Is boss unreasonable?

Bass Reeves

Dav010 wrote: »

None whatsoever, I suspect most employers would fire you if you called the owner a dickhead though. Know your audience Bass.

Well Dav I never been fired. Like I said middle managers with arts degrees are easy to replace. Specialists with 10+ years experience are hard to find. Most companies perfect to get rid of the dickhead they are easier replaced. Small companies are even more reliant with specialist workers and many a business closed because it failed to hold onto specialists

Dav010

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Well Dav I never been fired. Like I said middle managers with arts degrees are easy to replace. Specialists with 10+ years experience are hard to find. Most companies perfect to get rid of the dickhead they are easier replaced. Small companies are even more reliant with specialist workers and many a business closed because it failed to hold onto specialists

It’s okay to abuse colleagues, cause I’m “special”, nice.

Bass Reeves

Dav010 wrote: »

It’s okay to abuse colleagues, cause I’m “special”, nice.

He was not a colleague he was a manager and not even his direct manager. He didn't abuse him he clarified his statement in plainer English as the gentleman seemed unable to understand it the first two time's. The manager seemed to understand the clarification when he explained it to him as he left

Dav010

Bass Reeves wrote: »

He was not a colleague he was a manager and not even his direct manager. He didn't abuse him he clarified his statement in plainer English as the gentleman seemed unable to understand it the first two time's. The manager seemed to understand the clarification when he explained it to him as he left

He abused and embarrassed him, and you fell around laughing.

Bass Reeves

Dav010 wrote: »

He abused and embarrassed him, and you fell around laughing.

I already told you the reason I laughed was because the guy who said it was the quietest most timid lads you ever met.

Any he didn't embarrass him he managed that all by himself

Mrs OBumble

rusty cole wrote: »

10 years is a lot of time to give to a small company, I think we can agree the ten years means they are a good worker or are valuable.

Nope: if they were that valuable, a competitor would have head hunted them.

Ten years can mean a competent specialist. Or it can mean a dead-head who's just smart enough not to get sacked. Or someone in between with no ambition.

Dav010

Bass Reeves wrote: »

I already told you the reason I laughed was because the guy who said it was the quietest most timid lads you ever met.

Any he didn't embarrass him he managed that all by himself

Bass Reeves wrote: »

.... finally he said in a loud clear voice

'' what part of f@@k off do you not understand''

we fell around the place laughing when he went out with his tail between his legs

No Bass, you abused and embarrassed a colleague, don’t kid yourself, you partook when you fell around laughing when he went out “with his tail between his legs”, let’s hope it wasn’t repeated, that would be repeated assault on his dignity ie bullying.

And this because he didn’t follow policy.

snowgal

Is this a new topic??

Bass Reeves

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Nope: if they were that valuable, a competitor would have head hunted them.

Ten years can mean a competent specialist. Or it can mean a dead-head who's just smart enough not to get sacked. Or someone in between with no ambition.

I suspect that the OP is rural or small town based. There is often limited opportunity in such area's and local companies are reluctant to poach from each other. It often gives owner managers an arrogance as the limited opportunities of employment can give them a sense of security that they will not lose specialist's

Bass Reeves

Dav010 wrote: »

No Bass, you abused and embarrassed a colleague, don’t kid yourself, you partook when you fell around laughing when he went out “with his tail between his legs”, let’s hope it wasn’t repeated, that would be repeated assault on his dignity ie bullying.

And this because he didn’t follow policy.

No Dave like I told you he managed that all by himself. The policy was put there because of him anyway Dave

kathleen37

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Nope: if they were that valuable, a competitor would have head hunted them.

Ten years can mean a competent specialist. Or it can mean a dead-head who's just smart enough not to get sacked. Or someone in between with no ambition.

Respectfully, I think that's overly harsh.

I come from a multinational tech background and my experience of head hunters is that they don't gather from smaller family run companies.

Bass Reeves

snowgal wrote: »

Is this a new topic??

