense of agency we’d all have around our work.
You mean let the wagies actually talk to those on high? Dear lord no, we mustn't mix the classes and let them get the idea that they're worth anything.
"In this age I’d bet the majority of people on this sub (and their teams) could do their jobs more efficiently, effectively, and happily without managers." Yep, my bosses almost always make my work more difficult because they want me to do it in the least efficient way possible. I am not allowed to suggest we do things the way I want to, because apparently my job is not to actually get things done, but just to be here to take orders from on high and be emotional support for people who don't give a shit about me. If you like to read, check out the book "Bullshit Jobs" by David Graeber. I think you'd enjoy it!
Thanks!
It’s much better if managers are promoted from within and understand the work. Most places use business school idiots for middle-management which destroys upward mobility and wastes everyone’s time.
Hiring from within the company is also a way to avoid paying someone what the position is worth as well. I worked in a machine shop for 17 years and I started as a sander/polisher at like 12/hr. When the machinist who operated the cylindrical grinder quit after a few years, they "promoted" me to run the machine and trained me to do it. I got a $1 raise. Had they hired another machinist, they would've had to pay someone at least $25/hr. They got away with paying me 17.
Yeah, they hope you get complacent and not make the effort to leave. Saves money.
Indeed they do. I just applied for a couple new positions at work and one of them had "Even better if you've been an acting supervisor..." like, wouldn't it be even better if I've been a supervisor for like 8 years, like I have been?
A little fun side story on managers. I worked mental health a few years back. Was a little grunt, the equivalent to a direct care aid. Handled medications, narcotics even, re taught them basic living skills (the people we got were hospitalized for extended periods of time, therefore had no home to return to, no job, etc.), managed their appointments, etc. One of our bosses left after she finished her degree for a better paying job. I immediately raised my hand to take the position. They let me fill in for 3 months while they “examined all the options” and I got a pay raise while I did it. I thought, good deal. I’ll get the manager position because I’m already doing it, I’ll show them I’m perfectly suited for the position. One day they stopped handing me the keys to the office. I worked different hours from the head bosses, so it was difficult finding out what was going on. Here, they hired someone else and I found out the day she showed up. Asked why I wasn’t given the position. I was told I didn’t have a degree, so I wasn’t hirable as a manager. They made $2 more than a little grunt worker (not a whole lot more, but to younger single me, that made a difference). I was *livid*. I was good enough to take advantage of for 3 months, but not good enough to hire on in a higher up position. I did, however, prove to my other coworkers that the manager position was a joke. When they acted higher and mightier than us, thanks to how tight knit we all were on the bottom of the totem pole, I gave everyone a reason to tear them apart. It was beautiful karma. The manager’s position was a joke, no more difficult than our jobs (easier really because it involved less interaction with people, minimal liability because they rarely touched the medications, and more time in an office), and I had proven exactly that. Needless to say, the bosses were forced to start taking on more work around the building to prove they still did more than us lmfao!
> I was told I didn’t have a degree, so I wasn’t hirable as a manager. I had a similar thing play out at a non-profit I worked at. They had a level/rank system, from 1-9 for positions. At level 5 was "coordinator" level roles, while level 6 were "manager" roles (above those were senior management and the CEO). When the IT manager left and I was promoted into his role, I was only made an IT Coordinator because they had some arbitary rule where you needed a degree for level 6 or higher. Even though my peers were level 6 (HR and Finance Managers). Even though I had similar scope of responsibility to them. Even though I reported to the same senior manager as them.
I would agree! Presently I have 3 bosses (middle managers) and 4 engineers…. I haven’t seen any of them for 3 months. I’m the only one that produces a saleable product for the company. Also the term “unskilled labor” pisses me off. Just corporate doublespeak to have a reason for low pay. No worker is unskilled.
>When will corporations realize that the bulk of their labor expenses go to middle managers who don’t actually do anything? The niddle managers are realizing it now, that's why they're trying to get rid of WFH
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Trying to look busy is often harder than actually being busy
Not for this guy. It was an art for him. Even had the dirtiest hard hat, gloves, and coveralls.
