So a few weeks ago late in the work day I go over to the printer to pick up a document I sent there. Finishing up witha copy or something is one of the office principals. She is not part of my studio, and she is a very nice woman. We can call her "PMLizzie". So PMLizze says to me, "BuDaMan, I've been meaning to check out your blog, I hear it's hilarious." Mind you, this is a principal in my office, and the only tier higher than principal is partner, as in owner of the whole firm. So one of my principals says to me, "I've been meaning to check out your blog..."
Fuck. This blog isnt meant for the general populous! The last thing I need are the co-principals of my office discussing with one another the contents of my blog, and how best to fire my ass without compensation or unemployment. Siick.
So as I said, this was a few weeks ago. Today at about 5:15pm when I was getting back to the office from a job site, PMLizzie was on her way back from some place as well. Go fucking figure, but she says, "BuDaMan, you know I still have to check out your blog." She is going to get one my co-workers to show her who is in her studio how do get on. This guy is a fan of the BuDa-BLoG, which is great, and I'm sure PMLizzie will enjoy the little tidbits of the office, but seriously, this is the last fucking thing that I need. Actually, it may be the exact fucking thing I need.
My fear is that PMLizzie is going to spill the beans of my awesome blog to the other higher ups in the office, which would be bad. Or would it?! Things haven't been going so well at the office recently.
On January 11th the office received, through word of mouth, that the managing principal of the office stated to the project managers and principals that it was unofficially officially expected for all employees to log at least 10-20% of overtime per pay period. We, as an office, are no longer "80% professional, 20% amateur", and we once again have 5-day work weeks. The 10-20% overtime beyond our current 5-day work week would mean 4-8 hours per week of overtime, and supposedly, management would be reviewing this for the entire office. I have no problem doing the work when work is there, but we haven't acquired much over the past few (okay, maybe a bakers dozen) months.
Two weeks ago we had more furloughs. Furloughs are temporary layoffs in the event that we receive work and can hire those workers back to perform that work. In other words, these poor people were laid off permanently. So as of two weeks ago, we were being asked to work 10-20% overtime, and it appeared as though layoffs and cuts were made to the personnel who did not specifically meet that threshold. Unfortunately, the 10-20% rule was said in a private meeting, and filtered down the chain of command (you know how it works, shit rolls downhill, money runs up) and within about 30 minutes of the meeting the entire office knew. You know, a secret. That's probably the best way to spread information, make it an office secret and don't tell anyone. Everyone will know what you want them to know by lunch.
So great, my 10-20% is most likely getting checked every single pay period and if I don't work enough I'll probably be dropped like a bad habit. Well today in our (forever worthless) staff meeting, the managing principal made it clear to everyone in attendance that yes, this "mandatory overtime" is something that is being reviewed by the executive committee and by "GENERIC CO-OWNER NAME #1", and that the expectation was 15 hours per pay period (2 weeks). First of all, I don't believe this for shit. The Executive Committee is made up of my office's managing principal, the partners of the firm, and some other principals including another from our office. I would bet my entire life away that this "committee" (more like a poker game at grandpa's social club) wants nothing to do with scanning over hundreds of lines of timesheets in order to see if Susie in Oakland is meeting her overtime quota. These mandates are likely self imposed, as in, the office management will be reviewing this, and reviewing how best to fuck us.
That means the managing principal of the office. Using terms like "executive committee" and "GENERIC CO-OWNER NAME #1" as the reason it's to make this one not look like the bad guy. She is. Two weeks ago a few people lost their jobs likely because they didn't work absurd hours. It's becoming increasingly frustrating working at this place, because it's not the entire office management that fucked, it's a few very rotten (and stinky) apples. The way the office is treating all of the employees sucks, and as soon as there is the slighest sniff of job opportunities elsewhere, we're gone. At least I am. I might post this blog to the company website, or work 40 hours a week (gasp!) to get the hell out of this company. The only thing that has changed over the past few months has been the accounting software to tell how utilized (or rather, under-utilized) staff is and who can be placed elsewhere to make up time (or rather straight up cut to make room for overhead).
We've all taken pay cuts (fuck, I'm making less now than I did when I first got out of school 2+ years ago and I have 10 times the amount of responsibility) and we are all essentially investing in this company, regardless of whether we are titled employees and receive profit sharing (here's a spoiler, I'm not titled, don't receive profit sharing, and besides, there's no profit to share). Let me just say, I'm ready for some CHANGE. I don't care how it comes about, it just needs to go down.
So PMLizzie, when you read this, if you actually get onto this website, because there is no fucking way that I'm going to forward you the link, I'm sorry if I was so negative! I just don't like some of your co-principals, because they suck. They break every Management 101 rule, and Management for Dummies is probably too advanced for them.
My master plan is probably the bitchiest plan ever. I just plan to put my nose to the grindstone, do my work, talk to no one about my personal life, and if I get my sweet release from this terrible place, siick. Management is banking on the fact that each employee is in "I'm just happy I still have a job"-mode, so they are basically going to decide to fuck continually in the ass until there is once a time when we don't have to take it. For now, I suppose we'll be black and blue. I wouldn't mind a couple hundred a week in unemployment though, that's for damn sure. Get me some of that goverment money!
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