Mutiny
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(Let me know if these stories are annoying as shit, by the way; I can see how they could be. I'm just sharing them here because they help me think things through, and other folks might be or later find themselves in similar situations, and for me it helps to hear similar stories when I'm in the midst of some bullshit.)
Had an all-staff meeting today. They polled the office to see who'd want to come back to work never, full-time, part-time, or as needed. Half voted for never. A third voted for whenever they felt like they wanted to.
So, they're going to open up the office on a volunteer basis, starting in September. To their credit, they were very explicit about the "volunteer" caveat. They just want to provide some safe options for old-schoolers who don't know how to use technology.
Our department head's question: "you mentioned that only 4 people would be allowed in the office at one time. Could exceptions be made if an entire team wanted to meet together as a group?"
You know what that shit means, right? Leadership said sure, if that's how people feel, they could figure it out.
Our team met on Skype right after the all-staff: everyone minus the department head. Surprisingly, opinions were enthusiastic and unanimous: we were not going into that office building for anything. My boss emailed HR and asked for assurances that this move would be voluntary, and that no retaliation would come our way if we expressed a choice that was contrary to our managers.
During our team discussion, the story behind my old co-worker's leaving was shared, as well: he asked to work remotely for the month of June to take care of his parents after a surgery (which by that point we had been remote for 2 months), and the dept head flipped out. My co-worker was fired, but was forced to sign an NDA saying he decided to leave voluntarily due to family reasons. My co-worker even offered to work another month to help them transition. They refused. And oh by the way, I was told by several members from another department that are tight with my dept head that my co-worker was doing seedy things online and that's the real reason he was let go. I won't get into it, but due to my own job I was in a position to confirm this. Absolutely none of those allegations were true.
So, that information was shared, along with my previous run-in with the department head and the lobbying for my own firing, and how that was manufactured.
Regarding how we're going to handle our "discussion" about volunteering to return, I told the group that I won't speak for them; we seem to be in agreement so I'll publicly support them, but I shouldn't be the spokesman for this. But if I'm pressed for my own opinions, I'm simply going to ask a lot of questions in writing so that I have a record of the responses.
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So freaking glad my old boss got a hold of me when he did.
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So you'll stay at the current place until the requirement of being in the office resurfaces?
So you'll stay at the current place until the requirement of being in the office resurfaces?
Well, that's going to happen tomorrow or Monday, when this B.S. comes to a head. And then afterward we play the game of how the dept head will try to retaliate against us. It will absolutely be tried.
But yeah, a paycheck's a paycheck. I don't consider it money anymore, it's time I buy myself for when I'm let go, for whatever reason it turns out to be. So yeah, I'll stay there as I can but my priority is going to be the work I do for my old boss and company, since it's an income and they have no problem with me working remotely.
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So you'll stay at the current place until the requirement of being in the office resurfaces?
Well, that's going to happen tomorrow or Monday, when this B.S. comes to a head. And then afterward we play the game of how the dept head will try to retaliate against us. It will absolutely be tried.
But yeah, a paycheck's a paycheck. I don't consider it money anymore, it's time I buy myself for when I'm let go, for whatever reason it turns out to be. So yeah, I'll stay there as I can but my priority is going to be the work I do for my old boss and company, since it's an income and they have no problem with me working remotely.
@Aqua-Letifer said in Mutiny:
So you'll stay at the current place until the requirement of being in the office resurfaces?
Well, that's going to happen tomorrow or Monday, when this B.S. comes to a head. And then afterward we play the game of how the dept head will try to retaliate against us. It will absolutely be tried.
But yeah, a paycheck's a paycheck. I don't consider it money anymore, it's time I buy myself for when I'm let go, for whatever reason it turns out to be. So yeah, I'll stay there as I can but my priority is going to be the work I do for my old boss and company, since it's an income and they have no problem with me working remotely.
Perhaps the team will coalesce around a new goal: get rid of the current department head and put you in charge.
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So you'll stay at the current place until the requirement of being in the office resurfaces?
Well, that's going to happen tomorrow or Monday, when this B.S. comes to a head. And then afterward we play the game of how the dept head will try to retaliate against us. It will absolutely be tried.
But yeah, a paycheck's a paycheck. I don't consider it money anymore, it's time I buy myself for when I'm let go, for whatever reason it turns out to be. So yeah, I'll stay there as I can but my priority is going to be the work I do for my old boss and company, since it's an income and they have no problem with me working remotely.
@Aqua-Letifer said in Mutiny:
So you'll stay at the current place until the requirement of being in the office resurfaces?
Well, that's going to happen tomorrow or Monday, when this B.S. comes to a head. And then afterward we play the game of how the dept head will try to retaliate against us. It will absolutely be tried.
But yeah, a paycheck's a paycheck. I don't consider it money anymore, it's time I buy myself for when I'm let go, for whatever reason it turns out to be. So yeah, I'll stay there as I can but my priority is going to be the work I do for my old boss and company, since it's an income and they have no problem with me working remotely.
If they were truly coming after you you would already be gone. Relax. You're in the clear. Just keep your head down for a while and don't perpetuate the argument.
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@Aqua-Letifer said in Mutiny:
So you'll stay at the current place until the requirement of being in the office resurfaces?
Well, that's going to happen tomorrow or Monday, when this B.S. comes to a head. And then afterward we play the game of how the dept head will try to retaliate against us. It will absolutely be tried.