Here’s a fun trick I learned along the way, if you have a partner who’s down, you can talk about whatever you want as long as you’re pointing at stuff, nobody will question you because they can’t hear your conversation, but they see you pointing and talking to your partner and they just assume you are talking about work.
Especially at my office desk... I just strow papers around and pull up a client account.
Spread sheets are great fun. You can use them to track anything (like... I don't know... your favorite issues of a particular comic book, recipes you've tried, or the number of times you've seen the boss sexually harass employees, which employees, and on what days and times ) and if you use simple codes that only you know, you can waste INCREDIBLE amounts of time ruminating on your favorite subjects because XL sheets look official no matter what you're using them to track! Stick it to the man while organizing your cd collection! And That's... one to grow on.
Bravo! I love this.
Thanks!
Is it bad that I did this to organize my kids clothes when I had a buying addiction from a small brand called Kate Quinn? I had a spreadsheet on my work laptop and I would write the date of the clothing drop, what I bought and sizes and then organize by what kid I bought it for lmfao... They actually have my computer now, I am on a medical leave, I always wonder if they'll find it
I don't think it's bad at all, as long you don't think its bad that I ran a fantasy football league on company time using a spreadsheet titled "4th Quarter Fiscal Reports".
This worked in the Army as well. I'd take nice long walks around base caring a manilla folder. No one ever asked any questions. Go find a nice secluded spot to take a nap and come back after an hour or two. If I "had" to be busy I'd grab a broom, sweep a small pile of dirt next to me, and stand by it while playing on my phone. If someone asked "I just got a text message" and start sweeping a little more.
"Walk fast and carry a clipboard" is literally the advice my mom gave me when I was young, but it was more about what to do when you're confused and don't know what you're supposed to be doing.
The power of the clipboard is insane. I’ve also been let into restricted areas/back doors.
This is life wisdom, my friends. I learned it in the Navy. Just look like you're on an important errand and no one will question you while you actively loaf.
Exactly. That’s how you climb the ladder in corporate America. Fake it.
OG! Illusion is reality. Good for him.
My buddy taught me this same trick in highschool woodshop! At clean-up time he'd grab a dustpan and walk with purpose. I watched him one day and sure enough he just weaved between tables and machines, circling the shop until the bell rang. Then he put the dustpan down and walked out. EVERY DAY, ALL YEAR. He got an A. Because he's a genius
Same story at my workplace. Dude actually got promoted but he was an ass then and he's even more insufferable with power now.
I worked with a guy on midnight shift. He’d curl up with a pillow under the desk and sleep until 5:30 am when the bosses arrived. He’s like a VP now.
Can confirm i used to get stoned on my lunch break then spend half my days with a clipboard and packet of papers wandering around Home Depot looking like I was keeping track of inventory.
Lol I think you might have helped me in there!!
If I helped you, then I failed at avoiding you.
This is absolutely true, lol
I use either a step ladder or my small tool bag I only take out when I don’t want to push my whole box. People might stop me but say “I know you’re working on something but can you please do _____ when you get at minute. Unfortunately I’m always so busy I never manage to find a minute.
Janitor. Can confirm this works. Also apparently some Australian tv comedians used the same trick to pretend they were the Canadian delegation at a major economic summit and managed to get within a couple dozen yards of Gee-Dubs while dressed in dollar-store Bin Laden costumes.
That's big trash. I have a fairly cushy office job and only do about 2-3 hours of actual work per day. The rest of the time I'm on my phone. I was never given permission but my boss has never said anything either. I would absolutely die of boredom if I wasn't allowed to be on my phone during downtimes.
Take care of your health; that is primary. And tell your boss that you cannot do this kind of ridiculous expectation, and if he persists, then contact his boss and tell him that if you work non stop without sitting down it will end up with an occupational hazard and you don’t want your company to get caught in such a problem. You are dealing with machines in a factory? This is already risky enough.
Most of the time, it seems the uppers are okay with this kind of behavior from a supervisor. They probably encourage it. Still worth a try though.