No Dave is just looking for clarification of the difference between dickheads and snowflakes

Dav010

Bass Reeves wrote: »

No Dave is just looking for clarification of the difference between dickheads and snowflakes

Not forgetting bullies, special ones.😜

Bass Reeves

Dav010 wrote: »

Not forgetting bullies, special ones.😜

You right Dave this owner manager conduct is bordering on bullying. It often quite common on small company owner manager's

One eyed Jack

Bass Reeves wrote: »

You right Dave this owner manager conduct is bordering on bullying. It often quite common on small company owner manager's

The owner managers conduct under the circumstances could never be considered bullying, only by someone who has no idea what they’re talking about, and given your barstool anecdotes in the thread so far which have nothing to do with the circumstances for the OP, I’m not surprised you imagine the owner managers conduct is bordering on bullying, but yours and your workplace colleagues behaviour was giving those line managers with arts degrees what for, with your 10 years experience as a specialist no doubt, that’s fine of course :rolleyes:

Facts -

The OP left their workplace without informing their boss.

Their boss pulled them up on it upon their return to work.

The OP asks were they over-reacting.

They are.

Their boss was not being unreasonable.

JimmyVik

Is this still going on
Its a mountain out of a molehill.
Easy to tell who the micro managers are here though
I had a micro manager whos favourite sentence was "I dont mean to micro manage, but".

Bass Reeves

One eyed Jack wrote: »

The owner managers conduct under the circumstances could never be considered bullying, only by someone who has no idea what they’re talking about, and given your barstool anecdotes in the thread so far which have nothing to do with the circumstances for the OP, I’m not surprised you imagine the owner managers conduct is bordering on bullying, but yours and your workplace colleagues behaviour was giving those line managers with arts degrees what for, with your 10 years experience as a specialist no doubt, that’s fine of course :rolleyes:

Facts -

The OP left their workplace without informing their boss.

Their boss pulled them up on it upon their return to work.

The OP asks were they over-reacting.

They are.

Their boss was not being unreasonable.

I disagree with you Jack. First off I did not say it was bullying, I said it was bordering on bullying. In a majority of large companies a Line Manager that took actions like the two indicated by the OP would be reprimanded. It would be looked at as a serious mismanagement failure and issue.

If there was other incidents related to that employee it would be considered as bullying. Like any employee I have had different discussion with managers, sometimes being I will not say hauled over the coals rather corrected. However I have corrected managers as well. Just as a manager is entitled to correct an employee the employee is entitled to express there opinion.

The OP is not over reacting. The vast majority of posters consider the business owner was out of line. A manager from a multi national company has stated as much and considered both incidents in bad form. Ya every company expected an employee to let them know if they are leaving work. If it a leaking washing machine or a child needing to be picked up from school then they expect procedure to be followed. In an emergency where a person leaves that involved an ambulance no manager in any large company would remind an employee about procedures especially if they handed critical work over to be finished and let another employee know they were leaving.

And by the way it was the OP that had over ten years experience, me I had a tad longer than that

Dav010

Bass Reeves wrote: »

I disagree with you Jack. First off I did not say it was bullying, I said it was bordering on bullying. In a majority of large companies a Line Manager that took actions like the two indicated by the OP would be reprimanded. It would be looked at as a serious mismanagement failure and issue.

If there was other incidents related to that employee it would be considered as bullying. Like any employee I have had different discussion with managers, sometimes being I will not say hauled over the coals rather corrected. However I have corrected managers as well. Just as a manager is entitled to correct an employee the employee is entitled to express there opinion.

The OP is not over reacting. The vast majority of posters consider the business owner was out of line. A manager from a multi national company has stated as much and considered both incidents in bad form. Ya every company expected an employee to let them know if they are leaving work. If it a leaking washing machine or a child needing to be picked up from school then they expect procedure to be followed. In an emergency where a person leaves that involved an ambulance no manager in any large company would remind an employee about procedures especially if they handed critical work over to be finished and let another employee know they were leaving.

And by the way it was the OP that had over ten years experience, me I had a tad longer than that

A manager would be reprimanded, for nicely, and discretely reminding an employee of company policy a week after the event?

Stop digging.

Bass Reeves

Dav010 wrote: »

A manager would be reprimanded, for nicely, and discretely reminding an employee of company policy a week after the event?

Stop digging.

Yes as it was inappropriate to be applied this this situation. It was unprofessional and the previous incident would have a significant bearing. As well if there was other incidents he be hauled over the coals in a majority of large companies.

brightspark

I had an incident with a family emergency a few years ago and my boss (company owner) instead of pressurising my co-workers expected me to deal with an issue...that was the day I decided to leave. (One more call from him that day and I would have quit immediately)

After handing in my resignation he asked could he do anything to change my mind.

About a year into a new role another family issue occurs, rang my new boss who says, just keep in touch, take all the time you need.

It will probably take a lottery win for me to leave this job, and even then I'd be available for anything he asked.

