Posted on 01/05/2006 by Piedpiper
Viewed: 836 times
Several weeks ago I had the unfortunate experience of my first – and hopefully last - root canal procedure. All-in-all, I have to say it wasn’t SO bad. I mean, when you have to work everyday with what I have to work with, suddenly root canal doesn’t look so ugly.
So I did what I had to do and dealt with it. My dental appointments were scheduled during lunch hours. That said, I had to go back one time to be fitted for a crown. As I mentioned, this was my first root canal so I didn’t really know what I was getting into, right?
This one particular appointment was set for 2pm, which was later than the time I normally took for lunch. I cleared it with The Supreme Micromanager a day in advance and explained what I was having done. Ok.
The next day, I reminded my Idiot Boss about the late lunch hour and the dental appointment. She said “Ok”.
Long story short, my appointment ran well over the 1-hour time I allotted for it. But what am I supposed to do? I can’t exactly call the boss and say I’ll be late - half my head is numb, and I have dental paraphernalia protruding from my mouth – not exactly the right time for conversation.
It ran 45 minutes over.
I got back to the office with a wretched headache from the drill and stabbing hunger pangs since I hadn’t had the chance to eat before the appointment. When I stopped by the Idiot Boss’s office to say that I was back, she looked at me with the stoniest expression I’d ever seen on anyone. She made Stonehenge look like one big featherbed.
“Where were you?” She demanded.
Huh? “I was at the dentist, just as I told you.”
“You were gone a long time I had no idea what happened to you.”
Mom? Is that you? Am I 15 again? Did the dentist administer something other than straight-up Novocain? As if the root canal wasn’t enough damage for one day, I had to take this abuse from my bat-#$@% crazy manager.
“Uh…(checking to be sure no saliva ran out of the corner of my mouth), I told you that I was going to the dentist. He had to fit me for a crown. It took longer than we thought and I couldn’t call you. Sorry.”
"Well, I want to know how you're going to make the time up."
Ugh.
"I'll work through lunch tomorrow. Again, I'm sorry."
Yeah, I was sorry that the procedure was over and that I had to go back to the office. Having root canal was more fun than my job. Actually, I take that back… I can handle the job. So let’s just say that root canal was more fun than facing my boss on even her best day.
I’m sorry that she hates me and sabotages my work every day.
I’m sorry that she lacks all people skills and shouldn’t be allowed to manage so much as an ant farm.
I'm sorry for so many things, but I'd be here forever telling you about them if I didn't stop now.
POST A COMMENTcnubelevit(01/06/2006)
Sorry for the anguish of the root canal and your boss's evident insecurity with her position.
corporateSlave(01/06/2006)
Man I really hate when they say "how are you going to make up the time?" for something like a freakin 45 minutes. Sheesh. Sounds like your boss needs to be visited by the ghost of christmas future. How about instead they should say "how are you doing, are you ok?" or "you look like you're in pain, why don't you go home for the afternoon?" One could argue that it would cost the company a few hours of work but listen here company nazis: It's an INVESTMENT into your employee's happiness and morale. Happy workers are loyal and you get much more out of them. Unhappy workers sneak time where they can, steal office supplies, badmouth the company, call in sick when they're not sick and have n loyalty. Sorry but that's the way it is. You scratch my back, I scratch yours.
just me(01/08/2006)
AMEN!
solomon(01/08/2006)
why should people get paid when they aren't working? why should you be sympathetic when you expect someone to be back at work and they are nowhere to be found? What happened to an honest day's pay for an honest day's work?
c - -(01/09/2006)
Dentists have such inflexible office hours, had to sacrifice vacation time twice a year just for checkup and cleaning.
american made(01/09/2006)
Solomon: sh*t happens and employers know this just as much as employees do. I've seen execs get paid for their time during golf outings, dinners and trips to hawaii just because they talked about business for 5 minutes (or not at all). So why should the peons get docked for going over their alloted lunch time when circumstances are out of their control?
Piedpiper(01/09/2006)
Solomon... maybe I should have included some crucial points here. I've worked for this company for 6 yrs and for this Idiot Boss about 3. Up until last year I worked 10-12 hours a day -- and even worked weekends. I'm not getting into it, but working overtime only got me SCREWED. So believe me, I've worked plenty of time that I was never compensated for -- or even received a thank-you for. As for the dentist, I had a note -- as I do ANY time I have an appointment during the work day that affects my time... and I have always made my time up. For the root canal procedure itself, I had taken 1/2 days until I got so much negative attitude from my bat-$#%@-crazy manager that I stopped. And lastly, I'm an adult -- I don't EVER deserve to be spoken to in that manner by my boss or anybody. You need to realize that there's way more to this story than I'm getting into.
megamania(01/09/2006)
Personally, I don't even think it matters that there is more to the story. You said it perfectly when you said >"I'm an adult -- I don't EVER deserve to be spoken to in that manner by my boss or anybody.< AMEN!
HaveADamnNiceDay(01/26/2006)
You poor kid--er, ADULT! Don't ever take that kind of crap from people! AMEN!!!
cnubelevit(01/26/2006)
Hey Solomon. BITE ME! You're probably one of those stuffed shirt, know it all, arrogant, back stabbing, condescending,butt sniffing middle management types. We work hard for these schmucks and to give us a little time off for MEDICAL reasons is not too much to ask. Dork.
Corporate Doormat(05/16/2006)
Sounds like my prior boss. Treated me like a child and I was two years older. Not that she knew it; she never took the time to every get to know me, even ask how my weekend was. I had to take my husband to have surgery and I had the time approved towards my vacation, but when I returned to work, there was no mention of asking how he was. I should have known better though. What I do know now, is never never if you are female, work for a female boss. Even if you are male if you can avoid it.
C - -(05/17/2006)
This is just horrible to read. It seems that every one of us has only had bad experience with female bosses. Between wisdom teeth extractions and a spouse's surgery I had the added pressure of having to go back to work the next day each time. Never mind I am used to throbbing pain while working, but I should have stayed with my spouse and couldn't. The nurses promised it would be all right to leave late at night, because I had to be at work that morning. Not one checked the sutures until it was an inflamed hard mess. Discharged next afternoon my spouse went into shock and shivered till I came home and did the nursing.-- Nobody hurts my family ever again!
Dharmadee(05/18/2006)
This sure does sound familiar. You are exactly the sort of person this happens to, because you are a decent human being who is trying to do the best they can, instead of trying to get into everyone else's sh*t. That is why you tried to explain it to "solomon". Those types like to think they know it all, but all they do is spout company drivel, and try to make other people feel bad. YOU are right, you are an adult and deserve respect and common decency from your manager. The problem is not you, and people like you, it is the corporate mentality of our culture, that encourages managers to treat people like machinery.
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