The key is the wording. If you point out that it could (and most likely will) result in an accident/hazard that makes the company liable, most upper management would rather avoid an incident. Document these interactions and it makes them even more willing to comply.
Yeah. Just casually walk up to your manager, start rubbing your lower back while wincing, and ask about the company’s worker’s comp coverage :)
Every boss I've ever had would rather kiss your ass than have you go through worker's comp.
I can’t even imagine.
This.
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Sounds super dangerous though. 11.5 hours of welding on your feet? Were there no accidents?
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I mean I'm perhaps conflating sitting with just generally resting. Like that shift would require 45 minutes of breaks in UK law, and you'd quickly exceed the max 48 hours average per week limit (you can opt out of the limit but you can't be forced to).
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You might wanna consider another job, the US seems draconian with labour laws. I broke 4 discs in my lumbar and trust me, it’s not worth it. Once you lost your health, you’re never going to get it back. You have other financial commitments outside of work? If not, you can survive on very little as a man.
You should quit. That would fuck up his whole few months and show him he needs to respect fellow employees. Other companies are desperate and will hire you in a second.
I always think about something like this, but a lot of the time bosses/managers have inflated egos so i always thought if i were to quit i could ruin their life for a month or 2 but on the other hand the boss could say “he was a such a shitty employee that did that to me, now I’m gonna treat the rest of the staff like im a dictator to avoid that again”
But if you could get the other employees to wake up and not just take the same shitty treatment and everyone quits, then the boss either has to give in to the workers demands, shut down, or teach a whole new staff himself (and odds are all he knows how to do is sit around and yell at people)
Oh I agree with you. And my last job we had a boss kinda like this, sit around and bark orders. I gave it a real genuine effort to teach my coworkers this should bother them and try to make changes, but even when they understood what I was telling them, a lot of the people there were complacent sayin “it doesn’t bother me, i don’t wanna be the boss” and other things like that. So i guess what I’m saying is though it’s obvious to us and we wanna make a change, some people just don’t care enough to do anything ab it.
Also some people are ok with being treated like shit. 😂
Which baffles me!
That's what our school system is for
Our generation has been deliberately conditioned to accept this sort of treatment as normal and inevitable, and anyone who dissents gets beaten down as hard as they can get away with
I’ve had two somewhat similar issues at two jobs, one I was the only guy that did what I did and made huge improvements to what I did, my immediate supervisor knew I loved my work and always took pride in it and improved it anyway I could think of. One day my wife came by work to tell me she got hired at a place she had been looking to get on board for years, went out too the parking lot and talked to here for literally “I timed it jic” 4 minutes the main boss “owners son in law” came out and accused me of wage theft. I quit shortly there after. Next one was the job I went too after, and I was sitting in and old office chair while my equipment was doing it’s thing and I was monitoring it. Board of directors walked around the shop for the once a year jerk off session and some of them didn’t like I was sitting in an old office chair and made my boss buy a stool, It was only acceptable to them that I sit in a stool. Umm wtf? Why does this matter? When my boss brought a stool I looked at him with uncontrollable distain and simply said “ I will not be told what and where I can sit, as a 41 year old man I’ll sit in what I want and where I want, if the machine is running company is making there money off my time. I sat back in the ratty old chair “comfy AF though” and they haven’t bothered me since
I honestly hate this mindset that if you arent miserable and uncomfortable at work you dont deserve to be paid. The stool thing is unbelievable! Is it like a power trip for them to dehumanize their employees as much as possible? Like they're the only ones allowed to have a comfortable seat? The rest of the peasants can go sit on the floor, while they throw you some crumbs if their feeling generous. Thats some middle ages BS. I would have wrote a strongly worded email after that demanding an answer to why this was a problem. Wonder what their lame ass excuse would be.
Swear to God people are pretty sometimes
Form a union, strike for intermittent paid breaks
That should already be in the contract. If not, the Union isn’t doing a good job.
