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Ridiculous Workplace Rules, Policies, Requests, PC, Initiatives, etc.

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    #152
    Martyn1989
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,561 ✭✭✭Martyn1989


    zcorpian88 wrote: »
    Oh my god and this one gained a management position and has no idea what a coeliac is. That's the American education system for you, another child left behind. Excellent post, got a good laugh!

    In what class did you learn what a coeliac was? Biology? Home Ec? Maybe some college course that had a nutrition module in it?

    Not everyone takes these subjects.

    Why managing a call centre and knowing what a coeliac is has to do with eachother is beyond me.


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    #153
    Squ
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,082 ✭✭✭Squ


    My wifes office doesnt allow oranges..

    A pharma plant got.in Johnny Logan to launch their new policy of holding the handrail when using a stairs..


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    #154
    seantorious
    Closed Accounts Posts: 193 ✭✭seantorious


    Martyn1989 wrote: »
    In what class did you learn what a coeliac was? Biology? Home Ec? Maybe some college course that had a nutrition module in it?

    Not everyone takes these subjects.

    Why managing a call centre and knowing what a coeliac is has to do with eachother is beyond me.

    My 60 year old mother who still believes in the 7th son of the 7th son knows what coeliacs disease is.
    If you don't know what something is you politely ask what it is. Not assume its something negative and put on a intimidating voice.


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    #155
    Wompa1
    Registered Users Posts: 8,166 ✭✭✭Wompa1


    seantorious wrote: »
    My 60 year old mother who still believes in the 7th son of the 7th son knows what coeliacs disease is.
    If you don't know what something is you politely ask what it is. Not assume its something negative and put on a intimidating voice.

    Ever think maybe she did know what a coeliac is or maybe she didn't, but either way, ever think she misheard you COEliAC in an Irish accent can sound like Catholic. Maybe she thought he said Catholic and that somehow it was against his religous beliefs. I don't know a whole lot about other religions. I only know about Coeliacs disease because I know a couple of people who had it but from what I was told (which could be BS) Ireland has a high rate of the disease as we do with some other diseases that also aren't as prevelent per capita in the US..just sayin'


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    #156
    opinion guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,001 ✭✭✭✭opinion guy


    seantorious wrote: »
    My 60 year old mother who still believes in the 7th son of the 7th son knows what coeliacs disease is.
    If you don't know what something is you politely ask what it is. Not assume its something negative and put on a intimidating voice.

    Celiac disease is more common in Ireland than anywhere else - inclduing America. Why should every American know what it is ?


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    #157
    Grayson
    Registered Users Posts: 16,136 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    I worked in Dunnes for a week. I went through the induction training. In their induction manual it says it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile.

    God I hated that place.


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    #158
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭mathepac


    Grayson wrote: »
    ... In their induction manual it says it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile. ...
    Interesting. My personal trainer tells me I have a very strong face.


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    #159
    Inventive User Name
    Registered Users Posts: 185 ✭✭Inventive User Name


    Had to do a mandatory online Health and Safety course which included a chapter on how to hold and operate a computer mouse properly, so as to prevent ligament damage.


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    #160
    Duggy747
    Registered Users Posts: 13,295 ✭✭✭✭Duggy747


    Worked in a county council where an aul wagon had a pure hatred for radios or anything sound-related. She went out of her way to write up a policy that radio's or any sounds were not allowed in an office, she was like a character from Footloose who would ban music.

    Before the policy, the unwritten rule was that the staff would hide them around their desks and have the volume really low, as she had a serious vendetta against them and would take them like some strict teacher.

    When I was fixing a machine in one of the offices she came in, stood there looking at me and then went searching for the radio with a look of disgust on her face, unplugged it and took it away.

    Since 3 of us were the IT team and away from everyone we played the radio out from our machines, refusing point blankly to turn it off when asked. Feckin' comms room beside us drowned out the radio anyways but we did it to rile her up.


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    #161
    Grayson
    Registered Users Posts: 16,136 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    Inventive User Name wrote: »
    Had to do a mandatory online Health and Safety course which included a chapter on how to hold and operate a computer mouse properly, so as to prevent ligament damage.

    I have to do a manual lifting course. I was working in a call centre.


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    #162
    Overthrow
    Registered Users Posts: 153 ✭✭Overthrow


    Duggy747 wrote: »
    All lights were controlled by sensors, you'd be sitting in the tiny kitchen eating your lunch when after exactly 5 minutes the lights would turn off leaving you to wave your arms manically to activate the sensors again. Annoying as hell having to do that 3 or 4 times everyday on your break.

    The mental image of you sad-faced and flailing your arms around in the dark had me cracking up :D


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    #163
    juan.kerr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,766 ✭✭✭juan.kerr


    zcorpian88 wrote: »
    Oh my god and this one gained a management position and has no idea what a coeliac is.

