Hip Redux
I had a meeting this morning with my boss to go over my planned PTO for post-surgery. I listed out all my routine tasks and who I would assign them to in my absence, and assigned point people for various outside vendors and clients that are used to coming to me. I also outlined the training classes I would run to be sure no one was caught off guard by any of my tasks, since they aren't always straightforward.
You know, trying to be a good employee.
So then he says... "I'm looking forward to seeing how we can cope without you. I think it'll be a good experiment for the company."
And of course my first thought is.... great, did I just give him the instructions on how to get rid of me?
Ugh.
I am sure he will find out he cannot live without you.
Damaris
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Uffda
Even if it was tongue-in-cheek, it was still a crappy thing to say. Good on you for getting stuff lined up. Most employees wouldn't go to the lengths you're going to.
- Andrew
I'm just hoping they have a major crisis and crash and burn without me. lol
Barking Mad To Run
You shoulda "accidentally' kicked him in the shin when you got up after your conversation was over. "Oh...so sorry boss!"
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt
faster than a glacier
I guess that could be a lighthearted zinger or a seriously rude comment depending on the context and tone, etc. Hopefully it was the former but it sounds like you think maybe it wasn't.
Just take it as a compliment that he even wonders if they can cope without you. But generally speaking none of us are as indispensable as we think we are
Well, he wasn't joking, so I assume it was not meant to be funny. My guess is he does think this is a good "test" - but perhaps to see if other people step up?
race obsessed
depending on the size of the company and the specialties of the tasks you perform you'll see if they call you in a panic...
last time I took a vacation overseas my boss at the time seriously wanted me to take my phone and (me) get an international plan so they could call me... nope, not even an option boss, here is your emergency 'how too' list I am outty!
Of course they will cope well now that you have set it all up! He may ask you to leave more often. lol
I have supervised my share of people in my career and a boss once commented on how smooth things go when I am on vacation or what not. I told him he had no idea what it took to make that happen before I left! Zero.
They never do... which is why sometimes you have to let the curtain slip.
Else they do something stupid like, get rid of the IT department and contract an outside IT company... talk about cluster F and skyrocketing expenses...
"What do you mean you can't get to it right this very minute? My in-house guy could..."
yup...
I have yet to take a vacation without at least one phone call and/or emergency email so I was trying to avoid that whole scenario post-surgery.
But yeah, I probably should have just left him high and dry and seen how well that went down.
Usually more headaches for you either while you are off or when you get back.
+1. Unless I'm being covered by the guy who was on my staff for a couple years before I got to train him in managerial duties, it takes a lot of work to go on vacation.
Singer who runs a smidge
I had a boss once that called me down to his office a couple of days after I started work there. He proceeded to tell me that he couldn't wait until my specialty was automated so that then he could fire us all.
I nicknamed him "The Soul-Sucking Abyss of Darkness".
When it's all said and done, no one remembers how far we have run. The only thing that matters is how we have loved.
delicate flower
Heh, reminds me of when I returned to work after my recent ski trip. Boss calls me Monday and says, "Great, you're back! It's good to hear you didn't break anything." And he was not joking. Yeah boss, I had a great trip, thanks for asking.
And yes, work did call me during that vacation and I had to do some work. This place would survive just fine without me but there would be a whole lot of scrambling and confusion.
<3