# Employee Issue - Would Anyone Think This Is Unreasonable?



## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

One of the supervisors that works for me mailed me at 11pm last night:

"I won't be in until 9 or so tomorrow, as it's the wife's birthday."

I mailed back and said that was too short notice and I'd see him at his usual start time of 8. He is here and looking a little sorry for himself.

In what world would that be acceptable?


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## Dan U (Oct 19, 2011)

Depends on your relationship with them really. I wouldn't have issue with it


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## Mrs Magpie (Oct 19, 2011)

I don't think you're being unreasonable. It's not as if his wife's birthday shifts around unpredictably. If he knew he needed the time off he should have sorted it sooner.


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## quimcunx (Oct 19, 2011)

Was it too short notice? Or was it the principle? What happens if he's off ill?


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## Yu_Gi_Oh (Oct 19, 2011)

Yeah, surely it depends if it was too short notice?  Would his absence have had a negative effect on the other staff?


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## Yu_Gi_Oh (Oct 19, 2011)

Though if someone just _told _me they'd be late I might be a little taken aback.  (rather than asking if it was cool)

My manager told me she'd be 3 hours late once cos she wanted a shower before work and had forgotten to switch on the boiler.


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## two sheds (Oct 19, 2011)

Presumably he only really realised last night that he was going to be an hour late. Does he often do this or is it fairly rare?

Was there really going to be a problem if he only came in at 9? I think you were being harsh unless there really would have been a problem, and so I presume that you are in on time *whatever* is going on in your private life.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

quimcunx said:


> Was it too short notice? Or was it the principle? What happens if he's off ill?



The notice, the telling rather than asking, and the assumption that someone else would sort out his charges that start at 8, as well as doing their own work.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

two sheds said:


> Presumably he only really realised last night that he was going to be an hour late. Does he often do this or is it fairly rare?
> 
> Was there really going to be a problem if he only came in at 9? I think you were being harsh unless there really would have been a problem, and so I presume that you are in on time *whatever* is going on in your private life.



It would have caused problems and the text of his mail was as above. There was no 'I've arranged this for her and forgot to ask' and as someone said above, I presume his wife's birthday is on the same day annually.


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## scifisam (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> The notice, the telling rather than asking, and the assumption that someone else would sort out his charges that start at 8, as well as doing their own work.



If other people will have to pick up the slack when he's not there then you're definitely not being unreasonable.

But any thread asking 'is this unreasonable?' inevitably turns into a bunfight.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

scifisam said:


> But any thread asking 'is this unreasonable?' inevitably turns into a bunfight.


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## Dan U (Oct 19, 2011)

I'll change my earlier answer now I've understood better it would cause disruption

So yes probably a bit annoying


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## Jon-of-arc (Oct 19, 2011)

it's a bit dumb of him to assume that his boss was gonna be ok with him announcing he was bowling on by a bit late coz he'd had a few shants the night before, and I can see why it got your back up re the expectation that someone would cover his workload. He should have just lied.

At the same time, try not to be a cunt about things in future. We've all had the odd heavyish night we shouldn't, and I think it would have been more...humane? decent? reasonable? nice? to let him have this one and then perhaps have a quiet word about how he should organise these things in advance next time. If you wanted to be a "good" boss, that is. If all your concerned about is getting the bastard to work, then fair play, but I'd suggest that if your team can't cope when there's one employee missing for an hour then you might want to consider the way that you manage it.

e2a, clearly you're all frantically busy in your work.  deadlines to meet, meetings to have, disruption  to avoid.  Urban to post on.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

Jon-of-arc said:


> it's a bit dumb of him to assume that his boss was gonna be ok with him announcing he was bowling on by a bit late coz he'd had a few shants the night before, and I can see why it got your back up re the expectation that someone would cover his workload. He should have just lied.
> 
> At the same time, try not to be a cunt about things in future. We've all had the odd heavyish night we shouldn't, and I think it would have been more...humane? decent? reasonable? nice? to let him have this one and then perhaps have a quiet word about how he should organise these things in advance next time. If you wanted to be a "good" boss, that is. If all your concerned about is getting the bastard to work, then fair play, but I'd suggest that if your team can't cope when there's one employee missing for an hour then you might want to consider the way that you manage it.
> 
> e2a, clearly you're all frantically busy in your work. deadlines to meet, meetings to have, disruption to avoid. Urban to post on.



