Anyone want to vent about the corporate world with me?

[t]

I will read your post later, just coming in to say that today made me want to blow my brains out. More vents to follow after I deal with more shenanigans via email.

[catbus]

My company is eliminating some positions right now, as well. It's rough. They very rarely do this, and I know it's being done with a ton of discretion, but still. One of the people let go last week relocated here from Atlanta for this job... eight months ago. With a kid. Ugh.

[rugbywife]

I am sorry. I honestly feel like this is something I have been so grateful to never have to deal with. My BFF works in marketing and she has been laid off multiple times in the past decade... It's just so disheartening.

[catbus]

It kills me that your H is having to go up against external candidates when he has already been doing the job. And I know that's totally how this stuff works at most companies. I just still think it's BS.

My H has been effectively doing a job two steps above him for nearly a year now, but the budget doesn't exist for him to be promoted into that title. Which I also think is BS, because... clearly there's a need for that position if you're having him do it, so lobby for the budget. Jesus.

[Alyssa]

Working 60 hours a week, including late nights on a Saturday still isn't good enough for my boss. We still get yelled at for how much work isn't completed. I'm at a loss, but maybe they should hire more people.

[schrodinger]

We're also going through layoffs here. They announced that they are planning reductions of at least 25%. Most of the jobs are relocating to our other site (halfway across the country) and they are prioritizing jobs based on minimizing transfers. All in all, my site could lose 40% of their employees. Needless to say, morale is at an all time low right now. My group is likely not impacted, but I feel so bad looking around and knowing that a huge chunk of my co-workers won't be here in 4 months.

[Deleted]

Here's a general company timeline of the last year, I call it the Year of Bullshit.

Oct 2013 - company IPO, spun off from parent company
Dec 2013 - new CEO
Jan 2014 - I move from healthcare analytics division to product development, healthcare
May 18, 2014 - my BFP which is noteworthy for timing
Late May 2014 - 40% of the company laid off, primarily in my division (healthcare), company decides to stop supporting the 2 healthcare products I worked on
June 2014 - all remaining healthcare employees are laid off and then immediately hired by a third party consulting company we work with, so they have jobs but their benefits suck and they are now contractors. Product development was the only unaffected department.
July through December - 50% of the company quits, about 10% were replaced. I am pregnant and can't quit or will lose fmla protection. My job is miserable and boring and way out of my comfort zone. Company also announced that we are moving from or amazing downtown location to a soul less town about 30 min away and with a shitty commute. No gym, daycare, or other perks we have in our current location.
Jan 2015 - the healthcare employees moved to the contractor were given notice their last day is the 31st

It's been tough. Can't wait to go on maternity leave.

[ktw]

Some days I get so bogged down in the corporate bullshit. Like you said, we're a business, I get that we have to make money, but sometimes it seems like everything we're doing is ass backwards, and there's no regard for the fact that employees are actually people with lives outside of the workplace. So frustrating.

[nextbigthing]

I had a terrible day at my small business job (the owner of my company hits happy hour a little too hard on the way home most days and loves to call me on his way home to yell and complain about all things wrong at the company, most of which is bs, the company is doing well, which is why I don't want another job, I like my job and make great money, but being second in command and putting up with his crap wears me down and gets me all upset).

This post shows me that there's bullshit in big corporations too, it's just different bs. Is there no where to work that is just nice and normal?

[Deleted]

Ugh, that's rough. H just got a new VP for his division and so far the guy is a crazy micromanager. H reports directly to him and one other woman. His other boss can't stand the new vp. The VP ggz sent an email that basically said "we need to plan for the planning meeting" lol. He isalong them have their emplyee turn in weekly reports listing two things they completed, two issues, and 2 hoals. Weekly! F that.

Also, wrt interviews. If your H is doing the job well the interview should be a formality. It's stupid to not give him the job based on an interview if he has already shown he can do it!!

[Brie]

I'm just so fucking sick of US maternity leave policies. I am basically working myself into the ground through sickness right now because my leave is unpaid without accrued sick leave.

And I'm one of the "lucky" ones--savings to dip into, working H, covered by FMLA.

[nextbigthing]

Jan 15, 2015 21:01:12 GMT -5 @starry said:

Jan 15, 2015 19:54:27 GMT -5 nextbigthing said:

This post shows me that there's bullshit in big corporations too, it's just different bs. Is there no where to work that is just nice and normal?

ding ding ding. Seriously wtf? I would have thought catbus was in utopia of all places. It is just so disheartening to me. And my mom, who is pretty much my BFF, really can't relate as she spent her whole career in government and things are just different there (NOT always better but VERY different).

I am also bummed because I am worried it will put my promotion on hold (should find out in two weeks). Meanwhile people I used to supervise are getting promoted at my old company like I hated that place even more but wtf? 

BLAH! WINE WINE FOR ALL

(sorry for your bad day)

Sorry for your suckey day too. Have a big glass of wine for me too. 6 weeks til this kid gets here then all the wine!

[spunkarella]

I'm sorry @starry. The corporate world can be very, very sucky. Fingers crossed for your DH (even though that interview sounds like BS)!

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2015 21:06:39 GMT -5 @starry said:

Jan 15, 2015 19:47:00 GMT -5 @sessalee said:

Here's a general company timeline of the last year, I call it the Year of Bullshit.

OMG you win! How freaking terrible. I hope you can find something else soon.

And to think, usually I love winning!

I am sorry about your rough day and things going to shit at work. I really do sympathize. 

[djc315]

I had a rough week at work, more on a personal level. I was having a really rough go at quarter end projects in my new role, and I was pissed because I didn't seek out my new job (bragplaint?). I was so ready to give up. Finally, on Tuesday, everything kind of clicked, but I worked 13 hours from home on Monday and then over 10 hours in the office on Tuesday. Plus N was sick so I was dealing with that, too. I got another job offer on Wednesday, that had it come 24 hours earlier I would have likely taken it LOL.