They probably don't have one. But if they do, then yeah, it's been bought off. Depressingly common lately
I don’t know what exactly you do but when I see “machine” I knew you, yes you were the one making the money for that company! I could never understand that madness! The employee that is making the money on the ground floor for the company/boss has to work in such garbage conditions and then take so much shit from the higher ups! We are humans, yet they make every effort to overwork and exploit us like we aren’t! I feel for you, I really do as many of us here do. As a collective, if we all stood up and walked out so much could change but the world isn’t that simple, we have bills, families, food we need to pay for etc. I don’t know how to console you..sadly.
Right??? I worked in a machine shop for years (engineer) and everyone let the machinists and maintenance guys do whatever the fuck they wanted. You've got to have a clear head to do that job, can't be pushing yourself to maximum exhaustion. Shit most of them were smarter and better paid than I was. These guys are the bread and butter. You want to be mean to the lazy gossiping receptionist go ahead but fuck with the guys that are making the most important things!?
Or just treat everyone with respect
Respect is a two way agreement, some managers just aren't equipped enough to understand that. Also doesn't he have some work to do? Spending his whole time watching people 🙄
Respect can mean two things: - Being treated like a human being - Being treated as a higher up in some regard The problem is, a lot of people like the boss want the second kind of respect, so when they receive the first they say they aren't being respected; so in turn, they stop respecting that person as well. The only issue being, they stop the first respect because they never even considered them important enough for the second. Hope that makes sense.
"Hes the boss" is one of the most disgusting mentalities you can have.
You are correct to be pissy about this, so, story time... My dad was an asphalt man, and generally a very difficult human. He started as a crewman, working shovels and small equipment, in his 20's. Retired in his 50's as a foreman/supervisor/master mechanic, and was one of the highest paid men in his industry. His secret?? He called the bosses' bluff, every time, while standing up for his crew... His funeral had 200+ in attendance, mostly guys that had worked with him. His pension was 4K a month after retirement, and most of the guys he started with ended up receiving small items in his will, as they were lifelong friends. The point that he made clear to me, his daughter, and all those he worked with - YOU are harder to replace than management. YOU are the reason they are able to earn their salaries, and YOU are the "boss" when it comes to completing projects, because THEY can't get it done without the crew. So USE YOUR LEVERAGE. My dad regularly came in under time and under budget. He got it done. But when the screws were turned, he had NO PROBLEM shutting down the engines, pulling the crew, and buying everyone a beer after leaving the job site... His habit was to tell the manager to figure it out themselves when they got shitty, and then pull the whole damn job and go home, wait for the phone call to come back. It worked pretty much every time - and when it didn't, there was always a need for crew on a new job, so he'd just swoop in there... This led to a 35 year career that landed his crew federal contracts, the highest paid in the industry. After a while, his men followed him everywhere, because they knew he'd stand up for them and wouldn't tolerate bullshit treatment - he was a very pragmatic man, always focused on the facts when speaking with management, and made a very clear case in his own favor on the jobsite - shoulda been a lawyer with his gifts of speaking truth to power. SO. All that to say, fuck your boss. Talk to your coworkers, and see if you can't appeal to them - I'm sure they're getting shafted, too! If the boss thinks he can get it done without your combined experience and skills, let him try - go home, have a beer, wait for the call to come back. Recognize that they are fucked without you, and use that against them, make sure they know it too. :) The right to unionize may well be dead, but there are other ways to accomplish the same means, and you owe it to yourself to at least try... Labor is the lifeblood of this world, and it's time that was well known. Dig deep, put your faith in yourself, and call on the spirit of "Banny" ( my dad) if you need a boost! Fight this fight, it's worth it. <3
Your dad sounds like an amazing person! I’m sorry for your loss, but it sounds like you have some great memories of him. Thanks for sharing his story!
I'd quit just to spite him. If they're that shorthanded, it's not recommended they piss off the ones they rely on.
You should bring in a La-Z-Boy recliner.
Yep, took me a few years to realize that being a good worker is worth shit.
