The Work Thread 2 - Get back to work!

[pjbetman]

A few things happened this week. Another massive rant.

Background.

We're essentially a project-sale driven department, in that I mean our customers don't just browse to a web page and buy a product then get a box a few days later and are left to their own devices. Each solution we do is essentially a 'project' - it could be for a single location, or hundreds, but each customers' requirements are different so the solutions and environments we install in/provide for in are very different. Some require custom software to be written, a lot require custom hardware to be designed and manufactured.

I primarily look after project management of most sales projects, and generally work with the department manager on the operations of the department to keep it running.

By far my biggest criticism of the way things are run is the department is very reactive, especially in project management. In the past I've tried to preempt workload requirements based on customer's expectations and complexity of work - essentially timing how long it would take us to configure and install a solution, times it by the amount of locations, then figure out how many people we need by comparing this level of man hours to the amount of time available until the client's deadline.

This approach at worst has been met with hostility, or refusal to accept this is an approach we need to devote time to. The conversation is essentially always the same; if we can't complete the workload with the people we have then we just need to do more overtime.

Separate to that, our sales aren't looking too healthy compared to last year. We had two large projects last year, and now they're currently inactive our month on month number aren't looking too good. The execs essentially want us to increase our numbers 4x .

My main concern with that is that our workload is currently full, and while it probably wont require 4x the manpower to do 4x the revenue there does need to be analysis into what what kind of workload this could look like, and what we need to do to ensure we can cope.

A lot of our work is done in Excel, One Note and Trello - as well as internal stock and invoicing systems. There is a huge amount of data duplication, and everything you need to do needs to be stored in 2/3 different places, and there are a lot of manual processes that risk human error.

I've been researching systems we could potentially use, but all are too narrow in their scope. We need something that combines sales, project management, asset management, and support tickets - whist being able to be configured and tested by 1 person, and not cost that much. A massive ask.

I've been working with a developer on the team to build a prototype database, to show how relational data will increase our efficiency, minimise human error, minimise duplication, automate dozens of tasks, and to allow us to scale up.

Two things then happened this week.

This work was killed this, saying we don't have the experience to do this and it could create a data security risk. I asked what the plan is to ensure we have the tools available so we can easily do our jobs. I was told I need to submit a document to the head of IT of what I want. Issue being, I did this 2 years ago, and got told since our department doesn't make enough money then resources aren't going to be allocated to us.

Then later, my manger took us all into a meeting room, and explained we need to get more sales, and that I'm going to have to be more involved in sales leads (be a sales rep essentially - be main point of contact, build the quote etc). I have most of the skills to do this as I've assisted others with their quotes, but considering my workload is already too full I asked how they intended to manage this. I got a comment about how my manager didn't really know fully what I was doing, and implied he thinks I'm spending my time on things that aren't essential. Yet, I've got multiple projects I need his sign-off or instructions before I can continue because he's too busy to sit with me.

Also, he keeps wanting me to watch his workload and realise what he's falling behind on, and jump in and do some tasks for him. I tried to explain this just wont work, it opens up the possibility of duplicated work, or work not done to his requirement. I explained, if we have a meeting with a client and he has a list of 5 things he wants doing then he needs to distribute these out to specific people and explain to them how he wants them doing, not just expect people to come out of a meeting and instinctively know what they're doing and what he's doing himself. He disagrees, and things people need to take more charge on projects he's the lead for - somehow.

But we have several very, very large projects that are getting close to coming off that I've been working on him with - which have the possibility of us reaching those targets.

I also asked about commission for sales, and he said this hasn't been discussed but he'll look into it.

There's a bit more, but that's the bulk of what's swirling around in my head. I'm still looking for another job, and it seems the job market is picking up after a lull at Christmas, but it's still a very frustrating environment.

Sigh.

strawberry float em off mate. They sound like theyve got personal motives for not improving things. Things aint gonna improve.

