One More Reason To Hate Your Employer

My most recent employer initially wasn't terrible, but like everything else in this world, the honeymoon didn't last long, especially when many of their promises were as empty as Kim Kardashian's head.  I was basically thrown into my job and pretty much expected to learn everything myself because the former area manager (demoted) doing the "supposed" training was busy texting and calling her kids and boyfriend almost the entire time she was supposed to be training.  I never got any feedback as to whether or not I was doing things correctly until I got an annual review (which was actually very good, though I didn't get a raise or anything out of it).




One of the biggest problems came when my one-year anniversary came around and the company tried to fuck me out of 24 hours of vacation time because they didn't rollover vacation time (which I think is very chicken shit, as well as not making employees aware of this).  Bad enough that they only give one week of vacation no matter how long you've been at the company (unless you're management, I'm sure).  I did get paid 16 hours of the 24 owed, but I was left with a pretty bitter taste in my mouth.




About a month later, my co-worker was fired, and the district manager dumped all of said co-worker's workload on me.  In other words, I got to do the work of 2-3 people with no extra pay or incentives or help.  I was told that when needed, the aforementioned "trainer" would step in and help me out, which was bullshit because she either never showed up or came in and complained about her kids and boyfriend and then left without taking any work with her.  I was not only supposed to do all this work, but also field calls every week from literally hundreds of angry people demanding to know where there records were.  Don't get me wrong:  I have no problem with hard work.  I just don't think it's necessary or warranted to dump all the work on one person and expect them to take all the complaints and headaches and then not at least compensate them for it.




After several months of this, on top of the district manager refusing to communicate with me at all, the "trainer" advised me that because I have a bad attitude that I was about to be fired.  WTF?  I just can't imagine why anyone would have a bad attitude in this situation.  And how fucking tacky and unprofessional of the district manager to send her little minion to tell me this instead of talking to me personally about the situation.  It was not something the "trainer" should have even known about since she was not a manager or supervisor.  What the Hell did they expect?  I'm human, and I'd bet that most other humans would react in much the same way.

Companies Who Don't Call Interviewees Back Should Be Stabbed In The Face

My gripe du jour is about companies who call you to come in to interview for a job that you've applied for and then never bother to call you back.  Simply put, our job market sucks: Human Resources departments have their heads up their asses so far that they can see their own tonsils, managers are so chicken-shit that they can't piss down their own leg without asking permission, college graduates with massive amounts of student loan debt are begging for jobs at McDonalds, and people like me with no college degree but a grundle of experience (a grundle is two shitloads, by the way) are treated like cretinous imbeciles.




I went to probably my thousandth job interview (not exaggerating) a few weeks back, which means that I had to take time off work and make sure I was at the company early, then I sat there for almost an hour because the hiring manager decided she had more important things to do than to keep her appointment with me.  Of course I said it was no problem, though I was hoping that her eyeballs would start bleeding during the interview because I am sick and damn tired of being left to sit and molder on their cheap furniture while they pick their nose and giggle while playing their childish game of "let's keep the interviewee waiting."  I thought that I did well during the interview, but of course one never knows what the other side is really thinking.  "Is that her real hair or a fright wig?"  "I wonder why anyone over the age of forty even bothers to apply for a job."  "I hope that cute guy in Accounting who seemed impressed by how freaky I am in bed didn't catch my crabs."  And of course, I haven't heard back since the interview.




A few years ago, I actually went on 3 interviews at the same company for the same job and never heard back.  Three.  That's three interviews.  Three.  That means I had to take off work, drive over to the company, sit and listen to their bullshit for an hour or more, and say why I thought I was a great fit for their bullshit company and their bullshit job three different times.  And the motherfuckers didn't even have the common courtesy to call or email and tell me to take a flying leap off a bridge.  The worst interview I've ever been to was for a company I'd interviewed for previously and swore I'd never interview with again because they didn't bother to call or email afterward.  The headhunter who called begged me to go on an interview and said the management had changed.  I gave in and went, and the dumbshit conducting the interview actually played "20 Questions" with me to determine how good my troubleshooting skills were.  I should have gotten up and walked out.




So please, if you are interviewing potential employees, have some decency and either call or email the person if they don't get the job.  It's the least you can do, you lousy, putrid scumbag, and it may just help prevent a little shitty karma from showing up on your doorstep.

