The Work Thread

[Sunny]

I just got the best performance eval at work that I have ever had in my life. I did not realize how such a thing would make me feel. I am so, so blessed to be able to do work professionally that I'm good at.

[Arkandel]

I live in a bubble during Covid-19. My work circumstances haven't been negatively affected (in fact they've been improved in some ways) during the pandemic, yet at the same time I became much more cut off from others who do not share that good fortune. I no longer hang out with offline-only friends or chat with strangers nearly as often, so it's hard sometimes to appreciate the damage that has been done.

And there's been damage. People have lost their jobs and their networks - former coworkers, bosses - have scattered; businesses they could have counted on to find another job after the lockdowns are over are no longer there. Folks are facing grim futures with evictions looming over their heads, mortgages that will need to be picked up again and professional growth that has stalled.

The uncertainty of what the post-Covid19 world looks like (if there's such a thing, assuming some kind of herd immunity and no dangerous new variants) probably means entire lines of work are in jeopardy. It's chilling to think about. This could have been me; who'd have known the travel, dining or entertainment industry would be - could be - in such dire straits all of a sudden?

[silverfox]

I teach 2nd and 3rd grade. Eight and nine year olds, some turning ten.

Got an email from a student's parent who actively monitors their student's email. (God parents, PLEASE DO THIS.) Her daughter had gotten an email from another student where the subject was "I hate this fucking schooooooooooooooollll!" She wanted me to let him know this wasn't appropriate language.

So, of course, I went "Oh wow, yes, this will be taken care of." Forwarded that email to my admin team, then called the kid in question over and asked him to show me his email.

It was full of gems sent to, of all people, his MOTHER who responded to all of them with varations of, "I'm sorry you're having a bad time, I love you, please get back to work, etc."

"Mrs. Silverfox is a BIG BITCH"
"This fucking school secks!"
"I god damn fucking hat loosing ricess!!!"
"I dn't fucking lik this!"

We're 99% sure that the email sent to the other student was actually for his mother but instead of his mother's name he clicked on the other student's email.

So.... that happened.

[Macha]

@silverfox I would be emailing that mom that perhaps she needs to work with junior after school on his language and spelling skills, and how not to be a reply all moron.

[mietze]

I think when one has an explosive kid, it rarely pays to escalate over email in the middle of the day. I've definitely worked with kids where when they were ramping up, I have verbally responded in a similar redirecting way. It can help to move the kid back on task than having an argument right then and there about language used.

Of course, I've also been the parent of a kid who told someone who was bothering them to fuck off at a much younger age (I found it interesting as did the person setting boundaries that had that said to them that they used it in the proper context but we did have a discussion later about not using words that are offensive or hurtful to many people.) And I have been cussed our quite a few times by foster kids in the 2-6 year old range as well as kids whose parents i really like and trust at a broader range than that.

That had to be jarring to see in writing though. And I imagine the administrative processes sucks too, so I'm super sorry that any teacher has to deal with that.

[silverfox]

@mietze

I actually agreeded with the way mom handled it via email, though I wish there had been a conversation at home afterward. (This kiddo does REALLY WELL in out-of-the-moment reflection and actually does change his behavior when it happens.) It wouldn't have been an issue in my mind if the child hadn't also emailed it to other kids.

So working on how to double check the RIGHT person is getting it... x.x

[Ganymede]

@silverfox said in The Work Thread:

I actually agreeded with the way mom handled it via email, though I wish there had been a conversation at home afterward.

Frankly, I would rather have my kid e-mail and text me in the day with these comments than send it out to people. That said, I would put them in their place right quick about insulting other people; it's one thing to say: "I fucking hate this shit" and "so-and-so is a big fat bitch."

[mietze]

@silverfox Hey that is a computer literacy skill that is really good to learn before adulthood at least!

[silverfox]

[Aria]

So I spent the last three days working with a product owner on multiple drafts about a major technology upgrade that will save my company about 86,000 calls annually, which translates to a little over $5.5 million.

That is big news and the piece I was working on is due to be sent out to over 6,000 employees tomorrow, which covers my entire subdivision and about a third of our global workforce....

And today my new boss took credit not for the work her team did, which would have been appropriate, but for the draft "she" wrote. In front of the head of communications for said subdivision.

So that's cool.

[GreenFlashlight]

Bosses are inherently at odds with the work force, and it pisses me off every time I stop to think about it.

[Ganymede]

@greenflashlight said in The Work Thread:

Bosses are inherently at odds with the work force, and it pisses me off every time I stop to think about it.

It's not an easy transition.

[Aria]

I think the thing that bothers me is, like.....

There is a difference between "I led this team that did good work, providing them the resources, guidance, and support they needed to do it" and "I did this good work."

In the case of a manager, one of these is definitely true and the other is likely not. And it's ironic to claim the part that probably isn't true, because it's the part that is true which is literally their job.

[Misadventure]

@aria "So you're the oracle for this project? We'll make sure everyone knows."

[Aria]

@misadventure said in The Work Thread:

@aria "So you're the oracle for this project? We'll make sure everyone knows."

I'm not sure I follow.

[Misadventure]

@aria If people claim credit for too much, make them the subject matter expert.

[Aria]

Working from home is awesome!

Being salaried is awesome!

Until you lose power in a storm late in the afternoon on the day before a major deliverable you owe your boss is due. Then you get to be squirreled away in your office, squinting at PowerPoint presentations at midnight.

So sleepy.

[Macha]

I'm already pissed off at my boss, over this bullshit not getting my full raise thing.

now he's sneaking work onto a sheet that is not checked every day, as it's not the main thrust of my job, and NOT telling me. WTF>

[silverfox]

My coworker wanted (note, not needed) a particular pattern of bulletin board boarder that has traditionally been in the Target Dollar Spot every year since... forever? She doesn't recycle it year by year because it has just always BEEN there. This year, it wasn't, and she was disappointed. (Mild, MILD!) When I went through my borders today I found three unopened packages of that particular boarder (I have a problem okay? The Target Dollar Shop is ADDICTIVE.)

It was soooo much fun to walk into her room and give it to her. I'm down the hallway and hearing her happy sounds as she tears down the other boarder she'd settled with and put up this boarder she really wanted. It makes me very very small tears in eyes happy.

Last year was //hard//, and this year will be difficult, but we'll get through it together.

[Sunny]

@silverfox

Joy. Thanks for sharing.