[Curls]

Thank you for your replies. I do actually feel a bit better today. I now have 10 days before my next nights so I’m going to continue to focus on my mental health and try to spend time with people i actually like. It’s really cold here at the moments so I’m going to head into the mountains skiing tomorrow.

It’s tough my brain is on fire at the moment and I need to work on ways of mental resilience, but as you said. If I’m not enjoying it here, why carry on. I’ll talk to my manager about it we have a one to one when she’s back off leave. I need to know what options I do have.

[Lagamorph]

Seeing as our office is in the middle of a yellow flood warning and there are red flood warnings right next to it, and rain forecast all day today, I think I can be forgiven for choosing to work from home today

[Tomous]

Seeing as our office is in the middle of a yellow flood warning and there are red flood warnings right next to it, and rain forecast all day today, I think I can be forgiven for choosing to work from home today

I hope you let Moggy's manager know in advance

[Green Gecko]

Sales are weird. Heard back and metals and hard woods are too expensive. But they want 25 items now in cheaper material for £100 per piece. Which is still £2,500. It's more work but, whatever I could use over two grand with the amount I'm doing at the moment (which is almost nothing).

So they've just quintupled the quantity instead for the same budget. Ok then. If I had known you wanted 5 times as many I might have found some efficiencies... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Rightey]

I'm a bit lost at the moment. Maybe a long post incoming. I'm not sure yet so I'll spoiler it. I wasn't sure whether to post in here or the Depression thread, but maybe its a bit of both.

I am in Cyprus working with the military for work and the bubble is really getting to me. A number of things I think I'll bullet point them

1) Shift work is a killer, I do 2 days followed by 2 Nights quite often. And I've worked pretty much every weekend since November.

2) I've had huge issues with my old 'friends' here, who are also colleagues, I'm now trying to cut them out of my social life, but they've somehow become integrated into my other friendship groups. I can't stand it. They've been absolutely awful friends and every time I tried to fix things they pushed me away. I can't escape them. I want to build the mental resilience to just be able to deal with them, but right now it's difficult. Also the worst one was meant to be leaving in May, it was a light for me. Now work have extended her until September for 'business reasons.'

3 ) I feel I am drifting further and further from other friends I do have here. I don't fit in. The entire culture here is just boozing boozing boozing. And the more time I spend here, the less I want to do that. I'm currently 10 days no alcohol to try to look after my mental health. But I'm not sure if its working.

4 ) I'm meant to be here for 3 years, and I've only been here for one. I'm not sure what to do. If I asked to go back to the UK I'd just be put back in some random lonely location in the UK and made to work shifts again. Also it's good money for relatively easy work and is setting me up well for the future.

5) I really want to persevere and use this experience to make myself stronger, work on my own personal development and build good mental resilience for if I come across similar horrible people in my life in the future.

6) The fact my friendships have failed with these girls still really crushes me and I can't seem to let it go.

7) I am talking to people I've spoken to various friends, the DR and even the Padre on base. They all seem to think I'm on the right side of mentally stable but on nights like tonight I don't feel it.

8) I awoke today (night shifts) to loads of pictures of everyone having fun last night, including with the two girls who were horrible to me. It broke me, all my friends who I could fall back on are becoming more and more friendly with them and I feel like I have nowhere to turn.

9) Also going back to the bubble. I am sick of the military 'types'. Its a confident male dominated environment with all these knobhead typhoon pilots who think they're a big deal. They're all quite polite, but the place is strange. Its boozy, the party atmosphere is weird. They cheat on their wives, my female colleagues flirt with them outrageously, its horrific.

So I am looking at my options with work and with life.

1) Stick it out here, continue to live in this weird bubble with a bunch of alcoholics and live in a tiny room, also have to deal with this girl I hate until at least September.

2) Go back to work for this company in the UK, working shifts again in some random place that could be lonely. But at least could present me with the opportunity to rebuild my life a little.

3) Try to get a job with my current company that doesn't involve shift work. This seems unlikely though as I don't have skills in other rolls and my specific role is all shift work.