How To Be A Great Boss

1. Don't show your emotions, especially if you get angry or upset with your employees.  I had a boss who sent me an email asking, "Can you explain to me why you didn't do this?" after I neglected to change a status in our sales app for a customer.  Treating an employee with contempt does nothing for their morale, and will probably make them resent you.

2. Don't bad-mouth your employees, especially in writing.  I worked for two guys who acted like Beavis & Butthead: they fucked off and giggled like two little girls all day long, harassed and intimidated their employees, sent emails between themselves disparaging the employees and talking about all the drugs they'd been doing.

3. Don't make stupid bigoted comments about sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, weight, etc.  I've had a couple of bosses who asked me to "do a friend a favor" or what they should serve for breakfast at a morning meeting because "being a woman" I would know about what to serve for breakfast.

4. Don't let your insecurities (or other mental illnesses) get in your way.  A woman I used to work for always told everyone she had a degree in Communications (the degree people get when they can't hack an English Literature degree), but couldn't spell potato and did everything in her power to fire me after I teased her about it.  Guess what, Barbie doll: you look like a moron when you try to make yourself look smart by bringing up your degree but can't spell or use "big" words properly.

5.  For God's sakes, do not micromanage!  I used to work for a CIO who couldn't tie his shoes, much less manage anyone.  This imbecile claimed it only took "five clicks" to troubleshoot and fix PC problems, mainly because he wanted to outsource our PC techs to India.  If we experienced an outage or problem, he had to be right in the middle of everything, telling us what to do and how to do it.  Consequently, it always took twice as long to fix anything because he didn't know his ass from his elbow and his meddling only inhibited the actual problem solving.

The best bosses I've had simply get the hell out of the way, lead by example, and offer guidance when necessary.

Companies Are Screwing Job Applicants

I realize that this article comes from a humor website called Cracked, but the content is accurate and depressingly scary:  http://www.cracked.com/article_20322_6-ways-companies-are-secretly-screwing-job-applicants.html

I'd heard about these "blacklists" but hadn't seen a lot of coverage or information about them until I stumbled on this information.  Now think about this with a mature, clear, reasonable head.  Is it fun to sometimes get back at people you don't like?  Of course it is.  Is it fun when it happens to you?  No, it's not.  Is this something that we should really allow?  Oh, Hell no.  Just think of all the havoc you alone could wreak by putting names of people who've pissed you off onto a blacklist that may prevent them from ever getting hired again.  Now, think about how many people YOU have pissed off over the years.  How about coworkers, bosses, former friends, exes...Are you sure that guy you were tailgating doesn't have (or can't get) your name or information?  I used to work with a guy whose ex-wife (who worked for a mortgage company) ruined the credit of an enemy by reporting her to a credit agency for defaulting on a loan that she'd never had.  I've pissed people off, and I've been "wronged" by others.  That does not give me or anyone else the right to ruin their lives.

I understand that potential employers want to hire the right candidate; however, the availability of a "blacklist" opens up a Pandora's box for HR and hiring managers, and is too subjective and extremely dangerous.  Holding a grudge to the point of ruining a person's life says a lot more about a supposed "professional" than it does about a supposed "bad" employee.

How To Know If It's Time To Quit Your Job

When your company is spending lots of money refurbishing the break rooms while laying people off.

When your boss kicks and punches multi-million-dollar equipment because he's "upset" about not getting a bonus.

When your boss starts talking to you (and treating you) like you're a dimwitted 3-year-old.

When your boss asks you to answer a question about breakfast because, "...you're a woman and you fix breakfast."  (Same boss wouldn't hire another woman because he, "...already had a woman in the department.")

When your boss signs up for an MLM and puts all of his (and your) energy into it.  News Flash:  MLMs don't work, they never have, they never will (except for the person/people who start the MLM.  Think "Bernie Madoff.")

When your boss throws you under the bus for something he did.

When your boss changes your job description such that you don't qualify for your own job.

When your boss stops acting like an adult and/or professional.

When your boss won't communicate information to you but gets mad at you because you apparently can't read minds and don't have the information that's not being communicated to you.

When you don't receive your paycheck.  Twice.

