Fix your job

[piqaboo]

Annual performance appraisal time. My least loved time of the year. Worst part is writing my own appraisal. It should be a joy - its license to brag on myself for 7 straight pages.

Irony - the only way I can fill the darn thing out is by referring to those other hated documents - my monthly reports!

I am so tempted to write (under goals and objectives):
"I got knocked up, we had a baby, she's an angel. I met my deadlines. Nothing else matters."

[Serenity]

Where do you find the time for all this desk-time to write reports? :confused:

[mmichaelson]

She has more time than you because she doesn't have the dragon-boss-from-hades behind her back.


Have you managed to get rid of her yet???

[Serenity]

It's a work in progress! It's review time here also. I'm still working on 2005 objectives - draft due next monday; I'm more interested in the future than the past. The review will be under scrutiny from several people now and I gotta meet with someone "high-up" in half-an-hour, so I gotta wolf down my food, type this post and go brush snow off the car to drive to the meeting....let the games begin!

[piqaboo]

I dont do labwork anymore. I got bumped to my desk several years ago, and now I only go into the lab during manpower crises. I can still function in the lab, but because of how long it takes to run our assays, we find it more efficient to have 4 people in the lab and one person locked to a computer analyzing the data.
That last one would be me. Fortunately all four dont report to me, (no one does since maternity leave - hooooray!!!) or I'd have to write all their appraisals too.

I was amazed at how much weight I gained and fitness I lost, in moving from lab (standing and walking most of the day) to desk job (sitting.). Secretarial Spread is not a myth!

[Serenity]

Maybe you should analyze data on a Stair Master and take "ergonomic stress breaks"; it's tiring to be in any one place or position for more than 2 hours. Any carpal tunnel syndrome problems yet?

I remember a Simpsons episode where Homer purposely tries to gain weight so he wouldn't have to go to work every day and could work from home for medical reasons. I think I should start looking at that option in my benefits plan.

If I become overweight and unable to perform some of my job functions, like inability to lift a container of specified weight or being unable to reach the instrument controls on the lab bench, would the company encourage me to go lose weight on company time or just tell me "You're fired" (insert pointing Trump finger here)?

Hmmm, I see some advantages to gaining weight. I could get in an intimidating sumo stance whenever my boss approached the work area or invade her personal space a lot and just be "kind-of-in-the-way-a-lot". She would have to treat me in a politically correct way but I could crack all kinds of fat jokes to get her to lose her composure.

OK, well, gotta go find out how many pounds I have to gain to become medically obese.....

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Well, re the "medically obese" classification; my health insurance covers all kinds of weight-loss surgeries and drugs, if one is "morbidly obese", which is defined as desirable weight plus 100 lbs; or some body mass index number that doesn't quite work for my aged brain. The benchmark shifts closer to "desirable" if you have uncontrollable blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, or stroke. Are you sure you want to go there?

About the carpal tunnel - don't assume that any particular individual will get it. Repetitive stress may trigger it, but it also requires that the carpal tunnel be insufficient to the tendons that pass through, that the cartilege swell and "stick" from the stress in the carpal tunnel, and that scarring and adhesions will eventually accumulate to the point where the whole hand ceases to work properly or comfortably.

I've been typing regularly since, ah, well, 1959. My mother couldn't read my handwriting and bought me a typewriter and signed me up for a summer school class. That manual typewriter was an old office model Royal, had really stiff key springs, and when you switched to upper case you had to lift the carriage half an inch up with your little finger.

My hobbies are all fiddly little handwork things (quilting, other sewing, knitting) except for the reading and cooking things. I spend most of each workday on a computer keyboard, and I also use the computer at home for other hobbies (BBB, e-mail, solitaire). My sister's hobbies are similar - she spins, she knits more, quilts and sews much less. We both read. She keyboards less.

She's had carpal tunnel surgeries. Plural. Multiple. I haven't. No explanation. No lifestyle differences worth mentioning. She's a little younger. She has two children, I have three. She's more a type A personality, I'm more a type B. She's more active, I'm more sedentary. She's a better housekeeper, I'm a better cook. Her hands hurt. Mine don't.

