| | work ethics- what is normal at the office?Page 1 of 2 (1, 2) |    
I work in a small office (2 owners/bosses-middle-aged females) & 8 employees. I already posted a thread about coffee & cigarettes in the forums, as I was baffled by the laxness the owners had for chain smokers taking breaks all day long.
I work hard/productively/efficiently, come in on time, do not call in sick/take days off, bs etc. The clients assigned to me rave about me & compliment me. My employers-not so much. This is an UBER clique-y office- the majority of the workers are tardy, excessively chatty, absent/out sick (oftentimes not calling in) make frequent errors in their work.
One worker on her 1st day of work brought in a wild baby animal, saying she rescued it the night before...this went on for a month & then the animal died sad but inappropriate.
Today a worker came in who did very little, but she was ill running to the bathroom (shared by all) w/ diarrhea & vomiting all day long. I asked to at least open a window to let in fresh air. I also said that I was trying to avoid catching a bug, as I had a child who is a brittle diabetic & when he gets a virus, he has to be hospitalized w/ an IV etc. Another co-worker said that I could get a virus anywhere. I agreed but stated that none of us should have a sick person on us all day.
I am currently seeking other employment, but due to the economy, slim pickings. Some of our clients have left so our hours have been cut, rather than firing any of the slackers.
Is having a very ill person in the office wrong? Is keeping slackers & cutting hours of all the workers wrong? Is promoting a mean girl envirement wrong? Is having non-coffee drin kers clean up after the mess the coffee drinkers leave wrong?
WTF is wrong w/ this place??? | |
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/12/2010 4:53:45 PM | What I don't understand is why you are so angry over the actions of others.
Go in, do your work and get paid... if you were truly unhappy with your job, you would have taken a position elsewhere even if it meant a paycut.
So while you are ranting and raving about the slackers et al; let's not forget that a hostile work environment includes the people that are always pointing out the flaws in others. | |
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/12/2010 4:59:04 PM |
WTF is wrong w/ this place???
I would say too many complainers.
Also how is this rant any different from that one you stared a while back?
coffee & cigarettes VS no coffee & cigs
http://forums.plentyoffish.com/datingPosts13653745.aspx
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/12/2010 5:50:21 PM | | It must be nice to be able to take a paycut just cos you dont like your place of work. Reality check. Most people are just making it on what they make, thats why we put up with the crap we do. I dont consider any of this ranting and raving. If it were up to me i would fire everyone that smoked or took excessive sick days. Pisses me off when i see them all outside 5 or 6 times a day while the rest of us are busting our humps and dont get me started on coffee. We 've been supplying our own coffee for a few years now. I just take a thermos to work. | |
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/12/2010 6:53:51 PM | As far as the employee with the flu. I believe most juristictions require that employees with airborne viruses are to be sent home, as it adds an unneeded risk to fellow workers.
As far as your other complaints. If you don't like how the owners run THEIR business, quit and seek employment elsewhere or start your own business where you can be a hardass.
And the coffee complaint is weak. If they made the rule that only coffee drinkers have to clean up the coffee room, everyone would claim they are not a coffee drinker. Plus I would imagine that customers also drink coffee, I don't think you would expect them to clean up the area. Just consider the cleaning a minor function of your job.
You will find your life easier and more enjoyable if you worry more about yourself and less about others. | |
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/12/2010 8:19:45 PM | no customers in the office- the overall problem is it is poorly run/managed & that there are alot of slackers who dump their worn on the non-slackers. Tha would be upsetting to anyone who was a non-slacker. Of course, a slacker would see no problem w/ this...
Yes, I am going to worry about myself more, as I already made up a new resume 2 weeks ago
PS_ I was struggling b4 the paycut, now I am on broke a$$ mode! | |
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/12/2010 8:57:54 PM | Welcome to the working world. There are always those that seems to get unfair/preferential treatment in a work place. All you can do is suck it up, do your job, and deal with what you are paid. The other option is looking for work elsewhere, maybe even if it means 2 jobs to make up for the leaving of one. But those other jobs will have slackers, cliques, etc. etc.
Honestly, its kinda petty to worry so much about others, or small tasks like cleaning. Be happy you have a job and income. There are alot out there that don't. And there are ways to be more economical when your income gets cut, everyone has had to do it sometime. | |
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/12/2010 10:27:33 PM |
This is an UBER clique-y office-
Op,i think you'll find this exists in just about anywhere and everywhere in the work force,particularly in office environments.
Ie: Either you're "in" or you're "out" !
Your face fits..................or,it doesnt!
I used to work in offices and am so glad to be NOT working in those sorts of hothouse gossip-mongering places anymore 
As for your co-worker who came in with gastro.......eeww......i DO think it's pretty disgusting that she wasn't sent home when it was apparent she was unfit to work.
Im home from work today myself with a vile cold.
Think your only option is to find another job if it's affecting you so badly.
Send out those resumes and good luck!
