*Whinge Alert* - Fuck this, or how do I blow up work and get away with it?

[Nasty]

Crikey ... I know its shite working over this time but I couldn't get the RFP I am working on out before Christmas so that the Vendors could work over Christmas trying to meet our demands ....

I now am writing an evaluation plan ... reviewing RFP requirements ... and all that wonderful stuff ... but at least I am busy ... cos if I was staring at the walls like one of my collegues I would just go home!


PS your bosses are shite for shafting you on your leave ... it is hard to make them realise that though ... corporate IT sux sometimes.

[Deano]

Make it Baycorp's problem. If the dude doesn't already have credit issues, that will fuck them up better than paying you back in total.

I have listed the debt with them - it costs if you want them to actively chase it - you probably already know this

The thing is - he is a career criminal and doesn't give a flying feck.

I don't know if there are people in NZ that do it - but I'd be tempted to 'sell on' the debt to some nasty, nasty person.

[James Deuce]

I don't know if there are people in NZ that do it - but I'd be tempted to 'sell on' the debt to some nasty, nasty person.

I've lost contact with "My Guy" since his niece died (I used to read to her in hospital - weird auto-immune system disorder specific to East Coast Nth Island Maori). He got most of our stuff back after we got burgaled and told me what shops to go get my CDs back from.

I can assure you though, that there are indeed people who do that sort of work for a living.

[WRT]

Admittedly, I don't know what field of IT you work in, but not all IT jobs are the same when it comes to Christmas holidays. For starters, you could work for a company that closes over the Christmas break. My last job did that, bliss I tell you. My current employer closes for the stats, and with the other person in our IT department we just take turns covering the days were are open anyway. I still have to remain on call in case something nasty blows up, but I've never had to return to work while I've been on leave so far (touch wood).

Another option would have been to tell them at the start of December when they turned down your leave application that you want a written guarantee of having next Christmas off work, or you would hand in your notice then and there. Doesn't get you off for this year, but you would be in the position of the most strength as that close to Xmas they would need you to keep working rather than leave so that is the best time to bargain with them. And if they accepted your resignation then at least you know where you stand with them (not that there appears to be much doubt anyway).

I'm no fan of Unions, so I wont recommend them.

Personally though, it sounds to me like you need to jump ship. 5 years is a lengthy stay in one firm (by todays standards anyway), so why not start looking around? Who knows, you could find a better job with nicer colleagues and a bigger salary!

I know I spent too long in a lousy job one time, thinking it was easier, or that there wouldn't be anything out there that was better. In the end I started looking around, found a sweet job much easier and quicker than I thought I would.

Plus it's a damn sweet feeling telling a useless boss to shove it.

[Katman]

Don't worry Jim, I've forwarded this thread to your boss' boss' boss, so you should have a looooong holiday coming up in the new year.

[Big Dave]

How do people rationalise work vs family issues without pissing off the boss, the wife, the kids, the relatives, and yourself?

Self employment.

[WRT]

Self employment.

LOL - I meant to include that in my post too!

[James Deuce]

Self employment.

Tried that.

Some of us have marketable skills.

Others of us should really be working in factories. Sigh.

[WRT]

I guess you could try winning lotto then? I hear it's worked for some people, but unfortunately I've had more luck with changing jobs than buying lotto tickets.

[Ixion]

Well, I'm at work. But I sort of semi volunteered. or at least let others have first pick fo the days.

I quite like working the Xmas/New year period. It's dead quiet, I'm spending the day working on the bike ("Why , yes, it's surprising how much grease is still involved in these servers. They're high performance machines you know") , surfing the net, and eating. And come 5pm, drinking. Anything comes up, it's dead easy "Sorry, you'll need to fall back on your manual backup procedures. Yes, the ones in the folder marked 'Manual Processing Instructions '. Yes, you do have one. I went round before Xmas and checked that EVERY department had their folder. I'm good to you like that. Yes, it is a bit more manual and labour intensive. That's why it's a fall back procedure. Alas, all the people who might be able to do any more for you are away on leave., It *is* Christmas you know, wouldn't want people to think we weren't a family oriented ,holistic work balance empowered company, would we. Off you go, you'll be fine". Sorted. Back to the interwibble

Who wants to be out there at present. Crowds, lousy weather, everybody still stressed out.

I'll take my leave in early january and late February.

[Big Dave]

Others should really be working in factories.

You're not one of them.

[cowboyz]

When I was contract milking the owner also owned the farm next door. One night we were having water pump issues and were busy fixing it. It got to about 4.50pm and he said he had a previous appointment that he HAD to get to and if I couldn't finish repairing the pump then it would have to wait for the following day. I stayed a repaired the pump while he left for his appointment.

The following day he asked me why I wasnt at the kids assembly that was being held the night before. I said I was fixing the pump. It turned out the appointment that he deemed more important than fixing a pump was seeing his kids at assembly. He spoke for a while about priorities.

Sometimes you have to remember WHY you are working for?

[Krayy]

I'm a contractor and get paid a whole lot of bucks a day, of which Michael Cullen gets 99.5% of and the wife gets the rest.

I'm trying to put in as close to 40 hours this week as I can (not easy in a 3 day week) so I can afford to go on an unpaid holiday in January, so I'm definitely a victim of my own circumstance.

That being said, at least I'm getting paid for doing my hobby ;-)

[vifferman]

... and have no access to any documentation.

...but dba has no documentation for us so had to fudge our way thru and close database by an unsafe method.

No worries - give me a few minutes and I'll make up some bullshit for both of you.

I quite like working the Xmas/New year period.

I was planning to work on "the days in-between". Unfortunately, I have nothing to do, and I also found out if I have more than 10 days leave left at the end of March, I'll lose some days.
At the same time, I'm supposed to be accumulating as much leave as possible, so I can go to Urp with the vifferbabe. If it ever happens.
It was all lined up for last October, then fell apart, so we went to Kalifornicatia last Xmas instead. Then we were supposed to go next September, but the vifferbabe's boss said, "No - you'll be far too busy then, but you can go in April". Small problem - #2 Son's bills to pay, and not enough time to get a wodge of cash together before April. So, I said, "Fine. I know how important this is to you; I'll sell the bike if we don't have enough".
Then the vifferbabe bought me an expensive jacket for my birthday/Xmas and said, "We've spent too much on you and your bike - you can't sell it."

Fuktallround. Except actually. Too much work, stress, etc.

[marty]

(4)An employer must not unreasonably withhold consent to an employee's request to take annual holidays.

sorry Jim but you've been dicked. you'll have to make it awfully inconvenient for them from now on in.