OMG, things are going from bad to worse!!!

[Tonya]

I can't believe my luck lately! We have this rule that you aren't allowed to stop at a resturaunt. You get suspended for 2 1/2 days the first offense.

Anyways, I show up to work this morning, and the boss informs me that for my safety, I am going to go work for another crew until things are worked out. So, they pair me up with this guy that I've never worked with before to train me. (It's entirely different work...I'm now officially a lineman.) I ask the guy "What are we doing today?" He said "Oh, we have to head out to Turlock, follow me." So, I follow him to this town that is 20 miles away and he pulls into a Starbucks parking lot. I don't drink coffee, but I figured since the bosses were in a meeting in Modesto and it was my first day with this guy, it wouldn't kill me to walk in there. I stood inside while we ordered. I told him that I was sorry, but I can't sit down in there. I couldn't tell him why because he doesn't know about the recent drama and my boss said not to tell anyone. So anyways, he thought I was wierd (everyone stops for coffee), but we left.

I get back into the yard, and my boss is there, my new temporary boss, and they call us into a room. Some out of town manager was at the Starbucks when we were! People go to coffee and lunch every single day. I don't, and the one day I did, which happened to be the week after I got suspended, I got caught.

Luckily, the manager observed that I didn't get coffee and overheard me say I couldn't stay. So I got an off the books warning.

Jeepers. I almost starting laughing hysterically when my boss was talking to me. Just from my crappy luck lately.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Originally posted by Tonya
... We have this rule that you aren't allowed
to stop at a resturaunt...

Some out of town manager was at the Starbucks when we were!

Sooo, uhhhh...
WHAT was the "manager" doing in the Starbucks...
"fixin" their phone!!??

Different "rules" based on your position on the Food Chain?

Tonya ~

Have you looked *up* lately??
Do you have a Black Cloud following you around??

Think you're past due for a Change in Luck ~
and For the BETTER!

/s/ Phred

[Tonya]

LOL, I know! That was what I was thinking?! I didn't want to get into it since they were letting me off though.

[Miss Meow]

It reminds of the days I used to wag school, and get busted by my parents' friends or a teacher!!!

Things will look up. Bad luck is supposed to come in threes, not by the dozen!

[HoRsELUvR]

At least you were responsible enough to listen to your boss.

[G.P.girl]

oh poor you! that just sucks when stuff keeps getting worse adn worse. i hope stuff gets better soon

[gini]

Hmmmm, why does this sound like a setup to me?

Woman, maybe you need a new job in a different field with MORE WOMEN. (or more men who are adults).

I would say enough is enough................

[Cinder & Smoke]

Originally posted by Tonya
LOL, I know! That was what I was thinking?!
I didn't want to get into it since
they were letting me off though.

I think I'd *quietly* ask your Union Rep about it.

Can't believe the company says you can't EVER stop for a legit "break"...

Around HERE the Urility crews must be "allowed" to stop -
because they DO!
Anyway - it's pretty hard to *hide* a well-marked utility truck...
I wouldn't think a coffe break or lunch stop would be abused to
the point they forbid them!

Do you have to *call in* and do a "Mother, May I?" before you can
take a potty break!?

/s/ Phred

[Karen]

Sounds pretty suspicious to me. I'd document every little thing for the next few weeks.

8 am - got in truck
8:00:02 - put on seatbelt.
etc.

[Twisterdog]

Originally posted by gini
Hmmmm, why does this sound like a setup to me?

Woman, maybe you need a new job in a different field with MORE WOMEN. (or more men who are adults).

I would say enough is enough................

I agree. Find a new job. This one is strange, to put it mildly. Someday, things at work may go for simply frustrating to much, much worse. If I were you, I'd get out now before that happens. No amount of money is worth putting up with crap for, IMO.

BTW, one of my employees used to live in Turlock and Modesto. She moved here with her family about four years ago. Small world!

[K9soul]

Wow your bosses sound unreasonably strict. I can see if it's against the rules to go in and sit around in a restaurant for an hour but to just stop and grab a coffee? That you didn't get in as much trouble because you didn't commit the horrible sin of buying a coffee for yourself? Heaven forbid if you had wanted one!

It would be hard not to be suspicious with everything that's been happening to you lately with your job . I wouldn't really know what to recommend except what Karen suggested and if you have a union rep I'd definitely talk about it.

It sounds like from what I understand, you like the actual work and you like the money you make, it's just the management and some of the people that are making things rough.

[lovemyshiba]

Geesh Tonya-what a run of bad luck for you!!

I know it's not the easiest thing to do, but I would be searching for a new job-at least look and see what's out there.
It sounds like a setup to me, and you're going to drive yourself crazy if you continue to work like this.

[Tonya]

Thanks for all your concerns. I'm not budging on my job. I love what I do! 99.9% of my time here as well as the guys I work for is awesome.

I'm just going through a stroke of bad luck. Truthfully, I think that things are simply coming to a head with the chaos that Dave has caused over the past 20 years. I'm just stuck in the middle of it.

I've heard the boss tell all of us more then once (he's only been with us for a year) that so many people should have been fired, and so many unacceptable things have happened, yet there is no documentation to stand on. He's warned us more then once to keep our noses clean because they are going to crack down on the trouble makers. I just happened to get wrapped up in it all.

Tomorrow, all the big wigs, lawyers, and sexual harrassment folks are coming to secretly interview me. Apparently, even management doesn't know about it. (Aside from my boss.) Hopefully they'll have some answers for me.

[Tonya]

Originally posted by Cinder & Smoke
I think I'd *quietly* ask your Union Rep about it.

Can't believe the company says you can't EVER stop for a legit "break"...

Around HERE the Urility crews must be "allowed" to stop -
because they DO!
Anyway - it's pretty hard to *hide* a well-marked utility truck...
I wouldn't think a coffe break or lunch stop would be abused to
the point they forbid them!

Do you have to *call in* and do a "Mother, May I?" before you can
take a potty break!?

/s/ Phred

We were allowed all that stuff until they decided that they needed to layoff 10,000 people. Now, they have zero tolerance on everything because they are trying to cut heads...

And yes, Karen...I do (and have been) writing down my every move.

[stacwase]

You've been through so much lately. Keep us updated - especially after you talk to all those people!