johnart said:

I know I just like to spell it that way, but you have a point, I like things my way and often times in the workplace things have to be their way

Lammastide said:

If you read my post after it about getting laid off before, you'll see why I'm worried LOL I have good management but a horrible coworker who is driving me crazy that it's affecting how I work and everything. I just have to work harder and see if I can handle it, and if not, I will quit before I can get fired.
[Edited 6/1/09 18:09pm]

Genesia said:

Me I am the common denominator, and don't think it is my hobby, cause it's not,
I once had a total 10 jobs in one year literally,

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I wish I was Lulu she's got it easy

alphastreet said:

Not a bad idea... also perhaps you can approach your employer and share the problem.

Lammastide said:

And I love that story.

Close2u said:

I'm givin you a hard time. It's not like I'm spelling bee champion.

But yes, the workplace often prefers thngs their way.

Lammastide said:

yeah I already have and they told me what to do, but I haven't done it yet. I will take care of it soon, wish me luck.

Close2u said:

that is pretty much the definition of a job, doing things their way, in which case they will pay you money for it. It can be a fair exchange, if you're serious about needing the money.

I don't like work, but I'm a great employee. I also love my freedom, which means I am unsuited for most full-time jobs. I have managed to patch together part-time jobs, and now I have clients which means it's more of a mutual collaboration. I often end up teaching them what they need to know. But ONLY if they are open to my input. Those who listen to my advice and offer me some authority over their affairs end up being the clients I tend to keep. But they can only trust my authority if I make it clear at all times, that I am in service to them and their highest interest. I take authority with permission.

alphastreet said:

Vendetta1 said:

Well, it's kinda long and personal, but if there is demand I will put it up again.

Tremolina said:

I'm queen of the org and I am demanding you put it up again.

Cinnie said:

i used to get "the look" when i played Prince, ...back in the day of good ol' vinyl

Vendetta1 said:

But of course, your Majestity. Your wish is my command!

Vendetta1 said:

But consider adding more sex, violence and car chases... and maybe an android or two.

I really am one of those people that has a problem with authority, and I think I would be awesome at being self-employed, but the problem is, I don't know what kind of job.

Lammastide said:

Well, there was a rumour or two that Charles liked them (too) young. And he liked driving too fast in his SUV while also having a severe drinking problem that sometimes led to inexplicable outbursts of anger.

You should also imagine that it was a company where they worked with many "vip's" and "celebrities" and that the amount of asskissing done was often much more than a figure of speech.

Vendetta1 said:

You like it huh? Well okay then, for you and Lamastide especially

True story:

Once I got a job as legal counselor at a large media company. I was going to be the 'right hand' of the general director, George, advise on all the companies legal affairs, conduct contract negotiations and perform a due dilligence for the sale of the company. George told me some people had to be laid off before the company could be sold, but not a lot and that the focus was going to be on the due dilligence and trying to make more money off the companies intellectual property rights with better contractual arrangements.

I was thrilled with the job and only had to have one more meeting, with the HR manager Alexandra, to negotiate my own contract. That meeting I felt there was something very wrong for the first time. Alexandra wasn't exactly happy to see me, was rude and denied any and all of the requests I made. She also demanded a two month trial period on a one year contract, which I especially didn't like. However, I wanted the job so bad that I decided to just take it.

In my first week I learned there was also an 'external advisor' active in the company, Charles. Charles was a big shot interim director in the business with a reputation of being a real butcher and was appointed by the holding director, Martin, to help with the sale. Charles was also old boys with Martin. I was supposed to have an early meeting with Charles, to talk about how we would work together, but it took almost two months before he kept the appointment.


The day I finally had the meeting with Charles was 3 days before the end of my trial period, as well as the day that George was going on his vacation. George told me just before he left that Charles was going to fill in for him while he was away. But when I got to meet him, Alexandra was there too and told me that Charles had just been appointed director by Martin next to George. I was like: Okaaayyyy.... and what are you doing here Alexandra?! Then Charles told me I still had 3 days on my trial period and that he wanted to talk about my position in the company.

It turned out Charles was apppointed to lay off as many people as possible and get the company sold, so any work that would not be absolutely necessary, like legal work, would have to be terminated. He thought that any necessary legal advice could be hired ad hoc from a law firm and that the only thing I could be usefull for was the due dilligence. So then Charles made me an offer he thought I could not refuse:

Agree to only conduct the due dilligence and terminate your contract in 3 months (I still had 10 months on it)
Or I will fire you within your trial period
(which means a direct dismissal with no legal protection or financial compensation whatsoever).

