Workplace Gripes – Vent Here! ! (or just share workplace stories)

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

and maybe i say something snide like warning some new
person to not get between ( insert fattest office
worker's name here ) and the cake. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

If I worked with you, you would make me laugh.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tricky line to take. I'd advise against it. Then again, I'm used to working with lawyers.

[katyseagull]

Can we talk for a minute about personal phone calls? If I ran a company I think I would tell my employees to keep their voices down or go use the phone in the conference room. It's getting really ridiculous. How do all these people have so much drama in their lives?

There are several women in my office who talk LIKE REALLY LOUD AND YOU CAN HEAR EVERYTHING THEY ARE SAYING AND WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL PROBLEMS. I don't need to hear what Mike did to Maria again, or what my coworker thought about her sister-in-law over the weekend. And she repeats the same damn story throughout the day to multiple people who call her.

There are a couple men here too who raise their voices quite a bit as soon as they take a phone call. Why do people think they have to shout into a phone?

[DrewDevil]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

I have been to 100 office cake-oriented functions with the same people each time, and I have no clue who does or does not take cake. Nor do I know anyone that would be able to list the cake-takers versus the non-cake-takers.

Except for my old officemate. Him, he notices these things. You'd be his enemy forever.

[/ QUOTE ]

You make a good point. I guess I'm being too self conscious. I realize that no one cares once we leave the room. It's just at the very moment when people are cuttiing the cake and people are passing the slices down the line, and I say "No thanks, none for me." This is usually followed by "WHAT? WHO DOESN'T WANT CAKE? WHY IS KATY NOT EATING CAKE? WHAT'S GOING ON?" And I sort of hate it when all eyes turn to me. It's pretty stupid, I know, but you have to understand that I work with some very obnoxious people.

And it's not like I don't like cake either. I admit I'm just a culinary snob. I do not like store bought cakes which list 200 ingredients on the side of the box. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I have my on-and-off battles with my weight, and I find it amazing that when you tell people you are on a diet, the most common reaction is to try to get you to cheat. "Aw, come on, one piece of cake won't kill ya." etc. Some people go on and on.

I am always polite and just repeatedly decline until they finally let it go, but I've crafted a little response that I may just have to use someday on a particularly obnoxious cake-pusher:

"Okay, that's the fourth time you've tried to cajole me into eating cake. I AM ON A DIET. I don't smoke or drink; fattening foods are my addiction. If I told you I was an alcoholic, would you pester me to get me to have one drink? If I were trying to quit smoking, would you insist I have just one cigarette? I AM TRYING NOT TO EAT FATTENING FOODS. Now I've politely declined your obnoxious pestering three times. Listen carefully: I DO NOT WANT ANY CAKE. LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU OBNOXIOUS JERK."

I can always dream.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
Can we talk for a minute about personal phone calls? If I ran a company I think I would tell my employees to keep their voices down or go use the phone in the conference room. It's getting really ridiculous. How do all these people have so much drama in their lives?

There are several women in my office who talk LIKE REALLY LOUD AND YOU CAN HEAR EVERYTHING THEY ARE SAYING AND WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL PROBLEMS. I don't need to hear what Mike did to Maria again, or what my coworker thought about her sister-in-law over the weekend. And she repeats the same damn story throughout the day to multiple people who call her.

There are a couple men here too who raise their voices quite a bit as soon as they take a phone call. Why do people think they have to shout into a phone?

[/ QUOTE ]

Places I've worked have had restrictive phone policies, and though it kind of sucks, it seems to make sense in a lot of environments. Like, no cell phone use unless on your break, no personal calls, etc. Emergencies allowed, of course.

Sounds really sucky, but there's something weird going on in our society these days -- people seem to think they're entitled to bad behavior. Including yapping on the phone all day at work. It's unbelievably common and can be a real productivity destroyer.

[pryor15]

[ QUOTE ]
There are a couple men here too who raise their voices quite a bit as soon as they take a phone call. Why do people think they have to shout into a phone?

[/ QUOTE ]

i used to do that. of course, i was 5 years old, but still

[quirkasaurus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

and maybe i say something snide like warning some new
person to not get between ( insert fattest office
worker's name here ) and the cake. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

If I worked with you, you would make me laugh.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tricky line to take. I'd advise against it. Then again, I'm used to working with lawyers.

[/ QUOTE ]

over the years, i've toned it down quite a bit and
reserve my best jabs for folks who i already know
can appreciate a good insult, and take it all with
a grain of salt.

one of my favorite lines was over this situation:

one of my co-workers was rather overweight and not so
great looking. someone asked "i wonder what his daughter
looks like..." just throwing up a softball for me...
i said, "just imagine him in drag..." [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[disjunction]

A lot of this cake coercion is less about actually trying to make you eat the cake, and more looking for something to say in a social setting. It's what passes for witty banter in an office.

Some people even like this kind of stuff, and find it comforting.

[disjunction]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
There are a couple men here too who raise their voices quite a bit as soon as they take a phone call. Why do people think they have to shout into a phone?

[/ QUOTE ]

i used to do that. of course, i was 5 years old, but still

[/ QUOTE ]

I bet I raise my voice on the phone for social calls. I can't help it. I am a bad person.

[Blarg]

You know why people have always done that, going back to the days when you really did have trouble hearing people on long distance calls, is that if you can't hear someone, you naturally assume they can't hear you. Same thing with cell phones these days. The speaker is so tiny and positioning so critical -- don't even think about when the connection is bad and voices fade in and out -- that hearing people can be hit and miss. Shouting is the natural response. I don't blame people for it most of the time, since it's so automatic.

Now, doing it when you're settled down in your office rather than walking on the street or something is another matter. That's kind of dumb.

[disjunction]

Yes I know it's dumb, and whenever I notice myself speaking loudly into the phone I stop. But it's just that when I get enthusiastic about things I get loud. This would happen during phone calls, but also if someone stops by to BS.

Nobody ever said anything, but I'm pretty sure the guy in the neighboring office must have hated me for it. On the other hand, I used to get interrupted every other day to sign for packages meant for him, because he always kept his door locked, afraid that people would steal his oscilloscopes. As if anybody wanted his stupid oscilloscopes. So I think dealing with my loud voice was a fair trade.