I want people to beam hissing mental beams at my employers -

hobbywhelmed · Post by **hobbywhelmed** » Fri May 26, 2006 2:42 pm

I've been working in a neurology office for the past 13 years. Started with transcription and now it's more like a full secretarial dealing with various reports - some they don't even dictate on, just say, do it.

Well, they've been slowly learning to use a voice-recognition system on their way to becoming (in theory) a "paperless" office. IMHO, they're not doing such a great job. Not only does Dragon make mistakes, but so do they. Embarrasing ones. And only 3 out of 5 doctors are even doing it so far.

Well, today I get told that they feel they don't need a full-time "typist" any more, money's tight, etc. Of course I could feel FREE to stay on part-time - aka, hourly, lower wage, and no medical benefits. Well, impossible. I'm a single and benefits mean a lot, not to mention that we haven't gotten a raise in two years, and they're not paying market wage for what I do as it is. And it's taking effect at "the end of the month". Aka Wednesday! Some notice!

So, just before a holiday, I have to finish negotiating the home equity loan we were trying for while it still shows I have long-term employment with one company, get some decent slacks (since I've been able to work in jeans for years) and go hit the employment agency (after figuring out where my resume master is), and then stop at unemployment and see what I'm able to do there.

I'm angry, disappointed in them, and feel sorry for the rest of the staff still there. My workload was such that I'm still owed three weeks of vacation, so at least the OM will make sure I get paid for them. Even though this may finally be a chance to have a little vacation, my stomach is rolling around like a stone-age proto-grinding-wheel.

I'd like everyone just to take a minute and think "ASSHOLES!" at bosses who have no idea what it takes to run their business and that everyone is expendable. (Of course, although they complain money is tight, nobody forced them to invest in a horrible computer/software system without researching it ahead of time, and frankly, it's very clear that their 4 vacations a year, and all the perks like cars that the business pays for is not expendable!)

Ok. I've vented enough for the moment. Thanks for listening!

Lynxa · Post by **Lynxa** » Fri May 26, 2006 3:16 pm

Hissing mental beams coming up!!!

: What a bunch of JERKS!

I'm sorry this happened!!

At least you get that paid vacation, but less than a week's notice??? That's nuts.

Good luck on finding another job!! I bet you'll find something even better! (Or maybe they'll realize they were stupid to buy the software and come crawling back to you

)

aernath · Post by **aernath** » Fri May 26, 2006 11:48 pm

MAN!!! That's some major crappage!!!
*thinks even more mental hissing metal beams and then some*

I hope it all comes together for you easily with a better job (with better employers!!!!) and soon!!

*hands the Weiss boys over for rotation time*

Baakay · Post by **Baakay** » Sat May 27, 2006 8:09 am

What they said!! ^ ^^

I've been thinking about this ever since I read your post and have come to the conclusion that there is no phrase that could capture the degree of contempt I hold toward these people.

This... Sucks.

Isn't it interesting how those of us who do the serious behind-the-scenes information organization work get screwed if such work happens to involve any significant amount of keyboarding!! Because then it's "Just" clerical work. And of course, the computer makes human intervention unneccessary. Yeah. Right. Can't wait for the Powers that Be to discover how wrong they are, although that doesn't help your situation.

(can you tell I've had ample reason to ponder this very issue?

)

Consider the mental boos and hisses sent. In abundance. With feeling.

hobbywhelmed · Post by **hobbywhelmed** » Sat May 27, 2006 10:09 am

Thanks, guys. I spent a really racing (as opposed to racey....) morning hitting the bank and getting prescriptions refilled and making my list of things I have to get done by Wednesday.

My mother (we share a house) is taking this better than I am, though she thinks the short notice is a bummer too. I guess that one extra month of medical insurance premium (or partial?) had to be avoided by all means...

Anyway, since things are closing down/closed for the holiday weekend, I am going to go out with my pole-pruner (settle down -- ) and take some aggressions out on the overgrown shrubs in the yard. My neighbors are outside today with their kids - guess I'll finally find out just how far "@)(#(#)$)(#(@(@!!!!" really travels....

Thanks for all the little emoticons, Aernath - I'm using them as meditation mandalas - although all the yummy avatars keep winking at me and distracting me.

metheus · Post by **metheus** » Sat May 27, 2006 11:06 am

Mental beams...

Guess I'll change my avatar to match. Sorry to hear of your misfortune. Out of touch decision makers often don't know what they've lost until its gone. They see savings now, but once they realize their mistake they'll have to rehire/retrain with no guarantee their new employee will work out. Little consolation, hopefully you can find a new employer that appreciates you.

tex-chan · Post by **tex-chan** » Sat May 27, 2006 11:27 am

I just wanted to jump in here and add my growling, hissing, utterly pissed off mental beams to the batch.

I would like to say that I can't believe your employers did that to you, but, sadly, I can believe it. This is a practice that is becoming more and more common as business becomes all about "the bottom line" and has nothing to do with the folks behind the scenes that make maintaining that bottom line possible. They do not realize how much you do for them, and see only what they consider "a savings" by letting you go. Once you are not there, they will turn around and wonder how the million and one things you did over the normal course of a business day ever got "handled". And, they won't have a clue. I hope they come crawling back to you at that point, and you're able to laugh in their faces.