I'm very busy, yes. I just stopped working and gone to bed at 11pm when he mailed last night. My business is 24 hrs so I work 12-15 spread throught the day, so I have time to be on the web, yes.

I've let him have a couple of hours for his kids sports days at a day's notice and the same for other school events. I do similar for all my employees. The problem with people taking the piss, as I believe he tried to, is that you reconsider whether you should be reasonable at all. To say 'you work your contracted hours, unless you take holiday booked in advance' would make my life easier.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Oct 19, 2011)

If the notice was that short I would expect a phone call and a full explanation. You can't assume someone will be able to respond to anything at 11pm. I would be in bed for sure. If nobody picks up the phone (I wouldn't) then he can not expect to change his work time.
If you can actually answer his email (as you did), firstly I would be a bit miffed and say no, unless all the below were satisfied.
A - He is a mate and you don't mind him ringing, emailing, taking the piss at 11pm the night before.
B - The fact that he was 'telling you' not asking doesn't piss you off. This may depend on his mate status.
C - He doesn't actually really have to be in at 8 to do his actual work and he can catch up later.
D - Nobody else has to take up the slack.
E - His actions wouldn't set a precedent amoungst other staff that partners birthdays = time off, or that giving notice at short notice is acceptable.
F - He has got a really really good reason why his wife's birthday warrants an automatic hour or so off work?


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## Mapped (Oct 19, 2011)

It depends if he's dropping anyone else in the shit and what the workload is like.

I do this all the time, but I often work through the night and don't need to be in the office to generally do my work. If I called up and I was missing appointments and events, that would be a no-no.


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## Mrs Magpie (Oct 19, 2011)

The thing I picked up in the OP was that he was a supervisor. That means that if he's not in first thing, other people have to pick up the slack. My line manager gets in at about 7:10 am and we get in about 8:15 am. If she's not there unexpectedly for some reason (I think it's happened once) it would definitely make life really hard for us and the knock on effect would last all day.
Texting at 11pm is just taking the piss.


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## fractionMan (Oct 19, 2011)

If it's not really going to affect other staff or the business I don't see a problem with letting him come in an hour late once in a while. He probably got pissed and wanted to stay up boning with his wife or was planing on boning in the morning.

Yeah he should of thought of it sooner, but fuck it, unless it's seriously going to put people in the shit why not let him have his fun you massive meany.

11pm really does take the piss though


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## 5t3IIa (Oct 19, 2011)

Massive meany 

Being a manager means you get to be munificent once in a while and wordlessly load it onto an expectation that your minions will be grateful and work 41% harder for way longer than it takes to make up for it.

I doubt you're a stone faced cuntychops at work though  This is not a Yes or No question.


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## geminisnake (Oct 19, 2011)

I think the 11pm mail and the assuming it would be ok would get right up my nose. As others have said he could have asked a lot earlier. Why didn't he ask at 7pm??
I'd guess this is acceptable in his own little world that revolves round him!


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## DotCommunist (Oct 19, 2011)

you self important wanker


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## fractionMan (Oct 19, 2011)

His wife's at home crying into her breakfast you cunt


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## Mrs Magpie (Oct 19, 2011)

DotCommunist said:


> you self important wanker


I disagree. Presumably his supervisory role means he gets more dosh. I think it's out of order to land the people he supervises in the shit. I'm pretty low in the food chain at work and if higher paid people land me in it, it pisses me right off. OK, if someone is ill that's different, but texting really late because of a birthday? Fuck off!


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## Jon-of-arc (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> I'm very busy, yes. I just stopped working and gone to bed at 11pm when he mailed last night. My business is 24 hrs so I work 12-15 spread throught the day, so I have time to be on the web, yes.
> 
> I've let him have a couple of hours for his kids sports days at a day's notice and the same for other school events. I do similar for all my employees. The problem with people taking the piss, as I believe he tried to, is that you reconsider whether you should be reasonable at all. To say 'you work your contracted hours, unless you take holiday booked in advance' would make my life easier.



Fair enough - tbh, I don't really have enough info to make a judgement (but you did ask for one, so I gave it anyway...).  Just tryna put myself in your employees shoes, and think how I'd feel about it if I were him.