4) Apply for Australia / New zealand doing my role but for a completely different company on the other side of the world. Shift work would again be involved, but maybe they'd treat their staff better?

5) Take a sabbatical. Give my brain a rest, maybe do a little travelling,

6) Quit altogether maybe go live in a foreign country for while and get an honest job and let my mind search for itself for a bit. My company always need staff so I'd probably have no issues getting back in.

7) Look at a career change working for a different company. Again though, I have no idea what I'd do. I don't know what skills I actually have that are transferable.

Here is my skillset, if anyone is interested. I am a Senior Meteorologist and I've got 6 years under my belt working for a top Weather related company. I have a degree in 2:1 maths from Uo Liverpool, but I don't recall much of it and things like integration are now difficult for me. I didn't do much applied maths in university, it's all pure so things like Stats and mechanics were left on the sideline. I'm not sure what else to say really, I'm lost, I'm lonely and I'm sick of strawberry floating weekend nightshifts.

Isn't there someone else on here that's a meteorologist? Andre or something? It might be worth sending them a message and ask what kind of work they do to see if their situation is a bit better.

[Curls]

I'm a bit lost at the moment. Maybe a long post incoming. I'm not sure yet so I'll spoiler it. I wasn't sure whether to post in here or the Depression thread, but maybe its a bit of both.

I am in Cyprus working with the military for work and the bubble is really getting to me. A number of things I think I'll bullet point them

1) Shift work is a killer, I do 2 days followed by 2 Nights quite often. And I've worked pretty much every weekend since November.

2) I've had huge issues with my old 'friends' here, who are also colleagues, I'm now trying to cut them out of my social life, but they've somehow become integrated into my other friendship groups. I can't stand it. They've been absolutely awful friends and every time I tried to fix things they pushed me away. I can't escape them. I want to build the mental resilience to just be able to deal with them, but right now it's difficult. Also the worst one was meant to be leaving in May, it was a light for me. Now work have extended her until September for 'business reasons.'

3 ) I feel I am drifting further and further from other friends I do have here. I don't fit in. The entire culture here is just boozing boozing boozing. And the more time I spend here, the less I want to do that. I'm currently 10 days no alcohol to try to look after my mental health. But I'm not sure if its working.

4 ) I'm meant to be here for 3 years, and I've only been here for one. I'm not sure what to do. If I asked to go back to the UK I'd just be put back in some random lonely location in the UK and made to work shifts again. Also it's good money for relatively easy work and is setting me up well for the future.

5) I really want to persevere and use this experience to make myself stronger, work on my own personal development and build good mental resilience for if I come across similar horrible people in my life in the future.

6) The fact my friendships have failed with these girls still really crushes me and I can't seem to let it go.

7) I am talking to people I've spoken to various friends, the DR and even the Padre on base. They all seem to think I'm on the right side of mentally stable but on nights like tonight I don't feel it.

8) I awoke today (night shifts) to loads of pictures of everyone having fun last night, including with the two girls who were horrible to me. It broke me, all my friends who I could fall back on are becoming more and more friendly with them and I feel like I have nowhere to turn.

9) Also going back to the bubble. I am sick of the military 'types'. Its a confident male dominated environment with all these knobhead typhoon pilots who think they're a big deal. They're all quite polite, but the place is strange. Its boozy, the party atmosphere is weird. They cheat on their wives, my female colleagues flirt with them outrageously, its horrific.

So I am looking at my options with work and with life.

1) Stick it out here, continue to live in this weird bubble with a bunch of alcoholics and live in a tiny room, also have to deal with this girl I hate until at least September.

2) Go back to work for this company in the UK, working shifts again in some random place that could be lonely. But at least could present me with the opportunity to rebuild my life a little.

3) Try to get a job with my current company that doesn't involve shift work. This seems unlikely though as I don't have skills in other rolls and my specific role is all shift work.

4) Apply for Australia / New zealand doing my role but for a completely different company on the other side of the world. Shift work would again be involved, but maybe they'd treat their staff better?

