Do the little things bother you?
Discussion
I had the misfortune to be off ill two days this week. I'd had a bit of a cold thursday/friday last week but worked through it - then was laid up all weekend with it. Monday the same, Tuesday I had a doctors appointment that I'd notified work of before.
Returned to work yesterday, completed my self certification form as required.
Today I get a snotty email from a manager.. apparently on day one I didn't phone in sick until quarter of an hour after the working day started (the horror!). The second day I was still rough but planning to come into work after visiting the doctors. Doctor warned me that the treatment given at the time my aggravate the situation (think migraine), and it did, prompting me to call in after the doctors visit to say I wouldn't be in. Apparently this again was unacceptable as it was after the start of the working day, compounded by the fact that as no managers were around I left a message with a colleague, again unacceptable.
So to recap apparently I should call in before the start of the working day (ie when noone will be there to answer the phone), speak to people who aren't there, and let them know I'll be unable to work before I know I'm unable to work.
What the balls did this oxygen thief think he was going to achieve by his snotty email? I'm not going to do anything differently in the future as a result of it, for reasons already explained, so all he's acheived is eroding what little trust there is between employee and employer.
/rant
Returned to work yesterday, completed my self certification form as required.
Today I get a snotty email from a manager.. apparently on day one I didn't phone in sick until quarter of an hour after the working day started (the horror!). The second day I was still rough but planning to come into work after visiting the doctors. Doctor warned me that the treatment given at the time my aggravate the situation (think migraine), and it did, prompting me to call in after the doctors visit to say I wouldn't be in. Apparently this again was unacceptable as it was after the start of the working day, compounded by the fact that as no managers were around I left a message with a colleague, again unacceptable.
So to recap apparently I should call in before the start of the working day (ie when noone will be there to answer the phone), speak to people who aren't there, and let them know I'll be unable to work before I know I'm unable to work.
What the balls did this oxygen thief think he was going to achieve by his snotty email? I'm not going to do anything differently in the future as a result of it, for reasons already explained, so all he's acheived is eroding what little trust there is between employee and employer.
/rant
TIGA84 said:
Unfortunate username 
What does it say in your contract/employee handbook about calling in?
It says to do things as the manager stated, blissfully ignoring the impracticalities of it. It's a shining example of what happens when you make someone a manager without training them or checking to see if they have any skills appropriate to it.What does it say in your contract/employee handbook about calling in?
944fan said:
What kind of a knob manager sends you an email. Is he scared of saying it to your face?
I rather suspect it's a box ticking exercise. Did not call at dictated time, therefore send email saying naughty boy so that he can be seen to be 'managing'. Don't mention it face to face because the argument and reasoning will be torn to shreds.Re the other suggestion above, suppose I call early.. noone answers.. I call on the dot.. noone answers.. I call again 5 minutes later.. I get written up for calling in 5 minutes after I was supposed to.
shouldbworking said:
I rather suspect it's a box ticking exercise. Did not call at dictated time, therefore send email saying naughty boy so that he can be seen to be 'managing'. Don't mention it face to face because the argument and reasoning will be torn to shreds.
Re the other suggestion above, suppose I call early.. noone answers.. I call on the dot.. noone answers.. I call again 5 minutes later.. I get written up for calling in 5 minutes after I was supposed to.
No you won't because you made the effort to follow company rules. Your manager will get written up for not being available to you.Re the other suggestion above, suppose I call early.. noone answers.. I call on the dot.. noone answers.. I call again 5 minutes later.. I get written up for calling in 5 minutes after I was supposed to.
Had exactly the same happen to me. I even left a message on her phone before work started but she didn't pick it up because, brilliantly, she too was at the doctors.
I got a snotty email like you, which I corrected for spelling and grammar, in red, and emailed back to her, CC'ing in the entire team, saying "if you don't have the b
ks to speak to me face to face, kindly have the good grace to run your email through a spell checker."
She hauled me into her office whereupon I gave her a bking and then she started crying so HR got involved and quietly made it all disappear.
I could see that this was no place for me to work so used it as the impetus to quit and start my own business.
I got a snotty email like you, which I corrected for spelling and grammar, in red, and emailed back to her, CC'ing in the entire team, saying "if you don't have the b
ks to speak to me face to face, kindly have the good grace to run your email through a spell checker."She hauled me into her office whereupon I gave her a b
king and then she started crying so HR got involved and quietly made it all disappear. I could see that this was no place for me to work so used it as the impetus to quit and start my own business.
Disastrous said:
Had exactly the same happen to me. I even left a message on her phone before work started but she didn't pick it up because, brilliantly, she too was at the doctors.