Jobs vs. Disability

In June, more workers went on disability than got jobs.  What does that mean to you?  Well, the likelihood that Social Security will be bankrupt in the very near future.  Also, there isn't as much money circulating because being on disability means they aren't spending money on "luxury" items, such as automobiles, clothing, shoes, eating out, CDs or DVDs, etc.  There also isn't as much money going back into Social Security, State and Federal income taxes, and if these people lost their homes because of their decrease in income, that means less property taxes, and a glut of houses which affects neighbors, banks, realtors, cities, and counties.  With fewer people in the workforce and fewer dollars being pumped into the economy, Mr. or Ms. CEO will probably stop getting those multi-million dollar bonuses they've become accustomed to.

What the politicians aren't saying is that all of this - the lousy economy, the lack of jobs or lack of good-paying jobs, the increase of workers getting food stamps or going on disability - is all connected and is affecting EVERYTHING.  Whether workers aren't getting hired because of a lack of jobs, or more likely, ridiculous and discriminatory interviewing and/or hiring practices, it's now reaching crisis mode.

I realize that the economy and debt crisis is not necessarily completely the fault of companies' laying off workers or not hiring qualified workers because they didn't answer a question "correctly" or they wore too big of a diamond ring to the interview, but this is not just a fun little HR game anymore, it's a country-wide problem that could have long-term effects on our country and even the world.

Corporations Can Get Away With Murder

Lo and behold, I found yet another reason to bitch about Citi:  http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=17846187#.TtP_Ru2mNUc.email  Basically what this article says is that Citi committed crimes, Citigroup and the Securities and Exchange Commission then came to some sort of agreement (e.g., payoff), and now the SEC is shielding the public from details of the firm's wrongdoing.

As if Citi doesn't make enough money gouging people with exhorbitant fees and interest rates that would make the Mafia blush, they also have to mislead investors in order to make even more obscene profits.

According to this article:  "U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff said the public has a right to know what happens in cases that touch on "the transparency of financial markets whose gyrations have so depressed our economy and debilitated our lives." In such cases, the SEC has a responsibility to ensure that the truth emerges, he wrote."  Pretty amazing that the SEC would allege criminal activities and then run away with their tail between their legs; of course, they probably had a suitcase full of money to buffer any apprehensions they might have had about not forcing Citi to admit guilt or wrongdoing.

And as if that weren't enough to make one vomit every time one sees anything with the Citi logo, there's another article listing CEOs who are job killers, which I've posted previously, but this time with a video clip on Vikram Pandit's slide that reads: "Citigroup board gives Pandit a big raise." http://money.msn.com/investing/ceos-who-became-job-killers-thestreet.aspx?cp-documentid=6834878  Warms the heart to know that Vikram is getting raises even as Citi is announcing projected layoffs to cut costs.  These stories of corporate greed, corruption, and malfeasance keep getting more and more frequent and more and more ludicrous.

Prophetic Post?

I hate to be a know-it-all, but back in July, I posted "Why Robots Are Better Employees Than Humans" and I prattled on about Citicorp, one of the many evil empires who gleefully accepted some of the free cash that was being liberally strewn about for the poor banks and corporations who were really hurting for funds.  Nevermind that these business were suffering due to poor management; don't confuse the issue with facts.  Citicorp, headed by Vikram Pandit, who also happens to be one of the top ten CEOs who are job killers (http://money.msn.com/investing/ceos-who-became-job-killers-thestreet.aspx?cp-documentid=6834878&GT1=33002) has recently announced that is seeking to trim costs and is considering cutting about 1 percent of its work force or 3,000 (or more) workers.  http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Citigroup-considers-3-000-job-cuts-2273202.php  Aren't we glad that they got some of our hard-earned tax money in that gigantic bailout that was meant to not only keep the companies afloat but to help them grow and create jobs?  Heaven forbid that Vikram should have to eat anything lesser than lobsters caught near Fourchu and flown fresh to whichever home he happens to be at (depending on the season, of course).

