What part of your job do you enjoy least?

[Elpenor]

For me it’s a no brainer - when I have to tell people that their pay is being stopped as they’ve been off sick too long Something I have to do one or two times a month.

Pay is naturally an emotive subject and I don’t like telling people - who are often off for mental health issues - that they’re about to get a lot less of it.

At least I’ve been allowed by my manager to tweak the template letters I send so they’re clearer and seem like they’re written by a human.

What are yours - £10 says the first reply is “the part between 9am and 5pm”

 

[Ax^]

having to set an alarm each morning

 

[marty21]

Dealing with tenants who are desperate to move , we can't move everyone who needs to.

 

[dessiato]

When I was teaching the worst thing was telling hard working students that they'd failed an essential exam.

 

[flypanam]

Having to deal with PhD students. We have a couple who struggle with Library organisation and databases, and need help every time they step into the library.

 

[Pickman's model]

Having to deal with PhD students. We have a couple who struggle with Library organisation and databases, and need help every time they step into the library.

i'm often amazed how so many phd students have managed to get so far with so few research skills.

 

[moomoo]

Customers

 

[A380]

Remembering what it was like before I retired...

 

[planetgeli]

Year 11, because they’ve given up by then.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Doing it

 

[ice-is-forming]

The fucking reporting! I can talk to someone for ten minutes and then take 30 minutes recording that information across multiple data bases

 

[StoneRoad]

Currently, what I enjoy least is dealing with the fallout from the WM saga [see work frustrations thread] which seems to be never-ending.

Apart from that, what I enjoy least has been the need to examine work in minute detail to ensure corners have not been cut.
Neither do I enjoy having to effectively micro-manage someone whose mind is not on their job. [Both of these are very rare, normally]


In previous jobs, what most people would describe as navigating "office politics" has been the least likeable aspect of those jobs.

 

[[62]]

My job's a doddle. It's dull, but the trade-off is I don't feel like I'm doing any harm and nobody is waiting or depending on anything I do.

So, for me, it's a toss up between the general alienating drearyness of my work (I'm convinced my department only exists because there was a senior management reshuffle a couple of years ago and our useless corporate bullshit monkey of a head had to be given something to be in charge of) and the microsecond of irritation between seeing an email of his that ticks his Engagement With Staff box and me deleting it without reading it.

 

[flypanam]

i'm often amazed how so many phd students have managed to get so far with so few research skills.

Too true. And are so arrogant too. Just to be clear I've absolutely have no issues helping an undergrad with any research issues, and I'll even leave my office to search the stacks for a first year but I often just want to say to a PhD 'How can you get confused by Dewey?'

 

[Pickman's model]

Too true. And are so arrogant too. Just to be clear I've absolutely have no issues helping an undergrad with any research issues, and I'll even leave my office to search the stacks for a first year but I often just want to say to a PhD 'How can you get confused by Dewey?'

It's appalling. Bliss I can understand, it's such a complex classification scheme. But Dewey? How they got onto a master's degree, let alone got one, is beyond me

The worst arrogance I've found is law undergraduates who think because they can spell tort they know something of the law, and because they know something of the law they're entitled to special treatment

 

[farmerbarleymow]

having to set an alarm each morning

Give me your phone number and you'll never had to set an alarm again.

 

[Pickman's model]

Give me your phone number and you'll never had to set an alarm again.

Don't you charge for that service?

 

[A380]

It's appalling. Bliss I can understand, it's such a complex classification scheme. But Dewey? How they got onto a master's degree, let alone got one, is beyond me

The worst arrogance I've found is law undergraduates who think because they can spell tort they know something of the law, and because they know something of the law they're entitled to special treatment

TBF the only tort worth knowing about is spelt torte.

 

[MickiQ]

having to set an alarm each morning

Setting it is fine, it's the bit where it goes off that really gets to me.

 

[Winot]

having to set an alarm each morning

If you’re setting it in the morning aren’t you already up?

 

[Voley]

Wild goose chases.

"Is there a document that confirms that the Principal Designer reviewed the Construction Phase Plan?"
"There should be, I'd expect."
"Good. Can you find it?"
"Sure. Do you know what it's called?"
"..."
"What it looks like?"
"..."
"I'll have a look in the database."

The database:

 

[Pickman's model]

Wild goose chases.

"Is there a document that confirms that the Principal Designer reviewed the Construction Phase Plan?"
"There should be, I'd expect."
"Good. Can you find it?"
"Sure. Do you know what it's called?"
"..."
"What it looks like?"
"..."
"I'll have a look in the database."

The database:

View attachment 312659

the worst people for references are tutors. there've been times when they've given the wrong authors, the wrong article title, the wrong journal, the wrong page range and for good measure the wrong year. that takes a very special sort of genius

 

[Voley]

the worst people for references are tutors. there've been times when they've given the wrong authors, the wrong article title, the wrong journal, the wrong page range and for good measure the wrong year. that takes a very special sort of genius

I feel your pain.

 

[Ax^]

If you’re setting it in the morning aren’t you already up?

as I like a bit of risk in my life I play the snooze lottery every morning

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

For me as a freelance worker the job has different people involved every time and a different set up. The worst part is usually the bit before the new job starts where I imagine every worst case scenario and assume that's exactly how the job will play out over the next few weeks.

. . . . also deadlines. Constant deadlines. Everybody seems to think that by constantly stressing unrealistic deadlines that it will make the work happen faster.

 

[Badgers]

The angry AntiVax nutters mostly.

If they don't want a vaccination then don't have one. Simple?

No they just bang on and on at me, the staff and sometimes (although I do draw the line here) the public. Have had death threats and been told I will be hung for crimes against humanity several times.

Also they always have crackpot leaflets and try to make me watch conspiracy videos on Faceache

My usual response was to gently remove them. However this is unacceptable when wearing a council badge with my name on it for some stupid reason

 

[Pickman's model]

The angry AntiVax nutters mostly.

If they don't want a vaccination then don't have one. Simple?

No they just bang on and on at me, the staff and sometimes (although I do draw the line here) the public. Have had death threats and been told I will be hung for crimes against humanity several times.

Also they always have crackpot leaflets and try to make me watch conspiracy videos on Faceache

My usual response was to gently remove them. However this is unacceptable when wearing a council badge with my name on it for some stupid reason

when i worked for a local authority we had to wear a lanyard and the badge always ended up with my name hidden

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Don't you charge for that service?

No, I've got unlimited minutes on the phone contract. Might charge if someone wants a weird message first thing in the morning though.

 

[Part 2]

Once a week I have to meet with my manager. I have to think of what I've been doing to try to justify my employment because I have so little work to do and usually get stressed about it and wake up at silly o'clock the night before.

Then we meet for an hour and she's perfectly fine but I still come away feeling like I'm a fraud and I've managed to pull the wool over her eyes again.

 

[Sprocket.]

My usual response was to gently remove them. However this is unacceptable when wearing a council badge with my name on it for some stupid reason

You should have told the label printer your name was Ronnie Pickering, they would all have heard of you and run away!