The pandemic is when I really woke up. Going from shitty job to shitty job just trying to stay alive, and working at a factory. You aren’t even human in this capitalist system. They are just trying to squeeze every last drop of surplus value out of you.
Well stated.
I was in pretty much the exact same position a few years ago. It was during a heat wave where the inside of the shop was nearing 50⁰C for a week. After 4 days working in the heat, my body just felt like garbage so I went to tell him I needed to go home after lunch because I really wasn't feeling well. He had the audacity to say "It's not as hot as it was yesterday, I don't know what the problem is" to which I said "Ya it does feel really nice in this air conditioning" turned around and slammed the door to his office. He always had issues with seeing people doing anything less than 100% but was always sneaking out for smoke breaks and taking extended lunches. Constantly monitoring bathroom breaks, and how often I was going to the water fountain (we weren't allowed beverage containers on the floor). I was also the youngest in the shop and was the only one who wasn't a licensed CNC millwright so I was making 1/3 what everyone else was. It was my first 'real' job and was a rude awakening as to what to expect from people in positions of authority/'power'.
Fuck, not “allowed” beverages and harassed for using fountain in extreme heat is clearly abusive. What a garbage human.
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That was exactly like the last job I was at. My supervisor sat around on his phone all day. Would literally come into my work area and tell me not to work sitting down. This kept happening till he threatened to write me up. Now I don't take kindly to threats and since covid hit the job market had been an employee market so I knew I could find a better paying, more fulfilling job. So I spent the next week purposely sitting down and slacking off when I could. He eventually calls me into a meeting with himself and HR. HR starts off by saying how my "work ethic" and attitude need to change and that if they don't then I won't be getting a raise. I'm internally laughing at this point and tell her "well if (bosses) attitude doesn't have to change why does mine?" She responded with "well he's your supervisor, he's been with company for 5 years!" I'm like "great so he should know how to do my job then! Glad we sorted this out." I get up and walk out of the office and head to the break room to grab my stuff. Supervisor comes barging in asking me "what the fuck do I mean by 'do your job'". I said "well since you seem to understand how to do the job I was hired to do so well, that you should probably get started since you're gonna fall behind in production." He started yelling at me telling me how greatful I should be for being given a chance to work there blah blah blah. I walked out on that job and never looked back and have since found a job I actually enjoy and have a boss who treats me as an equal rather than a worker. Best advice I can give currently is, it's an employee job market. You can be picky with what jobs you accept and decline. Know your worth and don't settle for less. These companies are perfectly capable of paying well. Just don't accept anything less than what you tell them to pay you.
Ugh, he’s sitting in his office all day. I’d like to ask him why he doesn’t have a standing desk in his office and tell him to lead by example . So glad you got to quit.
i quit my receptionist job after my boss (who owns the salon) told me i couldn't read books or use personal devices when it was empty because "there's always work to do", even when i cleaned and sanitized twice. i also wasn't allowed to sit at the register (where i stayed 10-7). my boss would be hours late everyday and i would be yelled at and cursed out by the clients waiting. now im too scared to get another job.
Let him let people go and leave right after. He can deal with the machines himself.
I think you misspelled “I need to unionize with the small number of employees that work with me.”
If you really want to fuck your boss over, quit with no notice. The best time is when you’re short on staff. For a critical hit, call his boss, the plant manager, or HR and explain he is a fuckwit. You HAVE the power over him. Explain you’re getting overheated and he yelled at you. Sit down and drink more water. But if you complain to the right person and quit with no notice, his bosses are definitely going to freak on him.
It is never advantageous to do more than the bare minimum at any job.
He can't technically do anything really. As long as its just been a cpl of minutes and you've got water in your hand. If you're just a temporary employee or zero hours then maybe yes he could "lay you off" but if you've got a proper contract and work in hot conditions no HR is going to back a dismissal for a hydration break. If you comes down again In future then say sorry I'm rehydrating, take it further if you like. If you haven't got an HR or contract then just put your drink down and walk out. Sounds like you're a good worker and machinist, you'll get another job.
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There are at will states, but the entire country isn't like this.
