All right...not going to quit my job, but my co-worker just sucks.

[SirPeale]

Just about out the door.  Goodie.  A whole day with Mumbles.

At least tomorrow I shouldn't see him at all.

[missioncontrol]

good luck with the new job prospect

[Nailz]

Wow Peale, just stepping into this one, but things sound like they really suck...

Having had a couple of jobs that just thinking about them made me want to vomit, I can heartily agree with what a lot of folks here have said.

1.  Start looking for a new job.  You have, that's awesome, good luck...

2.  Carry a notepad with you like someone else suggested, take it out right in front of your boss and write down everything he has to say.  He will either be impressed that you are making an effort to get everything he has to say or will realize he can't be as much of an a-hole because it's all in your notes and he can't back track.  Either way it's a good thing.

3.  Have a conversation with the boss and Mumbles one on one, write down your thoughts if you think you are going to have trouble getting them across.  Let them know you love the job, the seeming lack of communication between the 3 of you is making things difficult to say the least.  This is where the notebook comes in handy.

No one deserves to feel sick going to work, it's REALLY bad for you.  A boss that treats you like a sub-human doesn't deserve you, make him pay by stepping up and telling him what you need.  If he won't give it to you, then stick it to him by getting a new job.

Best of luck to you.

[ChadTower]

2.

[SirPeale]

Chad: I'd repeat it in front of him before hand to avoid confusion.

So...today Mumbles and I actually got a big shock.

We're sitting there, looking thru monitors for a Crusin' USA when all of a sudden about twenty women come thru our shop, pass us, and go into our back room where we store stuff that's not on the street.

We look at one another, and of course we follow.

Long story short: we're losing our warehouse space, and we're going to be getting more space somewhere else in the building.

Longer story: they're converting our space (and the space next to ours) into office space, and a greeting card company is moving in.  Lots of *very* attractive women going in there.

The good news is this: boss' wife wants to do as little work as possible moving the "junk" so guess what they want to do with it?  She mentioned eBay, but I figured it'd be better off going to people in this area.

No classics, just a lot of converted stuff, and a lot of junk.  I will post with more details IF anything ever comes of it.

[Kremmit]

Watch out, Peale!  You don't want to end up with 50+ junk games filling up your garage & gameroom.  Really, I swear, you don't.

[SirPeale]

I don't have the room!  But there will probably be others in the NE area that want cabs.

[nipsmg]

Peale:  I'll take a 27" std res monitor in great condition for free, thanks :-D  (damn brattleboro is a long drive from Branford, CT)

[SirPeale]

Peale:  I'll take a 27" std res monitor in great condition for free, thanks :-D  (damn brattleboro is a long drive from Branford, CT)

1) almost all 19" cabinets.  Some with monitors, some not.

2) Swanzey, NH, not Brattleboro, VT.

[JoyMonkey]

Put me down for a 19" cab with a monitor if possible. I think Swanzey is only about 2hrs away from me. 

[RetroJames]

Make sure and remind Peale via PM or something in a few days with all these requests.  We all know he won't remember in a couple of days!

mumble*grumble*mumble

[Havok]

I've got dibs on any Star Wars Trilogy machines, if you have them...

 

(Yeah, that'll happen...)

[ChadTower]

Chad: I'd repeat it in front of him before hand to avoid confusion.

I've dealt with people like this before (not saying your boss is one)... doesn't matter what they actually SAID, they simply claim they did not say it or have since changed their mind or made a mistake and now they will not admit it.  They go with "no, you're wrong" and talk over any logic.

[Stingray]

Chad: I'd repeat it in front of him before hand to avoid confusion.

I've dealt with people like this before (not saying your boss is one)... doesn't matter what they actually SAID, they simply claim they did not say it or have since changed their mind or made a mistake and now they will not admit it.  They go with "no, you're wrong" and talk over any logic.

I had a boss like that for a few years. Actually she was the assistant principal, and the principal knew shew was totally full of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, so I guess it's really not the same. Still I know it's very frustrating when your boss tells you to do something, you do it, and later she claims that you were told to do something else.

-S

[SirPeale]

THERE ARE NO CLAIMS TO BE MADE.

I don't even know if it'll happen.  Just because the wife wants to move some stuff doesn't mean the boss will actually do it.

And I get first dibs on the Xenophobe machine.

