OT: Work Place Irritations

[Edward Sargent]

I work from home now thank goodness but once had a memorable lunch with some office colleagues where we named names of everyone we knew who didn't wash hands after using the toilet. I threw in the name of one guy who had trouble hitting the urinal!

 

[CL82]

Nina in Accounts Payable.

...

Nina is a total bitch!

 

[80shusky]

We have many donut splitters at my office. My pet peeve are the guys who piss all over the toilet seats. what, are you from Louisville or something?

This. The bathroom weirdos. My building contains offices for many different businesses. The people who use the men's room are all animals. They piss all over everything, including the floor. Somehow they get s__t halfway up the walls of the stalls. I still can't figure that one out. And the non hand washers, who take a leak, put their junk away and walk right out of the bathroom touching every doorknob and elevator button in site with their polluted, disgusting fingers. Wash your freaking hands and stop crapping on the walls dammit!

 

[Chin Diesel]

Since many of us are back to work and looking to vent, here's a few more.

#1 The "Reply All" vice "Reply" person. There's a time and a place to use each button. Do it. Earlier this year my company had one of the Executive VP's Admin Asst send a Memorandum regarding staff shake ups that literally went to the entire company. Wrong Distro list was used. So instead of 100-150 people getting them memo, it went to 10k+ people. So, what would a sane person do when you work for a very large corporation and you see a memo got sent to you in error? Most people would quickly see the memo and put it in to their deleted items and move on. Not my company. Within minutes over 100+ "Reply All's" were sent out each one explaining how important each person was and they don't appreciate being spammed. The irony that their email of self-importance was spamming everyone else must have been lost on them.

End of story? Heck no. Within another hour 200+ emails from other people reminding the original batch of "reply all" spammers came on line. Their topic? Hey, use reply, not reply all.

End of story? Heck no. Within the next hour another 100+ email scolding the first two groups and a reminder that it's okay to just delete a file.

Around noon, our email went down for about 30 minutes. I was talking with one of our office's IT leads. She said there was a global shut down of the email system and that there were over 250,000 message tags on this email.


#2 The inspiration for this post. The double email. First one says for you to look at a file. The second one with the exact same subject line comes in 30 seconds later with the actual attachment. This has become a bit more rare since many organizations scan your subject and text for indicators of attachments. If the software thinks a file may be the sender's intent and no file is attached, it gives a pop up.

 

[8893]

Co-workers asking "Are you okay?" when they see you after UConn has lost in the NCAAs.

 

[bobbygt]

I no longer need to worry about my #1 irritation:

people coming into my office and talking to me while I'm watching Uconn online

 

[Deepster]

There's a nail clipper in my office and the people around him were losing their minds. He clips them every day.

Turns out one day, one of the women here had enough, walked around to his cube and told him he had stop cutting his nails at work because she couldn't take it anymore. He said that he had a really bad problem and bit his nails raw and the only thing that helps is keeping them trimmed as closely as he can. That wasn't enough for her and she said that he still needed to stop doing it at his desk and he told her to go herself.

I actually applaud the guy's attitude and GFY response. And he hasn't stopped. I hear it all the time still.

 

[John]

There's a nail clipper in my office and the people around him were losing their minds. He clips them every day.

Turns out one day, one of the women here had enough, walked around to his cube and told him he had stop cutting his nails at work because she couldn't take it anymore. He said that he had a really bad problem and bit his nails raw and the only thing that helps is keeping them trimmed as closely as he can. That wasn't enough for her and she said that he still needed to stop doing it at his desk and he told her to go herself.

I actually applaud the guy's attitude and GFY response. And he hasn't stopped. I hear it all the time still.

I've found that women are the ones that most often try to be the office sheriffs. The clipper did the right thing, go sit yourself the down.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

#1 The "Reply All" vice "Reply" person.

Even more annoying than the "reply all" crowd are those people who want you to click on the little acknowledgment that you've received and read their email. If you send me an email with one of those attached, I am not acknowledging receipt of your message and I am thinking you are a bit of an balloon knot.