A similar thing happened to a friend that I used to work with. Our company went from being a very employee-friendly place to one of those "it's all about the almighty bottom line dollah" companies. And, my friend got caught up in the first purge. I mean ... this company was laying off hundreds of people at a time -- inevitably either before a holiday or on a Friday. They would just call whole units of folks in and tell them to pack up and get out -- no warning, no nothing. And, then, to add insult to injury, they would have security escort these people to their desks, only allowing them to take limited personal belongings (ie. a purse, for women, for example), at which point security would escort them out of the building. We're talking about employees that had been with this company for 20 or more years, in some cases, who had given a lot of effort at making the company what it was, and were, now, being treated like common criminals! It was unspeakably crass and vulgar and just, rude. A betrayal on all levels. (And, it's still ongoing in that company, by the way -- it's the way the "new" corporate head "does business" -- by keeping the workforce constantly stirred up for fear of layoffs and reprisals. It's disgusting, really.) Anyhow, my friend got laid off. Come to find out, though, he was the only person in his unit who knew how to handle a certain kind of billing that was essential to the ten or so units that his unit supported. So, two days after security "escorts" him out of the building, his ex-boss calls him up and asks him to explain how to do that billing. My friend's response: "Uh ... Gee. I forgot. I guess you'll just have to figure it out on your own." I can't even imagine how satisfying that must have felt for him. Made me so proud of him at the time. And, really, I'm still proud of him.

Personally, I feel your former employers are beneath contempt. It is obvious they know nothing of what it takes to run and/or manage their business. I am just sorry as heck that their stupidity has come back to bite you on the butt in such a big way. Considering the skills I know you must have from your previous job, I am sure you'll find something new and better. I just hope it happens for you really, really soon!

*sends hugs to hobbywhelmed*
*sends more "SADISTIC HATE BEAMS" to despicable employers*

kittens · Post by **kittens** » Sat May 27, 2006 12:11 pm

I am very sorry that this happened to you

It is not fair! I mean you did not have any choice! You have worked for a long time and just right that!

I hope you can have fun during your vocation.....

And take $$$$ as much as you can from them! (I don't feel bad for them

)

hobbywhelmed · Post by **hobbywhelmed** » Sat May 27, 2006 3:42 pm

You folks are great! Thanks!

Now let's just see if I can drop some of the so-damn-bored-while-typing-working-through-every-snack-in-sight weight before any interviews!

And do you think it's appropriate to include in a resume under skills that I'm very experienced in "taking corporate shit" ?

On a plus side - I was helping my friend last night, providing car transport for her son and his friend to go to a really posh Sweet 16 party at a "country club" in the middle of nowhere (but a good nowhere neighborhood!) So she treated me to a movie - saw the new X-men movie! Yes, very highly recommended, but remember all the little bits from the beginning and DO NOT leave before the end of the credits!

Baakay · Post by **Baakay** » Sat May 27, 2006 4:40 pm

hobbywhelmed wrote:And do you think it's appropriate to include in a resume under skills that I'm very experienced in "taking corporate shit" ?

Of course it is! We call it "Communicates tactfully, discreetly and accurately with management, staff, and clients" (or something to that effect).

Or...

"Highly experienced at providing effective information exchange to all levels of business enterprise;"

or...

Effectively liases in a pro-active fashion to maximize the ... blah blah
(some of my favorite buzzwords up here, maybe we could stick utilize in there somehow.)

All translate roughly into "takes a licking and keeps on ticking, assholes

"

Oh I just can't wait until your penny-wise and pound-foolish employers have their own excrement hit the fan. Do THEY know all the diagnostic codes, the fun-with-insurance-companies crapola that people in the front lines of med offices get to deal with? Do THEY know how to get a patient chart from point A to point B in the most expeditious way? Do they know when the spellchecker ok's a word that is correctly spelled but could have disasterous results used in the wrong context?? Whee!!!

(Worked as a legal secretary for quite awhile before going into the library field. I SO feel for you. And I can't WAIT till they get theirs.)

hobbywhelmed · Post by **hobbywhelmed** » Sat May 27, 2006 6:58 pm

Baakay, such elegant prose!

PERFECT.

And you mentioned a boss using a spellchecker - Of course, you realize they only use it IF they think they NEED it! (And I still chuckle over the voice-recognition software translating "when the patient's son arrives" to "when the nation's sum arises" and that getting right past the "I checked it over myself" process!)

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Sat May 27, 2006 6:59 pm

"it" being wink PERFECT?

hobbywhelmed · Post by **hobbywhelmed** » Sat May 27, 2006 7:01 pm

Lol. Clo--- I rest my case.

klet · Post by **klet** » Sun May 28, 2006 12:54 am

tex-chan wrote:Anyhow, my friend got laid off. Come to find out, though, he was the only person in his unit who knew how to handle a certain kind of billing that was essential to the ten or so units that his unit supported. So, two days after security "escorts" him out of the building, his ex-boss calls him up and asks him to explain how to do that billing. My friend's response: "Uh ... Gee. I forgot. I guess you'll just have to figure it out on your own."

That is just GREAT!!!!! I love it!

Yeah, I'll definately help with the sending of mental beams.

They'll definately get what's coming to them later on. I've done my fair share of office work in several part-time jobs, and believe, usually the higher-ups don't have a clue. E.g. At college, I was replacing one student who could no longer work on Tuesday and Thursday, and when I asked how to do a certain job, my boss said, "I don't know. Bob usually does that."

hobbywhelmed · Post by **hobbywhelmed** » Sun May 28, 2006 7:15 am

Klet - Lol! You know, I often used temp jobs as a way to bridge between careers (yes, I've used up most of the easy careers. I'm still wondering what I should be when I grow up --) and jobs. I worked for a bit at a bicycle-accessories manufacturing place. They were amazed that I knew how to turn the computer on, and that I knew about directories, programs, etc.! Seemed that a lot of the temps (and some regulars) they would get were so used to the computer being on and in the program for them when they started work each day that they couldn't do it themselves!