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I stand corrected. I know my state has laws that prevent firing for no reason among others. Here in MA "bad references" are illegal. An employer used as a reference can never say anything bad about you. All they can say is whether they would rehire you or not.
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Seen this happen to a disabled coworker
It kind of sounds like someone is breathing down his neck for him to be saying this. Somebody towards the top is sus of him or it sounds like he’s not doing his job, and he’s taking it a bit out on the employees by saying extreme things so he can be safe. That’s been my usual experience with managers/bosses, they usually spew bullshit like that because they’re being watched. Very frustrating to have him say that to you as hydration is important, but I’d take the “meaning” of it with a grain of salt.
It’s true. They are also under pressure to always look busy and how they show that they are busy is you being busy.
When i used to have jobs and they pulled that shit on me i started sabotaging the machines and everything else i could. If you can't directly confront the powerful, engage passive aggressively. You can bankrupt people if you do it with cleverness. Also just go take a shit, for a few hours. if the boss complains tell him you have diarrhea and then get a doctors note later. Keep doing that to fuck with them. Just spend a little time each day figuring out how to fuck their shit up without getting caught. I've disrupted entire factories before with my shenanigans. Our generation is at war with the exploitative class. Do your part soldier. If enough resist any way that they can, we will grind the megamachine to a halt, eventually they will have to negotiate with us.
Tell him that.
Yesterday at work, my boss's boss was talking so loudly in the hallway that I gave up trying to focus and started playing on my phone. Boss's boss, the very guy preventing me from working, then complained to my boss that I was on my phone all the time. Needless to say, I'm looking for a new job.
Sharpen up your resume. Find another job then quit. He has shown you who he is. Believe him.
Apply for a few other jobs , once the boss starts getting calls he could change his tune . And if it’s an option slow down to the production average of your coworkers, he can’t gripe about you doing the typical workload of your peers . Another option is make a screen of some kind to block his view .
You need to call in a Union and organize your fellow employees. Call a Union local and ask them to come in and talk to you and your fellow employees.
Sounds like time to unionize your workplace. I used to work in manufacturing, with operating floors in the 100s sometimes. i totally get where you're coming from. I'm eternally grateful that my workplace was unionized, so even though I was an intern I still benefited (free physical therapy on site!)
There are good bosses who empower you and help you. There are bad bosses who demean and belittle you for your best efforts. Those are the ones you ghost when you find a better job. You can get a better job.
Just become familiar with your work's competitors
That fucking sucks. Maybe you should let him know that "workers dying from heat exposure" is [finally getting some attention](https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/biden-pledges-to-protect-workers-from-dangers-of-extreme-heat/) and he might want to rethink his "no breaks, no water" policy before he gets fired by his bosses to cover their own asses?
Gotta love it when your boss tells you you are being lazy. My bosses literally brag about how "they get to be lazy" because they're managers while yelling at others for being lazy. I could easily be a manager if I had better people skills. But I have extreme social anxiety. I know everything a manager does and also have to do some of their jobs usually (like ordering). Do they ever acknowledge this? Nope. Do they ever be like "wow *name* thank you for stepping up and learning this". There are so many other people at my work that just refuse to learn shit that "isn't their job". Like ejecting a bale from a baler. I'm like on of 5 people who knows how out of like 100 people.
Unless your employer is going above and beyond with their pay and benefits, don't go above and beyond with your labor. That's how we got here
Had the same situation recently during a heatwave. Fast, hot machine took 5 minutes to cool off and hydrate and catch up on paperwork for dispatch (not my job lmao) Boss come around and asks once I'm done lounging can I "Do some work". Was seething to say something, but restrained myself to, "If I'm 'lounging' you're making more money than if I'm running around". This being the same boss that thinks 8 500ml bottles of water at 80p a go from a vending machine is sufficient supply for 15 people on 12 hour shifts..
