Blue Collar Job conflict (Long)

[Lazymeatball]

So I work at this animal hospital at an entry level position that consists of walking dogs and doing laundry and other basic custodial duties. Over my last three years of experience I have basically mastered the basics of vet tech duties as well as become well above average at handling dangerous animals. (I'm talking 130# rottweilers to 12# pisseed off cats.)

I work under this women who is idiotic, mistreats animal patients, and who call in sick about 1.9 times per month.

After my coworkers and my personal complaints to her superiors it has become apparent that firing people at my place of business is difficult.

So I want to know what my play is.


Keep complaining, moving farther up the authority chain?

or

Start slacking of completely, drinking at work etc.?

I'm leaning towars option #1 followed by two when that doesn't work, because if this women can't get fired, no one can.

http://www.ibiblio.org/freeburma/humanrights/khrg/archive/photoreports/2001photos/set2001a/larges/2001a-d13.jpg

[BoogerFace]

I vote for going back to school or getting another job.

[Lazymeatball]

[ QUOTE ]

I vote for going back to school or getting another job.

[/ QUOTE ]

exactly right, I should just go back to school. problem solved.


ps. no sacasm intended. this is obvious. you're right.

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]

So I want to know what my play is.


Keep complaining, moving farther up the authority chain?

or

Start slacking of completely, drinking at work etc.?

I'm leaning towars option #1 followed by two when that doesn't work, because if this women can't get fired, no one can.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't do option 2. There's no need to be an ass to your employers. You're hired for a job, do it to the best of your ability. But keep complaining further up the authority chain. If you're a great employee you may just get promoted above little miss [censored].

[Lazymeatball]

I like your attitude towards option 1. but right now I'm trying to justify option #2. When I wake up later tonight I'll probably be doing option #1. hmm. it's irresponsible I know, but apparently irrespnsibility doesn't hurt my job employment, so I find little incentive to work tonight.

I hate my [censored] coworker, but I don't think slacking off will deliver the correct message, yet I think it's totaly justified. I need some OOT morals fast.

[Aces McGee]

[ QUOTE ]
apparently irrespnsibility doesn't hurt my job employment

[/ QUOTE ]

unless you plan on working at this place forever, a little (or a lot) irresponsibility WILL hurt your career opportunities, whatever they may be.

-McGee

[MelchyBeau]

[ QUOTE ]
OOT morals

[/ QUOTE ]

no such thing

Melch

[Cosimo]

[ QUOTE ]
Keep complaining, moving farther up the authority chain?

or

Start slacking of completely, drinking at work etc.?

[/ QUOTE ]

If you care about your job, you'll never be able to pull #2 off. So hopefully you don't care about doing the job well, ie the work that you're doing, ie the animalz.

However, you only live once. I think you'd be amazed at the proportion of the work force that's utter slackers. One more slacker will not cause the world to fall into ruin. You will be amazed at how liberated you will feel when you throw off your shackles. But... most people don't have the courage to go through with it. Do you have the courage, or are you a puss?

[Lazymeatball]

hmmm. I was really drunk when i made this post.

So I went to work tonight and put in my usual performance. The problem with deliberately slacking off is that it would directly effect the other competent employees, who I like. My plan is to continue to complain up the command chain, and make formal complaints about the racist comment she made once. I'm very against hyper sensitive political correctness, but I'm not against using this to my advantage.

ps. I got bit by a macaw this week. Luckily it was still young and didn't really know how to bight down hard, otherwise a bird of his size could have taken off my finger.

[Los Feliz Slim]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm very against hyper sensitive political correctness, but I'm not against using this to my advantage.


[/ QUOTE ]

If she's really mean to the animals, report her to PETA.

[Lazymeatball]

She's not deliberately mean, just completely negligent in her handling. It's kind of a fine line, but if I ever saw her deliberately hit an animal I'd be complaining to many a head honcho the next day.

And no, I won't deal with PETA, our school has enough issues with them already regarding research.

[Blarg]

It's usually harder to fire a woman than a man. Good luck. Especially if the person you're complaining to isn't directly negatively effected by the bad job performance of the person in question. A great percentage of supervisors just want to look like they're in charge, not really do anything much. If they can make you eat it while they can forget about it, it's hard to get change.

The abuse thing could be a good angle, especially if you've noted the pet owners seeing it. That kind of thing can spread around and make people pull out their business and take it elsewhere; besides, some people actually don't laugh at the thought that something could be unethical.

If your work situation is something that can't change for the better, keep doing a great job. An exceptional job, even. And start looking around elsewhere for a place where you can bring a sterling recommendation with you.

Adequate excuses for leaving when you don't want to tell the truth include a place closer to your house, better hours, less freeway traffic, better pay. Or you can tell them straight out AFTER you get a letter of recommendation. Remember, criticism of someone is implied criticism of their manager, since the manager is supposed to catch things. This can provoke anger and retaliation. A manager/owner in denial or embarassment could retaliate by inventing stories, at least in their mind and soon to be spread verbally as far as possible, that you are incompetent, repetitively tardy or cutting out of work early, take too long lunch breaks or regular work breaks, are unprofessional either in practice or in relating to the staff, etc. Don't underestimate the ability and desire of people to shift blame off onto the guy who is leaving, which itself can be painted as proof of his inability to function in what a firm would like to kid itsel is a "professional environment."

In other words, think strongly of leaving and saying NOTHING negative. You may wish to use these guys as a reference for many, many years. So don't leave a stink bomb behind you.