office | Piss and Moan

Bathroom hider

I have a co-worker who I have now determined to be a bathroom hider.

He isn’t a directly associated co-worker. He is in the same organization but on another team and I don’t work with him directly.

Anyway, I have noticed a trend with this guy. He goes to the bathroom on a pretty regular basis, like at least twice an hour (know this because he walks righ past my cube). When I have had occasion to enter the bathroom I have noticed he is parked in the farthest stall in the room (I know it’s him because of his rather distinctive shoes). The unusual thing about his bathroom visits is that he is quite obviously going in there to watch videos (no, not that kind…). I have heard them echoing throughout the space from outside the door but as soon as you open the door he silences what he is watching. After you have left the room, he unmutes again.

His bathroom visits last somewhere 10-15 minutes (think of that as between 20 and 30 minutes of lost productivity per hour).

I hope you aren’t thinking I am a creeper…I am not. I just notice things. I notice things that most people probably don’t. Details. I just happen to notice this stuff because he literally makes a trek past my cube at least four times per hour. But I am probably not the only one. I’ll bet his co-workers (people actually on his team) have noticed his afrequent absences too; however they may not know what he is doing during that time or where he is going.

So, just curious, do you have a person or people like this at your place of employment? Do you have a bathroom hider? A beverage hanger (someone who hangs out at the watercool or coffee pot to shoot the breeze)? A visiting ducker (a social butterfly who visits every cube/office to chat to avoid actual work)?

Yes, I made those all up. Got a better name for them?

Office lunch

Posted on December 14 by backuphill

Here’s a question for you. I probably should preface the question first with some background but I’ll just blurt it out first and then do a little backfilling.

Should the office holiday lunch be catered or “potluck-ish”?

OK, the backfill…so, the office has a holiday party (think office Christmas party, but you know, politics….) where we have a white elephant gift exchange and the managers provide (as in pay for) the lunch of pizza, garlic bread, salad, soda, etc. In the past, the activity took place at a pizza place and everyone travelled there to partake during the work day as it was only about 15 minutes from work. Then the world-wide panic happened and this practice was postponed for a couple years.

Keep in mind this shindig (at least the lunch part) is coming out of the managers’ pockets (there are three of them) because office funds can’t be used. We get paid for the time. They have always framed this as a “Thank you, for doing a great job all year” kind of deal.

So, this year they decided it would be held at the office in the conferences rooms (they can be combined into one large room) and they would provide the food. Like, literally, they would provide the food. They each brought part of the makings for a taco bar. So, in essence, the three managers provide all the potluck items. All of us then proceeded to go past the tables, buffet style, and put together out own plates. They also provided several different desserts. Most everything was from Costco and was either pre-made or prepped at their home prior to the gathering.

So, how should we feel?

Should we feel appreciated or should we feel like the managers “cheaped out”?

I understand it took effort and some expense on their part. I do feel appreciated to a degree, and yet I can’t help but feel the gesture was out of obligation rather than true appreciation. Does it have to be catered or lavish to get a true feeling of appreciation? I didn’t think so when it was at the pizza place. I don’t know. I just feel a little put out this year for some reason.

How would you feel?

As I expected

Posted on August 5, 2021 by backuphill

I am back home in my garage office and I have to say it feels so much better. As you know from a previous post, Unhappy returns, I have to start going into the office at least two days a week. Totally and wholly unwelcome development in the work from home saga.

Anyway, I have just spent the last two days doing the whole commute in the morning and afternoon, office interactions, meetings, and getting reacquainted with a cubicle work, and cubicle moving/reorganization.

The office was noisy. There were people always coming over to say “Hi” and to catch up. I had to set up my computer in a totally different arrangement since my home office uses three monitor and the office only has two. My headset had to be reconfigured to actually be able to talk to people via Zoom and Teams (of course, you don’t realize this until you are in a call). Everyone is bathing in sanitizer and wearing masks… Can’t use the lunchroom. Sheesh.

Honestly, I didn’t want to leave my cube and I didn’t really wanna be there in the first place. So, I did my time and got outta there! I hate that I am going to have repeat this whole disruption to my best work environment on a weekly basis.

Ugh.

So, I am back in the friendly confines of the familiar and I like it. This is where I should work from all the time.

Unhappy returns

Posted on August 2, 2021 by backuphill

The time has come and I am not liking it whatsoever. Mostly because I feel it is so unnecessary. I can literally do this anywhere in the world and having an office, a cubical, is the most unwanted and unnecessary thing in the world right now.

Tomorrow, I have to start going back to the office.

The telecommute policy has been expanded, but that still means I am going to have to go back to the office on an average of two, sometimes three, days a week, depending on the month and various other activities that need in-person attendance.

Of course, we all now know that nothing really requires an in-person presence since we have been away from the office for 15 months straight and we have been doing our job completely and totally without fail for that time.

As you can probably assume, or tell, I am not stoked about this in any way.