[RandyT]

3)  Do not question the pecking order.....  This doesn't mean that you don't have a chance of succeeding there, only that you may need to "pay your dues", "do your time" and basically grow yourself to the point where the dookhead will begin to view you as a "peer."  ....

Good luck,
RandyT

All very good advice from RandyT, but I have to argue this last point. I've learned one major thing in the recent months of my life. If someone has regarded you before as a "Subordinate" or an "Inferior", they will continue to regard you as such until they are out of your life. I recently went through a rather painful lesson having to learn this.

Respect is earned, not simply commanded.  There is little argument for this point.

Folks who walk into an organization thinking they have all the answers will quickly find themselves looking stupid or pissing off the rest of the people who work there.  You might be right in your assertions, but 9 times out of 10 the people whom you are "instructing" will already know everything you tell them.  Many times the organization is broken at a location that is virtually unreachable by those who are affected most by the dysfunction.  Likewise, people at one level of an organization often only "think" they have the answers, because they are not privy to all of the information. 

In any case, I'm sure that last paragraph doesn't apply to Peale, but there is only one way to gain true respect, and that is through actions.  This takes time to demonstrate.   And,  you can only be viewed as something other than "inferior" by gaining respect.

RandyT

[clanggedin]

Peale, If you get the Xenophobe cab or not.. I need a clean shot of the front instruction card that is on the neck. I purchased a kit froma guy and it missing that piece. I can't even find a good photo to create my own.

Even if you could write down what it says and PM it to me I would be greatly in your debt.

**sorry for hijacking your thread**

Godd luck with dealing with your retarded co-worker. It doesn't matter where you work. There will always be a "Mumbles" working there.

[ChadTower]

  Many times the organization is broken at a location that is virtually unreachable by those who are affected most by the dysfunction.

That's my position.  My job is hell at times because there is a whole level of coordination missing that is parallel to mine but in another part of the organization.

[SirPeale]

*sigh*

Mumbles is such an Ass Hat.  Really.

Had to work with him exclusively on Friday.  Everything the man does drives me to a point of insanity that is frusterating.

At one point he had me make a phone call to one of our locations.  No biggie.  He goes off to the 'thinking room'.  When I reach the other end, they ask to call back in five minutes, as they had a sudden rush of customers.  Also, no biggie.

I keep an eye on my watch, and when five minutes go by I figure I'll just hit 'redial' to call back, since it's the last number I dialed.

Redial, however, isn't obvious on this phone.  Mumbles walks back into the room.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for the redial button."

"...Why?"

At this moment I basically go completely insane.  The whole day has been full of little moments like this. (I'll mention the donut later).

I look at him dead on.  "I dunno, Mumbles...why do you think I'd want to hit the redial button?  Maybe because...I dunno...I'd like to dial a number again?"

He did show me where it was, and yeah...it wasn't obvious.  Every button has its function printed on the top, but this is a dual function button, so it was printed just above the button.  But really..."...why?" *insert choking sounds here*

Luckily within ten minutes I had a new mission: to travel North to pull the computer out of an out-of-order Need For Speed GT.  Good thing too...I might just have killed him.  Or walked away.  I dunno which.

[SirPeale]

Yeah...the donut.  Almost forgot.

On Wednesday we all went to a post show, where vendors show off their new products.

I had a box of donuts in the fridge.  Get them out.

Mumbles says "Hey, donuts, let's take them with us."

I say "You can have *one*."

He doesn't say anything - to me - but takes a donut and starts eating.

Aparently he made several quips to Cool Guy throughout the day about this.  I had no clue.  He let me know about it the next day.

So I had one last donut in the fridge, and planned on eating it after lunch on Friday.  I had a mild case of heartburn, and took some stuff in front of him.  He asked what it was, I told him.  Then I headed to the shop.

I'm working on...something, I forget what...he walks in, and in front of me, pops the last bite of donut in his mouth.  "I didn't think you'd mind, since you have an upset stomach and all,"

WTF?!?  Did you even ask?

I've been devising ways to get even with this ---tallywhacker---, but so far I'm coming up empty.

[mccoy178]

Ah, just walk away.  The dude is a waste of sperm.

[missioncontrol]

perhaps you should invest in another box of donuts and a large quantity of ex-lax....

it'll give hime plenty of time to be in the "thinking room"

[RayB]

I dunno, why did you feel it necessary to tell him how many donuts he could have? He probably took that as a challenge. (ie: you: "you can have ONE", him thinking: "oh yeah? we'll see about that"). I mean really, what are you his mother? You didn't need to say anything. Then if you got wherever and the box was empty, well, it's not your doing, is it?