I think fraction man summed up my feelings quite well with "massive meanie".  For your employee to ask such a thing, he clearly thought that you were "alright" and would understand where he was coming from with his request.  He hasn't taken the piss, that much really - he asked, you said no, he complied.  Don't be too harsh on him, even if he has put you in a position where you feel like you've been forced to "lay down the law" (I assume you don't feel comfortable with that, hence starting the thread?).


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## BoatieBird (Oct 19, 2011)

At least he had the decency to say _why_ he wanted to come in late.
Next time he might think 'fuck it, I'll just phone in sick and take the whole day off'


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## 5t3IIa (Oct 19, 2011)

geminisnake said:


> I'd guess this is acceptable in his own little world that revolves round him!





DotCommunist said:


> you self important wanker



Well. I do spend an insignificant portion of my time reminding people that their worlds do not, in fact, revolve around their jobs and bowing and scraping to their boss. In what world is it _not _acceptable to have 60minutes off? It's his job, not his life. It's your job, not your life.

This is an important concept and gets forgotten way too often.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Oct 19, 2011)

He's taking the piss and needs to be sacked. That'll show everyone else that you're not to be messed with and they'll all work harder as a result


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## DotCommunist (Oct 19, 2011)

fractionMan said:


> His wife's at home crying into her breakfast you cunt


 
Yalkclubs serfs should unionise.


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## DotCommunist (Oct 19, 2011)

5t3IIa said:


> Well. I do spend an insignificant portion of my time reminding people that their worlds do not, in fact, revolve around their jobs and bowing and scraping to their boss. In what world is it _not _acceptable to have 60minutes off? It's his job, not his life. It's your job, not your life.
> 
> This is an important concept and gets forgotten way too often.


 
I completely agree. But yelkclub's business is so important and vital he couldn't give a man 1 hour leeway at short notice. Obviously making more money for the bosses outranks being a human in his world


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## fractionMan (Oct 19, 2011)

BoatieBird said:


> At least he had the decency to say _why_ he wanted to come in late.
> Next time he might think 'fuck it, I'll just phone in sick and take the whole day off'



this


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## quimcunx (Oct 19, 2011)

I'd point out that companies should maintain enough capacity to take up 'slack' rather than understaff then cite inconvenience of other staff when turning down leave.  I realise that can't work in all instances.  And that it was short notice in this.

If he'd asked I'd have said yes if it wasn't going to cause problems then had a word about giving more notice. He should have asked or made up a more compelling reason. As he didn't I'd say that I would probably have given him the time of if he'd _requested_ the time off with more notice.

jaw clenched for emphasis on 'requested'.


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## story (Oct 19, 2011)

It made me wonder if his wife was saying "Why didn't you arrange for time off for my birthday, ffs? And after all the promises you made last year, when you let me down so badly, you bastard! It's not as if my birthday is on a different day each year!"


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## Thora (Oct 19, 2011)

In this instance, since he left it so late and it would have had a negative impact on other staff, then not unreasonable to say you needed him in at 8.  You need to have a back-up plan you situations like this though, surely?  What if he'd told you at 11pm that he couldn't come in tomorrow because his kid needed to go to the doctor or something?


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## fractionMan (Oct 19, 2011)

which is the excuse I would have used


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## story (Oct 19, 2011)

Its the way he didn't use a normal excuse that makes me think he was responding to his wife.

She's going "FFS, you utter bastard!" and he's going "Okay, okay, jeezus, I'll try and get the time off, but that yelkclub won't wear it, you'll see!"


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Oct 19, 2011)

Thora said:


> In this instance, since he left it so late and it would have had a negative impact on other staff, then not unreasonable to say you needed him in at 8. You need to have a back-up plan you situations like this though, surely? What if he'd told you at 11pm that he couldn't come in tomorrow because his kid needed to go to the doctor or something?



I think it's the fact it's not a worthy enough excuse for the ramifications at such short notice. There may be a knock on effect that would piss off other workers (and also set a precedent for being able to call up late the night before with a feeble reason for not coming into work the next morning). I don't think anyone would begrudge taking up the slack for an hour if a child needed to be rushed to the doctor.
Birthdays come round the same time every year, kids being sick don't.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

Thora said:


> In this instance, since he left it so late and it would have had a negative impact on other staff, then not unreasonable to say you needed him in at 8. You need to have a back-up plan you situations like this though, surely? What if he'd told you at 11pm that he couldn't come in tomorrow because his kid needed to go to the doctor or something?



