Y'know what really grinds my gears?

[The Doctor Alt 8]

I LOATH bullies. Unfortunately they are everywhere. The clever ones find ways of hiding their behaviour under the guise of helping and pick on those who can't prove what is being done to them or are able to resist.. They are the worse.

[Tjm86]

Middle management bullies.

Is there a more inadequate creature than these miserable flesh bags on this ungodly rock?

Nope.  What generally makes it worse is that the majority of the time they are over-promoted incompetents who promise the earth to senior leadership, completely fail to deliver because they are out of their depth and then turn the blame on the poor slobs who had to try and implement their 'ideas' after any objections had been shot down as being 'inflexible' or 'unwilling to change'. 

In teaching they are generally youngsters who have only been at it a short while, are determined to climb the greasy pole as fast as they can and have absolutely no remorse for the bodies scattered in their wake.  I have to be a little careful lest I make an additional comment that could be construed as misogynistic.

[sheridan]

One problem I see in many professions is that people who are trained, skilled, experienced and know what they're doing aren't valued, so if they want to get a pay rise they get pushed in to management.  Management is not the thing that they're good at, but there's nowhere else for them to go (and many places have a work culture that you're constantly supposed to be aiming for promotion and 'improvement', rather than just concentrating on doing what you're already doing well).  So we end up with layers of middle management who are potentially good at whatever their job is except with no people skills.

[paddykafka]

I LOATH bullies. Unfortunately they are everywhere. The clever ones find ways of hiding their behaviour under the guise of helping and pick on those who can't prove what is being done to them or are able to resist.. They are the worse.

You are so absolutely right, Doctor Alt 8.

I have had more than my share of bad experiences with rotten, abusive scum over the years. Enough to know that,

1: Bastards like them do not EVER change - they just get sneakier about the way that they carry out and inflict their abuse on others. If they are wankers in the workplace, you can be certain that they were just as bad when they were in school, college etc. They do what they do because they enjoy it.

2: Good luck finding support from other folk when trying to deal with one of those abusers. The prevailing attitude will be "rather you than me".

3: The only good bully is a fucking dead one.

[Dandontdare]

One problem I see in many professions is that people who are trained, skilled, experienced and know what they're doing aren't valued, so if they want to get a pay rise they get pushed in to management.  Management is not the thing that they're good at, but there's nowhere else for them to go (and many places have a work culture that you're constantly supposed to be aiming for promotion and 'improvement', rather than just concentrating on doing what you're already doing well).  So we end up with layers of middle management who are potentially good at whatever their job is except with no people skills.

I've worked at same place for 13 years and have monthly one-to-ones with my manager where they always ask about my "development" - they can't seem to fathom that I'm happy to stay at my level and have no interest in promotion to middle management - team manager is a shitty job, far more stress and work for not much more money, but many see it as 'paying their dues' on their way up to one of those cushy jobs where you get paid twice as much to attend one meeting a day. I've had some really good and some really bad STMs down the years. I have actually trained the last two, as they joined the team and then got promoted!

[Mister Pops]

There's an idea called the Peter Principle; the constant drive for progress and development drives competent people to get promoted to roles to which their skills don't transfer all that well, making them less competent, and this repeats until they're too incompetent to be promoted further. Teaching was mentioned upthread and that's a good example, the ability to relate information in an engaging way to children is not so useful to a headmaster, a role which is mostly admin and talking to adults who think they know it all.

As for middle managers, I've heard a few anecdotes of some who are having a hard time justifying their salaries after nearly two years of work from home.

[JayzusB.Christ]

I've had my share of wanker managers too.  Here's a heart warming story that I hope is true.

https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2021/12/30/slow-burning-tale-revenge-malicious-compliance/

[Tjm86]

I've heard a few anecdotes of some who are having a hard time justifying their salaries after nearly two years of work from home.

I know quite a few who have trouble justifying their salaries after years working in the office / workshop / whatever ...

Not to mention one or two that have a hard time justifying drawing air ...

[Link Prime]

The new Sandman Deluxe edition hardbacks have an irremovable "Audible" promotional sticker on the front covers.

The fuck were they thinking?

[CalHab]

It's printed on. It's infuriating.

[Lorenzo]

The new Sandman Deluxe edition hardbacks have an irremovable "Audible" promotional sticker on the front covers.

The fuck were they thinking?

You can always bin the dust jacket... but yeah mental decision. Like adding review quotes to the cover of Megatropolis or adverts in the back of Dreadnoughts. Looks shit! Blame the bean counters not the designers.

[The Doctor Alt 8]

Our landlord wants to put up our rent by £170.... If the council is unable to increase our housing benefit to cover this we will have to move. This seems likely because Croydon is bankrupt and recently this happened...
 
Labour council passes £5.7m cuts to benefits for vulnerable
Posted on February 1, 2022 by insidecroydon
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall leaders, most of whom presided over the council’s financial collapse, last night voted to take £116 per month from the borough’s poorest and most vulnerable. But the vote was not as straightforward as they expected. By STEVEN DOWNES https://insidecroydon.com/2022/02/01/labour-council-passes-5-7m-cuts-to-benefits-for-vulnerable/

I am extremely concerned. II don't want to move and not just for the inconvenience ... Mother MIGHT be OK because she is now officially listed as vulnerable BUT as for myself I will end up having to move permanently with Henry and I will never be able to see my other friends again

We also have had interference from a social worker that has recently cost us £480... but I am sure you don't want to hear about that...

[Tjm86]

We also have had interference from a social worker that has recently cost us £480... but I am sure you don't want to hear about that...

Actually yes, we would.  For a whole host of reasons but let's start with 'because you are one of us ...'

[The Doctor Alt 8]

Thanks... but now mother & I have a bigger problem... Like the fact that we are going to be homeless within the month....

[The Doctor Alt 8]

Well we are going to be homeless within the month.

We received a letter from the council I will quote....


Dear Mrs Roe,
                 
 The Rent Officer Service tells me the maximum amount of rent I can use when working out how much benefit I can pay you.

As I have current decision from the rent officer I am unable to take your rent increase into account until the decision ends on 26 October 2022.

I can confirm that your housing benefit will remain the same unless you have any other chances in your circumstances.

Yours Sincerely,


What is worse is that mother is doing nothing about it... She is not intending to appeal... she isn't making any kind of alternative plans... she is just sitting in her chair and making the odd comment about me packing up. The only way we can afford this increase is if we no longer eat food or use any power. I already had to use up my Christmas and birthday money to make up for the shortfall just to pay for our basic groceries.

Yes I have the option of moving in with Henry.... But well if I do so I will never see any of my other friends ever again.... And that should be unacceptable. Croydon may be a dump. But it's home.