Plus, my entire company is a shit storm right now. People are being let go all over the place, all the groups are reorg-ing, word is out that our bonuses aren't going to be the norm. Just the usual corporate bullshit. Plus, my office (HQ) is slated to move downtown, which means a crazy commute for the majority of the people there. Also, add in parking & city tax, which we currently do not have to pay. I am thinking about moving to a satellite location to avoid the move.

[bowies]

The company I work for went public so all our perks/benefits got slashed and we have a new CEO for the first time in many years who is changing the culture a lot. Not for the better. No one in the company got a raise this year. Or at least, no one who works in the trenches. People are quitting left and right. This is what the executives wanted but morale is at a low right now. I really want out of this industry but the only place to go is government and they all seem so beaten down and unambitious. (Not trying to generalize here, just speaking about those around me.)

I really wish I enjoyed my job/career but I don't.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2015 21:15:25 GMT -5 bowies said:

The company I work for went public so all our perks/benefits got slashed and we have a new CEO for the first time in many years who is changing the culture a lot. Not for the better. No one in the company got a raise this year. Or at least, no one who works in the trenches. People are quitting left and right. This is what the executives wanted but morale is at a low right now. I really want out of this industry but the only place to go is government and they all seem so beaten down and unambitious. (Not trying to generalize here, just speaking about those around me.)

I really wish I enjoyed my job/career but I don't.

Do we... work for the same company? 

Ok I know we don't but you should go read my post. It's eerily similar.

[countthestars]

Well you all know all my work bullshit because I posted it earlier this week.

....as I send out a bajillion emails on Thursday evening....

[bowies]

@sessalee I don't work in healthcare but it probably sounds familiar because it's all the same shit.

I want to work for Google. They get 5 months paid maternity leave.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2015 21:20:56 GMT -5 bowies said:

@sessalee I don't work in healthcare but it probably sounds familiar because it's all the same shit.

I want to work for Google. They get 5 months paid maternity leave.

I know I have friends that work at Google. The mat leave is nice, but they do work awfully long days.

[undecidedowl]

Jan 15, 2015 20:10:59 GMT -5 Brie said:

I'm just so fucking sick of US maternity leave policies. I am basically working myself into the ground through sickness right now because my leave is unpaid without accrued sick leave.

And I'm one of the "lucky" ones--savings to dip into, working H, covered by FMLA.

Yes. It is so ridiculous. I am going back to work in 1.5 weeks and am just so pissed about it because I don't feel ready, DS2 doesn't take bottles well, and yay a baby at daycare during cold and flu season. All of that would be fixed by having a longer leave. But, I can't give up my job right now so I have no choice but to go back.

My boss was shocked when he noticed I had not used any PTO yet before going on leave, he didn't realize maternity leave is not paid. Sucks how little we value families.

[Brie]

Jan 15, 2015 21:25:57 GMT -5 @starry said:

Jan 15, 2015 21:21:31 GMT -5 @sessalee said:

I know I have friends that work at Google. The mat leave is nice, but they do work awfully long days.

NO WHERE IS SAFE! NOT EVEN GOOGLE AND THEY DID A MOVIE ABOUT HOW GREAT IT WAS WORKING THERE!

Canada. Canada is probably safe. Unless you work at Target.

[rugbywife]

Jan 15, 2015 21:33:55 GMT -5 Brie said:

Jan 15, 2015 21:25:57 GMT -5 @starry said:

NO WHERE IS SAFE! NOT EVEN GOOGLE AND THEY DID A MOVIE ABOUT HOW GREAT IT WAS WORKING THERE!

Canada. Canada is probably safe. Unless you work at Target.

I almost said 'sorry for the rough news today' to the cashier today but decided not to.

[justjen]

This post is triggering my PTSD for why I left publishing.

Hugs, everyone.

[redheadbaker]

I've been unemployed since early December. I keep seeing job ads that look like a great fit, and I apply, and ... nothing. I'm so tired of getting my hopes up for nothing. It really seems to be all about "who you know" and since I'm really bad at office politics and networking ... I guess I'm out of luck.

[djc315]

Jan 15, 2015 21:14:11 GMT -5 @starry said:

@djc WHY does what you are going through have to be the norm? I'm just nodding along, like yup sounds typical. WHY. WHY?

I figured it might make you feel a little better that you're not really missing out

[july]

I saw my dad go through the corporate crap growing up. Long hours, layoffs because there was a new boss. I didn't want it, so I went into government. It has challenges. Right now, morale is really low where I work.

[cjeanette]

I do not miss corporate America one little bit.

[cherry1111]

Hearing about layoffs at my job doesn't even bother me anymore. I've been there 10 years and it is so common I don't even think twice about the rumors anymore. In fact I'm at a point where I wouldn't be upset if I got laid off. I'd get about 4.5 months severance and it would be the push I need to give up my comfort zone and probably be happier somewhere else. They let me WFH 2 days a week and I have 4 weeks vacation and 2 weeks sick time. That's the only thing keeping me. We are now being managed by people in another country and the direction they are taking us really bothers me.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2015 21:52:05 GMT -5 redheadbaker said:

I've been unemployed since early December. I keep seeing job ads that look like a great fit, and I apply, and ... nothing. I'm so tired of getting my hopes up for nothing. It really seems to be all about "who you know" and since I'm really bad at office politics and networking ... I guess I'm out of luck.

It's not even always that so much as most job descriptions tell you very little about what the company is looking for. You need to talk to a recruiter or hiring manager to get the actual scoop.