Corporate Wisdom

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

In the spirit of anyone who has had cause to wonder if Scott Adams (the creator of "Dilbert") has a camera at their workplace, we received two emails back to back from the management.

The first email was a very self-congratulatory piece about how great the corporate rebranding was going and how it would come in at or below its budget of several million dollars.

The second email, sent not ten minutes later, solemnly informed us that their would be no raises or money for training for the foreseeable future.

I really really have to wonder if all these MBa geniuses have the slightest grounding in the real world.

I will be taking bets as to how large the exodus will be, as the economy here is picking up nicely again.

Best Regards,

- John

 

[sparkchaser]

We must work at the same place.

 

[jadam318]

I work for a nonprofit right now.........I don't even understand the term "raise". What does that mean?

 

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

We must work at the same place.

Not only that but your Heinlein quotation from "Time Enough For Love" is my screen background on my PC.

Hats off to you

 

[Swampfox]

I work for a nonprofit right now.........I don't even understand the term "raise". What does that mean?

Same here.

 

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

I work for a nonprofit right now.........I don't even understand the term "raise". What does that mean?

For me, it now has roughly the same meaning as the word "Overtime" which I won't be doing any more of.

 

[jadam318]

For me, it now has roughly the same meaning as the word "Overtime" which I won't be doing any more of.

Wait....you get paid for overtime!?!?!?! You must have a pretty sweet job!

 

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Wait....you get paid for overtime!?!?!?! You must have a pretty sweet job!

Nope, I'm "exempt" but expected to "put in 110%" for the good of the company

 

[jadam318]

Nope, I'm "exempt" but expected to "put in 110%" for the good of the company

Yeah, I feel ya. I was just going on with you a bit.

I was working for Georgia State Parks last year and experienced some similar issues. I was in a temporary position and had been promised a legitimate shot at management. I had the qualifications and, more importantly, the connections to do it, but the state initiated a massive hiring freeze. The governor said 'no more hiring', so I came to work as a volunteer for a year with Americorps VISTA. Now I'm headed to South Carolina to work for a county parks and rec department. I was told they have suspended all raises, including cost of living, until further notice. I'm ready for this 'economic downturn' to end.

 

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Yeah, I feel ya. I was just going on with you a bit.

I was working for Georgia State Parks last year and experienced some similar issues. I was in a temporary position and had been promised a legitimate shot at management. I had the qualifications and, more importantly, the connections to do it, but the state initiated a massive hiring freeze.

The same happened here, as well. I'm not in management, just a working engineer. Nobody is going to be hired here for a long time, I think. Are you trained in forestry management or similar?

The governor said 'no more hiring', so I came to work as a volunteer for a year with Americorps VISTA.

Forgive my ignorance. I looked it up on the web and it looks like it might be something like the Peace Corps?

Now I'm headed to South Carolina to work for a county parks and rec department. I was told they have suspended all raises, including cost of living, until further notice. I'm ready for this 'economic downturn' to end.

No argument there. I had high hopes when your president openly stated that the fault was on the way Wall Street had been run but nothing changed in the end.

You're going from Montana to SC? That's quite a relocation and I hope they are at least picking up that tab. I hope it works for you.

 

[jadam318]

The same happened here, as well. I'm not in management, just a working engineer. Nobody is going to be hired here for a long time, I think. Are you trained in forestry management or similar?

My degree is in Recreation with an emphasis on tourism and community leisure services. I love the field. Oddly enough, I actually spent four and a half years in college majoring in Mech Engineering. I changed to Engineering Technology and to Physics during that, but the stuff was quite similar.

Forgive my ignorance. I looked it up on the web and it looks like it might be something like the Peace Corps?

Yeah, Americorps is basically the same thing as Peace Corps; we just operate on U.S. soil (for the most part, anyway). The VISTA program is specifically designated to fight poverty.

No argument there. I had high hopes when your president openly stated that the fault was on the way Wall Street had been run but nothing changed in the end.

You're going from Montana to SC? That's quite a relocation and I hope they are at least picking up that tab. I hope it works for you.

Americorps is actually picking up the tab for relocation. I'm from Georgia originally, so I'm actually moving back home....well, almost. Thanks for the good wishes!

What kind of engineering are you in?

 

[Mr. Imperial]

Nope, I'm "exempt" but expected to "put in 110%" for the good of the company

My wife worked at a seminary a while back. When everyone was refused the normal raise, the powers that be suggested employees considered it an aspect of their "ministry".

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to eat ministry or put it in my gas tank.

 

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

My degree is in Recreation with an emphasis on tourism and community leisure services. I love the field. Oddly enough, I actually spent four and a half years in college majoring in Mech Engineering. I changed to Engineering Technology and to Physics during that, but the stuff was quite similar.

I think that sounds like a solid, practical mix of skills. I taught a bridge inspection course here last year and one of the participants has a similar education to yourself. She took the meagre bit I had to teach and really ran with it.

Yeah, Americorps is basically the same thing as Peace Corps; we just operate on U.S. soil (for the most part, anyway). The VISTA program is specifically designated to fight poverty.

That sounds like a good way to do some serious growing up in a hurry. I wish we had something like that here; I would stick my step-daughter in it for a couple of years.