    :rolleyes: Yeah, I remember the classes I had where we covered the coeliac like it was yesterday. Wouldn't be my favorite vegetable I must say, but I'd still eat it.

    Some people will bash America any chance they get. Pathetic.


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    #164
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    You are all making me feel less shItty for being unemployed.


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    #165
    coffee_cake
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,309 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    Bipolar Joe wrote: »
    You are all making me feel less shItty for being unemployed.

    just dont go into the perks thread


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    #166
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    bluewolf wrote: »
    just dont go into the perks thread

    I'm actively avoiding that.

    Here's one of my own. First proper job was for Tesco in England, out in the parking lot. They didn't have the money lock they do over here, so people would leave the trolleys where ever they used them last, such as right in the middle of the road. It was my job to put them all back by the door. At the end of the day, they'd all have to be gathered up and left by the front door. No problem, right? Only from nine PM I was alone, a short weakling, lugging about 700 to 800 trolleys along ten at a time because that's how long the collection-cord was. The lot was huge. Torrential rain, snow, sleet, the apocalypse, all of them had to be there for opening next morning, any rogue trolleys were docked 50p each from my measly wage. I was once told to go to the river miles away to get a trolley that was dumped, I go there, it's right in the middle, rusted through and completely useless. I knew that if I didn't bring it with me, I'd be told to go back and get it. So I did, this was really close to closing time. So I get back, the place was closed and basically empty, and I spent the next three or so hours hauling that shit around in the sleet before I decided fuck this, I quit. They should teach kids workers rights in school.


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    #167
    loalae
    Registered Users Posts: 547 ✭✭✭loalae


    We're not allowed pens on our desks in my job. I'm really not sure why.


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    #168
    mattjack
    Registered Users Posts: 5,389 ✭✭✭mattjack


    Every two years , I had to do a Safe Pass to work in construction... no real problem doing that....but each time myself and my colleagues did it, we always tried to explain to the instructors we were all electricians and if wanted he could skip the electrical part to give himself an easy day.

    Did they listen ? did they ****...... Some of us in the class had 20 plus years experience and they still insisted in telling us about the risks of electricity.


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    #169
    Duggy747
    Registered Users Posts: 13,295 ✭✭✭✭Duggy747


    Overthrow wrote: »
    The mental image of you sad-faced and flailing your arms around in the dark had me cracking up :D

    This was me everyday in that godforsaken kitchen :(


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    #170
    Solair
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,230 ✭✭✭Solair


    Wompa1 wrote: »
    Ever think maybe she did know what a coeliac is or maybe she didn't, but either way, ever think she misheard you COEliAC in an Irish accent can sound like Catholic. Maybe she thought he said Catholic and that somehow it was against his religous beliefs. I don't know a whole lot about other religions. I only know about Coeliacs disease because I know a couple of people who had it but from what I was told (which could be BS) Ireland has a high rate of the disease as we do with some other diseases that also aren't as prevelent per capita in the US..just sayin'

    No she didn't mishear ... I repeated it several times carefully.. She even went and googled it afterwards.

    and yeah Ireland has one (if not the) highest rate of it in the world. It's basically an allergy to gluten that provokes an autoimmune response in your intestine. Your immune system starts to destroy the surface of your intestines and can leave you unable to absorb various nutrients (permanently) if you aren't careful and don't take it seriously.

    There is a very high representation of celiacs in the Irish population and also the Basque Country. It's just a genetically inherited inability to deal with gluten.


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    #171
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 40,880 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    fasttalkerchat wrote: »
    That reminds me.
    During an induction day I was told that in the event of a fire to hit the alarm button if possible but that the priority was to get the staff (about 3 of us) out and to the meeting point. Then call 999.

    I asked should we get customers to leave with us or to make sure they're out before we leave.

    He shrugged and said, well if you get the staff out that;s all you can do because you don't know who the customers are so can't account for them anyway. Let the fire brigade handle that!

    That reminds me

    Worked in an office once. It was 2 separate companies in the same building. One of them was telephoned with a bomb scare. They evacuated their offices and never contacted our company.

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #172
    fasttalkerchat
    Registered Users Posts: 5,652 ✭✭✭fasttalkerchat


    mango salsa wrote: »
    That reminds me

    Worked in an office once. It was 2 separate companies in the same building. One of them was telephoned with a bomb scare. They evacuated their offices and never contacted our company.

    Something similar happened at a local retail park. Staff from another store came in to say they were evacuating... this store waited to see if the police would tell them they HAD TO leave.


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    #173
    LisaLee
    Registered Users Posts: 389 ✭✭LisaLee


    Shryke wrote: »
    I swear to God this is true, slashing everyone's hours with the idea that putting people on the bread line would encourage harder work.

    Was asked to sign a dodgy backdated contract.

    Not being given payslips for weeks and then being given them all at once. The excuse was that they hadn't come down from head office yet.