I wonder how many other companies who received bailout money have been or are planning on getting rid of employees ostensibly in the interest of cutting costs.  And in the wake of the Fannie-Freddie scandal where millions have been paid out in bonuses so these companies can retain "talent," my question is:  Why do these big-wigs not have to earn their millions in salary and bonus BEFORE the salary and bonuses are paid?  Why do they not have to save the companies prior to getting compensation since that's what they were hired to do?  And if the companies go under, or don't do as well as they should have, why should this "talent" get paid at all?  What does a CEO really do that is so special to warrant earning 6- or 7-figure salaries and bonuses?  I've never seen a CEO or CIO or executive of any kind actually roll up their sleeves and participate in anything except meetings or news releases or, at worst, "sexting" subordinates while they're sitting in their office and arranging to meet for an afternoon tryst.

The Occupy Wall Street protest was inevitable when people who have lost touch with reality and have nothing to lose treat their subordinates like pawns in a terrible game.

Social Media as a Job Killer?

I recently participated in a comment war via a local newspaper the other day because the editors posted an article stating that they felt that people should be careful what they post on Facebook and other social media sites because employers are monitoring these sites and either terminating employment or not hiring people based on what is found. I say BULLSHIT. This smacks of discrimination and NO ONE seems to be objecting to it. In fact, several people chastised me for saying that employers do not have the right to terminate employment based on social media posts, especially if those posts are not made while the employee is at work. Many people seemed to think it was OK to fire someone or not hire them if they posted that they got "wasted" on the weekend or posted too many swear words, apparently accepting that discrimination is OK if you agree with it. If these same people were excluded, or terminated, from employment due to something they said or posted on the internet, they would scream bloody murder. The haters also criticized me for posting information online and then expecting privacy. First and foremost, I don't post anything and then expect privacy. What I DO expect is FREEDOM OF SPEECH - you know, the FIRST AMENDMENT in a little thing called the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

I do agree that anyone posting anything on the internet should have no expectation of privacy, and probably should have more sense than to post that their boss sucks big green donkey dicks. However, we all have the right to say what we want, and as long as it's legal and we're not at work when we're saying or posting questionable or tasteless rhetoric, our employer does NOT have the right to terminate employment or exclude anyone from employment because of it.

It sets an extremely dangerous precedent to say that employers have the right to terminate employment or exclude people from being hired based on what they post on social media. Why? Because we then give permission to discriminate. You're thinking, "I don't post anything offensive." But do you post that you're female? Do you post what your religion is? Do you post that you belong to the Red Hat Society? Do you post pictures of your kids? What if an employer was allowed to exclude potential candidates because they don't want to hire someone with a bunch of kids, fearing that person will call in sick too much? What if your employer decides to terminate your employment because they found out you're a member of AARP and they feel that you're too old to work? Or terminates your employment because they found out you're a member of a different religion from them (or - horror or horrors - an Atheist)? What if an employer excludes you as a potential candidate because they saw a picture on Facebook that shows you're in a wheelchair? It's bad enough that employers are excluding candidates for other ludicrous reasons such as wearing too big of a diamond ring to an interview - let's not give them any more excuses to be assholes.

Why Robots Are Better Employees Than Humans

So now companies are coming right out and posting in employment listings to NOT apply if you're unemployed: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/job-listings-unemployed-not-apply-133143362.html.  If we as humans needed any more proof that (most) companies are run on the same principles as the Evil Empire, all of the news, headlines, and rumors about how (badly) employees are being treated should do the trick.  I really have to wonder if this isn't all an elaborate mind-game so that those in power can play God in order to observe how other people react when they're pitted against one another at work, vying for the same jobs, or when they're unemployed for long periods of time.

I was recently employed by Citi, where I received countless "kudos" and gratitude calls from customers who appreciated all the help they received from me.  Was I recognized or thanked in any way by Citi?  If by recognition you mean absolutely scathing and demeaning criticism by means of monthly quality call monitors, then yes.  However, when you consider that Citi is not only one of the many floundering companies who took advantage of the huge 2008 government bailout, but Citi also is notorious for having one of the top ten CEOs (Vikram Pandit) who are job killers (http://money.msn.com/investing/ceos-who-became-job-killers-thestreet.aspx?cp-documentid=6834878&GT1=33002) you begin to understand why the company is structured so that employees are setup to fail and why CEOs like Pandit make such huge salaries and bonuses. A bailout, especially that of the 2008 bailout, is typically necessary when a large company or companies have been mismanaged by incompetent executives who couldn't balance their own checkbook if their life depended on it.  Why are we are STILL seeing this mismanagement?  Why are we still sitting idly by as stuffed-shirt, college-educated idiots are running our business into the ground, trotting out the same tired business model and management practices that got us into this mess in the first place?