I got a snotty email like you, which I corrected for spelling and grammar, in red, and emailed back to her, CC'ing in the entire team, saying "if you don't have the bks to speak to me face to face, kindly have the good grace to run your email through a spell checker."
She hauled me into her office whereupon I gave her a bking and then she started crying so HR got involved and quietly made it all disappear.
I could see that this was no place for me to work so used it as the impetus to quit and start my own business.
Whilst she sounded a bit daft, what you did was just out-right unpleasantI got a snotty email like you, which I corrected for spelling and grammar, in red, and emailed back to her, CC'ing in the entire team, saying "if you don't have the b
ks to speak to me face to face, kindly have the good grace to run your email through a spell checker."She hauled me into her office whereupon I gave her a b
king and then she started crying so HR got involved and quietly made it all disappear. I could see that this was no place for me to work so used it as the impetus to quit and start my own business.
STW2010 said:
Disastrous said:
Had exactly the same happen to me. I even left a message on her phone before work started but she didn't pick it up because, brilliantly, she too was at the doctors.
I got a snotty email like you, which I corrected for spelling and grammar, in red, and emailed back to her, CC'ing in the entire team, saying "if you don't have the bks to speak to me face to face, kindly have the good grace to run your email through a spell checker."
She hauled me into her office whereupon I gave her a bking and then she started crying so HR got involved and quietly made it all disappear.
I could see that this was no place for me to work so used it as the impetus to quit and start my own business.
Whilst she sounded a bit daft, what you did was just out-right unpleasantI got a snotty email like you, which I corrected for spelling and grammar, in red, and emailed back to her, CC'ing in the entire team, saying "if you don't have the b
ks to speak to me face to face, kindly have the good grace to run your email through a spell checker."She hauled me into her office whereupon I gave her a b
king and then she started crying so HR got involved and quietly made it all disappear. I could see that this was no place for me to work so used it as the impetus to quit and start my own business.
In my defence, I saw her years later out on the town and bought her a drink and said no hard feelings etc. I even slept with her pal later that night so quite decent of me, I thought.
STW2010 said:
I'm sure that with the complete picture in mind it wasn't as bad as it sounds, but from your previous post it sounded like she triggered a massive over-reaction.
Not sure how sleeping with her mate makes it better though! (you excluded her from fun times!)
I think it probably was as bad as it sounds actually.Not sure how sleeping with her mate makes it better though! (you excluded her from fun times!)
The fact that I'd made an attempt to 'do the right thing' and was then getting into trouble for it due to her being absent for the same reason I was, massively angered me and when she emailed me rather than walk three desks over to talk about it made me realise instantly that I would never listen to her as a boss or do what she said ever again.
I've never been good at getting a row either. I generally find them to be ineffective as I either know what I did wrong and am more earnest than anyone else about setting things right, or don't agree that I was in the wrong, in which case, as well as being pointless, a row has the potential to anger me thus causing me to deliver a row in return which will probably be worse/more offensive than the one I was getting. Probably just as well I work for myself!
Real simple answer if this situation ever happens again.
1. Get said managers mobile no.
2. When sick set alarm for 03:00.
3. Call said bell end to report that you are feeling sick.
4. When asked "Do you know what time it is?" Answer "that due to last email you feel that you had better give him as much notice as possible. Point out that you are conforming with his wishes and the handbook".*
5. Upon return to work and inevitable interview, explain to him that you would engage him in a battle of wits but he has clearly come unarmed.
You are very welcome!
1. Get said managers mobile no.
2. When sick set alarm for 03:00.
3. Call said bell end to report that you are feeling sick.
4. When asked "Do you know what time it is?" Answer "that due to last email you feel that you had better give him as much notice as possible. Point out that you are conforming with his wishes and the handbook".*
5. Upon return to work and inevitable interview, explain to him that you would engage him in a battle of wits but he has clearly come unarmed.
- I assume he nor the handbook specify a time.
You are very welcome!
If I'm going to be off work ill, I have to phone in before 7.30am on the day and leave a message saying I won't be in and why. Then, before 4pm on the day I'm off ill, I have to phone them again to let them know if I will or will not be in the next day. This continues every day until I phone them to say I will be in.
kh06 said:
If I'm going to be off work ill, I have to phone in before 7.30am on the day and leave a message saying I won't be in and why. Then, before 4pm on the day I'm off ill, I have to phone them again to let them know if I will or will not be in the next day. This continues every day until I phone them to say I will be in.
How can you possibly know at 4pm that you'll still be unwell enough for work the following morning? Sometimes you'll know, but plenty of ailments will clear up overnight.
Surely all that does is encourage you to take an extra day off if you still feel a bit ropey in the afternoon?
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