Sorry, but I'm just hearing pettyness here. You being sarcastic to him, and him obviously getting back at you. Thing is, he's probably getting a kick out of what he does, while for you it's eating you up inside-out!

(the always-opinionated Ray B.  )

[SirPeale]

I dunno, why did you feel it necessary to tell him how many donuts he could have?

Because they're *my* freaking donuts.

And believe me, spend some time around this guy, you'll feel the same way.  I don't know one person that actually likes him.  One day he was at the shop for like five minutes, walked out, and someone had keyed his car.  (no, it wasn't me).  And he doesn't even deal with many people around the shop area.  We have locations that refuse to deal with him because he's such a dick.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

I'm working on...something, I forget what...he walks in, and in front of me, pops the last bite of donut in his mouth.  "I didn't think you'd mind, since you have an upset stomach and all,"

WTF?!?  Did you even ask?

I've been devising ways to get even with this ---tallywhacker---, but so far I'm coming up empty.

Simple.  Ex-Lax coated donuts.

EDIT: Doh! I see MC beat me to it.


mrC

[RayB]

Because they're *my* freaking donuts.

And believe me, spend some time around this guy, you'll feel the same way.  I don't know one person that actually likes him.  One day he was at the shop for like five minutes, walked out, and someone had keyed his car.  (no, it wasn't me).  And he doesn't even deal with many people around the shop area.  We have locations that refuse to deal with him because he's such a dick.

Heheh oh ok. It sounded like the donuts were ment for clients or something.  Hey, have you noticed a forum member named "mumbles" signed up recently?
 

[ChadTower]

FWIW, I met dude at the aforementioned Vendor show... he does seem like a dickwad. 

OTOH, he's mid 40ish and not physically imposing at all.  He's not any bigger than Peale.  Peale should just pieface him.

[mairsil]

Coworker and boss suck.

I know that I am getting in late, but I feel that you should know a few things. Foremost is that your boss is breaking the law by paying you as an "independent contractor." From all of your descriptions here, your position does not qualify as being independent. Regardless of how the boss wants to pay you, he can not just classify you as a contractor and be done with it. There are certain legal requirements that must be met to do so. Because of that, he is, at the minimum, breaking several federal and (most likely) state/local laws regarding the payment of taxes, FICA and unemployment insurance. If he were to fire you, you would have the right to sue him for failing to pay into your unemployment.

I worked in an environment similar to yours. Mine was an engineering department with a few other engineers who didn't know their ass from a hole in the ground, and a manager who would regularly redefine history. Not only would blame be placed on people who did exactly what he wanted, he would start yelling and screaming. This constitutes employee abuse and is also illegal in many areas. Hell, one of my coworkers was literally almost worked and screamed to death (hospitalized with chest pains). My wife made me quit. 

Your job will not get any better. It is easy to say "don't let it get to you," but it is not easy to do it. You will not get any happier while those people are working there. I know these things from experience. Your best bet is to find another job or consider starting your own company. Alternately, you could consult a lawyer and see if you can sue your boss for compensation. 

[missioncontrol]

go to his house and give him the ol top tank treetment

[Dartful Dodger]

go to his house and give him the ol top tank treetment

An upper deck.

[DrewKaree]

Don't forget the curtains!  For the love of Pete man, whatever you do, DON'T FORGET THE CURTAINS!

[Dartful Dodger]

Peeing in the shampoo bottle is an oldie but a goodie.

[missioncontrol]

go to his house and give him the ol top tank treetment

An upper deck.

teh kewl kids call it top tank

[quarterback]

I know that I am getting in late, but I feel that you should know a few things. Foremost is that your boss is breaking the law by paying you as an "independent contractor."

Whoa now.  You're being paid as an independent contractor??  WTF?  I must have missed that somewhere.   Does he tell you where to do your work?   Does he tell you how and when your work is to be done?  Do you have to show up at specific times that he's laid out?  Are you required to stay until specific times while doing your work?  Does he tell you where to go?

---fudgesicle--- that, if you answered yes to those questions above, mairsil is absolutely correct.  You're not an independent contractor, you're an employee and HE needs to be paying FICA, not you.   

