crooked tale primitive doesn't like boss

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x7586785

Weird.

I recall the crooked tale primitive alleging he was an officer with a bank.

How full of wonders, the world; a lying primitive.

The Straight Story  (1000+ posts)       Fri Mar-21-08 01:12 AM
Original message
 
Yo loungers - my boss is a jerk, what would you do....

Ok, so after months of no jobs I took a crap computer job with a small company (about 6 people work there - most are field techs so I rarely see them). I would make as much on unemployment as I do this job, but wanted to work.

First off, it seemed like he would be offering me a decent wage, then told me in an email he would hire me at $12/hr. 12 years experience, so I guess I get a $1 a year.

At any rate, on the app I had to fill out he asked if I smoke. I said yes, figuring it had to do with insurance rates (come to find out, they don't offer insurance).

Basically, he hates smoking and has had 'issues' with smokers in the past, but did not want to pass up hiring me as I had more experience than all his techs combined.

So first week there I get an email. I smell like smoke (and he is not even in my office, has his own and is rarely at our building anyway) and told me that it makes his skin crawl just thinking about me smoking.

Then tells me a client may drive by the office or be there for something and see me smoking, so I should sit in my car in smoke (we have two rooms in a 4 story office complex....).

This week he emails me (second week there) and tells me two other techs have claimed I am taking too many smoke breaks and that a client I was at said I smelled like smoke. I talked with both techs I worked with and neither said anything to him (and they take 2 hour lunches sometimes and are about at wits end with him as well).

And the client I was at - was staffed by a guy of ours who took his smoke breaks with me, smokes pot at lunch, and drinks hard alcohol off and on through the day (showed me his drawer of stuff). And he was with me when we went to see the two people whose systems we had to work on (and he is one of the guys he alluded to that said I took too many smoke breaks - to which I replied, he was over-reacting and that guy took smoke breaks with me) and they didn't say anything about him smelling like smoke (and I think he put that tech there so he would not have to have him at the main office, keep them smokers hidden away somewhere...).

I am hourly, don't take my hour lunch cause I like to break up my breaks, and I work about 3+ hours a night from home on special projects for which I don't get paid.

Overall the guy loves me as I am saving him a ton of money and getting things working for his business that were not before, praises me a ton, and then out of the blue jumps my ass and makes up shit.

I also pointed out that if I go to the bathroom and grab something from the food machine (on another floor) people may think I went out to smoke, but when the other tech at the site does that he does not care how long he is gone...

Why are some people such dicks?

franksolich has always noticed that one gets treated based upon how one treats others.

Anyway.

adsosletter  (1000+ posts)      Fri Mar-21-08 01:20 AM
Response to Original message
 
1. Question....

Does he praise you in e-mail or only "face-to-face?" Is he only keeping an electronic record of criticism for smoking, too many breaks, etc? California is an "at will" state for hiring and firing...but I wonder if he is planning on fighting unemployment claims if he decides to lay you off...

The Straight Story  (1000+ posts)       Fri Mar-21-08 01:28 AM
Response to Reply #1

4. Praises me in both

I have turned around a big investment he made in some software services that fell flat on their face, and will be able to automate much of his managed services.

He is excited at what I am doing - which is why this is so weird to me. My wife called him Jekyll and Hyde (she sees the emails as I log into email at home).

He does not talk much face to face or by phone, he prefers emails and messages.

I get seriously stressed out at work if I am out for a smoke (like I was the other day on my lunch break, which I decided that time to take an hour one and make calls and smoke) and he pulled into the parking lot. Loads of other people from the complex come out and have a smoke at lunch, and some of them we have done work for in the building and I have helped resolve issues.

I get the feeling that when this project is done and a few others he needs me for (coding wise) I will be out - because I will be able to document and automate a lot of things for him.

I have other companies offering me 110k up in san fran area and LA, just not practical for me to move there right now. He is getting a bargain and making my life miserable at the same time - and he knows I caught him in a lie today, and he never replied about it and dropped it (but I dread checking my email now or going out for a smoke or to get some coffee, etc).

franksolich scents something, and it ain't cigarette smoke.

[Chris_]

Why is it that no one else can see these people walk on water. They're always underpaid, overworked and better than everyone else (including the boss) they work with. ALWAYS!

You know, if said company is willing to pay him 110k, they'd also be willing to pay his moving costs. I'll bet with that kind of money there's a pretty significant benefit package. Why the heck wouldn't he want to make things better for his family and himself by taking a job that pays him what he's worth (or at least closer to what he thinks he's worth)?

Cindie