5) Take a sabbatical. Give my brain a rest, maybe do a little travelling,

6) Quit altogether maybe go live in a foreign country for while and get an honest job and let my mind search for itself for a bit. My company always need staff so I'd probably have no issues getting back in.

7) Look at a career change working for a different company. Again though, I have no idea what I'd do. I don't know what skills I actually have that are transferable.

Here is my skillset, if anyone is interested. I am a Senior Meteorologist and I've got 6 years under my belt working for a top Weather related company. I have a degree in 2:1 maths from Uo Liverpool, but I don't recall much of it and things like integration are now difficult for me. I didn't do much applied maths in university, it's all pure so things like Stats and mechanics were left on the sideline. I'm not sure what else to say really, I'm lost, I'm lonely and I'm sick of strawberry floating weekend nightshifts.

Isn't there someone else on here that's a meteorologist? Andre or something? It might be worth sending them a message and ask what kind of work they do to see if their situation is a bit better.

Yeap, we work for the same company. We know each other in person ahah.

[Drumstick]

I'm a bit lost at the moment. Maybe a long post incoming. I'm not sure yet so I'll spoiler it. I wasn't sure whether to post in here or the Depression thread, but maybe its a bit of both.

I am in Cyprus working with the military for work and the bubble is really getting to me. A number of things I think I'll bullet point them

1) Shift work is a killer, I do 2 days followed by 2 Nights quite often. And I've worked pretty much every weekend since November.

2) I've had huge issues with my old 'friends' here, who are also colleagues, I'm now trying to cut them out of my social life, but they've somehow become integrated into my other friendship groups. I can't stand it. They've been absolutely awful friends and every time I tried to fix things they pushed me away. I can't escape them. I want to build the mental resilience to just be able to deal with them, but right now it's difficult. Also the worst one was meant to be leaving in May, it was a light for me. Now work have extended her until September for 'business reasons.'

3 ) I feel I am drifting further and further from other friends I do have here. I don't fit in. The entire culture here is just boozing boozing boozing. And the more time I spend here, the less I want to do that. I'm currently 10 days no alcohol to try to look after my mental health. But I'm not sure if its working.

4 ) I'm meant to be here for 3 years, and I've only been here for one. I'm not sure what to do. If I asked to go back to the UK I'd just be put back in some random lonely location in the UK and made to work shifts again. Also it's good money for relatively easy work and is setting me up well for the future.

5) I really want to persevere and use this experience to make myself stronger, work on my own personal development and build good mental resilience for if I come across similar horrible people in my life in the future.

6) The fact my friendships have failed with these girls still really crushes me and I can't seem to let it go.

7) I am talking to people I've spoken to various friends, the DR and even the Padre on base. They all seem to think I'm on the right side of mentally stable but on nights like tonight I don't feel it.

8) I awoke today (night shifts) to loads of pictures of everyone having fun last night, including with the two girls who were horrible to me. It broke me, all my friends who I could fall back on are becoming more and more friendly with them and I feel like I have nowhere to turn.

9) Also going back to the bubble. I am sick of the military 'types'. Its a confident male dominated environment with all these knobhead typhoon pilots who think they're a big deal. They're all quite polite, but the place is strange. Its boozy, the party atmosphere is weird. They cheat on their wives, my female colleagues flirt with them outrageously, its horrific.

So I am looking at my options with work and with life.

1) Stick it out here, continue to live in this weird bubble with a bunch of alcoholics and live in a tiny room, also have to deal with this girl I hate until at least September.

2) Go back to work for this company in the UK, working shifts again in some random place that could be lonely. But at least could present me with the opportunity to rebuild my life a little.

3) Try to get a job with my current company that doesn't involve shift work. This seems unlikely though as I don't have skills in other rolls and my specific role is all shift work.

4) Apply for Australia / New zealand doing my role but for a completely different company on the other side of the world. Shift work would again be involved, but maybe they'd treat their staff better?