We'd have managed, at a bit of a cost, because we'd have labour and plant standing while it got sorted out. Or more likely, if he'd have realised something important like that, I would have got out of bed earlier this morning and allocated all his crews work, to make sure it would be ready for them and he could sort his kid's appoitment.


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## Jon-of-arc (Oct 19, 2011)

btw, yelkclub, I think you should run all decisions, big and small, you have to make in your job past the urban committee for final approval.  It's a great way of doing business.


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## 5t3IIa (Oct 19, 2011)

He's a bit flaccid on the organisation front  What precisely was he going to get done in that 60mins anyway?


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

fractionMan said:


> which is the excuse I would have used



Which is why others might be given hard time in some organistions because some people will lie about such things.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

5t3IIa said:


> He's a bit flaccid on the organisation front  What precisely was he going to get done in that 60mins anyway?



Breakfast in bed? Head? I didn't ask.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

Jon-of-arc said:


> btw, yelkclub, I think you should run all decisions, big and small, you have to make in your job past the urban committee for final approval. It's a great way of doing business.



I'll try and remember to, JoA, although I am very, very busy.


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## Thora (Oct 19, 2011)

fractionMan said:


> which is the excuse I would have used


I am on day 2 of having to stay at home with a sick child


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## gabi (Oct 19, 2011)

Jesus. I thought my boss was a prick.


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## DotCommunist (Oct 19, 2011)

its obvious that a decent shop steward is needed to reign in yelkclubs tyrannical management style.



> I would have got out of bed earlier this morning



to make more money for The Man


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

DotCommunist said:


> its obvious that a decent shop steward is needed to reign in yelkclubs tyrannical management style.



Tyrannical? Really?


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## marty21 (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> One of the supervisors that works for me mailed me at 11pm last night:
> 
> "I won't be in until 9 or so tomorrow, as it's the wife's birthday."
> 
> ...



he should get the union on your arse


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## geminisnake (Oct 19, 2011)

Jon-of-arc said:


> For your employee to ask such a thing, he clearly thought that you were "alright" and would understand where he was coming from with his request. H



But he DIDN'T ask, he basically told Yelkcub he would be late at 11pm! And for a thing he KNOWS happens on the same sodding day EVERY year!! Sorry but imo he could have asked yesterday while he was still at work.

I would NOT be impressed if a boss phoned me after 11pm to ask me to cover someone's time unless it was VERY important!


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

marty21 said:


> he should get the union on your arse



And the union would do what? Why?


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## kabbes (Oct 19, 2011)

Fucking hell Yelkcub, way to be a total cunt.

What the hell is so important, urgent and understaffed that it's all going to be fucked up by somebody being there at 9am rather than 8am?  If your business is that much on the edge then you seriously need to work on your risk mitigation strategy, because as soon as something unexpected happens you'll be fucked.

This is about knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing.  You can either have invested employees who are comfortable at work and so operate at an efficient and flexible manner.  Or you can have a bunch of clock-watchers who do the bare minimum and have no interest in helping you out when you need it.  If you want the former then try not to be fucking Hitler about somebody wanting to come in an hour later on their wife's birthday.


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## Jon-of-arc (Oct 19, 2011)

geminisnake said:


> But he DIDN'T ask, he basically told Yelkcub he would be late at 11pm! And for a thing he KNOWS happens on the same sodding day EVERY year!! Sorry but imo he could have asked yesterday while he was still at work.
> 
> I would NOT be impressed if a boss phoned me after 11pm to ask me to cover someone's time unless it was VERY important!



Oh, so what? was the world gonna end if he came in an hour late?  No.  Did he come in an hour late?  No.

He could, and probably should, have asked earlier.  In fact definately should.  But he didn't.  No one was called at 11pm, no one had to cover anyones time.  Anyway, if someone asked me to cover for them at the last minute coz they had a fuzzy head, I'd think "fine - I might just need to do that in future...".  If it sets a precedent amongst all staff, then good.  Rigidly enforced working arrangements are soul destroying.


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## kabbes (Oct 19, 2011)

It also strikes me that this is as much about insubordination from an underling in your precious hierarchy as it is about actual pragmatic working necessity.  You don't like the fact that this lesser being dared to tell you rather than come bowing and scraping for it.  Well fuck that.


