Professional Darwinism: Update to OP on p.74

[jedikaiti]

I had posted awhile before about a group of women at DH's workplace who were ganging up on a new hire, including such junior high tricks as leaving a stuffed hippo at her workstation  .  One of the ringleaders was fired this week.  Seems she was written up twice last year for the same thing, and warned that one more incident would result in her termination.  She got a new manager this year and five or six more warnings, but the ax finally fell this week and she was escorted out, with much drama and hysteria on her part.  Her sister, who also works there, is stomping around with a black look griping about how unfair it all is.

I am soooo glad she is gone - some people just never grow up, do they?

[Shalamar]

O/T, but my MIL once bought me a memo pad for Christmas that had a huge, waddling hippo and the tagline "Point me towards the weekend".   She swore that it wasn't meant as a slam, but I know her a little too well, and I'm pretty sure that it was.

[lilfox]

I had posted awhile before about a group of women at DH's workplace who were ganging up on a new hire, including such junior high tricks as leaving a stuffed hippo at her workstation  .  One of the ringleaders was fired this week.  Seems she was written up twice last year for the same thing, and warned that one more incident would result in her termination.  She got a new manager this year and five or six more warnings, but the ax finally fell this week and she was escorted out, with much drama and hysteria on her part.  Her sister, who also works there, is stomping around with a black look griping about how unfair it all is.

I am soooo glad she is gone - some people just never grow up, do they?

It took me a minute to figure out what was wrong with that - after all, I gave one of my good friends a stuffed hippo as a present once.  But then I realized: hippos were my friend's favorite animal (which I knew) and not some commentary on her weight/appearance.     Yeah, that's just mean.

PD at my work: like most offices, we can get into serious trouble for excessively using the internet for personal reasons during work hours - it's only okay during breaks.  There are a few PD cases every year of someone using internet too much, which almost always end in suspension and paycheck correction (for false claims of working that time).  Well, a couple of folks decided to spend HOURS per day watching non-work-related videos, with tacit (manager knew and did nothing) and then explicit (manager eventually joined them) permission.  One was suspended, two were outright fired.

[Mediancat]

I had posted awhile before about a group of women at DH's workplace who were ganging up on a new hire, including such junior high tricks as leaving a stuffed hippo at her workstation  .  One of the ringleaders was fired this week.  Seems she was written up twice last year for the same thing, and warned that one more incident would result in her termination.  She got a new manager this year and five or six more warnings, but the ax finally fell this week and she was escorted out, with much drama and hysteria on her part.  Her sister, who also works there, is stomping around with a black look griping about how unfair it all is. 

The people whose philosophy of life genuinely is Bleep 'em if they can't take a joke tend to react badly when they deal with people in authority who don't think they're funny.

If you tell people like this, "She was being a jerk at someone else at work and was warned repatedly to stop being a jerk," her or the sister's response will likely be to stare in complete incomprehension. What do you mean, they're the bad guy? They were just having a little fun! People should quit overreacting! Etc.

Rob

[Kariachi]

I had posted awhile before about a group of women at DH's workplace who were ganging up on a new hire, including such junior high tricks as leaving a stuffed hippo at her workstation  .  One of the ringleaders was fired this week.  Seems she was written up twice last year for the same thing, and warned that one more incident would result in her termination.  She got a new manager this year and five or six more warnings, but the ax finally fell this week and she was escorted out, with much drama and hysteria on her part.  Her sister, who also works there, is stomping around with a black look griping about how unfair it all is.

I am soooo glad she is gone - some people just never grow up, do they?

It took me a minute to figure out what was wrong with that - after all, I gave one of my good friends a stuffed hippo as a present once.  But then I realized: hippos were my friend's favorite animal (which I knew) and not some commentary on her weight/appearance.     Yeah, that's just mean.

This is one of the few situations where being completely oblivious is a godsend. Even with prior trouble, someone leaving a stuffed hippo on my desk probably would have made my day. 

[ladyknight1]

I work for the state government. We are very limited as to what can be bought out of our limited budget, and comfort items are included. No coffee, coffee makers, water coolers, refrigerators, etc.

