The Night Mail

[polybear]

46 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

I had a small wrist-slap from my manager today. "I've received a complaint....."

Last week I wrote something on a internal Yammer group that someone (anonymously, as it should be) took exception to, but fortunately they only found out who my manager was instead of going straight to the guy two levels above (who is a such a nice guy I couldn't imagine him dressing anyone down).  To be fair, what I wrote was just one of those where if I'd waited 30s before hitting "send", I'd probably have deleted it.

 

Handled very well, my manager was sympathetic but probably gave the right level of admonishment, just making it clear it had been noted, here's a copy of the house rules to re-read, etc.  

 

However, considering what some people write on there about senior managers (some of which is libellous) it is surprising what bothers some people.  I also heard recently from a colleague (who I know well, he would never intentionally offend anyone) that he has been complained about by the same person something like SIX times.  Apparently this person is a serial complainer about things people have said (usually to other people, not to him) which were supposedly sexist, racist etc. and not one has ever been upheld.  At some point, you'd think someone senior would tell him to wind his neck in or consider working somewhere else.

 

Maybe others should start to complain about him/her....

We had a similar setup at work many moons ago (1990's?);  when the Metal Fairies decided to set up camp in one of the car parks (they did it not once but twice) it became a fair game subject to discuss.....

...and when one of Bear's buddies rather mischievously posted a comment along the lines of  "I really don't know why people have such a problem with them, personally I think they're very misunderstood etc. etc." it was akin to lighting the blue touch paper on a Saturn 5....

ISTR that was the start of The End for the system as a whole; I suspect it had also got to the point where the quantity of posts was such that people weren't getting much work done and The Grown Ups had got the 'ump.

Edited July 28, 2022 by polybear

[SM42]

The irony of Yammer is that the moderators insist on all posts being from a named personal account rather than a generic account attached to a job or location   but when they point this out to those who transgress, it's from a generic account 😆

 

Andy

Who keeps being told that one day we will travel light. 

 

Maybe we are. 🤔

[simontaylor484]

We didn't have Yammer at work, we just had the canteen tables some of the banter was brilliant 

[Northmoor]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

I'm afraid that this sort of person would say they were being bullied and take the company to tribunal. Professional complainers out to make a buck.

At a previous employer, a (quite senior) woman made a claim of sexual discrimination against a Director.  Everyone who knew him - male and female - would have said he was one of the most honest, fair and least "pushy" people you could possibly meet.  A settlement was made (company probably wanted to avoid the publicity) and the complainant left.

About 9 months later, it was quietly reported that the complainant was suing her new employer......... for sexual discrimination. 

[simontaylor484]

7 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

At a previous employer, a (quite senior) woman made a claim of sexual discrimination against a Director.  Everyone who knew him - male and female - would have said he was one of the most honest, fair and least "pushy" people you could possibly meet.  A settlement was made (company probably wanted to avoid the publicity) and the complainant left.

About 9 months later, it was quietly reported that the complainant was suing her new employer......... for sexual discrimination. 

It's cases like this that cause problems for those that are genuinely affected 

[SM42]

19 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

At a previous employer, a (quite senior) woman made a claim of sexual discrimination against a Director.  Everyone who knew him - male and female - would have said he was one of the most honest, fair and least "pushy" people you could possibly meet.  A settlement was made (company probably wanted to avoid the publicity) and the complainant left.

About 9 months later, it was quietly reported that the complainant was suing her new employer......... for sexual discrimination. 

 

A while back there was a TV program on the subject  that showed a panel of general Joe Public a dramatised work scenario. 

At various stages they were asked if they had seen any discrimination  in  the work place. 

 

All said "no" many times when things like compliments were paid about a new hair do  or other such niceties of life that no-one gives a second thought about. 

Opinions only changed when things got really openly discriminatory 

 

The crunch came at the end when the legal professional explained what a low bar there is to prove discrimination. Even saying you like someone's dress, suit, tie or new look can be seen as discrimination. 

 

It seems you have to second guess how someone will react to anything you might say or do, no matter how innocent or just being nice you think it is. 

 

It was a real eye opener and a bit depressing. 

 

Andy

 

[Winslow Boy]

14 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

A while back there was a TV program on the subject  that showed a panel of general Joe Public a dramatised work scenario. 

At various stages they were asked if they had seen any discrimination  in  the work place. 

 

All said "no" many times when things like compliments were paid about a new hair do  or other such niceties of life that no-one gives a second thought about. 

Opinions only changed when things got really openly discriminatory 

 

The crunch came at the end when the legal professional explained what a low bar there is to prove discrimination. Even saying you like someone's dress, suit, tie or new look can be seen as discrimination. 

 

It seems you have to second guess how someone will react to anything you might say or do, no matter how innocent or just being nice you think it is. 

 

It was a real eye opener and a bit depressing. 