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## DotCommunist (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> One of the supervisors that works for me mailed me at 11pm last night:
> 
> "I won't be in until 9 or so tomorrow, as it's the wife's birthday."
> 
> ...


 
gloating


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

kabbes said:


> Fucking hell Yelkcub, way to be a total cunt.
> 
> What the hell is so important, urgent and understaffed that it's all going to be fucked up by somebody being there at 9am rather than 8am? If your business is that much on the edge then you seriously need to work on your risk mitigation strategy, because as soon as something unexpected happens you'll be fucked.
> 
> This is about knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. You can either have invested employees who are comfortable at work and so operate at an efficient and flexible manner. Or you can have a bunch of clock-watchers who do the bare minimum and have no interest in helping you out when you need it. If you want the former then try not to be *fucking Hitler* about somebody wanting to come in an hour later on their wife's birthday.



 Really?

Something unexpected? Like a birthday?

The nature of my business is that we have lots of planned work that goes out the window every morning when our client bundles a load of reactive work on us, because they've made stupid promises to customers. Then there are the genuine emergencies as well. The most important part of his job is the re-organising that requires at the start of the shift.


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## Thora (Oct 19, 2011)

kabbes said:


> Fucking hell Yelkcub, way to be a total cunt.
> 
> What the hell is so important, urgent and understaffed that it's all going to be fucked up by somebody being there at 9am rather than 8am? If your business is that much on the edge then you seriously need to work on your risk mitigation strategy, because as soon as something unexpected happens you'll be fucked.
> 
> This is about knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. You can either have invested employees who are comfortable at work and so operate at an efficient and flexible manner. Or you can have a bunch of clock-watchers who do the bare minimum and have no interest in helping you out when you need it. If you want the former then try not to be fucking Hitler about somebody wanting to come in an hour later on their wife's birthday.


This does depend on the nature of the job/business though doesn't it?  Obviously I have no idea how critical it was for Yelkcub's employee to be in at 8, but in my job I am the only one of my team starting at 8, and if I can't come in then either someone else has to come in an hour early or someone has to lose an hour where they should have been doing their own work to come and cover mine (and then make up their own later).


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

kabbes said:


> It also strikes me that this is as much about insubordination from an underling in your precious hierarchy as it is about actual pragmatic working necessity. You don't like the fact that this lesser being dared to tell you rather than come bowing and scraping for it. Well fuck that.



 Although hierachy is necessary to get anything done. Fuck all would done if it was down to some people on this thread.


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## Jon-of-arc (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> The nature of my business is that we have lots of planned work that goes out the window every morning when our client bundles a load of reactive work on us, because they've made stupid promises to customers. Then there are the genuine emergencies as well. The most important part of his job is the re-organising that requires at the start of the shift.



"efficiency, efficiency, profit, output, blah blah, efficiency, profit, human considerations - oh no, hang on, not that last bit - output, orders, money..."


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## Jon-of-arc (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> Although hierachy is necessary to get anything done. Fuck all would done if it was down to some people on this thread.



It looks as if some people on this thread would have your staff downing tools quicker than you could say "in at 8am sharp".


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## kabbes (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> Although hierachy is necessary to get anything done. Fuck all would done if it was down to some people on this thread.


You small-time loser.  You have no idea.

I am really surprised by you on this thread.  I didn't know you were like this.


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## DotCommunist (Oct 19, 2011)

Boxer out of Animal Farm. WE MUST WORK HARDER


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## kabbes (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> Really?
> 
> Something unexpected? Like a birthday?
> 
> The nature of my business is that we have lots of planned work that goes out the window every morning when our client bundles a load of reactive work on us, because they've made stupid promises to customers. Then there are the genuine emergencies as well. The most important part of his job is the re-organising that requires at the start of the shift.


Something unexpected like the sudden complete loss of an employee. If you can't cope with one turning up an hour later (and no doubt making that hour up another time), how the fuck would you cope if he died on the way home tonight?

Or something unexpected like a lawsuit, or an unexpected deadline, or a demand surge, or any one of a thousand other things.

As for your hopeless planning policy -- that's not your employees fault. If you can't handle your clients' normal business practices, to the extent that every morning you end up dumping your planned work, you need to work out how to organise your workflow better.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

Jon-of-arc said:


> "efficiency, efficiency, profit, output, blah blah, efficiency, profit, human considerations - oh no, hang on, not that last bit - output, orders, money..."