 

[August_West]

I use that function maybe once every other year, and only once it has already been established that I am dealing with a lying balloon knot, and I have no problem whatsoever appearing to be a very big balloon knot myself at that point. But I'm only talking about external e-mails to opposing parties, not intra-office e-mails.

Well your example is the intended use. I have been asked before to pull "Read" receipts from my exchange server to settle disputes.

However people who use them for every stupid inter-office email that they think is important need to go. I warn people about that all the time because Read receipts take up space and bandwidth on the server.

Unlike you guys I have a real remedy to the situation. I block their internet access in my router filter and then let them make a case to their direct supervisor on why they need the internet unblocked. Good times. Im a jerk

 

[Showballot]

This board needs more OT: mojo.

My other major beef? Co-workers who use the interwebs on their cell phones during work pretending to do work with their screens pulled up to some official site. Meanwhile they're actually screwing off on message boards. And when you bust them, they quickly put the phone down with some BS excuse about responding to a message from their spouse about a kid forgetting lunch at home.

Maybe that is the general part of corporate America's fault and not the co-workers your refer to. Expecting employees to be at work 9 hours a day, but only having about 3 hours to do is a pretty common occurrence at least at entry & middle level.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Even more annoying than the "reply all" crowd are those people who want you to click on the little acknowledgment that you've received and read their email. If you send me an email with one of those attached, I am not acknowledging receipt of your message and I am thinking you are a bit of an balloon knot.

I use that function maybe once every other year, and only once it has already been established that I am dealing with a lying balloon knot, and I have no problem whatsoever appearing to be a very big balloon knot myself at that point. But I'm only talking about external e-mails to opposing parties, not intra-office e-mails.

My old supervisor used to do that for all of her emails. She was a bit paranoid of people trying to play ignorant of getting emails.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

Our bathrooms! Looks like something from a third world nation.Stalls are dark and nasty looking. The urinals have no dividers and look like toilet bowls without lids... I work in the basement of this old building and we have 4 functional urinals. 3 side by side by side, the only usable one is the one in the corner where you can turn towards the corner for a little privacy. Where is the 4th one? Didnt leave it out. Picture 3 urinals side by side by side, walk to the middle one, now look up! Right at about eye level is a forth urinal.... I ish you not. Everyone that see's it for the first time has to get a picture of it, and when you share the picture with friends they think you photoshopped it. Dont know if it is functional or not. If i was in the building by myself and I could use it without fear of someone else walking in, I would definitely give it a go.

 

[fatlucy]

The control freak who sucks up to the Boss, then tries to be mini-boss, micro managing everyone wether or not he/she has anything to do with thier work....I have one who's my peer and Im really starting to hate him. Going to have to have a little chat.

 

[Hankster]

I work around a lot of younger military guys who eat about 400g of protein a day.
You walk in to a stall and there is dookie that has been power squatted and caked on to the bowl about 3/4" thick.
Even the cleaning company contracted to clean bathrooms can't/won't clean it off.

LOL that happened to me on a Delta Flight leaving Atlantis. Young kid about 12-13 goes into the krapper. thought nothing of it. Ten minutes later I go in, look down, and there it was. Slammed to the side. I flushed a couple of times but to no avail. Came out and the flight attendant looked at me and asked what was wrong. The flight attendant should of earned a raise. I know it's not work related but couldn't help myself. lol Sorry.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Well your example is the intended use. I have been asked before to pull "Read" receipts from my exchange server to settle disputes.

However people who use them for every stupid inter-office email that they think is important need to go. I warn people about that all the time because Read receipts take up space and bandwidth on the server.

Unlike you guys I have a real remedy to the situation. I block their internet access in my router filter and then let them make a case to their direct supervisor on why they need the internet unblocked. Good times. Im a jerk

August is our "IT Nazi," so to speak. He is fighting a battle to keep the bandwidth open and will crush anyone who gets in his way. Our kind of guy! Someone has to hold the line (serious, not serious).

 

[UconnFanNVa]

As I type the lady in the cube next to me is clipping her fingernails. If one flies over that cube wall and hits me, we are going to have a problem.

 

[Excalibur]

Since many of us are back to work and looking to vent, here's a few more.




