People Suck - Time for another Rant

Lavender Room
1

I flew to Shelby NC on Monday night for an in person board meeting. We stated at 8 and I headed to the airport about 6:30 pm. I got in just after mid-night, so I’m tired. On the way to the airport (car service),I get an email from a low level supervisor (straight to me, he skipped everyone in his chain), and demanded a meeting with me today to discuss his salary. To cut to the chase, the number he is asking for is about 3% below my base salary as the GM.

Then I wake up this morning to a text message from my (ex) Quality Manager (sent at 1:42 am) resigning. “I have a better job and will be taking it immediately.” HR says he won’t answer his phone or respond to text messages. They can handle that mess. He had only worked her for less than 3 months.

Finally, the straw that broke the camel’s preverbal back, our Econoline van was stripped last night. They took the catalytic converter, gas tank, doors, seats, front bumper, and wheels. We have it on the security feed and they waved at the camera before they started. Big balls.

This is the kind of 24 hours that puts a weaker GM in a clock tower with a high powered rifle.

So, anyone want to compare their last 24 hours with mine?

2

You win.

Yesterday my secretary called a potentially new patient. I took her on as what I thought was an act of compassion as I am too busy already. Elderly with Parkinson’s disease. She wanted to know if I was “an English doctor”. She also asked if I was Indian or Pakistani. Also my age. My secretary told her those were inappropriate questions. The lady then claimed that she wasn’t a racist but that she wanted to know because she liked to collect ethnic recipes. I told the secretary to tell her she wouldn’t be a good fit for the practice. Some people do suck .

We also had an ex university professor of psychology drop off and angry letter with all sorts of insults in it. I fired him because he told my secretary I was an idiot because I didn’t immediately order a test he wanted after concluding it was essential by playing google doctor.

But we also saw some great people. A ex biker dude who is very friendly and periodically gifts me pieces of wood from his back shed for projects. The guy is 350 lbs and age is really catching up to him. Also a nicer gentleman in his 70s with his wife of the same age. She has MS and got dementia. She started getting aggressive and punched another resident in rest home. He was very grateful we were able to settle her without making her a zombie. He visits her daily at the home.

3

There was a kid sort of wondering around the gym this morning, talking to himself, generally acting a bit crazy, but I guess that’s more just unfortunate not so much people suck. Otherwise all other people I’ve been in contact with the last 24 hours have been fine.

4

That’s rough, I’m sorry to hear. Will your insurance cover the van theft/vandalism?

Did you also post a thread not too long ago about another employee and their compensation gripes?

I’ve no idea about your salary tiers so I can’t comment on the 3% below GM’s salary.

But if there’s multiple employees in a short period of time unhappy with compensation and leaving, and two immediately after a recent meeting (were major decisions made?), it would make me wonder. And perhaps be a bit more introspective.

Is it an issue with communication? Managing expectations? Unrealistic on either end?

Not saying that is absolutely it, but youve had multiple threads as of late with multiple employees unhappy and leaving, would be irresponsible to not have an internal look.

Hope it all turns around soon. It’s hump day!

ETA: No clue how large the company is. So its possible that a few employees in a large company is nothing much. But if smaller then it might say more.

5

I have read many of your posts over the years. While annoying due to the timing, none of these 3 issues are too big for you. Someone wants a large raise right this fucking minute. Tantrums and demands result in exits. Another just started and found a better job. Good luck and bye. Thieves. Oh well. Let insurance deal with it and your secretary can deal with the insurance company.

Get some coffee. Clear your head. Have a good board meeting. Smile, it helps.

6

I flew to Shelby NC on Monday night for an in person board meeting. We stated at 8 and I headed to the airport about 6:30 pm. I got in just after mid-night, so I’m tired. On the way to the airport (car service),I get an email from a low level supervisor (straight to me, he skipped everyone in his chain), and demanded a meeting with me today to discuss his salary. To cut to the chase, the number he is asking for is about 3% below my base salary as the GM.

Then I wake up this morning to a text message from my (ex) Quality Manager (sent at 1:42 am) resigning. “I have a better job and will be taking it immediately.” HR says he won’t answer his phone or respond to text messages. They can handle that mess. He had only worked her for less than 3 months.

Finally, the straw that broke the camel’s preverbal back, our Econoline van was stripped last night. They took the catalytic converter, gas tank, doors, seats, front bumper, and wheels. We have it on the security feed and they waved at the camera before they started. Big balls.