A lot of our work is vital emergency work. If your home was flooded with sewage and your kids were at risk of disease and we hadn't yet come to sort it, would 'Yeah, sorry but we haven't actually arrnaged who's coming to you yet because it's someone's birthday' be ok by you?


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## TruXta (Oct 19, 2011)

Sounds like you could do with some more slack in the system, Yelkcub. As others have pointed out, what if 2 of your employees failed to show one day unexpectedly? How much disruption would it take to bring down the whole thing?


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

DotCommunist said:


> Boxer out of Animal Farm. WE MUST WORK HARDER



Or perhaps 'if I get paid as a relatively intelligent adult, I should treat perfectly plannable absence from work as I would in my personal life, to avoid everyone else having to work to harder to cover my thoughtlessness'?


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## temper_tantrum (Oct 19, 2011)

What does your company do, then? Some kind of building works?


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## sleaterkinney (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> One of the supervisors that works for me mailed me at 11pm last night:
> 
> "I won't be in until 9 or so tomorrow, as it's the wife's birthday."
> 
> I mailed back and said that was too short notice and I'd see him at his usual start time of 8. He is here and looking a little sorry for himself.



What would piss me off is the way he phrased it, not "Can I come in at 9" but "I won't be in until 9 or so"

Give him a few 6 am starts to sort him out.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 19, 2011)

He was a bit daft tbf. I'd have just phoned in sick.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

kabbes said:


> *Something unexpected* like the sudden complete loss of an employee. If you can't cope with one turning up an hour later (and no doubt making that hour up another time), how the fuck would you cope if he died on the way home tonight?
> 
> Or something unexpected like a lawsuit, or an unexpected deadline, or a demand surge, or any one of a thousand other things.
> 
> As for your hopeless planning policy -- that's not your employees fault. If you can't handle your clients' normal business practices, to the extent that every morning you end up dumping your planned work, you need to work out how to organise your workflow better.



I'd cope by doing it myself the first day and getting someone in the next day. Because it was UNEXPECTED.

It's not my hopeless planning, it's my clients (though they claim to want the opposite) and the chap in question positions is an additonal role to our structure to cope with that.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

Global Stoner said:


> He was a bit daft tbf. I'd have just phoned in sick.



Would you be pissed off were sick and it wasn't believed though?


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> Would you be pissed off were sick and it wasn't believed though?



Depends who I worked for and how they treated me in the past. If they're cunts I consider it reclaiming my surplus value.

It's not really a luxury I have at the moment as I work for myself.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

temper_tantrum said:


> What does your company do, then? Some kind of building works?



Cleaning sewers, unblocking drains etc. It is actually vital, as anyone who has suffered an internal flood at their home would tell you. Unpleasant, unhealthy and traumatic for the people it happens to.


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## kabbes (Oct 19, 2011)

"Every day we have to rearrange our plans because we have work that we hadn't planned for, even though the work we hadn't planned for always happens.  But my planning policy is fine."


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## DotCommunist (Oct 19, 2011)

ah! you manage work crews. From the office while they are out grafting at a filthy job. It all begins to add up.


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## temper_tantrum (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> Cleaning sewers, unblocking drains etc. It is actually vital, as anyone who has suffered an internal flood at their home would tell you. Unpleasant, unhealthy and traumatic for the people it happens to.



In that context, I can see why the additional hour in the morning could fuck up your work schedule for the day.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

DotCommunist said:


> ah! you manage work crews. From the office while they are out grafting at a filthy job. It all begins to add up.



I've done more than enough of it Dottster. How does that fit your theory? I was out digging holes on the gas and water when I was 15.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

kabbes said:


> "Every day we have to rearrange our plans because we have work that we hadn't planned for, even though the work we hadn't planned for always happens. But my planning policy is fine."



Apart from some days where there is much less reactive work and if we hadn't planned planned works all the guys would be standing while we sorted. What would you suggest? Temporary lay-offs?


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## DotCommunist (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> I've done more than enough of it Dottster. How does that fit your theory? I was out digging holes on the gas and water when I was 15.



worked your way to the chair where you can sit and mug your peons off


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## two sheds (Oct 19, 2011)

story said:


> It made me wonder if his wife was saying "Why didn't you arrange for time off for my birthday, ffs? And after all the promises you made last year, when you let me down so badly, you bastard! It's not as if my birthday is on a different day each year!"