#2 The inspiration for this post. The double email. First one says for you to look at a file. The second one with the exact same subject line comes in 30 seconds later with the actual attachment. This has become a bit more rare since many organizations scan your subject and text for indicators of attachments. If the software thinks a file may be the sender's intent and no file is attached, it gives a pop up.

"This time with the attachment" and "Oops, forgot the attachment" can be found in the body of roughly 30% of our emails. . .

 

[Excalibur]

Well your example is the intended use. I have been asked before to pull "Read" receipts from my exchange server to settle disputes.

However people who use them for every stupid inter-office email that they think is important need to go. I warn people about that all the time because Read receipts take up space and bandwidth on the server.

Unlike you guys I have a real remedy to the situation. I block their internet access in my router filter and then let them make a case to their direct supervisor on why they need the internet unblocked. Good times. Im a jerk

The issue is laziness. If the email requires a read receipt for record-keeping purposes, fine, add it. Attaching it to every email you send is lazy and inconsiderate. It takes 10 seconds to add it when its appropriate.

August is Mordac, preventer of information services . . .

 

[Fishy]

1) People who try to send conversations via text message resulting in a 27-beep barrage.

2) Employees. I've heard every excuse twice.

 

[mauconnfan]

When a guy throws an obvious blaster in the toilet (all over) and doesn't have the smarts to clean it up. May even be remnants on the seat at times which leads me to believe they're disgusting pigs so don't invite me to your house for a party. Just the splatter itself is enough for that though!

 

[8893]

This is one I deal with both at work and at home: People leaving the last paper towel sheet without replacing the roll; same thing with the toilet paper; leaving less than an ounce in the milk, half & half and water cooler because too lazy to replace them.

 

[80shusky]

As a follow up to my post on this thread about bathroom weirdos our men's room is completely s___ted up to the rafters this morning. I can't even figure out how someone did it. The floor, the walls, the wall behind the toilet up to like 4 feet high. This person or people should be arrested for biological warfare.
*edited to remove a misused word given today's world events.

 

[Excalibur]

2) Employees. I've heard every excuse twice.

The only thing worse than employees are managers, particularly the ones who have no idea how to manage.

Against my wishes, I was put in charge of HR about 14 months ago. My favorite is the manager who comes to us and says "this employee sucks and I need to fire him", when the last 4 reviews say that the employee "exceeds expectations".


Of course, a year of additional responsibility without additional pay has turned me into another office nuisance, the dude that gave his notice and doesn't give a S*!+ anymore . . .

 

[August_West]

The issue is laziness. If the email requires a read receipt for record-keeping purposes, fine, add it. Attaching it to every email you send is lazy and inconsiderate. It takes 10 seconds to add it when its appropriate.

August is Mordac, preventer of information services . . .

Lets be clear about a couple things here.

1) I can be a jerk. lol.
2) Unless you are in IT, IT is the bad guy at your company. Everyone hates us. Its a thankless job, which causes #1. We are blamed for everything on an end user level. Even if (and usually especially if) its a PEBKAC issue. And forget the end user level, we are cursed at the executive level too because the bean counters see IT as a necessary evil. We are a black hole. It costs money for us to run things right, but no one wants to pay for it because IT infrastructure doesnt generate revenue.
3) In regards to being the gatekeeper. Its my ass on the line. At the company I work at the unspoken policy is to give the end user enough internet access rope to hang themselves with. I dont spy on users, I dont provide internet history reports unsolicited (and only 2 have been solicited in the last 11 years). I dont care what you do. I am not your supervisor who is worried about worker productivity. Thats not my job. That is the respective department supervisors job. My job is to keep the networks flowing so we can do business. If something goes wrong there the whole company shuts. We cant take electronic orders, we can't ship the orders we have, we cant bill the customers we shipped to,employees cant get paid.. etc...etc.... Its a ton of pressure. So excuse me if I get pissed when someone opens an attachment while checking their home email on their work computer and introduces a virus to the network. And then the question from management isnt "Why did that user check his home email on work equipment" the question is "Why cant you keep the network secure" . The Department of Defense gets hacked. THe CIA gets hacked. But Im supposed to have DoD security on my IT budget?


Listen guys. The next time you walk by your IT guy, give him a hug. It's a brutal world.

