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will work for food!

Started by Beth221, April 17, 2007, 09:26 PM NHFT

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Dan

Right.  Same here.  TDI is withheld by the employer for the state.

This the state with only two funds:  General, and Rainy Day, in case anyone notices the General fund is gone. 

aworldnervelink

Beth, you can put your tent up in my backyard for as long as you like.

On odd days, you can use the shower.

MaineShark

Quote from: aworldnervelink on May 23, 2007, 06:39 PM NHFTBeth, you can put your tent up in my backyard for as long as you like.

On odd days, you can use the shower.

What days aren't odd, when you have a pyromaniac camping in a tent in your back yard? :o ;D

Joe

Rosie the Riveter

Quote from: aworldnervelink on May 23, 2007, 06:39 PM NHFT
Beth, you can put your tent up in my backyard for as long as you like.

On odd days, you can use the shower.


I thought you said she could live in the basement!! -- Now she's got to camp!  -- can she at least put the tent up in the basement?

lastlady

Quote from: Rosie the Riveter on May 23, 2007, 09:55 PM NHFT
Quote from: aworldnervelink on May 23, 2007, 06:39 PM NHFT
Beth, you can put your tent up in my backyard for as long as you like.

On odd days, you can use the shower.


I thought you said she could live in the basement!! -- Now she's got to camp!  -- can she at least put the tent up in the basement?


I know!!

Beth221

Hhahahaaaa!!!!  No one wants a pyro IN their house!!   :campfire:

Thanks Kev for the invite!


Please! No one shoot, if I squat on their property!! 


NH, HERE I COME!!!

Oh, Kev, I might just actually put a tent up in your yard the night of the debate on June 5th!  Just a warning!



ancapagency

Quote from: Beth221 on May 23, 2007, 09:27 AM NHFT
UPDATE::

I GOT FIRED TODAY!!!  (and i am happy! go figure!)


I used to beg the folks where I worked to fire me.  With very little success--the more I begged, the less inclined they were to do so...

It started when I was in college, going to school full time during the day, and working full time at night.  I was working as a janitor for the university.  The supervisor for the night shift was a real dickhead, and was always threatening to fire folks.  He basically was just on this little power-trip, and would spend a lot of time complaining that he didn't have enough power, and talk about all how everything would be better when he got more power.  What a dick.

Anyway, the first time he made the threat to fire me, I stopped what I was doing and looked him straight in the eye.  I said "Freddy, do me a favor.  Fire me.  Really, I want you to do it.  You see, I took this job because I wanted to pay for college.  If I'm fired, I can't go to college right now.  So that means that I'll have to take the job offer I have from Dyncorps, making $70K a year, tax free, with benefits you would not believe.  So please, do me a favor and fire me, so I can go where I'll make three times what you do." 

Not only did the threats stop, but over the next couple of years I was promoted, first to supervisor, then to Office Manager.  The whole time, I'd buck the system, and when they'd tell me to do something that violated my principles, or that was just too damn stupid, I'd refuse.  And say, "If you'd like my resignation, you can have it.  No hard feelings."  And they'd just look scared, and back down.  The first time I actually quit, in Feb. 2004, in order to move to NH, the company who ran the operation called me up and begged me to accept a job as assistant director of their operation in Tuskegee, AL.  I decided to accept the offer, but told them I would give them only 2 years (they wanted 3), at which time I would be moving to NH.

After moving to Tuskegee, the first time anyone gave me any crap about doing things the way I knew they should be done, I wrote up a resignation letter without a date, and signed it.  I told them, "Look.  whenever you're ready to get rid of me, just fill in the date, and let me know.  I'll leave and won't look back, no hard feelings."  And as the 2 years went by, I would frequently suggest that they accept my resignation early.  I'd say, "Look, I promised I'd give you 2 years.  And I'll stick by that, as long as you don't piss me off too bad.  But you have my letter, all you have to do is write in the date."  They never did.

The point of this long story (I assure you, there is one), is that when you work for people who are incompetent, or on power-trips, or are just generally assholes, the worst thing you can do is allow them the initiative.  If you let them think you're afraid of being fired, that's the threat they'll hold over you, and they'll be willing to do it, because they are more concerned with the power-trip than with having your services.  But if you turn it around on them, they actually become afraid of firing you--and afraid that you'll just up and quit on them.  Of course, to pull this off, you have to legitimately have no fear of being fired.  Which, if you have confidence in your ability to survive, isn't a problem.

