Things that annoy you (14 Viewers)

[shmmeee]

Yeah, IBM are renowned for their red tape and management layers. Think it's more a curse of big organisations.

It’s something a lot of tech companies really struggle with is keeping the “startup culture” of moving at speed.

Something my place is going through now is basically from “five guys in an office” where everyone knows everyone and everything that’s going on to a semi large organisation of even 25 people where people are making decisions that impact other areas of the business and communication and line of responsibility need maintaining.

Fascinating from a management POV.

 

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[chiefdave]

This isn't the NHS.

They have no fucking clue what they are doing and take days to make simple changes.

The "middle management" issue is that they aren't technical but pretend they are, keep chatting shit and writing emails and trying to arrange conference calls. They then don't like it when I am under no obligation to humour their shite and tell them not to bother me until they have done X and Y as it's pointless wasting my time.

They want to spend their days having meetings, I don't work for them so they can fuck off. I have told them what the issue is and how to fix it but they want to go round the houses. They dont grasp that not everybody works that way and has time to have 100 meetings for something that literally takes minutes to do.

I get this all the time. One of our major clients is a company that gets a lot of large government contracts. Inevitably they are all poorly delivered and hugely over budget but that doesn't seem to stop them getting future contracts.

The "middle management" issue has got way worse in the sector I work in, SMB support, over the last 10-15 years. Find it in upper management and directors / owners as well. Big shift from companies being run by people who know what they're doing and want to provide a quality service to people who have no clue and just want to drive down costs so they can take as much profit as they can. On a weekly basis I'm having conversation with managers about how what they've promised a client isn't technically possible. Usually response is 'find a way'.

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

Certain higher education institutions in the area suffer from the same thing, as well as having a "post tortoise" policy ...


While stitching a cut on the hand of a 75 year old farmer, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man.

Eventually the topic got around to politicians and their role as our leaders.

The old farmer said, " Well, as I see it, most politicians are 'Post Tortoises'.''
Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post tortoise' was.

The old farmer said,
" When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with
a tortoise balanced on top, that's a post tortoise."

The old farmer saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain.

"You know he didn't get up there by himself,
he doesn't belong up there,
he doesn't know what to do while he's up there,
he's elevated beyond his ability to function,
and you just wonder what kind of dumb arse put him up there to begin with."

 

[Nick]

I get this all the time. One of our major clients is a company that gets a lot of large government contracts. Inevitably they are all poorly delivered and hugely over budget but that doesn't seem to stop them getting future contracts.

The "middle management" issue has got way worse in the sector I work in, SMB support, over the last 10-15 years. Find it in upper management and directors / owners as well. Big shift from companies being run by people who know what they're doing and want to provide a quality service to people who have no clue and just want to drive down costs so they can take as much profit as they can. On a weekly basis I'm having conversation with managers about how what they've promised a client isn't technically possible. Usually response is 'find a way'.

Yep, I get that all the time and it pisses me off.

 

[hill83]

Usually response is 'find a way'.

 

[tommydazzle]

The left one goes on the left hand and the right goes on the right,right!!

Yes, you would assume so but the picture only showed one hand so I’ve a good mind to write to the company and ask them about glove polarity.

I read recently that car manuals used to show you how to adjust your tappets now they tell you not to drink the battery acid. Common sense as Mark Twain said, is not very common!

 

[ccfc92]

Lack of toilet brushes in hotel rooms.

Would anyone really have them away?

 

[Sbarcher]

Our local council in North Oxfordshire are removing all the local town re-cycling areas as the bins were overflowing. The reason they are being removed is that it encourages fly-tipping! So instead of emptying them more regularly they are being removed completely which of course will encourage real fly-tipping! These are supposedly intelligent people!

 

[chiefdave]

Our local council in North Oxfordshire are removing all the local town re-cycling areas as the bins were overflowing. The reason they are being removed is that it encourages fly-tipping! So instead of emptying them more regularly they are being removed completely which of course will encourage real fly-tipping! These are supposedly intelligent people!