And what was so horrible that I said or did in my calls with customers to get such caustic reviews in my "quality" call monitors ?  I didn't thank the customer for calling about their specific issue and paused during the calls ("dead air"). I was told that it's my fault my quality scores were so poor and that I should "expect" negative feedback.  The other agents who are rude to customers and disparage them with slurs such as "diaper head" and "stupid" are praised by management because their call handle time is low.

Probably the only reason companies would not want to replace actual humans with robots would be the fact that there's too much enjoyment in inflicting pain and grief.

Hollywood, You So Silly!

Where do I begin with the latest Hollywood drivel, Larry Crowne? It's the story of a middle-aged man (played by Tom Hanks) who reinvents himself by going back to college after losing his job. This movie is Hollywood's way of telling the rest of us that we're pathetic losers; Hollywood gets the last laugh though because it's us losers who will pay for the displeasure of seeing this movie.

I'm not sure how many (if any) Hollywood stars have ever had to work at a poorly-or-only-adequately-paying job with health coverage that's hardly better than no health coverage and no retirement benefits for most of their lives only to lose said job because the company decides that employee is making too much salary and is costing the company too much in health premiums and they think they can replace said experienced employee with a wet-behind-the-ears fresh-out-of-college kid who can barely wipe his or her nose without first checking a textbook for directions. I’m pretty sure that neither Tom Hanks nor Julia Roberts have ever had to worry about their next mortgage/rent payment or car payment, or whether they will have enough beans and hot dogs for dinner again. I am also pretty sure that neither Tom Hanks nor Julia Roberts have ever had to give up any of their pets because they either couldn't afford to feed them or because they had to move into a one- or two-bedroom apartment after their house was foreclosed.

The movie is just a happy-go-lucky romp through the trials and tribulations of a middle-aged man who actually needed to be fired as a kick in the pants so he'd learn to find happiness and new adventures in his life; unemployment offices are just littered with people who look like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts who would welcome the chance to meet a flabby, out-of-work, bitter, middle-aged person and teach them how to live and love again. By all means, Hollywood, please continue to churn out this inane claptrap all the while sticking your middle finger out at the fans and general public who have been paying good money to put you where you are.

Everyone should take to heart the simple sweet message this movie has to offer: Go and accumulate $100,000 or more in tuition debt, some 10 or 20 years before retiring, so you can go back to college and earn a degree that you'll never use in your $10 an hour job, which is the only job you'll be able to get while the economy is so shitty...oh, and you'll be competing with thousands or tens of thousands of other people for that same job. Enjoy!

Career Happiness A Complete Delusion?

I read this article on msnbc.com tonight, and the first word that came to mind was, "Bullshit."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43683917/ns/business-personal_finance/

The article speaks of career "happiness" as if it were Santa Claus, a mythical "thing" that people are told exists only so that they can drudge from day to day through their dreary lives and have just enough hope that they won't go home and drink a bottle of Drano.

And as is usually found in these types of articles, the main writer is either schizophrenic or just sloppy because they cite contradictory quotes, such as:

"The Internet has only made matters worse for some because job seekers can readily see a host of often-unattainable jobs on job boards that sound so much better than what they have...They are like squirrels and shiny objects.” says Elizabeth Gibson, director of the University of California San Diego’s Extension Career Transition and Development for Professionals Program.

"Wanting to get out of a gig you hate makes sense," said Dian Griesel, co-founder of The Business School of Happiness and co-author of “TurboCharged.” “When you find yourself working only for the paycheck you are wasting your time and talent, and eight hours might seem like a lifetime,” Griesel said. “You can try to rationalize the situation, but you can’t fool yourself at the primal gut level. You know the situation is bad.”

First of all, I am offended that Elizabeth Gibson would equate unhappy employees with squirrels, but it obviously reflects her inner feelings towards us lowly peasants that she feels are "beneath" her.  And why wouldn't she feel this way?  She probably makes a minimum of $1,000,000 in annual base salary alone, works and probably lives in San Fucking Diego, California, and probably gets paid $100,000 minimum - a piece - to travel all over the world giving lectures on her "squirrel" theories.  Well, Ms. Gibson, if I were in your position, I'd probably be just as pompous and arrogant and out of touch with the real world.

