Unbearable working environment

LegacyUser

Right now I'm working a job I hate, this isn't the problem I'm saving money to get out of the industry for good. Problem is that things are quickly becoming unbearable. Bit of background: I'm a recent finance grad, working in a large bank. We work horrible hours midday to 9, often later than that and have pretty high turnover.


Recently we've had software updates. These have rendered a program that we rely heavily upon useless for over a 1/3 of people working here. Those of us who are without the program are using the computers and passwords of people who are on holiday( big security no no) or when we can't do that, asking others to run out reports. This has been going on for over 5 weeks and I'm pretty annoyed. Management are aware but nothing's happening.

Apart from that, managements view of staff is disgusting. I often meet my manager on the bus in the mornings... Lucky me, I know. Today he said something that really set me off and nearly made me quit on the spot. Manager A laughs and says he's looking forward to a long christmas break off and says he's happy that nobody has let yet as they won't be able to go before Christmas ( 2 months notice period) I wouldn't have minded but he really started to rub it in, saying that it's usually horribly busy, I hope you won't mind doing the New Years countdown in work etc.... So I reminded him that myself and 5 other people can leave with2 weeks notice due to not having a permanent contact yet.

Unfortunately I can't leave yet. I have to save in order to return to uni. Is there anything I could do to make things go a bit easier? Or does anyone have any advice? Been in a similar situation? Etc...?

tenifan

Yes. Use this horrible job as an opportunity to practice taking it easy.

if you rely on a report but can't run it:
- ask someone else to "do you a huge favour" and run the report. Perhaps a contact in IT. Or a more junior person you can just dump the work on and let them worry instead. or even just tell your manager "I can't do it. I don't have access. Ask some one else."

Always turn down new work by saying you're too busy. Look busy. walk around with a folder in your hand. Arrange hour long meetings with other teams in an attempt to dump off work you could do yourself in 5 minutes.. and at 9pm be ready to walk out the door.

Do your job on your terms and see how long you can go without getting fired.

TimeToShine

Agree with the above, time for a work to rule to see how much you can get away with. If they don't provide the software or admin details required to use it then you can't do your job so put your feet up and relax. Certainly don't go using other peoples accounts.

I can see this advice not going down well but it is definitely the best "real world" approach possible.

mikemac1

We had that in our job over system access so we did the same and used other peoples accounts.

And then we got nailed for doing it and some scapegoats got dragged into a disciplinary process. Of course if we didn't get the work done the bosses would be moaning too :rolleyes:

OP, do not use other people's passwords. If the bosses demand the report you tell them the ruth, you don't have access and let them deal with it.


It's like working on a building site, if you're told to do something unsafe you don't do it as you'll get no thanks for it and they'll nail you if it goes wrong