Dirtbag co-workers...

Minor rant...

We have flexible work hours where I'm at but it's mainly in place in the case that you have an emergency, dr. appt, other decent excuse to not be at work during your normally scheduled hours which allows you to make up your time without losing out on pay.

I have a few co-workers that like to abuse this luxury by claiming that they arrive hours before they are scheduled to come in and leave hours before they are scheduled to get off shift. Management is rarely here during my shift because of the time. They rarely ask for approval for this and put a damper on things when you plan accordingly to get out a few hours early on a Friday evening to take your wife out to a fancy dinner.

But wait there is more. These same individuals take 10-15 minute smoke breaks every hour, 2 hour lunches, and disappear every time there is major work to be done. For a total 8 hour shift, I might see these guys in their chairs for about 4.5 hours, maybe actually doing work for an hour of that time. I get stuck with doing most of the grunt work which I don't mind because it passes the time. It just grinds my gears that I go through the proper channels to get my flexible work hour approved so I can leave early at the end of a pay period and end up getting stuck because some d-bags decide that they are going to make their own damn schedule. I've even caught them setting their e-mail up to send out e-mails during times they aren't here so they can clock those un-worked hours (I'll be the only one here and magically get an e-mail from someone that hasn't been here in 3 hours).

I've contemplated going to management or HR because I've also gotten a talking too about using the gym facilities during my shift yet these guys smoke every hour on the hour and its not an issue. I'm just afraid it will fall on def ears.

I hate whining and sounding like a bitch, I really do, but I just feel so bad for the wife. I never get to take her out because of my schedule and the baby and now shes stuck making dinner again.

Time to buck up and complain. Take photos of the phantom people when they email you.

I agree about dirtbag coworkers. .

Nut wads.

not going to inflame the smokers here.. but there are a couple at work like that. Disappear every hour for 15 minutes. Funny, I can work 4 straight and not get a break.

in my business we also know who the people who make the disappearing act are. They do not get many calls

I concern myself with what I do. I don't waste my time worrying about what other people do.

If your employees did that, Zomby, would you just not be concerned?

There is a difference between being meddlesome and raising a valid complaint.

You should see the E36 M3 that goes on where I work.

It's not my concern. It's my bosses job to make sure stuff like that doesn't happen, and he doesn't do it.

I have a strict policy of not doing other peoples jobs, especially my superiors.

HTFU and stand up for yourself, there is no way I would put up with that. They are not just abusing the system, they are berkeleying with your work and family life.

It's clobbering time

indeed.. and what happens when management finally figures it out and you need to take some time off to visit a doctor? Their abuse of the system hurts -everyone-

Datsun1500 wrote:

DirtyBird222 wrote: I've contemplated going to management or HR because I've also gotten a talking too about using the gym facilities during my shift yet these guys smoke every hour on the hour and its not an issue. I'm just afraid it will fall on def ears.

Every time they leave for a smoke break, do push-ups, stretches, etc. until they return. Or get up and stand by the door that they are near, if someone asks what you are doing, gesture towards the smokers and say, "it's break time, I'm not a smoker, so I stand in here"

I used to do that when I worked at WalMart. Got some pretty funny reactions.
We've gone through some worthless porters lately (one has been here for several years; not worthless, but not exactly working hard all the time either. He goes on break every couple hours for 20 minutes or so, on the clock of course. I always see him upstairs in the break room sitting down.)
We just hired a porter who is doing a damn fine job though, picking up the slack from all the present and past layabouts. I watched him today, when we got a little backed up, drive a car around, bring us the keys and ticket, dash off back to the lane to drive another car around, and repeat several times. It was amazing seeing someone actually doing their job correctly and in an outstanding manner.

I'm going to have to agree with what zomby woof says though, I've learned that I can't even think about what other people are doing, because then I will notice that I'm putting in 3x the effort, or have 3x the skill and knowledge, but am getting paid less or the same as them. That's just depressing. Better to just not worry about it, or go somewhere else, where people actually have their E36 M3 together.

Why is it your problem that they are leaving early? If you planned on leaving early on a Friday, do it. They take off because they know you will stay and do the work. File the requests and take off...let them take the heat.

And reply to their phantom emails and copy the boss asking for an in-person meeting in 5 minutes.

I am the boss. People like you describe get the ax. People that call them out corectly get raises and will have a say in interviewing the replacement. But be warned you will also be clostly scrutinised as well.

pinchvalve wrote: Why is it your problem that they are leaving early? If you planned on leaving early on a Friday, do it. They take off because they know you will stay and do the work. File the requests and take off...let them take the heat. And reply to their phantom emails and copy the boss asking for an in-person meeting in 5 minutes.

It is an issue because our area has to be constantly manned. If I go take a duke and come back and these clowns are gone, I'm the last known person there. The E36 M3 stream would flow my way for leaving the post unmanned. See where I'm getting at with why I'm so ticked off? I have more integrity? I can't think of the right word than to just get up and leave because I had plans to. This is my livelihood.

zomby woof - I typically don't care but when it starts to affect your family life, your plans, etc. Then you start taking a concern. That and we do things that require you to work as a team.