Anyone who has ever had a halfway decent job knows that it is possible to be happy with your job and also be productive.  The problem is the multitude of educated idiots, like Ms. Gibson, who want to perpetuate the number of other educated idiots who own or run or work in our corporations.  It's the same mind-set as attorneys who want more and more laws - the more attorneys out there, the more laws are needed to justify their existence.  By the way, if I did a little research, I'd bet my next paycheck that the two fastest growing or most largely populated career fields are currently attorneys and HR personnel.  I honestly believe this is one of the biggest problems with corporations and why those companies who embrace and perpetuate this nonsense will always eventually fail, no matter how many times our government bails them out.  GM and Chrysler are two very prime examples:  Bloated executives and management who believed that they would never run out of paying customers no matter how shitty their product was as long as it was marketed well and had "sex appeal".  Twenty-plus years ago I knew the American auto manufacturers would eventually find themselves in the position of either going bankrupt or begging for money because of their complete and utter mismanagement, arrogance, and ignorance.  Marketing people have their place, but you cannot put frosting on cow manure and call it a birthday cake and expect people to keep eating it.  No matter how gullible the general population is, they will - and did - wise up.  I've never worked for the auto manufacturers, but I have worked for a couple of companies who had the same mindset and eventually went out of business.  These companies had horrible management and working environments, encouraged employees to "tattle" on each other, and developed ambiguous policies and procedures that were designed simply for gains in profit at the expense of the customer and the failure of the lowly employees.

I do not expect any employer to bend over backwards to make my job fun, but I do expect my employer not to be punitive.  "Be glad you have a job" is simply the battle cry of incompetent and sadistic employers taking advantage of a bad economy and to excuse or rationalize their appalling treatment of employees and encouragement of or involvement in hostile work environments.  Expecting employees to simply be "happy they have a job" is akin to telling the Jewish (and Polish and Slavic and Gypsy) workers during WWII "Arbeit macht frei" - at least up until they are literally worked to death or put in the nearest gas chamber because they are no longer useful to their employer.

Call Centers, aka Planet Motherfucker

I don't claim to be an expert, but I have worked in 9 call centers either as a Telecom professional or a call center/customer service agent.  What's my beef with Call Centers?  Why do the companies that contract with call centers pay more to train agents than to retain them?  AT&T pays Teleperformance $15,000 A PIECE to train agents, but nominal or no fees to retain those agents.  Do the math: Ten agents=$150,000.  So what do you think Teleperformance is going to do with those agents?  If your answer was "treat them like pond scum and throw them out faster than yesterday's trash" you win the $49.99 prize.  Logically those companies paying so dearly for training would maybe do some overseeing, such as, I don't know, maybe analyzing the number of people being trained vs. the number of people who have actually stayed on the job for longer than 6 months.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that when a company pays more to train employees than to retain employees, that call center is going to install a high-speed electronic revolving door on their building.  Paying for training is simply a money maker, a "cash cow" if you will.

Because it's a money maker, getting rid of agents quickly is the main goal, so call centers have collectively devised childish and cruel methods of beating down agents' self-esteem and confidence while maintaining the pseudo-professional statistic-collecting mumbo-jumbo needed for management and HR to justify their positions.  Pitting employees against each other is one more tactic of getting rid of employees - they'll rat each other out faster than you can say hostile work environment.  A crummy job market is obviously an employer's dream, because they not only can pick and choose but they always have a fresh supply of warm bodies to fill positions and keep that cash flow going.

It sure makes me proud when I see all the corruption, depravity, hostility and ruthlessness that the combination of lousy employers and high unemployment fosters.  All of this ties into my previous rantings about a common thread among companies and businesses who are more concerned with their bottom line than with people or quality or investing in the future.  The "grab what you can" attitude is probably the main reason that humans will eventually destroy one another and of course the planet in the process.  Yey for us!