And time is too valuable to work for assholes.  It's very liberating to not worry about keeping your job, and even more so, to put low-grade assholes in fear of losing you.  Some folks operate on such a low level of brain function that they smell fear, and enjoy it, and smell confidence, and fear it.  Make sure they smell  confidence, and you set the rules of the battle.

error

That's the best thing I've read all day.

Beth221

Bravo, Well spoken!!  It was a relief to me, to be fired, I got sick and tired of the threats.  In my situation, my boss wanted to push me until I quit, so I coulndt collect unemployment, which she has to pay for now...!!! 
:)
at first, i was like "holy crap, I do not have a job..I got FIRED" and now, i am at peace with it, and life is GOOD!

Dan

I did something similar, and with similar results:
  I told my ex-military supervisor straight up that they aren't worth my time five days per week.  I will no longer work Fridays.

The result?  I only work 3/5ths of the month, and have 2/5ths for me and Beth time.   It's amazingly different having the feeling that you no longer live to work.  But I had to have my house in order: had to volunteer a 20% pay cut before telling them.

I am treated much differently at work now.  Other's at work ask me how I did it, how I got three day weekends.  I tell them I asked.  It always just gets blinking for a second or two in response.

Moving to NH, I'll likely lose the three day weekend thing.  I could try to barter for it, but it's risky:
  Hire me and I'll give you 5days/wk work for 80% of the salary.

Looking at the NHLA calendar, it seems Friday would be the worst day to have free to hang around the state house.  :(

MaineShark

See, that's why I don't have employees.  I subcontract work.

If I need the ductwork in someone's basement insulated because we are going to be adding central air (uninsulated ductwork = condensation), I call up a buddy who is good at that (I hate insulating ductwork) and pay him a few hundred bucks to do the job.  As long as he is done before the deadline, I don't care how long he takes.  He can use every minute of time available, or he can finish in a few hours.  He gets paid for doing a specific task, and doing so at a particular quality level... the amount of time he spends, so long as it doesn't exceed the deadline, is not important to me.

Some people need to take a long time and be very methodical in order to produce quality work.  Others would get bored and start making mistakes if they don't work quickly.  How somone arrives at the finished product is their business.

Joe

CNHT

Quote from: MaineShark on May 26, 2007, 04:22 PM NHFT
Some people need to take a long time and be very methodical in order to produce quality work.  Others would get bored and start making mistakes if they don't work quickly.  How somone arrives at the finished product is their business.

Joe

Good attitude. I wish that had been the philosophy at my old job...    :(

PinoX7

Quote from: Beth221 on April 17, 2007, 09:26 PM NHFT
My  boss actually told me today that it is expected of me to come into work 15 minutes early and work.  Anyone else think that is wrong?? 


15 min prior is something they teach in the military. Im guessing your boss picked it up and thought 'if i do it, and it worked for me, then it has to be good for everyone'
In the military, if you dont show up 15 mins prior, you are acctually considered late !? I still dont understand it,

lordmetroid

Whatever in the military you are a tool a property. Why anyone would want to subject themself to that is byond my understanding.
It used to be during the time of the revolution that the troopers was treated as people the military leader was elected by the troopers themself "All men are equal" and democratic principles set in action.

Dan

I work for a huge contracting company.  The little office/subpart of the company I work for does ocean mapping for NOAA.  The majority of the company does spook works for the DoD.   I don't take those jobs.

OK that said.  I find it illuminating that the company squeezes every penny out of every contract, and every minute out of every employee.  Makes business sense, but the employees life would be better if we all dealt with the company as contractors.

Or in not so many words:  Joe, I completely agree.  Coming to the realization that on paper employees are factually treated as sole proprietor contractors, but with an unspoken contract that no business would accept, was a revelation to me.  That unspoken contract being that you are expected to work until we say your finished, often free on overtime, until we feel like firing you, or you quit for a better offer.  After that I started negotiating with them instead of just waiting for raises.  I also often walk out at will when on overtime.  I will not inconvenience my life for you unpaid.

Part of the revelation was uncovered when I heard a Cato podcast on health care.  It pointed out that for most all american families, fear of losing healthcare benefits is the number one reason stated for employees keeping jobs they hate, that are ruining their health and families from stress.  Why don't you lose home insurance or car insurance when you quit?  Why is it you lose health insurance?  Their answer was that health insurance for full time employees was mandated sometime around the New Deal.  It's a market distortion caused by the government, what a surprise.  Now it's abused to retain employees.

Beth and I are meeting with a Home Savings Account provider Tuesday.  We're looking to get out of that manacle (plus Beth's not working... and of course she fears losing healthcare MORE than the paycheck. )