Changing telecommute

Posted on June 15, 2021 by backuphill

Well, after telecommuting full time for the last 16 months, there is a date to start going back to the office and I am not sure I am all that happy about it. Actually, I am sure that I am not. I lied. I am not happy about it.

Yes, I realize that the expectation to be at the office for work has always been there but this whole situation has fully exposed the fact that we don’t need to be in an office to get our job done. We have proven beyond that shadow of a doubt that our job can be done fully remote and that our clients have been affected to the smallest degree possible. In fact, many have commented over the this time about not really even realizing we were all working from home except that they knew we were working from home. That’s how we roll. There was no break in service, ever.

Anyway, the time has come to get back to the office and there will still be a telecommute policy as before, except that there is a new proposal to expand upon it. Frankly, I don’t think the expansion goes far enough and while I haven’t talked to any of my co-workers yet, I am sure there are quite a few who will express similar feelings.

Prior to the pandemic, we were allowed two days a week (40%, with a few limitations on what days they could be). Now, we are going to be allowed three days a week (60%, not sure of limitations yet). Also what remains to be seen is whether or not this policy has built in flexibility, meaning I don’t have to have a set three days but can pick and choose when I want to telecommute.

Anyway, I don’t think three days is enough.

It could be and should be more.

Perhaps I’ll see what is out there, in regards to full time telecommute and whether or not a change can be had.

Never hurts to have options, right?

Stuffed

Posted on October 4, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Not that serious of a post today.

I am home sick because the office crud has finally caught up to me and I am feeling under the weather.

Headache. Stuffy nose. Run down.

It’s fine, right? I should have gone into work, right?

Anyway, simple post today just to whine about health for a moment.

How about you? Do you tough it out and go to work or do you stay at home the first inkling of a cold?

Planning

Posted on September 27, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

So, I am doing a training today. Teaching teachers to use the software the should be using for grading students.

I am usually the type of guy who doesn’t mind someone pointing at something and say, “Do it.” I show up, and do it.

BUT, this morning is a bit different. I wasn’t a part of the planning of this and I found out yesterday there are all kinds of factors that could make this morning go very poorly.

First, this training was supposed to be to one district who requested the training. Somehow members of another district managed to get into the training. I think I nicely took care of that issue by letting them know that the training was indeed intended for a specific district and that they weren’t really invited.

Second, the registration website being used to sign participants up for the training says the training starts at 8:30am. My calendar says it starts at 9:00am. So which is it? OK, I am flexible and can go with the flow….except for the last thing…

Finally, there is a meeting scheduled in the room where the training is supposed to take place. The meeting is scheduled from 7:30-9:00am. Uh, that is a problem! Not only can I not set up and prepare for my training, but if the training is truly supposed to be at 8:30am what am I supposed to do with the people who show up on time for the training?

Yeah. This could turn into a CF real quick.

I know my stuff. I don’t have an issue working on the fly. Hell, I taught high school for 15 years. I can go with the flow with the best of them…but at least I had some control of my environment to some degree. In this case, I have little to none.

And on top of it all? I am wearing slacks on a Friday, which is supposed to be casual day at the office. Damn.

Donut figure?

Posted on September 6, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Donut figure?

I decided to take donuts to the office this morning because it’s been a couple long weeks due to the start up of school and every day has been stressful. We seemingly have had more help tickets come through out system in the last two weeks than we have had in a long time.

Anyway, as it turns out, there is already an organization wide meetings this morning (not just our staff meeting which the donuts were for) and there is typically refreshments served at that meeting. So, the donuts will likely go mostly uneaten.

Wasted food. Wasted money. Dare I say, wasted gesture?

Maybe not.

I guess I have a lot of eating to do this morning…which may actually lead to a donut figure of my own.

Why, oh why?

Posted on July 12, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by tyler hendy on Pexels.com

Half day at the office today.

No, it’s an official work day. I am just taking a half day to go play golf (well, my version of playing it…course destruction, tree hitting, let’s go swimming after the ball golf) with a buddy.

And what do we here at work? There is some sort of “emergency” that requires immediate attention…

Think that is gonna keep me at the office?

Hell no.

Someone else can deal with this crap. Besides, the district doesn’t need to access their data anyway. It’s summer. LOL

Catch you on Monday! FOUR!!

Every experienced an “emergency” on a day where you were looking forward to something else? One of those things that will suck your attention until dealt with?

The reminder I needed

Posted on February 15, 2019 by backuphill

architecture automobile avenue buildings

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

After two weeks of telecommuting because of weather (and some regularly scheduled days in there too), I am back at the office today.

I can honestly say that I missed my coworkers. While we kept in touch and worked together with the various technology aids we regularly use, it was just not the same as being in the office. There is something to be said for human interaction.

However, the drive to the office this morning reminded me why I like telecommuting so much. People are dumb. Just plain dumb.

So, which do I want to sacrifice? Face to face time with colleagues or stress from the commute? I think you know the answer there.

At least it is Friday and a long weekend.