But yeah, a paycheck's a paycheck. I don't consider it money anymore, it's time I buy myself for when I'm let go, for whatever reason it turns out to be. So yeah, I'll stay there as I can but my priority is going to be the work I do for my old boss and company, since it's an income and they have no problem with me working remotely.
If they were truly coming after you you would already be gone. Relax. You're in the clear. Just keep your head down for a while and don't perpetuate the argument.
Just keep your head down for a while and don't perpetuate the argument.
That's absolutely the plan.
Perhaps the team will coalesce around a new goal: get rid of the current department head and put you in charge.
@brenda I can't think of a better definition of hell on earth than to be even more beholden to these people than I already am. And it'd never happen anyway. I have no advocates there, aside form my boss, who also has no advocates.
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So who advocates for the current leadership? Looks like no one to me. They need to change or will find themselves without any product to sell.
So who advocates for the current leadership? Looks like no one to me. They need to change or will find themselves without any product to sell.
Right but the same thing happened to companies who didn't want to keep hiring women post-WW2. Sure, the cat was out of the bag but at the time, many didn't know that. It was tried. Same here, today. Just because it's obvious they're shooting themselves in the foot doesn't mean they and many other organizations even know that. Over time it'll work out for me and maybe for them if they learn their lesson, but meanwhile it's another bullshit night in suck city.
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Just keep your head down for a while and don't perpetuate the argument.
That's absolutely the plan.
Perhaps the team will coalesce around a new goal: get rid of the current department head and put you in charge.
@brenda I can't think of a better definition of hell on earth than to be even more beholden to these people than I already am. And it'd never happen anyway. I have no advocates there, aside form my boss, who also has no advocates.
@Aqua-Letifer said in Mutiny:
Just keep your head down for a while and don't perpetuate the argument.
That's absolutely the plan.
Perhaps the team will coalesce around a new goal: get rid of the current department head and put you in charge.
@brenda I can't think of a better definition of hell on earth ...
@Aqua-Letifer,
LOL I still like the idea.And it'd never happen anyway. I have no advocates there, aside form my boss, who also has no advocates.
@Aqua-Letifer
I dunno about that. Sounds to me like your department has a good number in favor of working remotely, based on the meeting-after-the-meeting.The meeting-after-the-meeting is often when real action gets formulated. Just sayin'.
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My boss reached out to HR today to get assurances that there would be no retaliation against an employee who stated that they choose not to return to the office.
HR troll said, no, no, it would be completely voluntary. But, and I'm quoting here, "I would think that the rest of you would want to meet with your department head, wouldn't you? She might ask you all to just meet informally, and take you all out to lunch to get to know one another better. I would think that the rest of you would want to do that, wouldn't you?"
I've worked with these people for a few years. I'm telling you right now that if we don't go in, we're going to lose our jobs.
So my question to you all is, what would you do if it were you and this was your situation?
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Document the hell out of the meeting and what was said. Make sure everyone else does the same.
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I don't think they give a crap where you work as long as the revenue stream is uninterrupted. I drove through a large office park today and the car volume was maybe 20% of what it normally is. Working from home is not an anomaly anymore.
“I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill
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My boss reached out to HR today to get assurances that there would be no retaliation against an employee who stated that they choose not to return to the office.
HR troll said, no, no, it would be completely voluntary. But, and I'm quoting here, "I would think that the rest of you would want to meet with your department head, wouldn't you? She might ask you all to just meet informally, and take you all out to lunch to get to know one another better. I would think that the rest of you would want to do that, wouldn't you?"
I've worked with these people for a few years. I'm telling you right now that if we don't go in, we're going to lose our jobs.
So my question to you all is, what would you do if it were you and this was your situation?
This post is deleted! -
I don't think they give a crap where you work as long as the revenue stream is uninterrupted. I drove through a large office park today and the car volume was maybe 20% of what it normally is. Working from home is not an anomaly anymore.
I don't think they give a crap where you work as long as the revenue stream is uninterrupted. I drove through a large office park today and the car volume was maybe 20% of what it normally is. Working from home is not an anomaly anymore.
They're firing my co-worker. They're going through with it.
And I'm next.
That's not paranoia talking, my boss was told that I'll be next.
They're removing my co-worker's position, that's how they're handling that one. With me they're going to try gross negligence. Our dept head is getting help with that. "Well I've heard from some people that he's doing an okay job but from others, there have been very serious concerns."
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I don't think they give a crap where you work as long as the revenue stream is uninterrupted. I drove through a large office park today and the car volume was maybe 20% of what it normally is. Working from home is not an anomaly anymore.
They're firing my co-worker. They're going through with it.
And I'm next.
That's not paranoia talking, my boss was told that I'll be next.
They're removing my co-worker's position, that's how they're handling that one. With me they're going to try gross negligence. Our dept head is getting help with that. "Well I've heard from some people that he's doing an okay job but from others, there have been very serious concerns."
@Aqua-Letifer said in Mutiny:
I don't think they give a crap where you work as long as the revenue stream is uninterrupted. I drove through a large office park today and the car volume was maybe 20% of what it normally is. Working from home is not an anomaly anymore.
They're firing my co-worker. They're going through with it.
And I'm next.
That's not paranoia talking, my boss was told that I'll be next.
They're removing my co-worker's position, that's how they're handling that one. With me they're going to try gross negligence. Our dept head is getting help with that. "Well I've heard from some people that he's doing an okay job but from others, there have been very serious concerns."
Well, you can always offer to be laid off, rather than be fired for cause. At least that way, you get your unemployment.
“Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”
Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton
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Probably a stupid question, but is it possible to join a union of some sort - do you have time?
I was only joking