In our kitchen, we have: refrigerator, two coffee makers, a Keurig single cup brewer, a Water cooler, a microwave, a toaster, and a movie theater style popcorn maker.

All of the items were brought in by people that work here, or everyone chipped in to buy the refrigerator. Therefore, they do not belong to the department.

Employee C (another department and location) decided that she needed the department's popcorn machine for an event. Sent an email asking when she could pick it up and where the free oil and popcorn for it was. I sent her a private reply that the machine and supplies do not belong to the department, and this machine is not the table top variety, it is 6' tall and not easily portable.

Employee C is throwing a world class tantrum over it.

[mmswm]

I had posted awhile before about a group of women at DH's workplace who were ganging up on a new hire, including such junior high tricks as leaving a stuffed hippo at her workstation  .  One of the ringleaders was fired this week.  Seems she was written up twice last year for the same thing, and warned that one more incident would result in her termination.  She got a new manager this year and five or six more warnings, but the ax finally fell this week and she was escorted out, with much drama and hysteria on her part.  Her sister, who also works there, is stomping around with a black look griping about how unfair it all is.

I am soooo glad she is gone - some people just never grow up, do they?

It took me a minute to figure out what was wrong with that - after all, I gave one of my good friends a stuffed hippo as a present once.  But then I realized: hippos were my friend's favorite animal (which I knew) and not some commentary on her weight/appearance.     Yeah, that's just mean.

This is one of the few situations where being completely oblivious is a godsend. Even with prior trouble, someone leaving a stuffed hippo on my desk probably would have made my day. 

It took me a moment too.  I live in a town where dancing at social gatherings of any sort happens all the time.  I don't dance.  I often joke around that it's because "I have all the grace of a hippo in labor".  As a result, my friends frequently give me stuffed animals, drawings and other nicknacks of hippos wearing tutus.  I think it's hysterical, so my brain took an extra moment to figure out why, in this instance, it was a problem.

[Lorelei_Evil]

I work for the state government. We are very limited as to what can be bought out of our limited budget, and comfort items are included. No coffee, coffee makers, water coolers, refrigerators, etc.

In our kitchen, we have: refrigerator, two coffee makers, a Keurig single cup brewer, a Water cooler, a microwave, a toaster, and a movie theater style popcorn maker.

All of the items were brought in by people that work here, or everyone chipped in to buy the refrigerator. Therefore, they do not belong to the department.

Employee C (another department and location) decided that she needed the department's popcorn machine for an event. Sent an email asking when she could pick it up and where the free oil and popcorn for it was. I sent her a private reply that the machine and supplies do not belong to the department, and this machine is not the table top variety, it is 6' tall and not easily portable.

Employee C is throwing a world class tantrum over it.

FREE oil and popcorn?!  Rent a machine, snowflake.  I wouldn't lend your machine as I'd be worried aboaut getting it back.

[cwm]

I work for the state government. We are very limited as to what can be bought out of our limited budget, and comfort items are included. No coffee, coffee makers, water coolers, refrigerators, etc.

In our kitchen, we have: refrigerator, two coffee makers, a Keurig single cup brewer, a Water cooler, a microwave, a toaster, and a movie theater style popcorn maker.

All of the items were brought in by people that work here, or everyone chipped in to buy the refrigerator. Therefore, they do not belong to the department.

Employee C (another department and location) decided that she needed the department's popcorn machine for an event. Sent an email asking when she could pick it up and where the free oil and popcorn for it was. I sent her a private reply that the machine and supplies do not belong to the department, and this machine is not the table top variety, it is 6' tall and not easily portable.

Employee C is throwing a world class tantrum over it.

FREE oil and popcorn?!  Rent a machine, snowflake.  I wouldn't lend your machine as I'd be worried aboaut getting it back.

I'd email her back and let her know that the free oil and popcorn has to be picked up at the store, and oh by the way, she'll have to cover the cost to pick them up because your department is so busy.

As to when she can pick it up, tell her that she'll be able to pick it up September 2 or something. If she mentions that it's already passed, you can tell her oh, you're sorry, schedules must have gotten confused, it's not available for other departments at this time.