This is the kind of 24 hours that puts a weaker GM in a clock tower with a high powered rifle.

So, anyone want to compare their last 24 hours with mine?

True, many people do suck. But, I will point out that two of the people you say suck, were people that you had some responsibility for bringing into your life. As the GM, you and your people hired both of the employees you say suck so you had your chance to first, screen them out as people that would not be good fits for your team. Also, you had the chance to train them properly, treat them like valued team members and make them valuable members of your team that wanted to continue working for you. Just something to reflect on.

The van, well those punks really do suck. Sorry about that. Hope your insurance takes care of it and it is not that big of an inconvenience being without it while it is being fixed/replaced.

7

Got any calling in sick and doing this?

called in sick.jpg

8

To cut to the chase, the number he is asking for is about 3% below my base salary as the GM.

I’ll go out on a limb and guess the bonus structure is nowhere near the same ballpark.

People leaving because they get paid more now suck? How so? Are you saying your company keeps employing people after they have a use for them out of kindness? Corporations and their people have a very clear arrangement, while you pay me I work here, if either of us no longer have a use for the other, I stop working here. You have told us about three times in a couple months of people who want more money than you think is reasonable. I’d bet all three have you on the list of people who suck. One man’s trash kind of deal.

Three of my direct co-workers lost their job a week and a half ago. I’m betting their last 24 hours were worse than yours. My boss and her boss both directly told us the numbers in no way justify it. Her boss might be looking for the exit soon, He directly told us in a meeting with at least a dozen people in it that the people making these decisions “were just not good people” and “these are just bad decisions”. Those people are two and three levels above him. The only one higher is the CEO. I have never heard anyone at his level say such a thing and neither has anyone I’ve talked to.

9

Got any calling in sick and doing this?

That’s just dumb management, you request a doctor’s note and pull up the address of the place they send you. If they’re such a psych job that they photoshop a prior real note, then you’ve got someone bored in a role they’re over qualified for.

As for the OP, sorry to hear about the van and issues. I tell folks in our group with me that the factory will make the product tomorrow if you die today, so you have to watch out for yourself and your family. No freebies to the company, but also don’t cheat obviously. In other words, nobody in a company at the end of the day truly gives a fuck about you. So why care for them?

Basically “no honor amongst thieves” and all that noise.

10

A little education for people that do not work in big companies in high management roles.

Salaries are generated by the VP of HR and sent to all the different company’s HR departments. They list a minimum and maximum for all salaries in an hourly format. Each is adjusted for the cost of living in the area you are in, and they are adjusted for the COLA every year in November. That is the guideline that managers use to give raises or promotions. You can’t exceed either limit without prior approval above me, I have to request it, and I have to justify it. I have done that a few times and rarely win. If I’m working within the approved salary range the call is mine. Hourly compensation is done the same way with a few differences - Union houses obviously have to work within that contract, and some high demand jobs (machinists) can be exceeded with my approval.

The only time the above normally comes in to play is when someone working a lot of hours in an hourly job gets promoted into a management salary role. I’m not allowed to promote someone and pay them less. There are ways I have gotten around that in the past, but neither of these gentlemen fall into that category.

Bonuses are performance based and are a percentages of your base salary. Then you get a percentage of that based on your evaluation - The more you make the more you can get, and the better you perform the more you do get. Certain jobs automatically qualify for a PB and that is in the same document that I discussed above. Those are cooperate level bonus and not paid from my budget.

Then there are bonuses that are part of employment contracts for people who hold positions that do not automatically qualify. Those bonuses are considered “local” and come out of my operating budget. I approve or disapprove based on several considerations. They are paid in the same way, as a percentage of your salary, and then as a percentage of your performance.

Some companies pay that bonus at Christmas. I have control over when all the bonuses are paid, but they all have to paid at the same time. I pay them on the first payday in February so that can be combined with performance reviews that must be done in January. This prevents 2 reviews covering the same ground.

The QA Manager is a cooperate controlled bonus position, and the shop supervisor is not in either program. The former was hired under my watch, and the latter had been here for a few years when I started. Neither has ever came up on my radar as a problem child.

Yes, the world I move in is different than most people. Long ago I exceed the annual income that allows for a Roth IRA.