 

Andy

 

 

There are always people who know how to milk the system and unfortunately there are as many who help them and those that allow them to.

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

On a lighter note I believe Big H stated that he'd received a new orbital sander.

 

Well I'm pleased to say that I to have one. It's not top of the range but quite 'handy' as it can be used with various attachments.

 

I did consider a cheaper version, one with fewer  'attachments' but having heard Big H experience's decided against it.

 

Today I've been sanding some timber that is going to used for three new fence panels. I made full use of all of my 'attachments'.

Mines an oscillator not an orbital, it goes up and down (or in and out) as well as around and around.

 

It looks a bit like this one:

 

 

You invert it and clamp it down to make a benchtop version.

 

I've got a right hand similar to the one in your picture although the third finger is longer!  Unlike the left hand which has now found it is not so easy to play the harp.

[Dave Hunt]

36 minutes ago, SM42 said:

It seems you have to second guess how someone will react to anything you might say or do, no matter how innocent or just being nice you think it is. 

 

When we started getting female fast jet aircrew I was instructing on the Tornado F3 conversion unit. One day I was flying with a female back seater and after the sortie the Boss called me into his office. It turned out that he had heard me say, "OK luv, let's go," as we were walking out to the aircraft. I admitted that what he said was correct but so what? "It could be taken as sexual harassment, calling her luv," he said. I couldn't believe it and said so. "I'm from Liverpool,"I said, "All women there are referred to as luv,"  but he was adamant that it could be misconstrued and I shouldn't do it, at which I'm afraid that I got angry and told him that if he objected he could get a new flight commander because I would quit. Eventually we smoothed things over but when some time later I was talking to a chap from the legal department he said that there were indeed some people who would use what I said as sexual harassment. What a load of horse droppings. Not that I actually changed my ways (which were in no way intended to belittle or harass anyone) but then neither did I get complained about.  

 

Dave

[br2975]

2 hours ago, SM42 said:

 

The crunch came at the end when the legal professional explained what a low bar there is to prove discrimination. Even saying you like someone's dress, suit, tie or new look can be seen as discrimination. 

 

.

Probably OK for a woman to compliment a female colleague on her (i) new dress (ii) new shoes (ii) new handbag  (iv) new hairstyle, or (v) weight loss

BUT

Taboo for a male colleague to make the same observation.

.

Oh dear - Silly me for referring only to 'male' and 'female' and ignoring other genders or pronouns.

Edited July 29, 2022 by br2975

[br2975]

Frightened to death of upsetting anyone, the police have been 'setting the standard' in 'customer service' for many years.

.

With 25+ years in, and in the early noughties, I was 'required to attend a service delivery course' - I was the junior man officer on the course, save for the female facilitator / trainer who was female, and a mere slip of a thing.

.

The following is true, it was me, and it went down in South Wales Police folklore.

.

Role play, had me walking up a pretend garden path, knocking on a make believe front door, behind which lived the facilitator, playing the part of an elderly female.

.

I knocked on the invisible front door, which was opened by the facilitator cum pensioner

.

"Hello my love, Brian R*****  from Ely Police Station. What can I do for you ?"

"That's your first mistake" says the facilitator "referring to the lady as - love, it is demeaning and patronising"

"It's an age thing, a term of endearment locally........., But, I take your point, How should I address her then ?" asked yours truly.

"Call her madam" replies the facilitator

"Have you ever knocked a door, in uniform, in Ely ?" I asked

"No, why ?" responed the facilitator

"Knock on a door on my patch and call the woman madam, and she'll come straight back with - do I look like I run a f***ing brothel ?"

"Let's try it again" asks the facilitator

So Brian walks up the pretend garden path, looking up, then knocks the invisible front door which is opened by the young facilitator cum pensioner.

"Whas 'appenin motherf****r ?" blurts out yours truly in his best patois, the class descending into hysterics, except the distraught facilitator.

"What, what, what was that, she asked. How can you justify saying that...................." she stuttered

"Look, I came up the garden path, there's a Sky satellite disc up there, it's past the watershed, so she must be used to such language !" was my reply.

.

Then, there was the time I was picked up for calling my colleague by a perceived nickname; only to put down the Inspector who tried to correct me.......................... a story for another time.

 

Edited July 29, 2022 by br2975

[jjb1970]

One of the nice things about Singapore is that it is mercifully free of the sort of madness which is increasingly common in the Western world (for now at any rate). I've been asked by a few Singaporeans what is happening to the USA and Europe in response to news items about some of the stuff referenced above and I really don't know how to answer other than to say 'well, at least you don't have it in Singapore'.

[J. S. Bach]

Yet!

[SM42]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Mines an oscillator not an orbital, it goes up and down (or in and out) as well as around and around.

 

It looks a bit like this one:

 

 

You invert it and clamp it down to make a benchtop version.

 

I've got a right hand similar to the one in your picture although the third finger is longer!  Unlike the left hand which has now found it is not so easy to play the harp.