5) Take a sabbatical. Give my brain a rest, maybe do a little travelling,

6) Quit altogether maybe go live in a foreign country for while and get an honest job and let my mind search for itself for a bit. My company always need staff so I'd probably have no issues getting back in.

7) Look at a career change working for a different company. Again though, I have no idea what I'd do. I don't know what skills I actually have that are transferable.

Here is my skillset, if anyone is interested. I am a Senior Meteorologist and I've got 6 years under my belt working for a top Weather related company. I have a degree in 2:1 maths from Uo Liverpool, but I don't recall much of it and things like integration are now difficult for me. I didn't do much applied maths in university, it's all pure so things like Stats and mechanics were left on the sideline. I'm not sure what else to say really, I'm lost, I'm lonely and I'm sick of strawberry floating weekend nightshifts.

Isn't there someone else on here that's a meteorologist? Andre or something? It might be worth sending them a message and ask what kind of work they do to see if their situation is a bit better.

Yeap, we work for the same company. We know each other in person ahah.

Can you get him to come back to the forum?

I met him once. Nice guy.

[Bunni]

Good news at work today. We've got one unit that's not open yet and I've been asked to be manager for it. That's pretty cool but it's also gunna be a pilot for new health and social care plans and formats in across the whole council. So, exciting for me to be part of this, working with senior management and developing this new system were going into.

Quite surprised to be asked considering I'm the newest recruit and I've not got years experience in junior positions with the council, but I think my previous work in mental health and a&e is quite useful. Apparently I've made quite an impression on senior management which I'm super happy about.

[gaminglegend]

Handed in my notice today felt really sad which surprised me. Been working in a town that's pretty much a daily total of a 4-hour commute via public transport every day and costs nearly £400 a month. Been offered a role, a step-down but something I've done before, and it's 15 seconds walk from where I live.

I'm glad to be getting back out of retail as it was always just a stop-gap, but feel a bit annoyed that my bosses wouldn't consider contributing to my travel costs considering the store was managerless for 6 months when I arrived, and I've turned it around in 8-9 months, surpassing targets and doing really well. Their answer was 'well the wage goes up in April so everyone gets a boost all the way up the line'.. I think I've shown massive commitment in never being sick/late despite living so far away, and the fact it took 6 months to hire me, says to me you'd rather potentially let the store go back to gooseberry fool for a few months more, rather than even offer me an extra £100/200 a month.

I think mostly it's the team I'm going to miss, and didn't realize I was as attache as I am. So kinda hoping this new job works out.

[Squinty]

I hope it works out for you dude! Sounds like you made the right call.

[Rax]

Every year the company does an employee satisfaction survey, as in most companies they never seem to listen to the results or commit to tackling things but its nice to vent a little if nothing else. Just got the results sent around in a slide show, most of the feedback is positive, but there was a negative response about job satisfaction and compensation, about a quarter of people were negative on those. Right after that slide there was a quote from the HR manager, and I mean a quote, they use double quotes and her name is at the bottom:

“If you are one of the employees who feels like this, I would encourage you to ask yourself if <company name> is the right place for you.
We are all replaceable and while we would be sorry to see you go, we need employees who want to be here and feel part of the team.”

1 in 4 of the staff are unhappy and the response is, "get out, we'll find someone who wont complain", and thats direct from the head of HR, what the actual strawberry float.

[Moggy]

Every year the company does an employee satisfaction survey, as in most companies they never seem to listen to the results or commit to tackling things but its nice to vent a little if nothing else. Just got the results sent around in a slide show, most of the feedback is positive, but there was a negative response about job satisfaction and compensation, about a quarter of people were negative on those. Right after that slide there was a quote from the HR manager, and I mean a quote, they use double quotes and her name is at the bottom:

“If you are one of the employees who feels like this, I would encourage you to ask yourself if <company name> is the right place for you.
We are all replaceable and while we would be sorry to see you go, we need employees who want to be here and feel part of the team.”