11

A little education for people that do not work in big companies in high management roles.

Salaries are generated by the VP of HR and sent to all the different company’s HR departments. They list a minimum and maximum for all salaries in an hourly format. Each is adjusted for the cost of living in the area you are in, and they are adjusted for the COLA every year in November. That is the guideline that managers use to give raises or promotions. You can’t exceed either limit without prior approval above me, I have to request it, and I have to justify it. I have done that a few times and rarely win. If I’m working within the approved salary range the call is mine. Hourly compensation is done the same way with a few differences - Union houses obviously have to work within that contract, and some high demand jobs (machinists) can be exceeded with my approval.

The only time the above normally comes in to play is when someone working a lot of hours in an hourly job gets promoted into a management salary role. I’m not allowed to promote someone and pay them less. There are ways I have gotten around that in the past, but neither of these gentlemen fall into that category.

Bonuses are performance based and are a percentages of your base salary. Then you get a percentage of that based on your evaluation - The more you make the more you can get, and the better you perform the more you do get. Certain jobs automatically qualify for a PB and that is in the same document that I discussed above. Those are cooperate level bonus and not paid from my budget.

Then there are bonuses that are part of employment contracts for people who hold positions that do not automatically qualify. Those bonuses are considered “local” and come out of my operating budget. I approve or disapprove based on several considerations. They are paid in the same way, as a percentage of your salary, and then as a percentage of your performance.

Some companies pay that bonus at Christmas. I have control over when all the bonuses are paid, but they all have to paid at the same time. I pay them on the first payday in February so that can be combined with performance reviews that must be done in January. This prevents 2 reviews covering the same ground.

The QA Manager is a cooperate controlled bonus position, and the shop supervisor is not in either program. The former was hired under my watch, and the latter had been here for a few years when I started. Neither has ever came up on my radar as a problem child.

Yes, the world I move in is different than most people. Long ago I exceed the annual income that allows for a Roth IRA.

This is a very interesting post, and I’m not sure that it’s interesting in the way you intended it to be interesting.

12

This is the kind of 24 hours that puts a weaker GM in a clock tower with a high powered rifle.

How about a killdozer?

https://i.redd.it/p96sd2ogtuf51.jpg

13

This is a very interesting post, and I’m not sure that it’s interesting in the way you intended it to be interesting.

Not sure what you mean by that, but nothing in the post is secret. It is standard industry practice, and you can go on Glassdoor and figure out about what anyone makes.

14

A little education for people that do not work in big companies in high management roles.

Salaries are generated by the VP of HR and sent to all the different company’s HR departments. They list a minimum and maximum for all salaries in an hourly format. Each is adjusted for the cost of living in the area you are in, and they are adjusted for the COLA every year in November. That is the guideline that managers use to give raises or promotions. You can’t exceed either limit without prior approval above me, I have to request it, and I have to justify it. I have done that a few times and rarely win. If I’m working within the approved salary range the call is mine. Hourly compensation is done the same way with a few differences - Union houses obviously have to work within that contract, and some high demand jobs (machinists) can be exceeded with my approval.

The only time the above normally comes in to play is when someone working a lot of hours in an hourly job gets promoted into a management salary role. I’m not allowed to promote someone and pay them less. There are ways I have gotten around that in the past, but neither of these gentlemen fall into that category.

Bonuses are performance based and are a percentages of your base salary. Then you get a percentage of that based on your evaluation - The more you make the more you can get, and the better you perform the more you do get. Certain jobs automatically qualify for a PB and that is in the same document that I discussed above. Those are cooperate level bonus and not paid from my budget.

Then there are bonuses that are part of employment contracts for people who hold positions that do not automatically qualify. Those bonuses are considered “local” and come out of my operating budget. I approve or disapprove based on several considerations. They are paid in the same way, as a percentage of your salary, and then as a percentage of your performance.

Some companies pay that bonus at Christmas. I have control over when all the bonuses are paid, but they all have to paid at the same time. I pay them on the first payday in February so that can be combined with performance reviews that must be done in January. This prevents 2 reviews covering the same ground.

The QA Manager is a cooperate controlled bonus position, and the shop supervisor is not in either program. The former was hired under my watch, and the latter had been here for a few years when I started. Neither has ever came up on my radar as a problem child.

Yes, the world I move in is different than most people. Long ago I exceed the annual income that allows for a Roth IRA.