Yel probably deprived them of a late-night shag 

I did originally read the OP as the bloke saying that he was taking the day off and I thought yes that's taking the piss. Then I reread it and thought perhaps it wasn't. Shouldn't you rearrange things so that someone is there to give cover when emergencies come up?

And with the time you've spent on urban agonising about it, you could probably have covered for him for an hour and had time to spare  .


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## TruXta (Oct 19, 2011)

DotCommunist said:


> worked your way to the chair where you can sit and mug your peons off



It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it, and it ain't gonna be you, sonny.


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## fractionMan (Oct 19, 2011)

I'm sure they'll think up suitable nicknames for the OP while down the drains.


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## Thora (Oct 19, 2011)

two sheds said:


> Yel probably deprived them of a late-night shag
> 
> I did originally read the OP as the bloke saying that he was taking the day off and I thought yes that's taking the piss. Then I reread it and thought perhaps it wasn't. Shouldn't you rearrange things so that someone is there to give cover when emergencies come up?
> 
> And with the time you've spent on urban agonising about it, you could probably have covered for him for an hour and had time to spare  .


If the arrangement is that someone else has to come in early/do extra work - obviously that's fine in an actual emergency, but I would not be pleased to come in early because of someone else's hangover.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

two sheds said:


> And with the time you've spent on urban agonising about it, you could probably have covered for him for an hour and had time to spare  .



I'm on two laptops Sheddy


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## krink (Oct 19, 2011)

anyone at work must get off urban and do some work now, we're all in this together!


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## ElizabethofYork (Oct 19, 2011)

two sheds said:


> Shouldn't you rearrange things so that someone is there to give cover when emergencies come up?



I don't think a spouse's birthday can be called an "emergency".


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## two sheds (Oct 19, 2011)

ElizabethofYork said:


> I don't think a spouse's birthday can be called an "emergency".



True, but would be useful in emergencies and also for when someone wants a late-night shag on his wife's birthday.


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## quimcunx (Oct 19, 2011)

It's not clear to me.  Is today her birthday or yesterday?   In which case the late night/drunkenness/birthday sex might not happen every year.


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## RaverDrew (Oct 19, 2011)

10/10 for the troll Yelkcub


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## scifisam (Oct 19, 2011)

Isn't it easier to cover emergency absences if you don't have employees off work for non-emergency reasons? Just like you don't have everyone schedule their holiday at the same time?

A lot of jobs I've been in require other staff to take up the slack if someone's unexpectedly late or off work. The remaining staff do manage, but it'd be better if they didn't have to. The alternative would be hiring an extra member of staff, and I can see why a company wouldn't want to spend the money to do that when most of the time it's not necessary. It's not poor planning at all.



quimcunx said:


> It's not clear to me. Is today her birthday or yesterday? In which case the late night/drunkenness/birthday sex might not happen every year.



If they've been married a while, the sex might not happen every year at all.


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## two sheds (Oct 19, 2011)

RaverDrew said:


> 10/10 for the troll Yelkcub



Yeh, make yourself scarce, 'Two Computers'.


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## Kizmet (Oct 19, 2011)

That's a great way to encourage people to lie to you.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

quimcunx said:


> It's not clear to me. Is today her birthday or yesterday? In which case the late night/drunkenness/birthday sex might not happen every year.



Her birthday is today. I'm not sure if he wanted the time to recover from exertions last night or to put her through her paces this morning.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

RaverDrew said:


> 10/10 for the troll Yelkcub



Ithangew.

(I do actually believe I have been entirely fair, but was not surprised at some responses)


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## kabbes (Oct 19, 2011)

More likely to give her some birthday presents and have a nice breakfast together.  Fuck me, it's not always all about sex, people.


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## TitanSound (Oct 19, 2011)

kabbes said:


> Fuck me, it's not always all about sex, people.



Filthy lies. You just asked to be fucked.


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## kabbes (Oct 19, 2011)

The word "fuck" now has so many meanings that it has almost lost the meaning of fuck.


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## TitanSound (Oct 19, 2011)

kabbes said:


> The word "fuck" now has so many meanings that it has almost lost the meaning of fuck.



Don't you try and worm your way out of this one with your logic.


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## stuff_it (Oct 19, 2011)

quimcunx said:


> Was it too short notice? Or was it the principle? What happens if he's off ill?


