Things that piss you off.

At work I learned last week that one of our 20 somethings bought a clicker so he can rip off the local coffee shop's buy 10 get one cup free punch card system.  That shop offers excellent coffee, the only in town, and it's run by a local couple with 2 little kids. His response, if they are too stupid not to have a better system they deserve to be ripped off.

We fired him and stopped payment on his last check. If he's stupid enough to trust us to honor our commitments, fuck him.*



*not a true story, just a dream.

Bureaucracy drives me nuts

Taxes

Slow golfers

Also egomaniacal blog posters that spout inane charts and graphs that really don’t prove anything except piss people off

Harvey wrote

At work I learned last week that one of our 20 somethings bought a clicker so he can rip off the local coffee shop's buy 10 get one cup free punch card system.  That shop offers excellent coffee, the only in town, and it's run by a local couple with 2 little kids. His response, if they are too stupid not to have a better system they deserve to be ripped off.

We fired him and stopped payment on his last check. If he's stupid enough to trust us to honor our commitments, fuck him.*



*not a true story, just a dream.

A lack of integrity is a red flag. Good call by shitcanning him.
   Brown noses really disgust me.

Harvey wrote

At work I learned last week that one of our 20 somethings bought a clicker so he can rip off the local coffee shop's buy 10 get one cup free punch card system.  That shop offers excellent coffee, the only in town, and it's run by a local couple with 2 little kids. His response, if they are too stupid not to have a better system they deserve to be ripped off.

Gotta wonder what he thinks your business is being "too stupid" about and taking advantage of? Maybe there is a teachable moment there about ethics? Or is he too caught up in self justification and defensiveness to see any issue with his actions?

Seems like he is pretty far gone down the wrong ethical path if he went out of his way to buy something with the intent of using it to rip someone else off; which means he is invested in the long term.

You could always tip off the coffee shop owners to the scam. That certainly puts you into an ethical dilemma of your own, though. The shop owners must be aware of the potential for abuse and perhaps look out for that sort of thing? Our local sub shop has a sandwich card and I always wonder how many of the college kids abuse that system.

If he'd steal from a coffee shop he would steal from you. Imo good job getting rid of him.

What pisses me off?

Cowardly acts and theives

Other than that I roll with it

Full disclosure, he quit, we didn't fire him.  We didn't learn of the coffee ripoff system until after he gave his notice.  We had been thinking about letting him go for a variety of reasons, some were about him, but it also had to do with work load.  We're slow and facing some very difficult challenges.

On his last day we did let someone else go, at the end of the day. She was incredibly bright, but not careful.  She'd made some significant mistakes that were very expensive. Also I spent my entire day on 4th of July fixing a client report that she'd done that was due on the 5th.  I called her out on it the following monday and she tried to blame someone else.  Honestly her termination also had something to do us being slow.

When she was let go, it was a Friday, and I wanted to do it right at 5 to give it the weekend to cut down on the office chatter about it. (All our young people are out the door right at 5pm, no one under 30 in the building at 5:01.)  But I had to pick up my daughter that day and had to leave right at 5 so I let the other employee go at 4:30.  She came out of the meeting at 4:45 and told him what happened. Those two were close I guess and he was apparently angry she was let go. In his last few minutes, he wreaked havoc on our computer system, disabling virus software and changing passwords with no record.  I don't understand working at a place for 2 years, and destroying any chance for a recommendation in the last 15 minutes.  It's just a different mind set.

Blame it on the self esteem movement that many of today's young workers grew up with in school , at home and under the tutelage of well meanning BUT totally misguided parenting .

Often  they were told they are great even when they performed at less than stellar levels
 ALL participants were given awards  whether or not they performed .

they were sheparded and championed by helecopter parents who often DID their homework while  making  themselves PIA's to their offspring's teachers , coaches and other mentors ..

Couple that with an intense expectation of entitlement and inability to ADAPT and deal with ANY form of conflict thus ensuring low emotional intelligence .

There is an overwhelming sense of this in chilhood development , this has resulted in emotional cripples who see ONLY their own agenda .

Emotional un intelligence is what drove your terminated  worker to prioritixe HIS needs and inadequacies rather than accept the ethical and professional growth opportunity that he was presented with . THe failure to ante up and accept personal responsibility is the result .

Sad THEY failed Themselves !

Harvey wrote

In his last few minutes, he wreaked havoc on our computer system, disabling virus software and changing passwords with no record.  I don't understand working at a place for 2 years, and destroying any chance for a recommendation in the last 15 minutes.  It's just a different mind set.

Ouch. Gotta limit network access in preparation and walk folks out the door ASAP when this stuff goes down. In certain circumstances, if someones gives notice and you think there could be issues, you can always give them their last week's pay without work and call it done.

I don't think it is fair to characterize this specific instance on generational issues. People of all age levels and experience can pull this type of nonsense. And for all of these instances, there is the exact opposite thing happening in which younger folks are working hard, being ethical, and leaving on good terms.

