by Alison Green on July 18, 2012 I might have to set up the following form letters: Your boss is crazy, and that’s not going to change. Yes, it’s legal. You cannot make a prospective employer give you closure. If they’re not responding, stop wondering what else to do and move on. Your parents and that college professor are wrong. Figure out what your bottom line is. Are you willing to put up with X in order to have Y? Yes, that rule applies to you too. You may also like:everything you want to know (or maybe don't want to know) about job rejectionsI feel weird telling coworkers I live with my parents in my 30smy dysfunctional office only hires young people because we're "blank slates" { 51 comments }
The IT Manager* July 18, 2012 at 11:47 am You can have some like a short answer post. You provide a title like “Your boss is crazy, and that’s not going to change” and post those questions you’ve recieved without any additional response. You readers get a lot of amusement and potential speculation from the questions themselves.
Anna* July 18, 2012 at 11:50 am A backwards short-answer post? I could see that, especially for “Yes, it’s legal.” (Didn’t we finally get an exception to that one only within the last week or two?)
EM* July 18, 2012 at 2:12 pm Yes! Make those of us who have or have had craze bosses feel better about ourselves! :)
Anon* July 18, 2012 at 8:49 pm Yes, like Karnak the Magnificent! “Yes, it’s legal.” And you open the envelope and there’s the question that deserves that answer. Amazing!
ChristineH* July 18, 2012 at 11:48 am LOL!!! Thanks for the chuckle. As soon as I see “is it legal for them to…” in the letters you get, I always say “yes” before reading one more word.
Kelly O* July 18, 2012 at 4:34 pm Thank god I’m not the only one who does that. Or, I think “Legal? Yes. Smart? No.”
perrik* July 18, 2012 at 9:02 pm +1 to that phrasing. Or should it be: “Legal? Yes, unless you’re in California.”
Bridgette* July 18, 2012 at 12:09 pm I started reading Screw You Guys, I’m Going Home and yes, there is a LOT that is legal and it’s terrifying. I think that blog has probably ruined any hope I had left for humanity and made me want to live off the grid in northern Canada.
Chinook* July 18, 2012 at 12:28 pm Stay on the grid and just move to Canada. I am always shocked by what is legal in the US. Heck, even part-time burger flippers get vacation pay here (even if it is just 2.5% added to every pay cheque). We even have 1 year paid maternity leave (11 months which can be split between parents)
Eric Brasure* July 18, 2012 at 12:43 pm I looked into immigrating to Canada. Unfortunately, I wasn’t eligible.
Anonymous* July 18, 2012 at 12:13 pm I’ve a feeling that a lot of those asking the questions haven’t used the “search” feature on your blog to read your older posts that often answer their questions. Maybe a friendly reminder is in order? :)
Charles* July 18, 2012 at 12:26 pm HaHA! Read them together: Yes, your boss is crazy and that is legal!
A Bug!* July 18, 2012 at 12:54 pm Is there a “Job Advice Bingo” card yet? And if so, what’s the highest-scoring question ever posted on AAM?
Ellen M.* July 18, 2012 at 12:33 pm “Yes, that rule applies to you too.” I think I am going to print this one out, frame it and put it on the wall in my office. The entitled BS I have heard from people trying to dodge requirements for their graduate degree, for example… I have heard excuses that wouldn’t fly in junior high. smh
Nikki* July 18, 2012 at 1:41 pm Oh Ellen, I know what you mean! I don’t work with current students that much anymore, but the applicants, the applicants! Yes, the deadline has passed, no, there is *nothing* that can be done. I don’t make the rules, but I enforce them and you do have to follow them.
Catherine* July 18, 2012 at 2:51 pm I know how you feel! And I get that attitude from faculty all the time. Even with third-party software (like Word or something) – they have said to me in all seriousness, “Well, change it, because I’m special.” Really? Really??? Sure, I’ll just go out and reprogram Windows real quick.
A Teacher* July 18, 2012 at 11:29 pm Now I teach high school and the excuses I get to not turn in work are down right stupid most of the time. The best excuse I got this year was from a girl that had to complete a 1 page reaction paper. She cut and pasted the entire thing off of Wikipedia–including the copyright. Her mom couldn’t understand why I gave her a “0” for the assignment. I had several incidents like that. A high school teacher that happens to be friends with my mother just got an e-mail from a parent asking how to fix his son’s grade in July (for last spring)…seriously.
Melissa* July 19, 2012 at 8:16 am I want to cross-stitch this and hang it at the front desk for all the students and faculty to see. At least until the big boss does too and gets rid of me for it. :)
Anonymous* July 18, 2012 at 1:30 pm How about “everyone just learn to get along”, “or the annoying person in the office might be you!” :-D Also, I have publicly blamed you all for the increase in my singing at the office. Luckily, it’s an accepting work environment – just no Aladdin.
Wilton Businessman* July 18, 2012 at 4:21 pm +1 on the management 8 ball. Report: “I’d like to take 3 weeks off starting next week, but the policy is I need to give you a month notice. Can I still go?” manager shakes the 8 ball: “Yes, that rule applies to you too.” Report: “But I’m getting married and I earned the time. You can’t do that to me!”. manager shakes again: “Yes, it’s legal” Report: “Well, in that case I might just go anyway and not come back!” manager shakes again: “Are you willing to put up with X in order to have Y?” Report: “That’s ridiculous! When I joined this firm I got lots of people telling me it was a family friendly workplace!” manager shakes again: “Your parents and that college professor are wrong.” Yes, that could work very well.
Elizabeth West* July 19, 2012 at 6:49 pm No no, don’t shake it…..that makes bubbles and then you can’t read the little thingy. LOL I had an 8 ball on my desk for a long time.
bINKLE* July 18, 2012 at 3:28 pm How about a flow chart – like one of those symptom checkers. and add a form letter “That’s why they call it WORK”
V* July 18, 2012 at 4:24 pm just flipped over to my Facebook news feed and saw this quote from MLK: “Remember that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.” I had to chuckle :)
Andrea* July 18, 2012 at 6:45 pm Love it. But for the record, when I taught professional and technical writing at the college level, I told my students to read this blog, and I linked to it on the course website. I like to think that I was the college professor that they should listen to (and I think that many did). I also taught a resume and cover letter unit in that course, and despite specific instructions, I usually had a few students each semester who turned in resumes with objectives or large paragraphs or references on them. I have no explanation for that.
Alisha* July 18, 2012 at 9:05 pm I found this blog on lunch break at my short-lived new job. Had I stayed, it would’ve been suggested reading…and wherever I wind up, I’m planning on endorsing it. ; )
Dr. Speakeasy* July 19, 2012 at 10:21 am Add me to the list of college profs who read this blog (and a selection of others) precisely so I can get a handle on what is good and bad advice that my students are finding/repeating. I work in academe – the work rules are archaic and strange and like no where else (for that world I love “The Professor Is In”). It certainly would not be helpful for my students looking for entry level position to repeat the rules of working in academe
Anonymous* July 19, 2012 at 8:37 pm A lot of the “is it legal” questions could be solved by a simple google search or on state or federal websites. I think they just want to see their question on the blog.