Reminds me of when they changed the rules here about what they would and wouldn't collect, how frequent collections were etc. Was then a huge increase in fly tipping which the council claimed was totally unrelated!

 

[SBAndy]

Reminds me of when they changed the rules here about what they would and wouldn't collect, how frequent collections were etc. Was then a huge increase in fly tipping which the council claimed was totally unrelated!

Is it standard practice in other towns/cities to have to pay an additional fee for collection of garden waste or is that the preserve of Nuneaton?

 

[shmmeee]

Is it standard practice in other towns/cities to have to pay an additional fee for collection of garden waste or is that the preserve of Nuneaton?

That’s not standard.

 

[Sbarcher]

Is it standard practice in other towns/cities to have to pay an additional fee for collection of garden waste or is that the preserve of Nuneaton?

Standard here in OX20 - £30/bin for garden waste

 

[Deleted member 5849]

That’s not standard.

It's getting more standard. Not in Coventry, yet, but other areas.

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

It's quite widespread now, i believe. In South Worcestershire (Wychavon District) we pay £55 a year for a brown wheelie bin, collected fortnightly, same day as dry recyclables.

 

[skyblueinBaku]

£45 a year here in Dorset.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Is it standard practice in other towns/cities to have to pay an additional fee for collection of garden waste or is that the preserve of Nuneaton?

They pay in Sutton Coldfield were my in laws live, I live in Nuneaton but refuse to pay so stick it all in the black bin, we pay enough council tax for them to empty a bin every other week and they even get to use or sell the contents

 

[fernandopartridge]

We don't pay any extra here. High Peak Council / Derbyshire County Council

 

[chiefdave]

'on the school run'

How has this become part of the working day? Since people started working from home it seems to have become completely acceptable to turn up an hour late in the morning and then take another 45 minutes to an hour off in the afternoon.

Given we work an 8 hour day we've got multiple people now skipping the equivalent of a day, or more, a week.

 

[skyblueinBaku]

I'm sick of hearing and seeing "Black Friday" adverts. Just another step in the Americanisation of UK.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

I'm sick of hearing and seeing "Black Friday" adverts. Just another step in the Americanisation of UK.

When is it, anyway? I seem to have been harangued about it for at least a fortnight!

 

[skyblueinBaku]

When is it, anyway? I seem to have been harangued about it for at least a fortnight!

It's the first Friday after Thanksgiving. This year 27th November.

 

[Tommo1993]

Black Friday? Spending hundreds on “deals”, on stuff I don’t want or need? What’s not to like?!

 

[eastwoodsdustman]

'on the school run'

How has this become part of the working day? Since people started working from home it seems to have become completely acceptable to turn up an hour late in the morning and then take another 45 minutes to an hour off in the afternoon.

Given we work an 8 hour day we've got multiple people now skipping the equivalent of a day, or more, a week.

Just the term 'the school run' boils my piss. I remember hearing it from some posh woman in Leamington about 30 years ago. She said it as if to justify it as her job or something. I did have to ask what she meant as I always thought it was just 'taking the kids to school'. To this day it really annoys me when people say it.

 

[eastwoodsdustman]

When is it, anyway? I seem to have been harangued about it for at least a fortnight!

I thought it was last week! my kids were pissing themselves when I said I'd been looking for a new phone last friday as I thought it'd be cheaper.

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

I thought it was last week! my kids were pissing themselves when I said I'd been looking for a new phone last friday as I thought it'd be cheaper.

According to Which?, it probably was! Most stuff supposedly "on sale" over Black Friday fortnight has been cheaper earlier in the year. It's a fooking con!!

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

'on the school run'

I last got that when I had the canteen chilli

 

[shmmeee]

'on the school run'

How has this become part of the working day? Since people started working from home it seems to have become completely acceptable to turn up an hour late in the morning and then take another 45 minutes to an hour off in the afternoon.

Given we work an 8 hour day we've got multiple people now skipping the equivalent of a day, or more, a week.

Frankly I think WFH should accommodate school runs. I start late (and finish equally late) and take a late lunch for mine.