Ps.Gawd,isnt this a pain having to scroll to the other side of the screen........Aargh! | |
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/13/2010 12:51:50 AM | ** by special request **
It is not wrong per se but it is, no doubt, bad supervision & management. The owner can run it any way he/she chooses. If all of the top performers leave, however, there will be no profit to split among the slackers, | |
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/13/2010 10:13:28 AM |
Tha would be upsetting to anyone who was a non-slacker. Of course, a slacker would see no problem w/ this... Actually, from what I’ve noticed, it’s more the people that spend their time whining and complaining about what the person next to them is doing that tend to have an issue with this, not whether or not someone is holding their own in the office.
Personally, I don’t care what the person next to me is doing in the office… that’s for management to concern themselves over, not me. At the end of the day, when it comes time to cut costs, I’m confident in that my job is secure.
PS_ I was struggling b4 the paycut, now I am on broke a$$ mode! Then perhaps your chosen profession was in error considering your are unable to sustain your lifestyle on your income… or you’ve poor money management skills. Either way, I don’t think it’s the issue of the slackers to resolve this issue for you… | |
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/13/2010 11:12:39 AM | this advise was given to me years ago, and i've never forgotten it.
don't compare yourself to others. only compare yourself to what you are capable of doing. that's the only thing that matters. | |
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/13/2010 11:25:18 AM | | I'm sooooo glad I work from home and don't have to put up with the usual stupidity that goes on in an office, particularly if they're filled with women. I'm not a woman hater, being one myself, but my gawd they can be the worst people to work effectively with. Unfortunately, OP, the owners of your company are likely part of the cliquiness that goes on. They sound as though they are poor managers of their business and, as others have said, they'll either get slapped upside the head eventually and fix the problems with problem employees or they'll find themselves closing up shop. Good for you looking for other employment if you find it so irksome. Unfortunately, you'll likely go through 50 businesses until you find one where people are actually there to work instead of using it as a paid social gathering place. | |
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| work ethics- what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/13/2010 1:49:49 PM | There really is no one definition of "normal at the office", OP. Every office is going to be different.
One thing I HAVE learned, though, is that complaints such as in the O-Post, usually go both ways, and are generally only one person's perspective. For instance, the sick coworker in question...while yes, I agree it's a good idea for management to send home people who are that sick, consider it from the coworker's perspective. Perhaps they are also on "broke-azz mode" as well and can't afford to take the time off? Perhaps they had deadlines to meet that simply couldn't wait?
Again, in perspective....I doubt anyone in your office would have complained, if that coworker was the one putting out payroll and dragged their sick azz in there to make sure everyone got paid on time, no?
Never mind petty shyte like dirty coffee cups...nobody in management wants to hear people whining about playground crap like that. Frankly, that would make me wonder just how effective the complainer actually was at their job, if this was the most they had to occupy their mind with, and thus, were they really necessary to the company if something as petty as dirty cups was their main issue for the day?
I've worked in places where people with children seemed to get preferential treatment. Why is that? Leaving early to pick them up, calling in when the child is sick...and yet, that is supposed to be understood as a 'given'?
Just another perspective for you.
Like you say, if your job is evidently stressing you this much, it is definitely time to put resumes out. | |
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| work ethics, what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/13/2010 5:03:51 PM |
Actually, from what I’ve noticed, it’s more the people that spend their time whining and complaining about what the person next to them is doing that tend to have an issue with this, not whether or not someone is holding their own in the office.
Actually, from what I've noticed it's the slackers.
Then perhaps your chosen profession was in error considering your are unable to sustain your lifestyle on your income… or you’ve poor money management skills. Either way, I don’t think it’s the issue of the slackers to resolve this issue for you…
Wow, that's like saying 1 + 1 = a dog. wtf does the op's issues with sick people, slobs and slackers have to do with that crap."Her chosen profession was in error", so now you're her career counselor, "considering she's unable to sustain her lifestyle on her income", she stated they cut her hours so they didn't have to fire any slackers, "or she has poor money management skills", once again she has less money coming in due to her hours being cut. You do understand that right. I keep asking because it's apparent you don't. If you get paid hourly and you don't work as many hours you make less money. I think i've stated as many times as you reiterated it.
One thing I HAVE learned, though, is that complaints such as in the O-Post, usually go both ways, and are generally only one person's perspective When you say "usually go both ways" do you mean the sick people, slobs and slackers also think the OP is a sick, slob, slacker, and "generally one persons perspective", i've noticed that a lot on the forums. You usually only get the op's perspective. Is she supposed to get a slacker on here to give us another perspective?.
Again, in perspective....I doubt anyone in your office would have complained, if that coworker was the one putting out payroll and dragged their sick azz in there to make sure everyone got paid on time, no?
But that wasn't the case so why make up hyperthetical situations.
Never mind petty shyte like dirty coffee cups...nobody in management wants to hear people whining about playground crap like that. Sorry, that's a sore spot with me. Here's what I do. If someone leaves a dirty coffee cup in the sink in our break room I throw it in the trash. I have a sign up warning people as well.
