# My bastard ex boss



## phil (May 7, 2002)

So I moved jobs and managers fairly recently (in the same dept.), and as a result my ex manager's crossed me off the pay rise list. I should have seen it coming but didn't think he was such a knob.

Anyone know how to make those car bombs that go off when you turn the key? 

I'd be more pissed off but my old job sucked and the new one's much better. And the pay rises were all crap this year anyway.


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

The world is full of crap managers. Cos everyone gets promoted to their highest level of incompetence and then they stay there.


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## R6B TT (Feb 25, 2003)

What a T**t. If you earned the rise it should happen anyway, but with tight budgets etc I can see where this could happen. Do you have a mail from him telling him what you are / were getting as most should start hitting pay packets from October onwards ?
If you can back it up you should speak to your HR partner.


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## vlastan (May 6, 2002)

> HR partner.


HR managers are the low life of the corporate environment! They will never agree giving you anything more, especially as your manager doesn't support you on this.

After all the job market is in a bad state these days.


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

...as my colleague states "HR exists to keep the wages down" ... 

Phil - you were lucky you were gonna get any pay rise - remember who we work for.... : 

Damian


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## phil (May 7, 2002)

> ...as my colleague states "HR exists to keep the wages down" ...
> 
> Phil - you were lucky you were gonna get any pay rise - remember who we work for.... :
> 
> Damian


Yeah. Funny how we were talking about it the other night. Turned out I was wrong about the way things are done around here and it is the same as your place. Sods eh?
What's worst is we now have a section on our pay notice saying what the industry standard wage is. For me it was 10-15K more than I get. How shit is that?
Worst thing is, there are hardly any other jobs out there.


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## vlastan (May 6, 2002)

Phil,

This seems to be HRs defence in our case too. They keep saying that we are overpaid and the industry wages are a lot lower than what we get.

HRs objectives are: "Keep people working and delivering for the lowest possible wages".


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## paulatt (Oct 28, 2002)

You should try academia if you want to be low paid and get minimal pay rises!!


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

Wages are not supposed to be the primary motivator though are they... Can't blame a firm for wanting to keep salaries down - they are not always the key to a happy workforce.

Still doesn't change the fact that Phil's ex-boss is a bell-end.


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

HR are useless. You only hear from them at redundancy time.

I didn'y get a pay rise this year (actually for 3 years) due to similar circumstances. But my boss is still there :'(

I also discovered that the people on my team that came from a large company that we merged with 16 months ago, all earn about Â£30K more than I do for doing exactly the same job - plus they all got pay rises.

Long live cronyism :-/ Still one can always take one's labour elsewhere......


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

The fact, as Phil mentions, that there aren't many jobs out there means these great companies know they can fleece us....!

They must just gamble on people having short memories when the market gets better, as it inevitably wiil, at some stage (things are cyclical right?)
:-/

Damian


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

> The fact, as Phil mentions, that there aren't many jobs out there means these great companies know they can fleece us....!
> 
> They must just gamble on people having short memories when the market gets better, as it inevitably wiil, at some stage (things are cyclical right?)
> :-/
> ...


Absolutely Damian,

I don't know why but people are talking 2nd half 04 for a recovery in IT.

It will become easier for employment mobility and people will move which may inconvenience some employers. Shame. 

ps how about that Bedfont (or Basingstoke) sound off we hinted at? Got the diesel tuned now too.


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## R6B TT (Feb 25, 2003)

I'd be up for a Bedfont meet - maybe Basingstoke too


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## phil (May 7, 2002)

> I'd be up for a Bedfont meet - maybe Basingstoke too


I go quite near both on my commute.

My new job will involve lots of meeting with customers and I'm an expert in a new technology SAN storage product. Needless to say I'll ask every last one of them if they've got any jobs going. 
Loads of companies are desperate for folk, but can't advertise for jobs externally.


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## vlastan (May 6, 2002)

What is SAN storage product?


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## phil (May 7, 2002)

Storage Area Networks. Big disk drives, essentially.


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

> Storage Area Networks. Big disk drives, essentially.


Plus FCAL, switching, tape libraries, and expensive management SW.

Dull really. But lucrative.

Someone suggest a date for Bedfont or (better) Basing.


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

Bedfont better for me so I hope that's ok..

How about Thursday 9th October at around 12.30?

Anyone got a suggestion on precisely _where_ in Bedfont - I only really know the business park bit where IBM is ...

Damian


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

Ps we were planning this for a lunchtime right?

Damian


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## paulb (May 6, 2002)

> Plus FCAL, switching, tape libraries, and expensive management SW.


