The New World

So in this new world, everyone is the same but me. Interesting that when I got out of comfortable blanket of disgruntled wool, I realized that maybe things could have been better sooner.

With this new position, I have been learning new technologies and I have gotten the opportunity to supervise people. I'll admit that I wasn't to excited about it. I don't think that I have the people skills to do it. Well, my test was coming...

It came in the form of an office transfer. He was looking for a better opportunity and the formation of my group was it. When he first came in, he was a little uppity and distant. As time when on, he loosened up and we became good co-workers. I liked him alot but eventually a better opportunity came his way and he left us for greener pastures.

Offer to lead development

After our meeting, a week or so later I was asked if I would like the opportunity to lead our web development group. There were two factors that initiated the creation of this group. First, our DBA which I worked under could not longer QA my work since it was getting advance. The second factor was that the demand for web based access to data was increasing. I accepted and became a group of one.

This was a temporary assignment to see if I could succeed with it... which I did!

UPDATE on Enough is Enough

Wow. Unbelievably, it's been a busy 13 months since my last post. A lot of things have changed at work.

To conclude "Enough is Enough", HR contacted me and notified my Jefa that I had requested a meeting "to address some issues that have been causing unnecessary pressure in the workplace for me." In response to this, my Jefa responded curtly addressing me by Ms. [Last Name].

Jefa made the effort to get the meeting in the week of my complaint but as things happen, HR was in the middle of an audit and this was not possible. I did not have a problem with this since either way, I had my emails and notes of the dates and times that I felt I was not dealt with in a professional manner.

Interestingly enough, I felt like the stress was gone from the first moment I pressed send on the email. Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to prepare even more material to be sure that I addressed everything and then I realized that going directly to HR may have been a bit extreme. I should have spoken to my supervisor (jefa) first. Maybe I should have given her the chance that I felt wasn't given to me.

On Monday, I spoke with HR and made it known that I would like to speak with my boss without a mediator from HR. Now the ball was in my boss's court. She had to agree to it since I made the initial complaint. She was ok with it and we scheduled our meeting.

During the meeting, I told her just about every complaint I had in terms of my treatment there. She listened and told me that she agreed that things could have been dealt with differently and she could she how this caused me a great deal of stress. She also commended me for my professional behavior throughout the past week. She even commended my decision to have the meeting without HR to which I replied that it was only fair to give her the opportunity to settle our issues without HR.

It was a very successful meeting. I believe she recognized her contributing factor in the problem as I did; I should have addressed these issues at the beginning. The other good thing is since I initiated the meeting with HR it still had to be documented regardless if they mediated it or not.

So the final outcome? We have been working extremely well together. Being a woman of honor, she told me that she would base my review on a clean slate. She would base it on the day after that meeting, which she did.

During my review, she told me that after that meeting she saw the person that she hired and that my work was good but it was even better now. I was promoted and got a nice raise.

Happy ending for now... ^_^

Enough is Enough

I guess I had all I could have. After months of thinking how I was going to word my letter of resignation, this morning my Jefa upset me enough to contact HR and request a meeting to address the undue stress I have been subject to.

What was the catalyst? Well, we had a "misunderstanding" about a comment I made. She felt that I could state it more "professionally". I can't see how you can word, "That is the information you should have emailed me originally" more professionally. Then she just was dismissive and did not want me to help her anymore.

At that point, I told her that we needed to met with HR since she tends to not like to deal with me personally since I am very direct with her. I sent the request for the meeting immediately afterwards. She responded very flippantly saying that I should do what I have to do.

Little did she know, I had already.

First Day of May

I have been sitting here for 5 minutes to think of something nice to say about work. There has to be something considering we actually get a paid holiday near the end of the month! Nope.

I have been thinking all weekend about how to change things. Not so much things here - there is nothing short of a fire that could fix this place. I meant about my life. I am constantly tackling this. Kicking and fighting my need to be secure and my desire for happiness.

Of course there is always the happy medium but I feel the need for change. Real change. I just have to find the courage to change. Easier said than done.

I need a drink...

Yeah, it's been awhile. I was looking today at my blog because I found out that my job has a policy against bullying and harassment. I am kicking myself since Maybrick and Pixie Rose have been telling me to file a complaint against jefa.

Introverts are the worst people for supervisors. I find that she does not like to talk to me because I intimidate her. Uh, hello? What has she done to make me a disgruntled employee? She really believes that she is SO innocent.

Jefa stands around and laughs with these guys, talking about the Sopranos and sports. She is comfortable with them because they don't show how they feel about her. Jefito is her lap dog. Jefita just wants to do her work. I am probably the biggest headache jefita has since it's me that jefa is the one that uses her to talk to me. Jefita is her stick.

Last week, jefa was forced to talk to me to communicate what she wanted for some online reports we are producing in ASP. I explained to her about the limits of the tables (since we are displaying them like spreadsheets.) I told her that we need to think of different ways to display the report results. That fell on deaf ears. Now I have to use frames to display the data. Why you ask? Because they want the column titles always in view. I came up with a "layer" that moved as the person scrolled through the data but they didn't like that. I am not sure why she even asks for my opinion.

Afterwards, she IM'd me to ask me what ASP stood for. (Cause you can't Google that.) She took that opportunity to tell me that she is happy with the work I am producing and that I am valuable to her. Whatever. How can you trust someone that can't look you in the eye and tell you something? They couldn't even tell anyone that they were hiring someone! WTF?

And now because they can't have the new hire sit by themselves on the other side of the wall (where I used to sit) - they moved one of lapdog's underlings to my old seat. I doubt very much that she will pull half the shit she pulled on me because the underling is there and she wants to come off as a nice bitch. Not the two-faced, rabid bitch she was to me. If she does show her ass, I hope that person gives it to her the way that I didn't.

Eyes Wide Shut

...when it comes to certain people. I always got the feeling that things were not done here fairly.

Examples:

• Instant Messanger Not Permitted


• Talk only during Lunch and off hours to fellow employees


• Do not do college classwork during work hours.

Recently, they moved me to the area where the rest of my group is located. Originally, all of the Access Programmers were on one side of the "wall" and the "guys" who work on the web were on the other side. Now we are all cubicled next to one another.

I have to say that I was going to have a fiery resignation letter (when the time comes) to begin with. I wanted to address the hostile environment that they created. Now that I am on the other side - I can see ALL of the stuff that I was unfairly disciplined for.

First off, I have witnessed both web guys using MS Messenger!!(No-No 1) I even took a photo of the interface on one guy's PC.

Second, they talk incessantly! They spend time showing each other web stuff and talking about sports and other BS. I always knew that they talked but to the extent that they do astounds and infuriates me.

Lastly, I have had my suspicions that one web guy was doing his classwork here and today I believe that I caught him. I know that when he first approached me about Java, he was researching some stuff for his class.

I don't know why I am surprised but I really can not believe that jefa doesn't see them. What I find harder to believe is that I am so interesting that they needed to spy on me. Although my new seat makes it easier for them to see what I am doing - they go out of their way to "pretend" that that is not their intention.

Cowards. I wonder how the president of my company will feel when he gets a copy of my resignation letter.