I am not a number, I'm a free man...!

[Highlander]

I did a Johnny Paycheck on Friday... and boy... did it feel good...

The excrement has not fully hit the fan yet as I did it by stealth and I expect it to fully implode when I turn up on Monday, post a two week signed off sick (sick of the job) period, but the good news is that I'm scheduled to start my new job 22nd July...

My old lot will be well and truly left in the lurch but I've had to endure the last three months in a small section of hell post a harassment at work complaint... new manager was a total piece-of-work, but made the mistake of not being so smart on his targeting me... tried to get me on a disciplinary but I fired back with a grievance letter that ran to in excess of sixty pages of detailed complaints where he had cocked-up, BIG-TIME...

Turns out he had been harassing several others and some have supported me, including one person who was supposed to have made comments against me...

Now, how do the directors follow up on the fact that their manager has been caught out lying to such a degree that they do not know how to react...?

They hire an outside-of-company HR specialist, who again makes a significant cock-up, so all I do is tread water until I can take an exit-strategy which is what I have done, and they can burn...

One of my biggest chuckles is turning up at an interview and there was another of the companies engineers waiting for an interview too... we both agreed not to have seen each other...

1/4 of the engineers are or have been off "sick" in the last month, more than once... I wonder why...?

Anyone else been put through the ringer recently...?

[Lightyear]

Good for you Kenny!  Props for getting you ducks lined up and then leaving.

So are you going back into the same thing or are you branching out?

[gweimer]

Anyone else been put through the ringer recently...?

My area had TWO significant reorgs within 24 hours in the past couple weeks.  The new manager I just got last week is now moving to a new position elsewhere.  I don't know who my next manager will be, but my previous manager (who has not been my best manager) is worried about anyone else leaving.  I asked for a half day this coming week, and she was worried I was interviewing.

[Dave W]

Best of luck in resolving your situation, however it plays out. Sounds dire. I'm sure you did the right thing.

[Pilgrim]

Geeez.  Sounds nasty.  Glad you've found a way out!

[Nocturnal]

Good for you Kenny and best of luck!! I have been posting applications quite often lately. I really need a better job, this one has outlived its usefulness for me. The current CEO and his group are an incredible group of evil people and have taken the company to a new low. I will hate leaving my co-workers but not the job.

[exiledarchangel]

Release the squirrels Kenny! And tell them to aim for those bastards nuts!

[TBird1958]

Take good care Kenny!

Part of the reason I change my work location from Seattle to Tacoma was a sexist boss that openly favored the female employees - More than once she reffered to me as "muscle", implying that all I was good for in her showroom was physical work. The move to Tacoma has served well so far 

[Highlander]

First time I've looked up where you are, Mark... never realised how many waterways there are round you, even though I've seen your travelogues... nor how close you are to my family in White Rock...

A little inspiration from the Greek contingent...

Cry havoc and let slip the scurriui of WAR...!   (cheers Kostas )

Buzz... new company is part of a larger organisation and the equipment worked on is a better range/quality; more feathers to cap... definitely a plus...

Gentlemen, and ladies, thanks for the much appreciated thoughts... in the office in the morning to find out the lay of the land... already had a week scheduled off the following week so ...

[Lightyear]

Not sure what the business norm is on your side of the pond but here it's fairly common that an employer will pay you your two weeks and tell you to hit the bricks if they believe that you are heading to the competition or just want you gone.  I don't believe they're obligated under the law though.

[Highlander]

When involved in the brewery businesses I was in a "lock-in" contract with a three month notice period, which they expected me to work out, which they did, to the last afternoon of the last day...

This lot being in the security industry, and me having higher level clearances, and they are short of staff as it is... it's there problem, not mine...  two employees took them to "tribunal" (low-level courts) and won their cases in the last two years - one was what was called "constructive dismissal" (forced to walk out of the job - the hardest of cases to prove - got over four months pay and costs awarded to the company) ... I've made it clear when my last day is scheduled (to force them into the full pay situation) and I am pretty certain they will want me gone quickly, but...

I've saw David Allan Coe perform "Shove It" at a small club some years back, much to the audience's enjoyment...

[TBird1958]

First time I've looked up where you are, Mark... never realised how many waterways there are round you, even though I've seen your travelogues... nor how close you are to my family in White Rock...

I'll assume you mean White Rock, B.C. 

There's a White Rock, Washington as well, properly I live in Des Moines, Wa. just a bit south of Seattle, by Puget Sound - In the flight path of SeaTac, so lots of commercial aircraft overhead and the Olympic Mountains off to the west. Washington is an extraordinary place!

[westen44]

It's great to see someone successfully stick it to the Man.  Most are not able to and if they try, much of the time they aren't successful, unfortunately. 

[Highlander]

Indeed Michael, indeed... in all reality, as soon as you run into "management issues" it's better to withdraw as the "man" will get you, otherwise... no one is irreplaceable, so they say, but they have lost nearly the entire engineering force in the last two years and are coming to terms with how hard it is to source quality staff... also overstretching somewhat... something's got to give and I'm glad I'll be gone soon... well, just past 0700 here so got to get ready to go... if you have decent management there are no management issues to worry about, but how rare are they these days...

I'll assume you mean White Rock, B.C. 

That's the one...  I think I mentioned that my late mum was born in Vancouver but only lived in Canada until '30 and with the economy spiralling her mum and brother returned to the Island...

[wistful] America and Canada... such big places to explore... [/wistful]

[godofthunder]

 I have been there Kenny, you did the right thing life is to short to be miserable for a paycheck.