[piqaboo]

No CT, but lots of numbness and pain in hands due to tight shoulder muscles. It comes and goes. I relocate my mouse a lot.

I am not too good at Excel whilst on stair master .
I do use the farthest away printer, but there is nothing comparable to 8 hours a day standing at a bench and moving between benches/incubators/freezers etc.

Its actually pretty funny when I do go into the lab to run an assay now. My legs get tired!

[mmichaelson]

I conquered secretary spread by ordering a tread-climber from bowflex for in the evenings. The radio and I rock/sweat out four or so days a week. . .

BTW, sitting still all day long with almost nothing to do is really crappy!

Ok. Well, there is stuff to do, I just finish it really quickly.. . .

<sigh>

[piqaboo]

I walk alongside OT as he pushes the Altoid and a 70 lb steel pram up and down hills. I figure the cheering and encouraging I do must burn at least 2 extra calories each time we walk for an hour.<t-i-c icon>

Its still not the same as being active at work all day long!

[mmichaelson]

LOL! That's the truth, right? At least you're getting exercise though. . .and as soon as Altoid hits that mobile stage, I'm sure you'll get plenty of exercise chasing her around!

[Serenity]

My goals for 2005 are due tomorrow. In a nutshell, I'm lobbying for desk time; time to examine data, review basic science and technology, time to meet and ask others about their work, time to explore analytical instruments and methods. I find it sad, as a Research Associate, that I should have to turn these basic research activities into "goals". What's next? Decrease lunch minutes or increase measurable bladder control? :p

[piqaboo]

Serenity - it seems like your co is using you as a mfg assoc, instead of an ra.
then again, if we let ra's do that kinda stuff, what fun is left for the scientists? (j/k)

I remember one job that was so busy, in a lab with a slick floor, that I stopped wearing heels to work. By wearing flats I gained about 20 min a day because I could walk faster without worrying about slipping. What bladder? Mine went numb years ago. You could ask them to pay for a personal supply of "Depends" - see if that gets a response...

[mmichaelson]

I'm lucky that the bathroom is twenty feet from my office (that I share with our three student workers). . .otherwise, those four bottles of water I drink per day might float us all out of the office.

Serenity, any more luck with your horrible boss?? Didn't you say you were filing a complaint above her head? Has anything come from that?

[Serenity]

My job title is Research Associate but she won't let me do any sort of research on anything nor associate with anyone. I am effectively a Production Peon, a oompa-loompa or Manufacturing Cinderella or just plain Slave. My goals merely strive to include in my workload the company's job description of an Research Associate. I have 3 long days this week; might not get back to the board until night time.

[Serenity]

Gee, Miss Bossa Nova, when we're finished printing these large batches of sheet music off the printing press do you think I could get 30 minutes of music composition and a little practice on the piano?

[mmichaelson]

lol.

Maybe someone should remove the huge stick that's up her rear! Do you think that would help at all?

Sometimes one of my office-mates drives me crazy. . .thinks she my boss and all, but is definitely NOT, and I make that known.

[bignaf]

Originally posted by Saxy Buff:

Sometimes one of my office-mates drives me crazy. . .thinks she my boss and all, but is definitely NOT, and I make that known.

sounds familiar. luckily I'm back to school next week and have to suffer her only part-time.

[Serenity]

Does she "talk to the hand"?
Do you state "You're not the boss of me!".

I often want to shove the water hose in her mouth and turn the valve on full blast.

Today was bad; these people are seriously dysfunctional, they get too caught up in the details. If I'm watching the process I should be "multi-tasking"; if I am multi-tasking, then I should be watching the process. Maybe I'll send her a box of chocolates made of Ex-Laxx.

<small>[ 01-13-2005, 12:46 AM: Message edited by: Serenity ]</small>

[mmichaelson]

ROFL!

Serenity, that is hilarious! Maybe something called "Colon Blow" (ala Van Wilder movie).

Sweet revenge!