Americorps is actually picking up the tab for relocation. I'm from Georgia originally, so I'm actually moving back home....well, almost. Thanks for the good wishes!

Er, I had to browse up a US map to look at the juxtaposition of the States. I'm glad they're helping you out.

What kind of engineering are you in?

I'm trained as a civil engineer but I'm recovering nicely

My wife worked at a seminary a while back. When everyone was refused the normal raise, the powers that be suggested employees considered it an aspect of their "ministry".

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to eat ministry or put it in my gas tank.

That sounds like theological "intangible benefits" to me. She could say she doesn't need any more ministry but it might be of benefit to the administration . . .

 

[Swampfox]

My wife worked at a seminary a while back. When everyone was refused the normal raise, the powers that be suggested employees considered it an aspect of their "ministry".

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to eat ministry or put it in my gas tank.

*cough* And they get mad when we go find another job. *cough*

 

[RBE17]

It's stories like this that remind me of what an old salt friend of mine told me when we were still working together at my first job out of college. He had 20+yrs experience in industry and said this to me after about six months on the job: "It's not what you can do for the company, but what the company can do for your resume." I always keep that in the back of my mind as I'm trudging along.

 

[jadam318]

I think that sounds like a solid, practical mix of skills. I taught a bridge inspection course here last year and one of the participants has a similar education to yourself. She took the meagre bit I had to teach and really ran with it.

Yeah, now that I'm entirely out of engineering, I kind of miss it a bit. I've considered brushing up my drafting skills and seeing if I can find an outlet to use some of that at some point. I really did love the problem solving aspect of the field. And I felt smart when I could write a 9 page paper all in math.

There is a pretty big call for landscape architecture/design. I think that is the sweet spot for crossing the two fields.

How did that student of yours run with it?

That sounds like a good way to do some serious growing up in a hurry. I wish we had something like that here; I would stick my step-daughter in it for a couple of years.

Oh, man. I've learned so much in the past year I can't believe it! I would recommend a similar experience to anyone! Canada doesn't have anything similar?

Er, I had to browse up a US map to look at the juxtaposition of the States. I'm glad they're helping you out.

Oh, yeah. I forget sometimes that I'm talking to people from other countries. My bad.

I'm trained as a civil engineer but I'm recovering nicely

Glad to hear that!

 

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

How did that student of yours run with it?

Well, your own experience brought her to mind. She works as a planner for our local National Park (Banff).

She took what is, to be honest, a pretty basic course in inspection and began laying out logical progressions of what could be done to extend the life of the bridge(s), turning some over to pedestrian (hiking) use, using weight restrictions as an adjunct to traffic planning and so on. Way smarter than me, to be sure.

Oh, man. I've learned so much in the past year I can't believe it! I would recommend a similar experience to anyone! Canada doesn't have anything similar?

Not that I was able to find in time. Now she is in school in another province. (When I pointed out she could save a pile of money by living at my place for free while she was in school, she pulled a drama queen act, holding her hand to her head and saying "ohh, I need a complete change of scene." I replied that if she needed a change in perspective, having to choose between food and rent would provide it). Anyway, she is in school, out of money and starting to fail courses and I have told the SigFem that she can live at my place for one month once she washes out, then it's school or rent.

*Deep Breath*

Sorry, rant over now . . .

 

[jadam318]

Well, your own experience brought her to mind. She works as a planner for our local National Park (Banff).

She took what is, to be honest, a pretty basic course in inspection and began laying out logical progressions of what could be done to extend the life of the bridge(s), turning some over to pedestrian (hiking) use, using weight restrictions as an adjunct to traffic planning and so on. Way smarter than me, to be sure.

Wow. Smarter than me, too, it sounds. Good for her!

Not that I was able to find in time. Now she is in school in another province. (When I pointed out she could save a pile of money by living at my place for free while she was in school, she pulled a drama queen act, holding her hand to her head and saying "ohh, I need a complete change of scene." I replied that if she needed a change in perspective, having to choose between food and rent would provide it). Anyway, she is in school, out of money and starting to fail courses and I have told the SigFem that she can live at my place for one month once she washes out, then it's school or rent.

*Deep Breath*

Sorry, rant over now . . .

Real life sucks more when you actually have to do it, huh?

 

[Mr. Imperial]

*cough* And they get mad when we go find another job. *cough*

Ah, a fellow "Christian industries" employee?

 

[raisindot]

In the spirit of anyone who has had cause to wonder if Scott Adams (the creator of "Dilbert") has a camera at their workplace, we received two emails back to back from the management.

The first email was a very self-congratulatory piece about how great the corporate rebranding was going and how it would come in at or below its budget of several million dollars.

The second email, sent not ten minutes later, solemnly informed us that their would be no raises or money for training for the foreseeable future.

Oh, that happened all the time at my former company (one of the largest banks in the world) and still does. Except that our company would then send a third email stating how the annual United Way extortion campaign was starting next week and that all employees were "strongly urged" to contribute, and then a fourth email promoting employee contributions to its PAC aimed at encouraging Congress to kill legislation that would limit their multi-million dollar bonuses.

Jeff in Boston