I worked with my last employer for 3 years before we joined offices with another one. After we joined I didn't not see eye to eye with another co-worker. She was a retired union worker and didn't see the working world though my eyes. She felt that is was necessary to take her two 15 breaks every day plus her 1 hour lunch. In our office setting (or many for that matter) you go with the flow and don't stop to take one break, but just go potty when you can and get up when you can. Any how! I then worked two years there and while I was on maternity leave they downsized their office making my job part-time (16 hours per week). This however forced me to find a new full time job that I actually love outside the fact I work 60 hours a week instead of 40. :(
Now I didn't received anything when I left except a thank you lunch with two other people from the office, one of which was my former boss. The girl who just left there after only 1 year got a new IPOD touch.
My feelings are hurt by this. I know I should just get over it, but it is hard. I don't want to go back to work there nor will I after falling in love with this job, but how do I let go of the resentment?
Just M- I love the idea (I even still have an office key) hehehe. I told them they could pick it up at my new office since they are here weekly and I got a snoting e-mail back from the head guy stating that it was my job to take off work and return it to them. SERIOUSLY I DON'T THINK SO!
However, I would never do anything harmful with the key since I am a responsible adult. ;)
you egg the building at night and teepee it=) i'm jus kidding, if only that wasnt illegal, i'd be egging a bunch of people and places=) I feel like i missed out on doing that in HS...anywho..sorry you were pooped on! ALTHOUGH i thought this was going to be a story about litterally getting pooped on by a baby=)
You didn't get pooped on. You just didn't get recognized. It happens. There is no company loyalty anymore...
The Union girl? that's unions for you. Take every break, every lunch and say "it's not in my job description"...so really - you are better off without them in your life.
Just let it go. You are holding on to something that will ONLY AFFECT YOU. Don't worry about what other people got or what you didn't get. You are an adult.
How do you let it go? You say - I'm better than this and my not being there is THEIR LOSS. Don't think about it. Be happy with your new job and just press on!!!
Just let it go. You got a great new job, THAT my dear is the blessing to it all.
You didn't get pooped on. How does anything about this other employee have anything to do with you? How did her approach to her job, which was appropriate and legal, affect you?
You are leaving a business. You are not entitled to have anyone give you anything for the grand gesture of you leaving. You're just another employee leaving. Yes, I'm sure you feel you were spectacular and deserve the best send-off ever and gave them the best years of your life, and you fit oh-so-well into the office culture.
Or maybe not. And maybe it's reflected in the parting gift.
I suspect the merger has something to do with it.
We'd all like to think we're indispensable but that's rarely true (nor should it be!).
The best comfort should be in knowing you made a good contribution, did a good job and moved on to something else, right?
Not sure what the "union girl" taking her mandated breaks has to do with this at all. People come to the workplace from different environments. Coming from a giant STEEL town where unions were absolutely NECESSARY for the protection of workers...because lots of employers would be A-OK with ALL of their employees missing lunch everyday or all breaks because there's just "not time today" -- she (as is everyone) is entitled to her lunch and breaks. How can you hold that against anyone?
Build a bridge Get over it.
Recognize that office politics will trump actual achievements every time. It is what it is. It doesn't matter if you save the world on a daily basis, when you leave a company, everything that ever did or ever will go wrong will suddenly become your fault. There's nothing you can do but know that it's the same the world over, and you just smile and enjoy your new job! You are working in a better place now anyway, so who cares what those people at your old job are doing? Would an iPod touch have really made your experience with your bad co-worker any better? I doubt it! :)
I can understand why your feelings are hurt...really I do. Something happened to me in a previous job that was pretty similar. But what are you really able to do about this? You know the answer is absolutely nothing. So short of venting to your family/friends and here, nothing much to do.
And you know what? NONE of us know what type of employee you were. Maybe good or maybe not...none of us know. SO, we should all refrain from assuming that you were a bad employee.
it's not too surprising that the new "parent company" or whatever, doesn't appreciate you as much as the folks you worked with for so long. they took you to lunch (your old boss, if i read that right), they probably couldn't afford a new IPOD for you. i know when our company sold out the new "parents" didn't really appreciate us as much because we were now little TINY fish in a really big lake. as opposed to being self contained and a little family like before the merger.
ANYway. i actually agree with the coworker about the breaks. i have a HUGE problem (and i am a manager in an office) with companies who encourage employees to skip breaks. it's illegal. my husband (whose "career" has include pizza delivery, construction, etc) almost always has jobs that breaks just aren't "done". i think it's horse pooh. if OSHA got wind of it they'd be up a creek.
that's because i began my working life as an employee of walmart- who are so terrified of OSHA and unions that they DRILL the rules down your throat. if you work 4 hours you are entitled to a 15 minute break, 8 hours, you get two 15 minutes and a 30 (at least) etc. the company can actually get in trouble if you don't take them.
i understand if no one else does it's very difficult to be the "squeeky wheel" - i wouldn't go either i'm sure. but just saying. try to let it go.
and yeah, you probably should have left the key when you left. but barring that, it's not their job to go to you to get it. sorry :(
AFTER READING YOUR "SO WHAT HAPPENED":
Put the key in the mail and forget about your old employer. I would not have given them my new employer's address, given your hard feelings. Once the key is gone....you can call yourself a "responsible adult".
You get over it and stop working so many hours. Overtime pay is great, sixty hours is too much.
Buy yourself an IPOD with your OT pay (IF, you can afford), if not be happy that you now have a job you LOVE.
Blessings.....
Put the key in the mail, certified, so they can't say you stole it.
I'd let the rest slide. My old boss used to forget my birthday but take other people out to lunch. I'm not there anymore and much happier.
