Rather a lot has happened...
Firstly, the current tenants in the new house are unable to be out 'in time'. We were supposed to be getting the keys today, but are now only getting them on Thursday. The reason we wanted to have the house for the last week that we have the current house is so that we can shift all our stuff smoothly without having a time where everything is up in the air at the same time. But it's not to be, so we're moving on Friday. I can't wait. I was hoping we'd get the keys the Thurs evening so we could shift the fishtank and some other stuff before the movers are there (early Friday morning), but I don't know if we would do that - I think I'd feel a bit 'eek' about any of our stuff being left in an otherwise empty house. Maybe my post-burglary paranoia at work.
The previous week was a rather stressful, vexing week with my colleagues (other admin-girls) having completely grumps and moans of varying severity. It really got to me and I had what I can only describe as an emotional crash. Then, to round up the week with a weird bang, Friday was The Weirdest Work Day In History for me.
I won't go into detail because it's really not that important (as I mentioned in my previous blogpost), but basically the boss on level 1 called the 3 of us admin-girls on level 1 in and had a rant at us. It was something really small, but which is actually kinda important and it just reached a tipping point where he'd noticed it not being done a few times now and he just couldn't let it slip any longer. The other two girls got absolutely worked up and riled and their hackles rose and they argued back at the boss, only serving to piss him off more.
The one girl (my counterpart, who works for the other solicitor) muttered 'these things are so easy, getting a receptionist would also be easy' and left. (Basically, these stupid mistakes are due to there being no receptionist and us having to be receptionist and man the switchboard instead of being able to focus on OUR OWN JOBS). So she disappeared (left the building) for about half an hour. She was in tears and fed up, and she ultimately left at 14:30 due to already having felt sick during the day only for it to be worsened by this event.
The other girl was utterly upset too, and went and had quite a long and loud argument with the general manager behind closed doors. Their conversation was interrupted when the boss barged in and she left the general managers office. The boss then had an utter ranting, shout-and-smack-the-desk argument at the general manager for a while. While this was going on, the girl then had a rant and moan at me about it when 'the coast was clear' and she was sure the boss and the solicitors weren't around.
Weirder still was when my 'boss' (solicitor I work for) came to me during the afternoon when the other 2 girls weren't around, and said she had to mention, but the boss said he was very impressed with how I handled what happened the morning. I was pretty astounded, as I hadn't even done anything - he hadn't actually ranted at me as I am (I'm guessing) the new girl and not expected to be flawless just yet - so there was no handling that I had done at all. To be honest, I really hadn't a clue as to what the fuck had just happened, so it was pretty surreal being told that I'd handled it well.
But anyway, my boss-solicitor then went on to tell me that the boss (level 1) had had a few secretaries in the past while and hadn't been happy and it's just cos he's hard to work for and the others hadn't really been able to learn the job.
Then, after she'd gone away, the 1 girl who remained (remember, the other had left earlier) asked me what my boss-solicitor had said, and then said I should take what the solicitors say with a pinch of salt as 'they say what the boss has told them to say...' and she added, for good measure, 'and your boss has been sleeping with the boss, pretty much from day 1 when she started here - just thought you should know'. I actually had no words. I just nodded, shrugged, smiled/or something, and carried on with my work.
Anyway, that was a general summary of Weird Day (tm), then last week was pretty strange too. Basically, my counterpart-girl was on leave on Friday, so it was just 2 of us on level 1 and another girl on level 2 manning the phone/etc. Not long after I got back from lunch, when the other girl went in to the general manager's office. They had a long, heated ranting argument behind closed doors for quite a while. At one point, I heard the general manager shout at her 'sit down and shut up!', which is VERY WEIRD because he's not the kind of guy just to say something like that lightly, and not long after that, she yanked the door opened, said something along the lines of "I quit", and stormed in tears to her cubicle. She pulled some things off her pin board, and bitterly muttered "fuck every one of you", and left.