I reckon he was going to be off ill, and that the undertone was 'it's the wife's birthday NOW, and I will need an extra hour to sleep off the hangover in the morning'. Either that or he's a really nice bloke and wanted to make her breakfast in bed and drop the kids off/bone her in the morning for once (in which case he should have planned it).

OF course next time he will just lie and say he had car trouble or something.

What line of business are you in Yelkub?


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## quimcunx (Oct 19, 2011)

The same line of business he was in on page 3.


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## Kanda (Oct 19, 2011)

stuff_it said:


> What line of business are you in Yelkub?



It tells you that up there ^^ !


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## Kanda (Oct 19, 2011)

quimcunx said:


> The same line of business he was in on page 3.



He does have impressive moobs.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

quimcunx said:


> The same line of business he was in on page 3.



I dispute the claim I ever got my tits out in the tabloids for a living!


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## stuff_it (Oct 19, 2011)

Kanda said:


> It tells you that up there ^^ !


 


DotCommunist said:


> ah! you manage work crews. From the office while they are out grafting at a filthy job. It all begins to add up.


All is indeed made clear.
Perhaps YK is too much of a twatty boss for the bloke to think he could ask up front?


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## killer b (Oct 19, 2011)

news in briefs said:
			
		

> nikkala thinks it's right for employees to give reasonable notice if they want to take time off at work - otherwise the other staff only have to take up the slack!


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## kabbes (Oct 19, 2011)

People have a great deal of difficulty spelling "Yelkcub".


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## scifisam (Oct 19, 2011)

It's almost as if people have never read it backwards.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 19, 2011)

stuff_it said:


> All is indeed made clear.
> Perhaps YK is too much of a twatty boss for the bloke to think he could ask up front?


 
As he did with his kids sports day and other things as I previously posted, you mean? He went to said events and was paid for his time while doing so.


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## kabbes (Oct 19, 2011)

scifisam said:


> It's almost as if people have never read it backwards.


I got told off before for pointing that out.


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## stuff_it (Oct 19, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> As he did with his kids sports day and other things as I previously posted, you mean? He went to said events and was paid for his time while doing so.


You deserve each other, deal with it.

Did he actually turn up an hour late then or did he come in?


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## fractionMan (Oct 20, 2011)

has he spat in your tea yet?


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## kabbes (Oct 20, 2011)

Has he started looking for another job yet?


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## Pingu (Oct 20, 2011)

shoulda sacked him

(dont really mean this but madz is bored and this will probably start a big fight that may entertain her)


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## Pseudopsycho (Oct 20, 2011)

kabbes said:


> The word "fuck" now has so many meanings that it has almost lost the meaning of fuck.


Noun, adjective, verb, adverb

any more?


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## TruXta (Oct 20, 2011)

Pseudopsycho said:


> Noun, adjective, verb, adverb
> 
> any more?



Prefix and suffix.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 20, 2011)

kabbes said:


> Has he started looking for another job yet?



Not unless he's talking in a code that sounds very much like he's doing his job


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## kabbes (Oct 20, 2011)

Interjection, of course.  That's its primary use.


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## kabbes (Oct 20, 2011)

Yelkcub said:


> Not unless he's talking in a code that sounds very much like he's doing his job


Follow him all hours of the day, do you?
Actually, you probably would if you could.  After all, you do own him.


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## madzone (Oct 20, 2011)

scifisam said:


> If they've been married a while, the sex might not happen every year at all.



Or it might only happen once a year.


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## Pseudopsycho (Oct 20, 2011)

Emphatic tenses/moods


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## kabbes (Oct 20, 2011)

Pronoun, entirely possibly.


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## Yelkcub (Oct 20, 2011)

kabbes said:


> Follow him all hours of the day, do you?
> Actually, you probably would if you could. After all, you do own him.



He's sat across the room from me. Shall I go and sit in my private office for fear of oppressing him?

Some responses to this have been comic genius, this latest one of yours particularly!


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## kabbes (Oct 20, 2011)

Are you not enjoying it?


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## Miss Caphat (Oct 26, 2011)

I think both of you are (Yelkclub and employee) have acted a bit inappropriately. Him for announcing that he was going to be late as if he had a flat tire and it was totally unavoidable, and you for telling him you would "expect him at the normal time". That is not how you speak to an adult. You don't own him.

He most likely hates you now, and will probably make a habit of lying about why he needs time off. You should consider yourself lucky you had such an honest employee.


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