Don't know if it's bigger and better per se, but it's totally different and less hectic (she hopes) than what she's doing now.
I know she hasn't been happy here for a while now -but then, who is?-, but she's my only Dutch colleague, my office gossip buddy and I'll miss her.
I'll also be expected to shoulder most of her workload until a solution can be found...as if I haven't got enough on my plate already. Stupid hiring freeze.
And...yes, I do tend to misuse my LJ to moan about work a lot, don't I? A sure sign that I need a holiday. Is it June yet?
do tend to misuse my LJ to moan about work a lot, don't I?
Actually, no.
Hon, you can't possibly take on anything more. You may be amazing and efficient and all that but can't have you burning yourself out. Is now a good time to put on some pressure for help? If they are losing Susanne, they won't want to lose you too.
But - very happy to have a virtual gossip and moan with you anytime, you know that! Sorry though, can't speak Dutch...
You're telling me? Oh, I'm sure I can take over some of her client portfolio (God knows I've filled in for her often enough when she was away for whatever reason, same as she's been my backup for the last 2,5 years); but her main focus has been on E-store and that, I don't know anything about, nor am I keen to learn.
The problem is, that in an effort to cut costs, there's been a worldwide hiring freeze in place for the last year and a half or so. People can leave, but it's very difficult, is not well-nigh impossible, to get people in. It takes months to get approval for a new hire because it has to come from the highest management level. In the meantime, we are allowed to hire temps but they rarely stay on for more than a couple of weeks and it's barely worth the effort of showing them the ropes, let alone training them up; so what it boils down to in reality is that the remaining colleagues will have to pitch in as best they can when one of our workforce leaves.
Sorry though, can't speak Dutch
And that's your only failing...as far as I can see ;-)
Difficult one. They'll just have to second someone to give you a hand. Temps are generally worse than useless - the last one we used almost lost us an account(you do not tell the client that he'll "be bloody lucky if he has a show at all" no matter how stressed it is). Don't take any crap. I know - easier said than done, but you have a life (you do, really) and you need to be able to enjoy it.
Are you still having time off soon? That wasn't so much a question as a direct order. Say "Yes, Cass."
Hmmm...you've gotten to know me pretty well, haven't you?
First e-mail of the morning tells me I'm going to have to be ready for next NPI kick-off by April 12th (don't they have Easter in France?)...which gives me exactly 9 working days to get everything I need together, in place, and ready -- but if I cancel my holiday, I'll win 5 more days, and do a more thorough job...
but if I cancel my holiday, I'll win 5 more days, and do a more thorough job...
And be so stressed and knackered you won't enjoy your holiday. Seriously, love, been there and done that. In the long run, despite a short term increase in your credit rating with the PTBs, I've never found doing things like this do you any good in the longterm. In fact, they will just assume you'll do it every time. Bitter, much?! Your corporate philosophy may be more advanced than ours but...
If you can at all do it without changing your holiday plans you must. Don't let them screw you around. Lack of organisation on their behalf does not constitute an emergency on yours.
Here endeth todays lecture. From the woman with as much spine as a jellyfish. I'm good with the theory though :-)
Oh yes, you're very good with the theory. I'm impressed.
But don't worry: I've mulled it over for a bit and I've decided, I really want those days off. I'm tired and irritable and I've just killed a spider crawling across my desk which is something I would never normally have done -- so I'm going to have to dredge up a final burst of energy from somewhere to get this new project done by the end of this month.
Oh, and I also have to remember to have my tax return sorted before April 1st; I bloody hate that recurring theme to my life.
I promise. I feel very bad about the spider killing. They're useful little animals, and Mum always said they bring luck...although, isn't there a saying that indicates that if you see a spider in the morning, you should kill it or otherwise it'll bring you nothing but trouble for the rest of the day? Yeah, I think so even if I am just making that up)!
Hey, sorry to hear that...Thank god for LJ. It's a good thing there are weekends and holidays in this world. When can we watch Winding Roads? I need to see the badness...
It's a good thing there are weekends and holidays in this world. When can we watch Winding Roads?
And there you have your answer...Any time this weekend or the next is fine with me; it's just the weekdays that are a bit tricky these next two weeks. So if you don't mind sacrificing one of your days of rest to watch a truly terrible film, you're welcome in The Hague any time.