[RayB]

Alot of companies do this. It's pretty damn common in computer related jobs, where you get hired as "a contractor" to kinda test the waters (and avoid red tape--or so it seems).

Here in Ontario, if someone employed in this status got laid off and they went and filed for unemployment, they'd get it, and then the employer would get a nasty call from the employment ministry. AND guess what? All those taxes that were not withheld and paid... Not the employees problem. The employer would then owe the unpaid taxes!! It's a great way to screw a company when they screw you by "downsizing" you!
 

[quarterback]

Alot of companies do this. It's pretty damn common in computer related jobs, where you get hired as "a contractor" to kinda test the waters (and avoid red tape--or so it seems).

In my experience, it's primarily done here to avoid paying taxes and it's more frequently done by small mom-and-pop or young entrepenuerial small businesses.   I'm sure big companies do it as well, but I've never personally seen it.  They don't want to deal with the potential legal issues. 

As far as testing the waters, it's really not that difficult to hire a part-time employee or to hire somebody for a finite amount of time and then re-up with them at a later date if they pass muster.   Treating employees as independent contractors is against the law.  And beyond that, it's simply unfair to the worker.

That being said, there are a number of computer related jobs which really are legitimate contract work. 

Here in Ontario, if someone employed in this status got laid off and they went and filed for unemployment, they'd get it, and then the employer would get a nasty call from the employment ministry. AND guess what? All those taxes that were not withheld and paid... Not the employees problem.

Yeah, but it's already the employee's problem if they're working there prior to, and after, tax time.

It's fine that somewhere down the road you might get to stick it to the company, but what does that really matter if you've been paying 15% of your annual salary out of your pocket every April?   

If you're making $20,000/year, that's an extra $3,000 you're dropping this month.  And if you're only making $20,000 a year, that $3k hurts a lot.

[Bones]

Burn him. With petrol. Just remember ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- stinks when it is on fire and you don't want to go inhaling a flaming mumble now do you.....

[mairsil]

Alot of companies do this. It's pretty damn common in computer related jobs, where you get hired as "a contractor" to kinda test the waters (and avoid red tape--or so it seems).

Here in Ontario, if someone employed in this status got laid off and they went and filed for unemployment, they'd get it, and then the employer would get a nasty call from the employment ministry. AND guess what? All those taxes that were not withheld and paid... Not the employees problem. The employer would then owe the unpaid taxes!! It's a great way to screw a company when they screw you by "downsizing" you!
 

I cannot acount for Canadian law, only US. Yes, a lot of companies classify workers as independent contractors for tax reasons, and a lot of those companies are breaking the law. The couple of items that quaterback listed are pretty much the litmus test that courts use to determine whether or not an employee is really a contractor. Everything that I have read here indicates that Peale is getting screwed six ways to Sunday.

[Zakk]

I'm an 'independant contractor' as a real estate agent.  I PAY to be in my office.  In fact, I pay rent for my office, charges for my line services, salary to my secretary, portions for the federal pension plan, my own insurance and everything.  However, I have absolutely no boss, well at least one that tells me when to show up to work, when to take breaks, when to go home, how much to sell, or anything even remotely like that.  I think if you are told a set time to work, and given exact tasks, you are an employee.


That said, money is money, it all spends the same no matter how you make it, and if Peale is okay with the arrangement, who are we to question?

[JackTucky]

I know that I am getting in late, but I feel that you should know a few things. Foremost is that your boss is breaking the law by paying you as an "independent contractor." From all of your descriptions here, your position does not qualify as being independent. Regardless of how the boss wants to pay you, he can not just classify you as a contractor and be done with it. There are certain legal requirements that must be met to do so. Because of that, he is, at the minimum, breaking several federal and (most likely) state/local laws regarding the payment of taxes, FICA and unemployment insurance. If he were to fire you, you would have the right to sue him for failing to pay into your unemployment.

A job is a privelige.  Not an entitlement. 

If he doesn't like the setup, he can go elsewhere.  Of course, he could waste his time and resources and report the bastard who is breaking the law.

Guess what?  The whole world breaks the law.  Ever hire a landscaper?  A drywaller?  Ever hire someone to pick the crops?    They are mostly all illegal aliens.

Blecch.  Employees who want to call the goverment instead of moving on.  what a treat.

Jacktucky "never hired an independent  contractor and paid his taxes"