Frankly, that would make me wonder just how effective the complainer actually was at their job, if this was the most they had to occupy their mind with, and thus, were they really necessary to the company if something as petty as dirty cups was their main issue for the day? I think the issues were sick people, slobs and slackers, and if I were in the same situation I would be ****in' a lot more than she is and before you ask, no, it doesn't affect my effectiveness This may exist just about everywhere in office environments but if you don't take a stand no one else will give a hoot. | |
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| work ethics, what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/13/2010 5:55:17 PM | i wasn't going to post to this because i thought it was trivial but the original poster made some good points. what i see by people responding is exactly what she is talking about. this shows how or what we are dealing with when you go to work and is very conscious, discipline, ethical and clean. i don't want to pick up someone's nasty from the bathroom, especially if its only one bathroom at work. i had this same problem because there were two women who would STink up the bathroom at work but wouldn't spray. so i bought a big bottle of Lysol and these silly women wouldn't even use the spray like they didn't think they #2 didn't smell.
you are not to bring kids or animals to the office , period. in today's economy its very hard to find work - so Stay and keep your mouth shut. get in your car and go to mcdonalds or walmart to use the bathroom. that's what i started doing. i am seeing women with extremely low-cut blouses who stoop down with their breasts about to fall out, and the ones who wear those short blouses or low-cut jeans with a big belly or stretch marks showing. GROSS ! of course, these women will be the first ones to Holler sexual harassment or someone is staring at their boobies.
good luck. | |
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| work ethics, what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/13/2010 6:02:05 PM |
what i see by people responding is exactly what she is talking about. this shows how or what we are dealing with when you go to work and is very conscious, discipline, ethical and clean.
I see it from a different point of view.
I see an employee that is talking bad about the company they work for on a public forum and with customers of said company.
That is not only in poor taste but shows a lack of loyalty and common sense.
As there is nothing ethical about what the OP is doing.
If I was a customer of that business I would quickly let the owners know that they have a cancer that needs to go. | |
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| work ethics, what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/13/2010 6:21:04 PM | I would guess that about 90% of the people on here are employees and yes, it is a public forum. I don't see how you can pompously say
I see an employee that is talking bad about the company they work for on a public forum and with customers of said company.
That is not only in poor taste but shows a lack of loyalty and common sense.
As there is nothing ethical about what the OP is doing.
If I was a customer of that business I would quickly let the owners know that they have a cancer that needs to go.
Have you ever worked in an office?. Maybe I missed the part where the OP said who she worked for. In other words it's just like when i post about my old man and how his snoring keeps me awake all night, no-one here knows who he is so it really has nothing to do with ethics, lack of loyalty, or for that matter customer relations.
It's just someone stating what a lot of us can empathize with. | |
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| work ethics, what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/13/2010 6:26:05 PM |
Have you ever worked in an office?
Yes.
. Maybe I missed the part where the OP said who she worked for. In other words it's just like when i post about my old man and how his snoring keeps me awake all night, no-one here knows who he is so it really has nothing to do with ethics, lack of loyalty, or for that matter customer relations.
How would you think you would be judged if you where talking about how much you hated your old-man but was going to stick with him until you found something better?
IMO
It displays a complete lack of ethics. | |
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| work ethics, what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/13/2010 6:35:03 PM | | There's a difference between hating your job and hating the environment it's in. If the employers allow the aforementioned crap to go on at their office I don't see anything wrong with the OP looking elsewhere. Personally, I don't know any other way of looking for a new job while you still work the existing job. | |
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| work ethics, what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/14/2010 4:01:19 AM |
I would say too many complainers.
When people slack off and I have to pick up their slack, you bet I'm going to complain.
When people work in the government and slack and get benefits, great pay, vacation etc while some people are still unemployed, you bet we're going to complain! >:/ | |
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| work ethics, what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/14/2010 4:40:40 AM |
When people slack off and I have to pick up their slack, you bet I'm going to complain.
When people work in the government and slack and get benefits, great pay, vacation etc while some people are still unemployed, you bet we're going to complain! >:/ There ar e two kinds of complainers...
1. Those that complain to garner pity.
2. Those that complain to effect change.
Understanding that the OP isn't effecting change by her complaints on the forums, that leaves the other; for which I have no empathy. | |
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| work ethics, what is normal at the office?
Posted: 5/14/2010 7:12:06 AM | There ar e two kinds of complainers...
1. Those that complain to garner pity.
2. Those that complain to effect change.
Understanding that the OP isn't effecting change by her complaints on the forums, that leaves the other; for which I have no empathy.
How do you "effect change" in the workplace when the owners/bosses are clearly part of the problem or even at the heart of the problem...good luck with that one. Bringing this up as a forum topic is simply bringing it up as a forum topic, not an attempt to garner sympathy, and is one which many people who are diligent workers encounter and, yes, do suffer through. The only effective change which can be made in such cases is to do as the OP states she is doing by moving on. | |
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