Thursday, June 30, 2011

I can just feel the iron hand in the velvet glove...

I'm taking a poll from you guys.

Situation: Your boss sends out a company wide e-mail stating that the company is paying for special training for all employees in their fields on certain days. Breakfast will be provided. Everyone has set days to show up and you have to be there at 7:45 in the morning. Then you discover that the day he assigned you to come in at that ungodly hour is none other than your day off. He adds, "If there is any problem with this date, please let me know so we can figure something out."

My response: Boss, I realize that you've gone through a lot of trouble to pay for and arrange this training opportunity, but that happens to be my day off. In addition to that fact, I walk to work. Having to walk in the heat to work just to turn around and come back an hour later is unnecessary exertion, and it's dangerous given my medical history. My only options would be to have somebody else get up extra early to pick me up, or to walk myself. Manager Man says there is a second day available on the following Monday. That would be far less conflicting.

Boss's Answer: Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate everyone. I suppose you'll either have to have someone bring you, walk, or we'll have someone train you later. 

My question: how am I supposed to interpret this?

A) If I don't show up, I am lazy and deliberately unwilling to learn and improve.
B) If I do show up, they'll expect me to jump whenever they tell me to do so.
C) If I don't show up, I am ungrateful.
D) If I do show up, I am a good employee.

Now, assuming that you guys all vote in favor of my showing up...

Do I...

A) Roll out of bed and show up to training in pajamas without showering or even bothering to brush my hair.
B) Take a shower, throw on shorts and a t-shirt, and try to look like I care a little.
C) Get dressed for work as I normally would for an hour of bullshit.
D) Just decide to stay in bed.

Any other thoughts on either?

10 comments:

  1. Hmmmm...this is a tough one. I'd definitley be tempted to either stay in bed or roll out of bed and show up in PJ's.

    It's hard to interpret a message like the one Boss Man sent you. I would imagine that your showing up would look more like "good employee" than "doormat". But that's just me.

    Maybe you can save face and avoid the "doormat" label by e-mailing Boss Man and telling him you'll really TRY to make it, but can't offer any guarantees. That way if you do show up they'll say: "Hey! Chanel made it! What a good employee she is!" And if you don't show up they'll be more likely to think: "Oh, I guess she wasn't able to work it out, despite her best efforts. We'll just have to do her training another day." See? Everyone wins! Yay! :)

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  2. I'm hoping everyone will vote for the pajamas bit...you know, if it goes that way. I think they'd get a kick out of my pink flannel PJ bottoms.

    Still, what was the point in offering to work around issues just to say no?

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  3. Well, I would vote for a compromise. Shower and brush your hair but still wear the jammies. Maybe some fuzzy bunny slippers? After all you have to do what you can to protect your job and you can still have fun at the same time.

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  4. I don't know what to tell you. I am always to work early and I don't miss work. I consider myself a good employee. If they scheduled my training for my day off I would tell them that I won't be able to make it unless they either schedule me for another day off or reschedule my training.
    If you're dead set on showing up, I would make sure I let them know how inconvenient it was by showing up in your pjs, having just rolled out of bed.

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  5. I would show up dressed as I normally would and pretend to be happy to be there. But then I am a company man. Secretly I would be super pissed.

    "What was the point in offering to work around issues just to say no?"

    He wanted to look like a nice guy without having to be one. And from a manager standpoint, having to walk to work is not an important enough issue. Having a doctor appointment set a month in advance - that is an acceptable issue. Or a funeral or something.

    I'm not saying you don't have a valid issue, but Manager Man probably doesn't see it that way.

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  6. E) Ask yourself how this training will benefit you. If it will not, then F) Go to the local movie theater and watch a movie by yourself. A "me"day.

    Ea) Will earn you extra money at some point in the near future. Treat it as a regular day and take one for the team.

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  7. You have a point there. I really don't get why he'd tell everyone to to let him know about any problems so he can help you and then turn you away when you try to take him up on it. Seriously, if you really HAVE to go, go in PJ's. It just screams: "Okay, I'm here, but I reserve the right to fall asleep under the desk if I want to!"

    Fight the Power! :)

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  8. From his response, I would guess he wants you in that training class. :/ If the training course doesn't require business attire, just dress comfortably and get it over with.

    Sucks no matter what, doesn't it? :( I'm sorry it had to be on your day off--that really sucks.

    Walking in the Texas heat can be dangerous, for sure--if you have to, maybe you could call a cab??? :/

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  9. Or you could interpret it as:

    E.) Tough shit. That's the day I scheduled it for, and I don't really give a rat's ass about your problems. I'm going home to my million dollar house to swim in my pool filled with champagne.

    As for what you should do:

    "A" has passive-aggressive written all over it. That sounds like the way to go.

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  10. Rev, I don't own fuzzy bunny slippers. I do have black fuzzy slippers that have "Diva" stitched on them in hot pink embroidery thread. I think that will say a lot.

    George, well they only want me there for an hour. But it's an hour at an ungodly time and in this heat? They're batshit crazy! I am a good employee. I am willing to learn new things, I am at work even when I am sick (and generally get sent home early for my troubles), and I am always ten minutes early because I hate being late. The principle here is that they want me to get up and walk to work just to sit on my ass for an hour. AN HOUR. Why couldn't they do this in the evening?

    Doug, Manager Man told me that it was unfair for them to schedule me on my day off. He told me I could stay home and he would train me himself. But he's just the manager. It's OWNER BOSS that is making the stupid training class. And if I go...should I make a request for breakfast since he's so kindly supplying it?

    Scott, I have no idea if this training will benefit me. It's all about the Rental Contracts I've been doing for well over a year now. I don't know if it will do anything but give me an hour of overtime. Hardly worth it when you consider the time...

    Candice, I really am liking the whole PJ idea...the more I think about it the more I think...yes. That's a good idea.

    Frisky, I can wear whatever I want to work. (Yes, I have worn PJs to work before.) So I guess that means I can wear whatever I want. But I wouldn't take a cab. At this point I'm probably just going to wake Padawan up and make him take me. Maybe they'll take pity on the two of us and let me leave early.

    Bryan, I actually think his swimming pool is filled with pudding.

    It seems fairly obvious after reading everything: Pajamas it is, then.

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