Can tell you're in sales Gary, you know all the buzzwords


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## R6B TT (Feb 25, 2003)

> Bedfont better for me so I hope that's ok..
> 
> How about Thursday 9th October at around 12.30?
> 
> ...


9th looks ok for me - there is next to nothing in Bedfont though, and Princes Club you have to pay to park. How about that Pub by the River in Staines unless anyone has a better idea


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

> Can tell you're in sales Gary, you know all the buzzwords Â


Wot like "expensive"?


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

> 9th looks ok for me - there is next to nothing in Bedfont though, and Princes Club you have to pay to park. How about that Pub by the River in Staines unless anyone has a better idea


Will check the oracle for 9th. Sounds good though.


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

Can't do 9th. Can only do 6th next week. 

Or the 13th?


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## paulb (May 6, 2002)

> Wot like "expensive"?


Shouldn't that read "high value"? :


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

6th no good for me - 13th currently ok. Ok for you Rob?

Re: pub by river - The Swan. No parking likely to be available outside - but across the bridge (towards the town centre) - there is a car park the other side of the road - but parking near each other may be a problem (for ICE showdown purposes 

What we could do is go to the Runnymede Hotel - big car park (though not usually many spaces free) and there is a little bar called 'Charlie Bell's'.

Thoughts?

Damian


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## R6B TT (Feb 25, 2003)

13th looks ok for me at the mo - lets make it the Runnymede, it's usually full of Recruitment consultants but given the crap state of the job market at the moment there may be more free parking spots.


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

That's OK by me.


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## uppTTnorth (Jul 5, 2003)

Take your time , and plan some kind of revenge that will give you a giggle.My ex(Ha-Ha they sacked the bastard eventually) engineering manager was a complete and utter twat(gave me my one and only written warning , for taking 7 minutes extra over lunch, i did say he was a twat) so i stored up the occasional piss in a 4 pint milk container , i just knew it would come in handy eventually , and sure enough one friday in he marches wanting his car checking over before his holiday , engine oil fine , radiator fine , washer bottle OHHHHH needs topping up , there u go u bastard about 3 pints of piss it took.Not the most innovative revenge i know , but to this day it still makes me giggle. ;D


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## karloff (Feb 19, 2003)

> Take your time.....
> 
> I stored up the occasional piss in a 4 pint milk container , I just knew it would come in handy eventually


Do like your style!!

By the way, is that a Kingfisher Blue sig pic??


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## uppTTnorth (Jul 5, 2003)

Yes , thats beautiful Kingfisher blue, but then i am biased. ;D


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## karloff (Feb 19, 2003)

You and me both mate - there's not too many of us about!!


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

Gary,

I've spoken (IM) to Rob today and we are on for 12.30 at the Runymede Hotel - presume you are too??

Anyone else wishses to come along - more than welcome! ;D

Damian


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

What happened Gary !? :-/

Rob - nice chatting with you 

Damian


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

> What happened Gary !? :-/
> 
> Rob - nice chatting with you Â
> 
> Damian


Damn. Didn't see any acknowledgement so didn't think it was on - sorry Snax - I would have been up for it - although I did have an 8am in Brum first thing today.

Will IM you for another date - although hope to get new front wing and front wheel fitted first -( scaffolding truck 'incident' last weekend) :


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

tsk tsk - you didn't see the acknowledgement above :

Ah well - these things happen I guess [smiley=juggle.gif]

Yes hopefully we can re-arrange... 

Damian


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

> tsk tsk - you didn't see the acknowledgement above Â :
> 
> Ah well - these things happen I guess Â [smiley=juggle.gif]
> 
> ...


Tsk Tsk posted at 9.20 am :

Checked forum at 5.45am had to be on road by 6.30am.
[smiley=juggle.gif]

I'll IM you my GSM and we'll do it again, although I am a little hectic trying to close as much business as poss for our year end, and hopefully sustain employment a little longer...........

Did you ROCK? [smiley=dude.gif]


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

> Tsk Tsk posted at 9.20 am :
> 
> Checked forum at 5.45am had to be on road by 6.30am.
> [smiley=juggle.gif]
> ...


I guess I should give you some slack as prior to the 9.20 post there isn't an 'absolute confirmation' post it seems...

We didn't do the ICE A<>B thing as it happens....but we had quite nice cajun chicken sandwiches Â [smiley=party2.gif] Â *lol*

I can imagine you are busy - Q4 always a busy one - especially when our sales people are probably trying to close your business also I'd guess...! Â 

Yep - we'll sort out another time.. 