Common Thread

I hate to use cliches and buzzwords, but looking at the "big picture" I find it so very interesting that so many companies seem to use the same business model over and over and over again.  It didn't work the first time, so why not do it again (and again, and again)?  And when that business or company stumbles, they go right back to the drawing board with the same old dog and pony show.  Perfect examples are AIG, GM and Chrysler, as well as SPS and Citicorp, and all those other companies who also took stimulus money but are still playing the same old games (if they're still in business).

I was listening to a commercial this morning about Ram Trucks, talking about what a great "value" they are.  Guess what GM and Chrysler?  You've taken enough of my money over the years, you've lied to me, you've ripped me off, you've sold me automobiles that were barely better than driving a sardine can, and you now expect me to come crawling back and invest my money in your shitty-ass company with the same slimy, corrupt management and executives and shareholders only concerned with the bottom line and their own huge bonuses?  With all due respect, please go fuck yourself.

SPS had a Vice President in charge of their I.T. Infrastructure who had the mental agility of a small soap dish and was fired ONLY because he had been assuring the other executives that backups sent off-site were being encrypted; however, when a technician who worked for the off-site backup storage company had his vehicle broken into, it was discovered that the backups were not encrypted as promised; consequently, a large number of accounts, and personally identifiable information, such as social security numbers, were compromised.  Did SPS bother to find a replacement who was able to dress him or herself and didn't require a drool bucket to be taped to their head at all times?  Oh Hell no.  They replaced him with an equally arrogant and lackadaisical jackass because he had a degree and the ability to bullshit his way through just about anything.

Citigroup recently had their systems hacked (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43421143), and announced that the initial number they threw out about how many accounts were hacked when the news first broke was significantly lower than the number of accounts that were actually hacked.  Oopsie!  A hundred thousand here, a million there, it's so hard to keep track, especially, you know, with our current lack of technology.  Honestly, the bottom line is that Citigroup has (1) very shitty I.T. people and (2) a boatload of excuses and news releases queued and ready for any situation, which means that instead of fixing the problem, they're more concerned with damage control and covering up.  And like a bad penny, there are the same slimy, corrupt management and executives and shareholders who couldn't care less about this company doing the right thing; they're only concerned with the bottom line and their huge bonuses.  These companies perpetuate ridiculous myths such as: only college-educated people can and should be in positions of authority, subordinates need to be micromanaged, and by God, do everything you can to keep your job even if that means intimidating and crushing the heads of anyone who gets in the way or who questions anything management or executives or the company does.

By all means, please do everything you can to run your company or business into the toilet - it makes socialism so much more attractive.  But maybe that's just my paranoia talking.

More Employer Insanity

More proof that companies and their HR departments are at the helm with their heads up their asses:
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2011/04/05/10-things-hr-wont-tell-you-about-your-resume/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl7%7Csec1_lnk2%7C54786

The No. 1 thing HR won't tell you:  "Once you're unemployed more than six months, you're considered pretty much unemployable. We assume that other people have already passed you over, so we don't want anything to do with you."  So even if you lost your job because your company or its "leaders" mismanaged the company into the toilet and you're unable to get another job because (1) there are numerous other companies out of business because they were also mismanaged and/or (2) there are only so many available jobs and unemployment is at its highest rate in years, it's YOUR fault.

I love how the article recommends to "go straight to the hiring manager" but then says "walking in and dropping off your resume is no longer seen as a good thing. It's actually a little creepy."  So which is it?  And have you ever tried getting the name and information of the hiring manager for ANY job?  It would be easier to grow back my wisdom teeth.

Taxpayers Funding Porn Usage

What's worse than a network admin utilizing a company's entire bandwidth to download pirated software and music?   Highly paid employees at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accessing pornography sites at work.  http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/27125540/detail.html

According to the article: "Many of the employees who engaged in such conduct were at a senior level and earned substantial salaries through their government employment," the OIG revealed in a summary report, noting that 17 employees had an annual salary of at least $99,356."  I don't know how many constitutes "many" so it could be 50, 100, maybe even in the thousands.  Do the math.

I think what makes me more frustrated than anything is that none of these people were fired.  However, I'm sure they all parted their hair on the correct side and gave stellar answers to their "Where do you see yourself in five years?" interview questions.

Sure gives me a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that my tax dollars are "hard" at work.

