I have been secretly nominated as the office villain.

Recipe for IT support Hell:
Start with a weak boss that is afraid of anyone thinking she is mean and wants to be friends with everyone.

Add a paranoid conspiracy theorist with habits of being back-stabbing and two-faced that is the right hand of the weak boss.

Top it off with an owner that is only in the office one or two days a week for a few hours and is the only one allowed to make final decisions or pay bills.

Now sprinkle two heaping handfuls of stupid over the whole thing and there you go.

Unfortunately the owner keeps the manager weak and seems to like her better that way. The owner wants someone in charge that is afraid to do anything the owner does not agree with. The results are that unwritten policies are put into place that only apply when the owner is in the building. Other than that it, is pretty much free reign. The boss is perpetuating this problem with the owner and is passive-aggressively undermining the company.

Now here is why this makes it Hell, specifically, for me. When something needs to be done regarding the internet usage policy, or any other computer related policies, she tells everyone that it is my doing and paints it as though she is protecting them from me. She is so afraid they will not like her, she will use any scapegoat available. Essentially, she has nominated me for the office villain. Even though she makes the decision and I don’t do anything without her say so. The nomination is secret, because in all of our meetings she says everything she is supposed to say and supports policies because our HR manager is there. Then she contradicts everything she said in the meeting in emails to her right hand and tells her to inform the others.

Today, it became worse, or really just continued. Oh no, the staff meeting had to be postponed an hour! Who is to blame? Of course, me and the coworker I went to lunch with. Why? Because we were 14 minutes late coming back from our lunch and that did not allow another employee to go because there were only two people left in the office. So, who authorized us to be a 14 minutes late coming back from lunch in order to buy coffee, with our own money, for the office? Who allowed the other staff members to leave the office after we had already left? Who is setting us up while ignoring the other employees that arrive more than 10 or 20 minutes late from their lunches? That’s right, the weak manager.What is the opposite of favoritism?

Now here is my dilemma. I am finally in a position where I get to do what I enjoy. I have been with the company six years. I have everything I need, although not all the time to do it. I really want to finish my project before they drive me out of this place. Not for the people I will leave behind, but for my own satisfaction and having a shinging centerpiece for my resume. The Hell that is going on behind the scenes drains my motivation so I can’t even focus on my project. After writing this, I guess I need to move in a direction of finishing my project in spite of them and finishing it as quickly as I can to get out of here. Who knows, maybe while I am doing that, by some miracle, management will change. Unfortunately the owner will not change, so my boss from Hell will always have their own boss from Hell. It always rolls downhill doesn’t it?

POST A COMMENTBookwoman(12/21/2007)
"Now sprinkle two heaping handfuls of stupid over the whole thing and there you go."

I love this! May I borrow it?

While reading over your description of your work place environment, I was struck by the thought that it's all such a waste of time, these office games. It doesn't have to be that way. I'm sorry you have these crazy people around you each day. You are on the right track - focus, and finish your project, and get out. Good luck!


UnsupportedSupport(12/21/2007)
First of all, I am embarrassed by my typo (shinging).
Secondly, you can all feel free to use any of my phrases you like.
Speaking of meetings… Last Friday we had an office meeting where she brought up her current thing which is being late to arrive in the morning. Since October she has had me track everyone’s arrival time. Well, last Friday she announced that anyone late more than twice in two consecutive pay periods would have to start using the time clock. (We are all salary and have not had to use the time clock as a rule. Also this is in the policy manual, however the punishment in the manual is a verbal warning followed by a written warning etc.) Now, as of yesterday, she herself has been late twice in two consecutive days. I am really looking forward to seeing how this all shakes out. As a footnote; her right hand was given a flex schedule where apparently her hours are now on the honor system and she is not accountable for her time in any way.
To further amuse myself I wrote the following:
Actual Internet Policy (As it is applied)
You may use the internet for anything you want (except for the things listed below), as much as you want, unless management determines it to be excessive. Management reserves the right to determine what is excessive when it feels it is necessary.
You are only allowed two hours and thirty minutes per week for performing transactions making money online. Shopping, browsing, and researching are not included in this.
No actual porn allowed. However, highly suggestive up to and including some nudity in email forwards is allowed unless someone is actually offended. If someone is offended, do not forward to that person.
There is no email policy to speak of.
If you fail to follow the policy, you will receive a verbal warning in the form of a company meeting where everyone will receive the same warning at the same time. You are to assume your guilt and know that if you continue, you will need to attend another of these meetings at a later time.

HaveADamnNiceDay(12/21/2007)
Frickin' hilarious!!!!
If this were my company I'd be dying in my cubicle of laughter!!!!!
You're pretty sharp. I think this company is beneath you and when you do leave, the whole place will go to pieces. Of course, they'll still blame you, but who cares? You'll be making more money in a job where hopefully the people aren't as full of as much crap as your current company. ^_^

CK(12/22/2007)
I like the end of your story. I can just picture in my mind a bunch of "bosses-from-hell" rolling down a hill! But then I can see them rolling into all the rocks, boulders and trees along the way!

UnsupportedSupport(12/23/2007)
At the moment I am still deciding whether to burn my bridge and provide all of my evidence against the weak manager and her right hand in a meeting with the HR manager present to document it. Or I could just fax all of the evidence to everyone in the company after I leave so the whole thing implodes. Or, the third option; leave the unsteady bridge in tact and allow them to hire me as a consultant for $115 per hour + mileage to and from the office with a one hour minimum per occurence. I can always hold on to the evidence until later. That would also be the rate for basic technical support. Knowing them, I will wind up making about $150 just to plug in an ethernet cable. Also noone in the office seems to even have the knowledge to create or edit a report. If it comes to any sort of new or changed non-support related content, installation of new equipment / software, etc., my rate will jump to $250 an hour with a one hour minimum. Also, the $250 rate will apply if they ask me to go back to the owner's house to support her network. I think this will keep them from asking unless something gets really bad and will cost them at least $550. I think if they are willing to pay me that much to come out for two hours, I can deal with that. I will also make sure I have an agreement in writing signed by the office manager before I touch anything so they do not try to screw me over on tech support. I will not leave them an inch of room.

CK(12/24/2007)
If you do decide to go the consultant path you will also have a 1099 to file where you have to pay your taxes, etc. And to make it easier on yourself - you will be paying double on all the taxes, FICA, etc. - just a heads up on that. Least not to forget, that would be every quarter!

Second, you will have to have EVERYTHING in the SLA - your bill rate, days & times, minimums, etc. It may be a lot of work at first but once that is done and out of the way the rest would be easier.

UnsupportedSupport(12/26/2007)
Thanks CK! I was wondering about the tax/legal side of becoming a consultant. I was a little worried I was going to need to register myself as a private business or something rediculous. I really haven't looked into it that much yet. I will start checking out what kind of SLAs other consultants are using for reference.

rodriguez(01/16/2008)
walk into work and piss on the managers door. thats what i did. now i get paid twice as much as i used to.

UnsupportedSupport(01/17/2008)
Something tells me there is more to that story.

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JobSchmobber Community Comments

Dumber than a Catbox Full of Sh*t (12/20/2007) The title of your post is great. A staff meeting postponed an hour because 2 people were 14 minutes late from lunch? Stupid of the Boss--but it sounds like if this is how she handles problems that you have some power...think about it. Maybe you can turn things around in your favor after all. Definitely stick it out until you are done with your project--especially because you stated that it would be great on your resume!