Is there a a broader generational trend? I don't know, I haven't seen reliable data on that. This is a single instance. And we probably won't have an offsetting "Things that impress you" thread about notable cool things we've observed younger folks doing. It is always easier to "kids these days" in a negative way than a positive way.

The current generation is definitely different than previous generations. But our generations were also different than previous generations as well. In some ways for the better, in some ways for the worse. I'm not putting the "get off my lawn" hat on yet.

If we are letting a person go we do remove their access.  This was a lesson we had to learn I guess.  An odd situation, someone leaving on their own, over lapping for 5 minutes and taking out a grudge for someone else. The woman we let go left with dignity.

The last time we fired someone, about 3 years ago, he begged us to work out the rest of the day, to "finish us a few things." Of course we declined. We learn by accessing his computer, he had a contract with one of our competitors, in direct violation of his employment contract. He was double dipping too, doing work for them while we were paying him.

riverc0il wrote

"Things that impress you" thread

Good idea.

That’s nothing. Look at this

Z wrote

Bureaucracy drives me nuts

Taxes

Slow golfers

Also egomaniacal blog posters that spout inane charts and graphs that really don’t prove anything except piss people off

These are the things in your world that "piss you off"?

You must have the easiest, most privileged life imaginable.

Congratulations.

riverc0il wrote

.
Is there a a broader generational trend? I don't know, I haven't seen reliable data on that. This is a single instance. And we probably won't have an offsetting "Things that impress you" thread about notable cool things we've observed younger folks doing. It is always easier to "kids these days" in a negative way than a positive way.

The current generation is definitely different than previous generations. But our generations were also different than previous generations as well. In some ways for the better, in some ways for the worse. I'm not putting the "get off my lawn" hat on yet.

Agree with all of this.

Maybe it's nostalgia, but ski forums (along with Facebook, Twitter and other tech platforms) used to be full of younger people connecting with each other. Now it's just old people bitching about young people, playing old music for each other, and complaining about their injuries. It's retirement-community conversation and it's all so boring to me.

I'd read a "Things that impress you" thread over a "things that piss you off" thread any day.

warp daddy wrote

Blame it on the self esteem movement that many of today's young workers grew up with in school , at home and under the tutelage of well meanning BUT totally misguided parenting .

Often  they were told they are great even when they performed at less than stellar levels
 ALL participants were given awards  whether or not they performed .

they were sheparded and championed by helecopter parents who often DID their homework while  making  themselves PIA's to their offspring's teachers , coaches and other mentors ..

Couple that with an intense expectation of entitlement and inability to ADAPT and deal with ANY form of conflict thus ensuring low emotional intelligence .

There is an overwhelming sense of this in chilhood development , this has resulted in emotional cripples who see ONLY their own agenda .

Emotional un intelligence is what drove your terminated  worker to prioritixe HIS needs and inadequacies rather than accept the ethical and professional growth opportunity that he was presented with . THe failure to ante up and accept personal responsibility is the result .

Sad THEY failed Themselves !

I believe Warp is spot on. It's my experience that most of the 20 somethings I come in contact with have the trophy for everyone mentality. I think that kind of thinking is wrong in so many ways. That said I hired a 20 something 2 months ago and he's kicking ass. He's eager, smart, funny, and his willingness to help in any situation is second to none. I don't think it's by accident given his father is a retired Marine, he grew up with structure and accountability.

Is it possible that some people have different priorities than others?

That some value "hard work", money, and career accomplishments, while others value freedom, living environment, and... I don't know... skiing?

Is it possible that, as people get older, their priorities change?

It feels like today's campgottagopee would complain like crazy about 1980's Smuggler's Notch campgottagopee.

Maybe just let people live their lives and figure out for themselves what to value?

All of that is possible. I'm simply pointing out what I see on a daily basis. I'm all for letting people live their lives, but this is a discussion. You put in your opinion, just like everyone else has, and so did I.

See that MC, we agree

MC2 5678F589 wrote

 
It feels like today's campgottagopee would complain like crazy about 1980's Smuggler's Notch campgottagopee.
 

Quite the opposite. Those days I will never forget, ever. That said, I had 3 to 4 jobs, I paid for my own car/truck, rent, food, gas, TV, wall phone, beer etc etc

Most likely never had more that 20 bucks to my name ---- wouldn't change any of it

Yeah, I wasn't antagonizing you, I was just pointing out that it takes a while for people to find their niche. To find out what they really want out of life. Do they want to be a ski bum? Or do they want to get into sales, live in Central NY, and ride their snowmobile 7 times a year?

I'm 39 and I haven't figured anything out yet, so it's not like I have answers. I, like you, am just giving opinions.

Oh, and I paid my student loans back. All of them.

MC2 5678F589 wrote

 
I'm 39 and I haven't figured anything out yet, so it's not like I have answers. I, like you, am just giving opinions.

I'm 53 and don't have a clue

In the work place the "not my job" syndrome is really what chaps my ass. I don't have a problem with that in my dept but one of the dept's in our company is full of it. That said, their manager is that way. Think it's by accident that he /she hires people with that same mentality?