[ladyknight1]

We are going with "that won't be possible" to C.

[Shoo]

I work for the state government. We are very limited as to what can be bought out of our limited budget, and comfort items are included. No coffee, coffee makers, water coolers, refrigerators, etc.

In our kitchen, we have: refrigerator, two coffee makers, a Keurig single cup brewer, a Water cooler, a microwave, a toaster, and a movie theater style popcorn maker.

All of the items were brought in by people that work here, or everyone chipped in to buy the refrigerator. Therefore, they do not belong to the department.

Employee C (another department and location) decided that she needed the department's popcorn machine for an event. Sent an email asking when she could pick it up and where the free oil and popcorn for it was. I sent her a private reply that the machine and supplies do not belong to the department, and this machine is not the table top variety, it is 6' tall and not easily portable.

Employee C is throwing a world class tantrum over it.

FREE oil and popcorn?!  Rent a machine, snowflake.  I wouldn't lend your machine as I'd be worried aboaut getting it back.

I'd email her back and let her know that the free oil and popcorn has to be picked up at the store, and oh by the way, she'll have to cover the cost to pick them up because your department is so busy.

As to when she can pick it up, tell her that she'll be able to pick it up September 2 or something. If she mentions that it's already passed, you can tell her oh, you're sorry, schedules must have gotten confused, it's not available for other departments at this time.

It would be much easier to just tell her it can't be borrowed.  It doesn't belong to the company.

[ladyknight1]

That is what has happened, but it is a bit annoying regardless as she has been in the organization twice as long as I have and she admitted to me just a bit ago that she knew we can't buy such things or pay for supplies for it out of the budget. 

Maybe she thought there was a popcorn fairy? 

[LazyDaisy]

I've met people who just have a notion that any property kept within a communal area belongs to the "community", regardless of who actually owns it. The really crazy part is that she really isn't a part of your office "community" -- I'm assuming that anyone in your office has been given permission to make/eat the popcorn...and use the microwave, coffee makers, toaster. I'd tell her who does own the popcorn maker. That person has the right to decide if she can or can't borrow the item.

[Winterlight]

I had posted awhile before about a group of women at DH's workplace who were ganging up on a new hire, including such junior high tricks as leaving a stuffed hippo at her workstation  .  One of the ringleaders was fired this week.  Seems she was written up twice last year for the same thing, and warned that one more incident would result in her termination.  She got a new manager this year and five or six more warnings, but the ax finally fell this week and she was escorted out, with much drama and hysteria on her part.  Her sister, who also works there, is stomping around with a black look griping about how unfair it all is.

I am soooo glad she is gone - some people just never grow up, do they?

It took me a minute to figure out what was wrong with that - after all, I gave one of my good friends a stuffed hippo as a present once.  But then I realized: hippos were my friend's favorite animal (which I knew) and not some commentary on her weight/appearance.     Yeah, that's just mean.

My first thought was, "IDGI. Stuffed hippos are cool. My friend Craig would have loved another- oh. Wait."

[BB-VA]

I had posted awhile before about a group of women at DH's workplace who were ganging up on a new hire, including such junior high tricks as leaving a stuffed hippo at her workstation  .  One of the ringleaders was fired this week.  Seems she was written up twice last year for the same thing, and warned that one more incident would result in her termination.  She got a new manager this year and five or six more warnings, but the ax finally fell this week and she was escorted out, with much drama and hysteria on her part.  Her sister, who also works there, is stomping around with a black look griping about how unfair it all is.

I am soooo glad she is gone - some people just never grow up, do they?

It took me a minute to figure out what was wrong with that - after all, I gave one of my good friends a stuffed hippo as a present once.  But then I realized: hippos were my friend's favorite animal (which I knew) and not some commentary on her weight/appearance.     Yeah, that's just mean.

My first thought was, "IDGI. Stuffed hippos are cool. My friend Craig would have loved another- oh. Wait."

My first thought was of Bert the NCIS hippo ^(TM).  The one with sound effects.  (you can buy one)

Not knowing that there had been a history of harassment was my problem.

Edited for format