It seems there's not too much to say that hasn't already been said. (I hate that my time zone is so far behind!) It is my personal opinion that a journal's, any journal's, primary reason for existance is so that you can moan to your heart's content. With LJ you have the added bonus, that we all commiserate with you. Not that virtual moaning and commiserating can at all compare with the actaul in person thing when that is what you need. Sorry to hear that she is leaving. Can't imagine having that much more piled on your plate to deal with. World wide hiring freeze...I'm so glad I work for a small firm with only the local office.
I temped for a few small firms, when I was fresh out of uni...then I got the idea to go and work for a multi-national: loads of people, international environment, world-wide opportunities! It seemed like such a good idea at the time...
We're moving offices soon, and the move will add at least an hour to my commute in each direction. Now I'm thinking, maybe 9-10 years at HP is enough. Maybe I should start looking for a job closer to home, in a smaller organisation. Too bad we're going through a recession at the moment...
sad
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Oh, that's a shame! Why is she off? Is she moving on to bigger and better things?
I know she hasn't been happy here for a while now -but then, who is?-, but she's my only Dutch colleague, my office gossip buddy and I'll miss her.
I'll also be expected to shoulder most of her workload until a solution can be found...as if I haven't got enough on my plate already. Stupid hiring freeze.
And...yes, I do tend to misuse my LJ to moan about work a lot, don't I? A sure sign that I need a holiday. Is it June yet?
Actually, no.
Hon, you can't possibly take on anything more. You may be amazing and efficient and all that but can't have you burning yourself out. Is now a good time to put on some pressure for help? If they are losing Susanne, they won't want to lose you too.
But - very happy to have a virtual gossip and moan with you anytime, you know that! Sorry though, can't speak Dutch...
You're telling me? Oh, I'm sure I can take over some of her client portfolio (God knows I've filled in for her often enough when she was away for whatever reason, same as she's been my backup for the last 2,5 years); but her main focus has been on E-store and that, I don't know anything about, nor am I keen to learn.
The problem is, that in an effort to cut costs, there's been a worldwide hiring freeze in place for the last year and a half or so. People can leave, but it's very difficult, is not well-nigh impossible, to get people in. It takes months to get approval for a new hire because it has to come from the highest management level. In the meantime, we are allowed to hire temps but they rarely stay on for more than a couple of weeks and it's barely worth the effort of showing them the ropes, let alone training them up; so what it boils down to in reality is that the remaining colleagues will have to pitch in as best they can when one of our workforce leaves.
Sorry though, can't speak Dutch
And that's your only failing...as far as I can see ;-)
Are you still having time off soon? That wasn't so much a question as a direct order. Say "Yes, Cass."
Straight up: I've got a holiday coming up in 3 weeks...Can't wait!
What do you mean - as if?
First e-mail of the morning tells me I'm going to have to be ready for next NPI kick-off by April 12th (don't they have Easter in France?)...which gives me exactly 9 working days to get everything I need together, in place, and ready -- but if I cancel my holiday, I'll win 5 more days, and do a more thorough job...
And be so stressed and knackered you won't enjoy your holiday. Seriously, love, been there and done that. In the long run, despite a short term increase in your credit rating with the PTBs, I've never found doing things like this do you any good in the longterm. In fact, they will just assume you'll do it every time. Bitter, much?! Your corporate philosophy may be more advanced than ours but...
If you can at all do it without changing your holiday plans you must. Don't let them screw you around. Lack of organisation on their behalf does not constitute an emergency on yours.
Here endeth todays lecture. From the woman with as much spine as a jellyfish. I'm good with the theory though :-)
But don't worry: I've mulled it over for a bit and I've decided, I really want those days off. I'm tired and irritable and I've just killed a spider crawling across my desk which is something I would never normally have done -- so I'm going to have to dredge up a final burst of energy from somewhere to get this new project done by the end of this month.
Oh, and I also have to remember to have my tax return sorted before April 1st; I bloody hate that recurring theme to my life.
But no more spiderocide.
...and though we get on well and I like working with him, in the end, he's still just a bloke, and it's different.
And there you have your answer...Any time this weekend or the next is fine with me; it's just the weekdays that are a bit tricky these next two weeks.
So if you don't mind sacrificing one of your days of rest to watch a truly terrible film, you're welcome in The Hague any time.
We're moving offices soon, and the move will add at least an hour to my commute in each direction. Now I'm thinking, maybe 9-10 years at HP is enough. Maybe I should start looking for a job closer to home, in a smaller organisation. Too bad we're going through a recession at the moment...