    Reducing staff and hours while expecting twice the workload to be completed. Vague threats of getting other people to do the job if you can't. Being called up to the office and given out to for this type of stuff.

    Some people being sent on the same training course more than once while others not at all. If you weren't sent on the course you were probably going to be let go once your contract was up.

    Staff were given warnings if they didn't perform well in the mystery shopper. Anyone familiar with retail will know what this is.

    Management were encouraged to stab each other in the back to get ahead. The place bred incompetence.

    Bringing people in for 4 hour shifts (part of the hour cutting) and expecting miracles.

    No training given to new staff or new management. Just told to go to work.

    Giving out to night pack staff for not doing enough even though everyone was flat out all night trying to get everything absolutely perfect.

    ^All the same place. I no longer work there. I have never encountered such incompetence, ignorance and malicious intent before or since.
    It's worth pointing out the insane pressure that management would inflict on regular employees. You would think it was Wall Street with millions on the line. Just awful treatment of everyone. It would have been an alright place if not for that.

    Wow! Wondering if we've worked in the same place? Sounds suspiciously familiar, the company is rotten to the core!


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    #174
    Shryke
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,199 ✭✭✭Shryke


    LisaLee wrote: »
    Wow! Wondering if we've worked in the same place? Sounds suspiciously familiar, the company is rotten to the core!

    Begins with S?


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    #175
    The Idyll Race
    Closed Accounts Posts: 367 ✭✭The Idyll Race


    LisaLee wrote: »
    Wow! Wondering if we've worked in the same place? Sounds suspiciously familiar, the company is rotten to the core!

    Mystery Shopping is evil, it inflicts "do you have a loyalty card" bull on the public, or WHSmiths infamous "Do you want a ginormous Galaxy for a pound?"


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    #176
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users Posts: 24,475 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    Not my workplace but several friends get outsourced to an oil company now and then:

    Must reverse car into car park spaces, cannot drive in.
    Must hold handrails going up stairs
    Coffee cups must have lids on at all times and you must use the lift not the stairs if you have one.

    The process of making every small trivial risk a big deal so people stop caring when hugely risky stuff like a refinery get messed up, genius.

    My place has a rule that the boss decided to formalise two weeks ago, if you are down to work until 5 on Friday, you must have a beer at 430, ridiculous but great :D


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    #177
    flash1080
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,017 ✭✭✭flash1080


    We have a person who is employed solely to devise, implement and enforce processes. It's so OTT that most managers ignore the vast majority of paperwork that comes their way, most of it is irrelevant and any forms that need to be filled out as part of it are just blindly-tick-all-boxes-type forms. I've previously worked in a far more heavily-regulated industry (and a significantly larger company), and the amount of paperwork was far less.


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    #178
    kenmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,276 ✭✭✭kenmc


    an old job of mine, one appraisal, my manager mentioned that there had been a complaint against me for trying to round up people to go drinking on Friday evenings. he was very apologetic about telling me, and told me not to worry about it, but that he had to tell me. never did find out who the dry sh1te that complained was ...


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    #179
    fasttalkerchat
    Registered Users Posts: 5,652 ✭✭✭fasttalkerchat


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »

    My place has a rule that the boss decided to formalise two weeks ago, if you are down to work until 5 on Friday, you must have a beer at 430, ridiculous but great :D

    Its great to have such a laid back manager sometimes but I would be afraid to be seen to be drinking in work. If someone keeps a copy of the CCTV you could get an immediate dismissal any time.


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    #180
    JustAThought
    Registered Users Posts: 5,323 ✭✭✭JustAThought


    Years ago I worked for a big Swedish Multinational; fantastic place ( then ) to work & I loved it. They'd throw great parties , had a really relaxed but progressive management strucutre & had a policy of respect & encouragement for all employees.
    Anyways. It was a tall building of 4 or 5 floors & a very young crowd & HR decided to do a health week & along with talks on nutrition,free fitness & yoga classes, & fabulous food ; decided to encourage us all to use the stairs! To help us; they posted a person we were all a but afraid if on the lifts first thing in the morning to " suggest" that we take the stairs. It worked & we got into it ...and started racing up hhe stairs...Q 40-60 people sprint-racing up 5 flight at breakfast & lunch time.... Policy revoked!!!!!.... Be careful what you policy on!!!!!


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    #181
    opinion guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,001 ✭✭✭✭opinion guy


    fasttalkerchat wrote: »
    Its great to have such a laid back manager sometimes but I would be afraid to be seen to be drinking in work. If someone keeps a copy of the CCTV you could get an immediate dismissal any time.

    On what grounds ? I'm not aware of any law that says you can't drink in the office (so long as you are not driving etc). If you boss tells you to have a beer, you think ok and you do, then they try and fire = unfair dismissal and you can sure the bejeeesus out of them


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