 

[shmmeee]

According to Which?, it probably was! Most stuff supposedly "on sale" over Black Friday fortnight has been cheaper earlier in the year. It's a fooking con!!

It’s a massive con. Half of the cheap TVs are specially made models with fewer features just so they can be door busters on Black Friday.

 

[chiefdave]

Frankly I think WFH should accommodate school runs. I start late (and finish equally late) and take a late lunch for mine.

From the sounds of things you're still working your hours. No issue with that, think flexible working should be the norm unless there's operational reasons for it.

What I'm talking about is people who are basically getting 7.5 - 10 hours off, with pay, per week. Over a school year that equates to an additional 40 plus days of paid leave!

 

[shmmeee]

From the sounds of things you're still working your hours. No issue with that, think flexible working should be the norm unless there's operational reasons for it.

What I'm talking about is people who are basically getting 7.5 - 10 hours off, with pay, per week. Over a school year that equates to an additional 40 plus days of paid leave!

Oh yeah totally. Work your hours.

Ive just loved being able to drop and collect my girls since they went back. It’s one thing I hope to keep when we are back to normal.

I wonder if one side effect of more WFH will be a shift away from hours worked and towards some kind of milestone delivery model though. Dunno, I can see that going both ways: some employers are sensible and people don’t overwork or take shortcuts and some see it as a chance for silly targets and increased surveillance.

 

[wingy]

I thought it was last week! my kids were pissing themselves when I said I'd been looking for a new phone last friday as I thought it'd be cheaper.

Haha!

 

[wingy]

Oh yeah totally. Work your hours.

Ive just loved being able to drop and collect my girls since they went back. It’s one thing I hope to keep when we are back to normal.

I wonder if one side effect of more WFH will be a shift away from hours worked and towards some kind of milestone delivery model though. Dunno, I can see that going both ways: some employers are sensible and people don’t overwork or take shortcuts and some see it as a chance for silly targets and increased surveillance.

Think I've said it elsewhere one of the levers to pressurise returning to normalised office working routines may be a jolly suggestion to convert more to a freelancing style contracts arrangements.

 

[wingy]

Oh yeah totally. Work your hours.

Ive just loved being able to drop and collect my girls since they went back. It’s one thing I hope to keep when we are back to normal.

I wonder if one side effect of more WFH will be a shift away from hours worked and towards some kind of milestone delivery model though. Dunno, I can see that going both ways: some employers are sensible and people don’t overwork or take shortcuts and some see it as a chance for silly targets and increased surveillance.

Such a pleasure isn't it , such a simple thing and even better if you can fit in walking it.
What a stress the normal working day is when you dive into your car at 8-30 and it takes 15-20mins,then parking,cos every other bugger's doing the same..
We did a three mile hike as nippers.
Two mother's would chaperone maybe 15 children all the way .
Then jump on their bike's to make the return.
Simple, simple times.

 

[shmmeee]

Such a pleasure isn't it , such a simple thing and even better if you can fit in walking it.
What a stress the normal working day is when you dive into your car at 8-30 and it takes 15-20mins,then parking,cos every other bugger's doing the same..
We did a three mile hike as nippers.
Two mother's would chaperone maybe 15 children all the way .
Then jump on their bike's to make the return.
Simple, simple times.

Better times wingy. Went to the memorial on Saturday, it was rammed, people exercising, people out walking, people playing sports, never seen it so full of life on a random day.

When it’s all over, let’s do this, but with pubs and football open. Why not?

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

From the sounds of things you're still working your hours. No issue with that, think flexible working should be the norm unless there's operational reasons for it.

What I'm talking about is people who are basically getting 7.5 - 10 hours off, with pay, per week. Over a school year that equates to an additional 40 plus days of paid leave!

I have this argument at work over smoke breaks if we work our daily hours it’s 4.25 hours per day we have a guy that gets in starts the shift and goes off for a coffee break has various breaks for more coffee through the night and has a smoke break at midnight, he is also always the first to leave as well. He knows how to play the system as well with sick leave he has loads of time off in two blocks a year so nothing gets said to him.