Damian


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## ag (Sep 12, 2002)

You guys are lucky to be in IT, even if the rewards are lower than they have been. Like an idiot I did an engineering degree. This means that despite having 15 years experience and working a 60 hour week I probably earn less than you lot pay in tax! And in engineering I'm doing OK.

Nurses, they do degrees, they work shifts. They have to cope with trauma on a daily basis that we hope to never see. Don't see too many nurses in TTs.

I'm not having a go, but for every person that earns more than you, but doesn't deserve to, there are tens that earn less and don't deserve to.


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

> You guys are lucky to be in IT, even if the rewards are lower than they have been. Like an idiot I did an engineering degree. This means that despite having 15 years experience and working a 60 hour week I probably earn less than you lot pay in tax! And in engineering I'm doing OK.
> 
> Nurses, they do degrees, they work shifts. They have to cope with trauma on a daily basis that we hope to never see. Don't see too many nurses in TTs.
> 
> I'm not having a go, but for every person that earns more than you, but doesn't deserve to, there are tens that earn less and don't deserve to.


I am grateful every month the cheque comes in. So is my wife; my Dad; the mortgage company; Gordon Brown; Bristol City Council; Sainsburys; the Utilities; Mitchells Marina; Visa; Oddbins; Amazon; two Indian Families; House of Frazer; the Homeless; RNLI; Help the Aged; half the bars and restaurants in Bristol; Cancer Research; and 3 hungry horses - since they all construe to leave me wit sod all come pay day again. 

But I'm not grizzling - just wish it would come around more often


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

> You guys are lucky to be in IT, even if the rewards are lower than they have been. Like an idiot I did an engineering degree. This means that despite having 15 years experience and working a 60 hour week I probably earn less than you lot pay in tax! And in engineering I'm doing OK.
> 
> Nurses, they do degrees, they work shifts. They have to cope with trauma on a daily basis that we hope to never see. Don't see too many nurses in TTs.
> 
> I'm not having a go, but for every person that earns more than you, but doesn't deserve to, there are tens that earn less and don't deserve to.


Oh I know - my g/f is a student nurse !! 8)

Damian


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

The only caveat I'd add to the above is that in the public sector you may not earn as much, but you will never get a tap on the shoulder at age 45 and be walked out of the door the same day by Security after 5-10-15-20 years service; get down sized due to economic conditions; live under threat of being taken over or merged and managed by strangers and suddenly be redundant; have you contracts of work changed overnight without any legal consultation or union coverage; see your future pension and long term stock investments get reduced at the whim of the global market by a bunch of analysts; have to eat corporate shit year on year.....and sell more and more in flat or depressed markets with massive price erosion.

Whilst the pay has been OK (BTW it is now aligning with the rest of commerce such as FMCG since IT is considered a mature industry now) my point is that it isn't all rosy with flash cars etc. There is zero security. A job for life - if that's important to the individual - is not a certainty in IT.

It is just a different sort of pressure - but pressure non the less.

.....and plenty of folk put in equally long hours in IT.

But the golden years are well and truley over.

_Still not complaining though  - if you don't like your job do something else_


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## jgoodman00 (May 6, 2002)

> since they all construe to leave me wit sod all come pay day again.  Â


Yup, I find that no matter how much I get paid, I am always skint come next pay-day. :


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

> The only caveat I'd add to the above is that in the public sector you may not earn as much, but you will never get a tap on the shoulder at age 45 and be walked out of the door the same day by Security after 5-10-15-20 years service; Â get down sized due to economic conditions; live under threat of being taken over or merged and managed by strangers and suddenly be redundant; have you contracts of work changed overnight without any legal consultation or union coverage; see your future pension and long term stock investments get reduced at the whim of the global market by a bunch of analysts; have to eat corporate shit year on year.....and sell more and more in flat or depressed markets with massive price erosion.
> 
> Whilst the pay has been OK (BTW it is now aligning with the rest of commerce such as FMCG since IT is considered a mature industry now) my point is that it isn't all rosy with flash cars etc. Â There is zero security. Â A job for life - if that's important to the individual - is not a certainty in IT.
> 
> ...


Nice comment Gary - you hit the nail well and truly on the head. I am pleased to have the job I have now but I'm always worried that it's not gonna last and at some point my team and I will get 'streamlined' out. We do our very best to keep our small group as profitable as possible so as to at least avoid the spotlight as far as we can !!

Damian


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Hrm - One point - I work for a Local Authority and have been, since first working here 10 years ago, under the constant threat of losing my position due to CCT/Best Value etc etc.
Public Sector does not mean job for life.....


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