I have no real idea what happened, but I heard rumour that someone (the boss) criticised something she did and she just can't handle criticism at all. Regardless, it's pretty shitty when once a week, a colleague storms out in tears.
In OTHER weird news, I happened to post on FB that my job seemed dumb and might even be pointless. This was BEFORE the girl quit, might I add. I am, basically, an admin assistant/secretary, but I spend a lot of my time (as do the other 2) doing dumb stuff a receptionist should do. But anyway, I get this flurry of comments on that status, basically who the fuck do I think I am, ungrateful cunt that I am, to be dissatisfied with a job, when there are so many who would gladly do my work.
I tried to explain there that I was MERELY expressing myself after a shitty, tiring day at work AS SO MANY PEOPLE DO after shitty, tiring work days. Who the hell hasn't complained that their job is pointless ever?! And I tried to explain that I'm not being unappreciative of the fact that I have a job, just that it doesn't seem to be the best job match for me in the entire world and that I'd rather look for something better. But no, that's not acceptable, I'm an ungrateful bitch. Oh and I'm a debbie-downer and stuff and my status updates have in the past been negative and complaining all the time, and I've done nothing but complain ever since I got here and started to look for work. All this, from someone I'VE NEVER MET!! She is a friend of a cousin who I've seen once in my life, who added me because (I assume) she found some of my comments on my cousin's statuses to be amusing. But somehow she now feels she is qualified to judge me and make sweeping assumptions about my personality, calling me arrogant and pious and spoilt.
I don't actually understand - what is wrong with ACKNOWLEDGING that something isn't work for you, and trying to change it so that you can be happy? Why sit in a crap job, hating every minute of your life, when you could try for something better? Why even subject your COLLEAGUES to the torture of working with someone who is unhappy in their job? The lady who calls the boss fuckface etc does that to the rest of us on a daily basis and it really gets to us big time. Why do I want to become that woman? I don't! (I know, I was unhappy and grumbly about my previous job but wasn't able to change jobs due to waiting for visa stuff to happen, but I was NOT like AngryWoman, or the DramaQueenslanders, as I've nicknamed them). But no... I should take my head out of my ass, shut the fuck up and stick it out until something better comes along. Yah, I'm so totally going to get headhunted IN AN OFFICE!
Ok, my petulance may be making an appearance, but really. I am the last person who would take a job for granted, regardless of what job it is. I appreciate being here SO DAMN MUCH, I just can't express it. Hell, I'm still in frickin' awe that I have a visa label in my passport which says 'permitted to stay in Australia indefinitely'.
Ok... sorry if that's a Ranty McRant post. I might well come back and delete it.
There is some happy news, however. Today, we went to the Ekka. First ever, and it was quite fun. It was hectically crowded, but it was enjoyable for the most part. Here are some pics from today:
We weren't sure which day to go on, but decided on today as someone was to be showing some dogs...
That someone being a breeder of a puppy who might be coming to live with us in the next month! Yup, we might (probably/will/not sure/can't believe it!) be getting a puppy. We went to meet him last weekend: we took a drive down to the Gold Coast to meet him and he's an absolute SWEETIE PIE! We met him and his sister, plus his 'uncle'. He's a Japanese Spitz. So fluffy and utterly adorable. We also went to the beach while we were there.
This is a pic for anyone who doesn't have Google-fu of any sort.
Ok, that's really all my news and views for now. I hope this hasn't been too long and boring.
Til next time:
Ciao!
1 comment:
1: A couple of things... While these events at work may have been unusual, they're not that unusual. Depending on the personalities in management, some work places have shouting matches several times a month.
2: Don't ever EVER post negative things about your job online. A: people on Facebook are not your friends and do not understand the real world, where everyone gripes. No, they are empowered by anonymity to preach a holier than though attitude and will criticize any comments in a harsher manner than they could ever do in person. B: employers WILL FIND THESE COMMENTS if they choose to look hard enough.
Post a Comment