 

Your not supposed to pluck the strings of a harp that hard 😀

 

Andy

[polybear]

7 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

When we started getting female fast jet aircrew I was instructing on the Tornado F3 conversion unit. One day I was flying with a female back seater and after the sortie the Boss called me into his office. It turned out that he had heard me say, "OK luv, let's go," as we were walking out to the aircraft. I admitted that what he said was correct but so what? "It could be taken as sexual harassment, calling her luv," he said. I couldn't believe it and said so. "I'm from Liverpool,"I said, "All women there are referred to as luv,"  but he was adamant that it could be misconstrued and I shouldn't do it, at which I'm afraid that I got angry and told him that if he objected he could get a new flight commander because I would quit. Eventually we smoothed things over but when some time later I was talking to a chap from the legal department he said that there were indeed some people who would use what I said as sexual harassment. What a load of horse droppings. Not that I actually changed my ways (which were in no way intended to belittle or harass anyone) but then neither did I get complained about.  

 

Dave

 

When Bear was involved with a RN Trial some years ago I was somewhat surprised to hear the term "Terminate Terminate Terminate" when I expected to hear "Abort Abort Abort"; when I questioned this I was told the latter was now considered to be no longer Politically Correct.  But don't Terminate and Abort have similar references? 

#ConfusedBear

 

5 hours ago, br2975 said:

Then, there was the time I was picked up for calling my colleague by a perceived nickname; only to put down the Inspector who tried to correct me.......................... a story for another time.

 

 

Please - don't leave it too long.....🤣

[jjb1970]

Abort is a synonym for terminate isn't it? Even in hospitals I have heard both used interchangeably. So why one is acceptable and not the other I don't know.

[TheQ]

A bit like the linguistic gymnastics when many companies decided you weren't allowed to have "Problems" any more only issues..

 

[Winslow Boy]

6 hours ago, br2975 said:

.

Probably OK for a woman to compliment a female colleague on her (i) new dress (ii) new shoes (ii) new handbag  (iv) new hairstyle, or (v) weight loss

BUT

Taboo for a male colleague to make the same observation.

.

Oh dear - Silly me for referring only to 'male' and 'female' and ignoring other genders or pronouns.

 

Afraid not. To the PC , that's Professional Complainer such comments could all be used as - sexist discriminatory or derogatory for complaints.

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

A bit like the linguistic gymnastics when many companies decided you weren't allowed to have "Problems" any more only issues..

 

Another of the in/hip/tres bolleau phrases that has companies and organisations wetting themselves with delight is 'stakeholder(s)'.

 

No doubt because they have diversified into vampire hunting.

 

I had a boss in the 1980s who was always keen to 'maximise the storage cube'.

 

Unfortunately what worked in a civilian warehouse did not translate well into military stores terms as  wide dispersal at field force level was very much the whole idea.  Not keeping all your eggs in one basket springs to mind. 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2022 by Happy Hippo

[jjb1970]

Are we talking about the sort of people who leverage synergies to develop holistic lifecycle solutions when considering carefully calibrated responses to opportunities, being cognizant of the needs of stakeholders and civil society?

[Happy Hippo]

17 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

Are we talking about the sort of people who leverage synergies to develop holistic lifecycle solutions when considering carefully calibrated responses to opportunities, being cognizant of the needs of stakeholders and civil society?

I do not have a Google translator that is capable of converting tres bolleau,  so I was lost after 'who'.

[Northmoor]

17 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

Are we talking about the sort of people who leverage synergies to develop holistic lifecycle solutions when considering carefully calibrated responses to opportunities, being cognizant of the needs of stakeholders and civil society?

Yes.

The MBA business schools have a lot to answer for, they give their graduates a whole new set of mantras to learn parrot-fashion and apply inappropriately.

[bbishop]

23 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

Are we talking about the sort of people who leverage synergies to develop holistic lifecycle solutions when considering carefully calibrated responses to opportunities, being cognizant of the needs of stakeholders and civil society?

Affirmative.

[jamie92208]

I went on a newly promoted Inpectors course and one of the Inspectors who was running it was towards the end of her service.  She started one talk with the following phrase, "When I joined policewomen were eirher bikes or dykes" interesting.  

 

A few years later I had to go and inform the shift at South Kirkby, an isolated former mining community, that they were about to get a new female probationer who was openly gay and that they had to be careful.  It went fairly well.  Afterwards I went out in a panda with one of the crews to a shout.  We crossed into the next village which is South Elmsall.  I asked "Where exactly is the boundary between the two villages". "It's Elmsall Dyke boss,   oh sh1t" we all disolved into laughter.

 

Jamie

Edited July 29, 2022 by jamie92208

[jjb1970]

There appears to be a clear statistical correlation between talking managementese and having a fine collection of multi-coloured post-it notes and working in consulting (I speak as someone who formerly provided engineering consulting services).