Things Not To Say To Someone Who's Just Been Laid Off (or Fired)

Ran across this article today - "5 Things Not to Say to Someone Who Was Just Laid Off" - and thought I'd add my own to the list.  http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/03/02/5-things-say-just-laid/

1. Your house is always such a mess - now you have time to clean!

2. Have you thought about selling your kids to the circus?

3. You'll probably lose weight now since you won't be able to afford groceries.

4. If you dye your hair blond, you'll have a better chance at getting a new job. (http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2011/02/24/are-you-built-to-make-big-bucks/?icid=maing%7Cmain5%7Cdl11%7Csec1_lnk3%7C46465)

5. You'll probably only have to compete with maybe a hundred people for every position now that unemployment is down to between 9 and 10%.

If you're such a boorish clod that you can't say anything encouraging or positive, your newly-laid-off friend, relative, or spouse has every right to rip your arm off and beat you with it.

Let's Celebrate Our Progression In The Workplace!

Because if you're not tall, male, blond, married,

of Russian descent, or a non-smoker,

you have to do whatever you can to get a job.

It's Not Discrimination, It's Science!

I ran across this article, "Are You Built To Make Big Bucks," on aol.com:
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2011/02/24/are-you-built-to-make-big-bucks/?icid=maing%7Cmain5%7Cdl11%7Csec1_lnk3%7C46465

Basically the article claims that there are attributes and physical characteristics that employers favor.  If you haven't choked on your dinner by the time you get to the end of 10 multiple choice questions, you can calculate your score to see how big of a loser you are.

This list is one of the most repulsive and blatantly prejudicial I've ever read.  If employers really are using the "reasons" listed in this article, it's illegal, or borderline illegal, and definitely unethical.  The height question smacks of HANDICAP/DISABILITY, RACIAL/ETHNIC, and SEX DISCRIMINATION.  Blond hair or bald?  RACIAL/ETHNIC and AGE DISCRIMINATION, and possibly HANDICAP/DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION.  Is your face weathered and wrinkled?  AGE DISCRIMINATION.  Asking if women wear makeup to work?  Duh! SEX DISCRIMINTATION.  The Ancestry question is RACIAL/ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION as well as ridiculous.  How on earth would anyone know if a person was of Russian descent unless they asked?  They forgot obese, ugly, stupid, cleft palate or lisp, lazy eye, and handicapped.

Whatever happened to hiring the most qualified candidate?

Best Bosses

Since I posted my worst bosses, I need to post a list of my best bosses.  Every one of my best bosses were intelligent & knowledgeable, fair and professional, and none of them were micromanagers.  Another common thread: They all were willing to work, to get into the "trenches" if necessary.

Claire: She was my boss when I worked for Gemco.  Claire was intelligent, had a great sense of humor, and was level-headed.

Bob: Loved to joke around, was a lot of fun, and was almost like a brother.  Bob gave me great reviews & raises and was always objective with everything.

Greg: He had accidentally shot the tip of his finger off when he was a kid.  Greg was a great boss, had a wonderful sense of humor, and was very wise.

Jeff: Actually had a degree in rocket science, gave me my first opportunity in Telecom even though I had no experience.  Was the only person I've ever seen who could accurately sum up a person within 5 minutes of speaking with them, and would utilize people's strengths rather than focusing on their weaknesses.

Scott C.: One of the best teachers I've ever seen, had a great sense of humor, and though he didn't know much about my job, he let me use my expertise and I could ask questions of him when I needed help.  Gave me some of the best job reviews I've ever had & got me some of the biggest raises I've ever had.

Cindy:  She was actually above Scott C., and also had a great sense of humor.  She let me do my job without hovering over me and checking up on me.  If I made recommendations, both Scott and Cindy listened to them, and if we could find a way to implement them, we would.

Scott R.: Was the kind of guy who was genuinely admired & liked by everyone.  Very knowledgeable and more than capable.

Cheryl & Kathy & Shelly:  Always cheerful, always positive, always helpful.  Cheryl gave me one of the best reviews I've ever had & promoted me soon afterward.

Craig: Very intelligent, knowledgeable and experienced, didn't micromanage me, and I could always speak honestly with him.  Gave me great reviews and raises.

Serina & Jason: Both had a great personality, very knowledgeable, would help but not hover.  Encouraging and positive.