Dav010

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Yes as it was inappropriate to be applied this this situation. It was in professional and the previous incident would have a significant bearing. As well if there was other incidents he be hauled over the coals in a majority of large companies.

No, Bass, it really isn’t, what is inappropriate is you trying to associate it with bullying. Policies are there for a reason, you might not agree with them, but a manager following his/her employers policies will not be reprimanded, in any company, large or small.

Examples of bullying would be charging into a managers office and calling him a dickhead, and abusing/belittling the manager, then having a group laugh at the abuse.

Bass Reeves

Dav010 wrote: »

No, Bass, it really isn’t, what is inappropriate is you trying to associate it with bullying. Policies are there for a reason, you might not agree with them, but a manager following his/her employers policies will not be reprimanded, in any company, large or small.

Examples of bullying would be charging into a managers office and calling him a dickhead, and abusing/belittling the manager, then having a group laugh at the abuse.

Dave
As one senior manager said at a meeting one day about policies and procedures, the exception prooves the rule.

I never said I charge into this individual office and call him a dickhead, an asshole maybe. The manager was not abused. He was reminded of policy twice and then he was told where to go. He was completely in the wrong as the procedures were put in place by his previous actions as I said already. It was not bullying and ya he must have been humiliated however he was pretty good at that himself

One eyed Jack

Bass Reeves wrote: »

I disagree with you Jack. First off I did not say it was bullying, I said it was bordering on bullying. In a majority of large companies a Line Manager that took actions like the two indicated by the OP would be reprimanded. It would be looked at as a serious mismanagement failure and issue.

If there was other incidents related to that employee it would be considered as bullying. Like any employee I have had different discussion with managers, sometimes being I will not say hauled over the coals rather corrected. However I have corrected managers as well. Just as a manager is entitled to correct an employee the employee is entitled to express there opinion.

This is the owner of the business, having a word with one of their employees, not a manager having a word with someone who thinks their tenure gives them a de facto position equivalent to the owner of the business. Nobody has suggested the employee isn’t entitled to express their opinion, I suggested that when they’re in the wrong, and they know they’re in the wrong - take it on the chin and move on.

Dav010

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Dave
As one senior manager said at a meeting one day about policies and procedures, the exception prooves the rule.

I never said I charge into this individual office and call him a dickhead, an asshole maybe. The manager was not abused. He was reminded of policy twice and then he was told where to go. He was completely in the wrong as the procedures were put in place by his previous actions as I said already. It was not bullying and ya he must have been humiliated however he was pretty good at that himself

You understand that humiliating a coworker is a form of bullying? It is an assault on their dignity, if you repeat behaviour like that, no matter what way you try and justify it, it is bullying, even if the bully is special.

I dunno lads. If I just walked off I would be declared AWOL and be disciplined.

In the private sector I would have been hauled up in just about every job I ever had. Probable sacked from the part time ones I had in college but it's not hard to replace a burger flipper to be fair.

Wouldn't matter how many colleagues I told about it or if I was even missed. Immediate supervisor was neither advised nor sanctioned it.

JimmyVik

If Davo was the boss you surely would never hear the end of it

Dav010

JimmyVik wrote: »

If Davo was the boss you surely would never hear the end of it

I actually wouldn’t have bothered saying anything to the op, but I’m not her employer (op posts in ladies lounge), and not all companies have the same policies. Being reminded of company policy, in a nice way, really shouldn’t illicit some of the crap posted here about micromanaging, dickhead, bullying etc.

JimmyVik

Dav010 wrote: »

I actually wouldn’t have bothered saying anything to the op, but I’m not her employer (op posts in ladies lounge), and not all companies have the same policies. Being reminded of company policy, in a nice way, really shouldn’t illicit some of the crap posted here about micromanaging, dickhead, bullying etc.

I doubt that now.

It seems to bother you more than anyone else here.

Dav010

JimmyVik wrote: »

I doubt that now.

It seems to bother you more than anyone else here.

It doesn’t bother me at all, though I do admit I don’t like bullies. Seeing some of the over reaction is amusing as well. The keyboard warrior syndrome is rife.

JimmyVik

Dav010 wrote: »

It doesn’t bother me at all, though I do admit I don’t like bullies. Seeing some of the over reaction is amusing as well. The keyboard warrior syndrome is rife.

Take a step back and read the whole thread again.
You will see that it is yourself who has been the most vocal on it.
Or you could just do what i am going to do now and just think of the threat as a giant over reaction and bow out.