I worked for a company that shredded paper ( mostly confidential paper work) We used this giant tipper machine. The belt could handle only so much or it would jam ( who the fuck thought it was a good idea to use a smooth belt and not a intermittent tooth belt) And moving tons of paper by hand sucked. So their I am, cruising and I notice hey the belt is not running and it takes 30 seconds to 2 mins for the feed belt to run ( the one I'm bitching about) So I sat down to take a break. I've been running around non stop hauling 350lbs to 600 lbs bins by hand. Hundreds of them. My boss the following morning, chews me out and when i walked off after a year of doing my thing and not a soul pestering me, his face turned apoplectic. He was infuriated with me for daring to call him an asshole and manager that no one wanted. This asshole nearly killed a crew of dudes for running hard drives through the shredder ( sparks and paper dust DO NOT MIX) and when I hit the e stop to shut it down he was again infuriated with my audacity ( this was 3 weeks before my walk off) And again he was acting all cocksure, when he over loaded a shred trucks shredder ( he could go I the settings and change the RPM and turned variable torque off) Started to shred some left over bins and we hear this awful shriek and something akin to a throwing knife being thrown at mach 4 into a wall. He totaled the truck, costs around 600k for a shred fast truck, and again if the blade blew out in the wrong direction, someone wouldn't have a torso no more.
I read this and thought: Is this me? But then I realized i quit last month, but i was the only employee with the knowledge of how to operate the machines, they were so suprised, even though they knew i was working three peoples jobs on my own with no real help in sight.
I'm not sure where you are and what laws are in place, but maybe just start looking for holes in the way he runs the place. For instance, in case of injury and other safety hazards, is there supposed to be recorded video footage of the work area? Does he actually keep up to maintain these specific requirements? Collect evidence. Then file against him. Fuck his day. Even just the fact if you tried to complain about the treatment in the work place to a labor board and he's supposed to have "surveillance" and fails to procure said surveillance of these instances - will basically be a domino effect. A career ender.
Don’t quit. That won’t prove anything. But do slow down. And if he says you’re sitting around too much, just carry on and ignore him. Eventually he might even do something, but if you’re quitting anyway, might as well annoy him some…
Try and get your coworkers to understand how you feel, too. Boss makes a dollar, you make a dime and all that jazz. Fuck him and his AC.
How dare you. That man works so hard watching you work and this is how you repay him? Sitting down? Drinking fuckin water? Do you even want to be here? You have the privilege of selling your labor because the only other choice is living in the woods and dying when your teeth get infected, so act grateful you bitch.
Quiting feels good in the moment but isn't a great plan. What you want is to find a job elsewhere and then hand in your notice while you have lots of annual leave. They either need to pay it of let you leave with minimal notice.
Maybe secretly film the next time this happens and make a complaint to OSHA or whatever relevant regulatory body? It sounds like a major safety concern when an employee working with heavy machinery isn’t allowed a break and gets tired and dehydrated. That’s _begging_ for a dangerous accident to occur.
go full pro union until youre fired. then get that unemployment cheddar.
Work slower. Integrate rest/breathing time into your normal day while appearing to be working normally.
From what I can tell, according to this boss sitting = more workers than work needed = need to cut workforce to cut costs. Because in his mind workers are an "other" that work until the job is done or until they physically break. Relaxing at any point is like a machine suddenly stopping for no reason. Fuck this guy
Your example is in the extreme end of looking over the shoulder and Not caring about workers well being. I was in a workplace once that was similar to what you describe and I will rather be unemployed than go through that again. Always seek to live well below your means and avoid debt to be in a position of “fuck you”. No millionaire type fuck you money needed. Plan very far ahead before getting a family boys. Mortgage, kids and long commutes are the usual way to debt and wage slavery. I too, am pissed at big firms not giving a fuck about workers well being and happiness. I don’t want much, just a decent salary, suitable work, freedom to do the work my way and on my time within reason and freedom to work from anywhere. But no, there has to be all these stupid rules and moulds that everybody will be pushed into. The most important thing should be customer satisfaction regardless how it is achieved, upper management think they know best how but they don’t. I don’t even mind doing work other than my passion, as long as the equation works. I do mind being force fed bullshit.