I was like: Excuse me, but there is a lot more I can do for this company and I don't think you can fire me without George's permission, so what does he think about all this? Then Charles got all mad, said that he definitly could fire me, since he was a director now too, and that I had to decide within 3 days. The same day I called George at his vacation adress. He told me not to agree to Charles's offer and that if Charles would fire me, he would take me back first thing when he returns. I couldn't get anything in writing from him so I had to believe him at his word. Which I did, because like hell that I was going to bow for Charles and his bullshit.

Three days later, the last day of my trial, I turned off my phone and intentionally stayed away for meetings outside, just to piss them off. When I got to the office at the end of the day Alexandra came to me, all stressed out asking me where I had been all day long! I told her that was none of her business which pissed her off even more.

Then she said that Charles wanted to see me to hear my decision. So I said: That's fine, if he wants to see me, tell him I am here. Then she cried: You are not going to go his office?! I said: Hell no!! If he wants to talk to me, he can come to me.

So then Charles came to me... lol. We sat down and he asked me head on what my decision was. I said: Well Charles, I talked to George and he disagrees with you, so I am not accepting your offer.

Then Charles EXPLODED His head turned purple and he almost started foaming at the mouth while he was struggling to find words. This was something he wasn't used to. Normally people would bow for his big shot ass within minutes, but not this rooky.

"To hell with George!!" he roared and told me not to be a fool. I just looked at him with a straight face and said that I wasn't going to change my mind and that if he wanted to fire me now that he should. After some going back and forth he yelled "Fine!!", marched out of my room and came back within minutes with a letter telling me to leave. I said okay, packed my stuff, went home, wrote a letter protesting my dismissal and waited for George to come back.

When George came back Charles went on his vacation (they filled in for eachother), so George was the only director present at that time. And he kept his word. The 1st thing he did was call me up to get back to work and explain to me why all this had happened: it turned out George had a conflict with holding director Martin about the amount of people to lay off. Since the sale depended on the lay off and Martin's reputation and wallet depended on the sale, George had to go and Charles was hired to make that happen.



Then George gave me a letter saying that I was still employed with the company as originally agreed upon and that my trial period had expired. I got back to work and was happily accepted by most of my co-workers, except for Alexandra. When she saw me walking in the office again her jaw dropped and her eyes literally lit with fire!!


Then all hell broke loose...


Alexandra protested heavily that George took me back and went over to cry about it with a couple of other managers at the holding company. Holding director Martin however was on a vacation too, so the one replacing him called him and he called Charles. Then BOTH big shots instantly flew back from their vacation destinations to deal with this affair. George was suspended and fired and Charles wanted to talk to me again. He said he accepted that I now had a contract he couldn't terminate at will, but that he still wanted me to leave.

He offered me a payment of 4 months in return of my direct dismissal. I told him he could pay off my entire contract (10 more months) or forget about it.

After a week or so he tried again, I declined again and then he told me: Okay, fine you win, you can go back to work. I thought like: No way!! He can't be real. So I asked him: you are not going to try and fire me again now? He said that I knew that he didn't stand a chance in court and that since I wanted to to work so bad that I could and that there wasn't a problem anymore then.

I didn't trust him at all, considering everything that had happened, so I called in sick. The companies doctor then told me that I wasn't sick of course but that I had a conflict at work and that me and my employer should try to solve it. So then I told Charles that I wanted to talk to him again about solving the conflict, but he was nice yet adamant that there was really no more conflict and that I could just do my job.

It was all very confusing because at the same time George was fighting his dismissal in court. The first judge found it without sufficient ground and then also send him back to work! This created another storm at the company because now the former general director was back too!! However, then the appeal judge found it justified and George left again. Then both George as Martin appealed the case to the Supreme Court, who then - almost two years later - made a historical, ground breaking decision on the law of firing directors. That was a result I later had never expected to happen and was extremely bizar because they made me play such a decisive part in it.

And me? I got to stay at the company to serve out my contract working under Charles. The first few months were hard but it turned out Charles kept his word too. I could do all the work I was hired to do and he didn't give me any shit at all! On the contrary, after a while he saw that I was doing good things for the company and he let me work on the most important contracts the company had. We started talking again and then - no bullshit - he apologised three (!) times to me for firing me like that and making me a pawn in his chess game with George. He also made sure Alexandra got off my back (she hated my guts and I hers), that I didn't have to work on the lay offs and that all the managers would come to me for legal advice, which most of them in fact did.

So while not in the best surroundings (the place was a total snake pit) I got to do all the work I was hired to do, except the lay offs (which was fine with me because that totally sucks) and I managed to complete my contract performing well and also making friends within the company. When my contract expired Charles wrote me a terrific reference, told me I could keep all the legal books I had bought for the company (like 2000 euro's worth in books) and gave me two weeks extra vacation.

Within weeks I found a great new job and I never regretted my decision.


--
[Edited 6/2/09 12:35pm]

.
[Edited 6/2/09 12:56pm]

Great story. Tremolina.

The best one.