1 in 4 of the staff are unhappy and the response is, "get out, we'll find someone who wont complain", and thats direct from the head of HR, what the actual strawberry float.

strawberry floating hell.

[Drumstick]

Every year the company does an employee satisfaction survey, as in most companies they never seem to listen to the results or commit to tackling things but its nice to vent a little if nothing else. Just got the results sent around in a slide show, most of the feedback is positive, but there was a negative response about job satisfaction and compensation, about a quarter of people were negative on those. Right after that slide there was a quote from the HR manager, and I mean a quote, they use double quotes and her name is at the bottom:

“If you are one of the employees who feels like this, I would encourage you to ask yourself if <company name> is the right place for you.
We are all replaceable and while we would be sorry to see you go, we need employees who want to be here and feel part of the team.”

1 in 4 of the staff are unhappy and the response is, "get out, we'll find someone who wont complain", and thats direct from the head of HR, what the actual strawberry float.

Wow.

[Jenuall]

Yeah that's a bit gooseberry fool. I'd be inclined to take them up on the offer and get the hell out of there if I was one of those people.

What a great way to engender loyalty and a sense of recognition amongst your staff!

[Moggy]

Annoying girl: “Do we need wet signatures before we can pay money out?”

Me: “I haven’t done those tasks in a long time, but we always used to insist on it.”

Annoying girl: “But why would we? The forms go to post handling so we only see scanned copies!”

Me: “Yes, but post handling would have the originals if we needed them.”

Annoying girl: “No, I think we can accept scans”

Me: “You better check before you pay anything out”

Annoying girl: “But why? We only ever see scanned copies?”

My thought: “strawberry floating pay it the strawberry float out then and see what strawberry floating happens if you get it strawberry floating wrong. Why strawberry floating ask if you don’t like the strawberry floating answer?”.

[Rax]

Yeah that's a bit gooseberry fool. I'd be inclined to take them up on the offer and get the hell out of there if I was one of those people.

What a great way to engender loyalty and a sense of recognition amongst your staff!

Im not one thankfully, Im pretty happy here but I can see why people would be upset, the company is growing pretty fast and with that theres growing pains. If I was sitting on the fence that comment would firmly push me off and away Id go.

[Jenuall]

But why Moggy?! Why?

We've got a new guy on our team and he smokes. strawberry floating office reeks of it now.

I don't think I know anyone who smokes any more so the smell was but a grim and distant memory to me, I'd forgotten how horrible it is.

[Jenuall]

Yeah that's a bit gooseberry fool. I'd be inclined to take them up on the offer and get the hell out of there if I was one of those people.

What a great way to engender loyalty and a sense of recognition amongst your staff!

Im not one thankfully, Im pretty happy here but I can see why people would be upset, the company is growing pretty fast and with that theres growing pains. If I was sitting on the fence that comment would firmly push me off and away Id go.

Yeah it's the kind of response that is just going to erode confidence in anyone who is even close to wavering. Why stick around if that's how you are seen? Why give your best if the company thinks you are essentially disposable?

Even if it's a true statement (I've no idea if it is in this context!) it's not the way to communicate!

[Rax]

Yeah that's a bit gooseberry fool. I'd be inclined to take them up on the offer and get the hell out of there if I was one of those people.

What a great way to engender loyalty and a sense of recognition amongst your staff!

Im not one thankfully, Im pretty happy here but I can see why people would be upset, the company is growing pretty fast and with that theres growing pains. If I was sitting on the fence that comment would firmly push me off and away Id go.

Yeah it's the kind of response that is just going to erode confidence in anyone who is even close to wavering. Why stick around if that's how you are seen? Why give your best if the company thinks you are essentially disposable?

Even if it's a true statement (I've no idea if it is in this context!) it's not the way to communicate!

Well it is true in most instances, very few people are completely irreplaceable, work will continue and people will fill in the gaps if anyone left, thats a natural part of any workplace really. But for HR to actually come out and say it is baffling, surely their whole reaosn for existing is to make people feel like they are valued and important and special? Real good way to kill morale in no time at all.