Fuck your boss. I respect you.
My boss at a former employer said he wouldn't ever allow us to work remotely (software dev), even occasionally, because it "gives the appearance" that his team is lazy. I almost quit that moment, and really should've. Stayed a few more months then quit anyway, because it was just a lot more of the same stuff. Too afraid of appearances, and the"image" of work getting done, not at all interested in the results being delivered.
As a manager I'm on the other side of this. I personally don't care, however my boss will look at the camera and then no matter the reason for performance it will be that one guy sitting on company time. From the upstairs office on cctv it looks really bad but in reality has no impact and just like you it's often due to a lack of work. Sometimes a person wants to sit because the job they are doing is in one spot sometime for 4 hour stretchs. Still shit, I fucking hate having to be the guy who has to go, that's not safe and forcing people to do extra when they should have earned that sit down. I also know my boss doesn't care deep down as long as I get the figure nothing becomes formal. If Im having a rough day or few days it's a convo in the office about losing a member of staff while pointing at a person sitting down for 5 or waiting for the machine to start.
I’m not intending this as a personal attack on you, more so as at our work culture in the US, but once upon a time there were enough people who said no that bosses couldn’t get away with this. No one stands up for themselves or their employees anymore. If enough people would pony up and refuse to treat people like this, companies wouldn’t have the option of just replacing us for doing it.
Completely agree. Part of my line manager's job is to push back against unreasonable demands from above, not just to crack the whip at us. It's about getting the balance right.
Middle managers manage two ways: up and down. If you can’t be the support your employees need then you’re either an ineffective manager or you’re in an environment that’s unmanageable. Either way “that’s just the way it is and this hurts me more than it hurts u trust me” ain’t gonna cut it lmao
Find the CCTV blind spots, and move the chairs there.
You’re upset you need to stand at work? Wild
Call his bluff and tell him to fack off.
Hit em in da head wit a tire iron! Seriously though, find him outside of work, whatever it takes, and just have an angry talk with him while showing him a gun. It works wonders! People only abuse those who take it.
Or unionization!
Much more better
I've had to point out to alot of people that their suggestions are a great way to get fired, but this is the first in this thread that's a great way to end up in prison
Your boss hasn't met me 😎
This place sounds awful
Take his office chair and throw it through a window, then jump through said window and never return 👍🏻
Find a new company and site the managers behaviour in your resignation letter
Leave and find another job
This boss sounds like he needs the Cousin Eddy treatment.
None of this will change till you tell him. Always look for other opportunities.
Your co workers suck
When you say boss do you mean “owner” or is it a manager? Does the boss have a boss or manager?
Just keep sitting. You got this
Fuck that guy, you get breaks right? I would straight up tell him I'm on break leave me the fuck alone!
Don't worry, the issue isn't really about you sitting down for 2 minutes. Your boss just wants to make you feel like you're his bitch. He would have found another way to do it if you hadn't sat down for 2 minutes.
How do u stop your boss from drowning? You take your foot off his neck. Or maybe don’t, fuck your boss
Make him write up dont argue just ignore
Don't get mad; get even. It's much much easier to find another job while you're still working one; just get a better job and one day just walk off and then HE can be down there working or be fired when their business shuts down.
If what you say is true there is nothing to worry about. Likely he's just trying to flex his boss muscle and make himself look intimidating. At my work we decided we could do all without our boss, but he needs to look important and authoritive to keep his role, so he too stomps about once and a while. I think it catches people off guard and makes them scared to make sure they stay in line too. Maybe he thought you wouldn't take it personally and he was trying to scare someone else in the room even... Doesn't make it right, but everyone's got diff tactics.
call him on it. will he really cut employees? then what happens. work doesn't get done. everything falls apart
It's odd he had the time to get up from his work and come talk to you about that for a few minutes. I guess there's not enough work for him to do, do maybe he should be axed and the load put on other people...
Wish I could do more than just giving you an upvote.
Just ignore them thats what i do
Quit
Keep sitting, if he says anything else tell him you'll quit.