Datsun1500 wrote:

DirtyBird222 wrote: I've contemplated going to management or HR because I've also gotten a talking too about using the gym facilities during my shift yet these guys smoke every hour on the hour and its not an issue. I'm just afraid it will fall on def ears.

Every time they leave for a smoke break, do push-ups, stretches, etc. until they return. Or get up and stand by the door that they are near, if someone asks what you are doing, gesture towards the smokers and say, "it's break time, I'm not a smoker, so I stand in here"

I did this at my last job. When some of the engineers would go out for a smoke break, I would go every single time and just stand there and hang out.

Figured if they were taking 1.5 hours a day to screw off and get paid, I would too. It was a lax enough environment, it didn't matter.

DirtyBird222 wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: Why is it your problem that they are leaving early? If you planned on leaving early on a Friday, do it. They take off because they know you will stay and do the work. File the requests and take off...let them take the heat. And reply to their phantom emails and copy the boss asking for an in-person meeting in 5 minutes.

It is an issue because our area has to be constantly manned. If I go take a duke and come back and these clowns are gone, I'm the last known person there. The E36 M3 stream would flow my way for leaving the post unmanned. See where I'm getting at with why I'm so ticked off? I have more integrity? I can't think of the right word than to just get up and leave because I had plans to. This is my livelihood. zomby woof - I typically don't care but when it starts to affect your family life, your plans, etc. Then you start taking a concern. That and we do things that require you to work as a team.

but you aren't working as a team... call them out on it- make them feel like total E36 M3 about their lack of work ethic. tell them flat out that you are sick of taking up their slack and that you are not doing it any more... then if they don't change, tell management what's going on... if nothing changes at that point, then it's time to find a new place to work.

Man, I think I know those people! Anyhoo, what I found out when I went to the managers with my "evidence" was:

• the managers were equally worthless (and disconnected from reality). Which makes sense really, because they hired the idiots (that whole "birds of a feather thing).

• The guys playing the games were much better at working the system than I was. This being my first "Big Company" I never had a system with which to play. I always worked for a boss that could fire idiots on the spot. Turns out that's not the case here.... "there is a process for that". (no one has been fired here. The three people who showed up to work completely drunk have been relocated to other departments where they do the same work for the same pay)

anyhoo, in the end I had to change shifts because I got myself blackballed. No one told them it was me who went up the chain but I think the people involved had a pretty darned good idea (plus I noticed the managers started treating ME like a troublemaker).

That was three years ago. Since then I've learned that those fat, lazy, unhappy, idiots will always be just that. When they leave they go to another department where they'll still be fat, lazy, unhappy, idiots. I've filled my time with trying to get the bullets I need to go on to a better place (degree, A&P license, etc). Till I can "punch out" I just try not to get sucked in to the B.S. and keep my head low.

Good luck man, I feel your pain.

Copy this thread to your boss.

In reply to Hungary Bill:

Ding ding.

thankfully that is the good news about the "on call" work method. The people who cause the most problems and do the least amount of work, eventually don't "get the call".

Sadly, Of the few full timers (who get 40 hours a week and get to have nice things like keys and lockers and stuff) two of them are completely useless. However, upper management has noticed how useless they are and they will hopefully get the boot soon so that people who -do- want to work can take their positions

If your company has an HR department/person, document your complaints with times/dates/people and send it to them. Any hard evidence you can provide is important. You can also say you feel this is creating a hostile work environment for you and you will consider filing a claim if no action is taken.

Hungary Bill wrote: - the managers were equally worthless (and disconnected from reality). Which makes sense really, because they hired the idiots (that whole "birds of a feather thing).

Heard a saying somewhere - maybe here?

A's hire A's, and B's hire C's. I've yet to see any deviation from this rule.

Don49 wrote: If your company has an HR department/person, document your complaints with times/dates/people and send it to them. Any hard evidence you can provide is important. You can also say you feel this is creating a hostile work environment for you and you will consider filing a claim if no action is taken.

Worst advice ever.

This is what you do if you want to lose your job. NOBODY likes a rat, especially if it means they'll either have to do some work, or make a tough decision.

If you haven't gotten it yet, the problem is not with your coworkers, it's with you bosses. Calling out the workers is calling out your bosses. Not the brightest thing to do.

Zomby Woof wrote:

Don49 wrote: If your company has an HR department/person, document your complaints with times/dates/people and send it to them. Any hard evidence you can provide is important. You can also say you feel this is creating a hostile work environment for you and you will consider filing a claim if no action is taken.

Worst advice ever. This is what you do if you want to lose your job. NOBODY likes a rat, especially if it means they'll either have to do some work, or make a tough decision. If you haven't gotten it yet, the problem is not with your coworkers, it's with you bosses. Calling out the workers is calling out your bosses. Not the brightest thing to do.

I am stunned that the actual advice being given here is to, "Let it slide, do your job and keep your head down", or am I missing something?

If not this is pure "weaksauce" or as I said earlier HTFU

Its how the "game" works. Slackers who know the system get ahead. Hardworkers get the shaft. They cant yell at you for going poop either.

Jaxmadine wrote: Its how the "game" works. Slackers who know the system get ahead. Hardworkers get the shaft. They cant yell at you for going poop either.

and why I am self employed for 11 years now, I won't take that E36 M3 from someone who is lazy and stupid.