None of that is relevant to why you think people who leave for a better job “suck”. It’s life. I’m not saying you are bad. I’m just saying from a different perspective you are the bad guy, even if it is out of your control for the most part.

While this thread has been going on, a guy my wife works with found out he was being laid off too.He is just short of 60 and losing a job making just north of $100k. So just as he is ready to ride off into the sunset he gets the plans upended. His day is worse. You just had to deal with the less pleasant parts of your job.

We used to think loyalty in the workplace was a great thing. Not sure about others, but in most situation I think it is foolish. Workers and companies have a paycheck to paycheck relationship. To think it is deeper than that makes you miss the warning signs that it is time to look to jump ship.

15

I think I misunderstood what this thread was about, too. I thought it was a general pity party. I think it’s another 401k thread in disguise!

ETA: I’m at the wrong party. I’ll just exit now. lol

16

Given all your responses here, and your previous posts,

You are paid well because this is the shit you have to deal with. Personally made a decision early in life, the money wasn’t worth it. You went the other way, fine. But sorry no sympathy its the job you choose. Also, your company or at least your division/ group whatever, seems to have a pay issue. Maybe not maybe its normal for this many people to complain and leave over low pay (if so why complain its just the job) assuming it is unusual maybe your also underpaid and need to look elsewhere or find out why the company undervalues your employees.

17

None of that is relevant to why you think people who leave for a better job “suck”. It’s life. I’m not saying you are bad. I’m just saying from a different perspective you are the bad guy, even if it is out of your control for the most part.

While this thread has been going on, a guy my wife works with found out he was being laid off too.He is just short of 60 and losing a job making just north of $100k. So just as he is ready to ride off into the sunset he gets the plans upended. His day is worse. You just had to deal with the less pleasant parts of your job.

We used to think loyalty in the workplace was a great thing. Not sure about others, but in most situation I think it is foolish. Workers and companies have a paycheck to paycheck relationship. To think it is deeper than that makes you miss the warning signs that it is time to look to jump ship.

AMEN… I got lucky, they paid me to leave earlier than I planned, have enough to make it work.

Learned as i started my carreer and my dad was let go (as the Director for the N.A. branch of a large European company) who didn’t sign the paperwork sued for age discrimination and got a nice settlement after the arbitrator told the company, settle you DO NOT want this going to court.

The company looks out for the company first, and you need to look out for yourself first.

18

None of that is relevant to why you think people who leave for a better job “suck”. It’s life. I’m not saying you are bad. I’m just saying from a different perspective you are the bad guy, even if it is out of your control for the most part.

While this thread has been going on, a guy my wife works with found out he was being laid off too.He is just short of 60 and losing a job making just north of $100k. So just as he is ready to ride off into the sunset he gets the plans upended. His day is worse. You just had to deal with the less pleasant parts of your job.

We used to think loyalty in the workplace was a great thing. Not sure about others, but in most situation I think it is foolish. Workers and companies have a paycheck to paycheck relationship. To think it is deeper than that makes you miss the warning signs that it is time to look to jump ship.

I feel for your friend - that always sucks, but the work force is full of people over 60 doing jobs that younger people are unable or unwilling to do. I have hired 3 over that age in the last 3 months who are doing key functions that we desperately need. If you has skills he will be employed soon.

My original post was about the lack of professionalism that seems to by rampant in today’s business world. You don’t resign with a text message and then ghost your employer when you are well making north of $100K, and you don’t start making unreasonable demands (salary and to see the GM) without at least letting your immediate supervisor know what you are doing.

As for the 3 car thieves, I stand by my original assessment of them.

19

This thread is making me glad I listened to my Dad’s advice growing up about future jobs. He said to NEVER work for a large company and always be in control of your own destiny be it money, hours etc.

He strongly advised against being a cog in a big wheel and instead making your own wheel.

I can’t imagine having to deal with a lifetime of managers, HR, meetings, corporate structure and general business crap.

Be your own boss or damn close to it. That is the advice I give my kids.

20

The thieves suck (obviously) and the QM resigning immediately at 1:42 am also sucks — nothing wrong with seeking and taking a higher paying job, but zero advance notice is not ok. The person asking for a meeting about a raise doesn’t suck (on the facts given) — the amount being sought might be too high, given the salary structure, but that alone does not mean they suck. Hope today is better.