 

[Excalibur]

Lets be clear about a couple things here.

1) I can be a jerk. lol.
2) Unless you are in IT, IT is the bad guy at your company.

Yeah, I'm legal and HR (and will be at my new employer). It's tough to figure out who is more hated by the employee base . . .

 

[polycom]

The control freak who sucks up to the Boss, then tries to be mini-boss, micro managing everyone wether or not he/she has anything to do with thier work....I have one who's my peer and Im really starting to hate him. Going to have to have a little chat.

Every office has a brown-noser.

 

[Husky25]

Lets be clear about a couple things here.

1) I can be a jerk. lol.
2) Unless you are in IT, IT is the bad guy at your company. Everyone hates us. Its a thankless job, which causes #1. We are blamed for everything on an end user level. Even if (and usually especially if) its a PEBKAC issue. And forget the end user level, we are cursed at the executive level too because the bean counters see IT as a necessary evil. We are a black hole. It costs money for us to run things right, but no one wants to pay for it because IT infrastructure doesnt generate revenue.
3) In regards to being the gatekeeper. Its my ass on the line. At the company I work at the unspoken policy is to give the end user enough internet access rope to hang themselves with. I dont spy on users, I dont provide internet history reports unsolicited (and only 2 have been solicited in the last 11 years). I dont care what you do. I am not your supervisor who is worried about worker productivity. Thats not my job. That is the respective department supervisors job. My job is to keep the networks flowing so we can do business. If something goes wrong there the whole company shuts. We cant take electronic orders, we can't ship the orders we have, we cant bill the customers we shipped to,employees cant get paid.. etc...etc.... Its a ton of pressure. So excuse me if I get pissed when someone opens an attachment while checking their home email on their work computer and introduces a virus to the network. And then the question from management isnt "Why did that user check his home email on work equipment" the question is "Why cant you keep the network secure" . The Department of Defense gets hacked. THe CIA gets hacked. But Im supposed to have DoD security on my IT budget?


Listen guys. The next time you walk by your IT guy, give him a hug. It's a brutal world.

Whiny Help Desk guys (oh excuse me, Electronic Information and Communication Technician) irate me to no end.

Granted, most current college educated professionals have more than a decent working knowledge of the usual software and are far more educated than the preceding generation, but SNL develops skits off of stereotypes. Stereotype wouldn't be stereotypes unless there were at least a modicum of truth to them. If 90% of IT professionals acted with slightly less condescension of Nick Burns, there wouldn't be as much disdain for the profession.

On the other hand, end users should really recognize that spending more time in the basement than Tweeters from West Virginia hopped up on moonshine is no way to sharpen interpersonal skills.

 

[mauconnfan]

Yeah, I'm legal and HR (and will be at my new employer). It's tough to figure out who is more hated by the employee base . . .

Wow Ex you're both? LOL so funny it's true though. HR is more prevalent than ever in a big company like where I am and when they seem to be involved in things now which they never were before, it scares the crap out of my sales guys. They aren't used to seeing them much and now have to meet with them a couple to few times a year especially those who get in accidents or get tickets more often than they should. Used to just let it go a while now on everything in detail too. LOL and Legal at our place, I made the mistake of asking them something directly once as I knew him but he turned my into my VP in the northeast basically saying "no more PEONS contacting me directly" haha - I know you're not like that though

 

[mauconnfan]

Whiny Help Desk guys (oh excuse me, Electronic Information and Communication Technician) irate me to no end.

Granted, most current college educated professionals have more than a decent working knowledge of the usual software and are far more educated than the preceding generation, but SNL develops skits off of stereotypes. Stereotype wouldn't be stereotypes unless there were at least a modicum of truth to them. If 90% of IT professionals acted with slightly less condescension of Nick Burns, there would be as much disdain for the profession.

On the other hand, end users should really recognize that spending more time in the basement than Tweeters from West Virginia hopped up on moonshine is no way to sharpen interpersonal skills.

Our IT/Helpdesk SOB's think every question is like "duh" to me and the guys. Brainy little turds who only have a job because we're out there bringing in business and they continually look down on us. Funny stuff.