Random Work And Finding A Job

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It's funny when the (nice) supervisor at work makes sure inspection day is either on my day off or I'm given a very complicated task to do to keep me out of the way, because he knows I'll inadvertently break a rule and fail the audit.

It's not offensive to me, but true. I follow rules instinctive if they're unwritten or common sense or general social etiquette, but written health & safety rules that don't make sense to me requires me to have to consciously remember them and I find that difficult.
It doesn't mean I'm more likely to get myself in danger though. I have a good sense of danger and can use common sense to problem-solve, and I've actually never had a serious accident at work - unlike some who have had accidents who do actually follow the written health & safety rules. Ironic, isn't it?

Like if a sign says "please keep to walkways at all times", what I see is "walk where you want if you are wearing suitable high-visibility clothing and the yard is empty and there are no moving vehicles, and if a vehicle does approach them and the operator doesn't seem you then he's obviously blind".

Health & safety is all about money, not about your wellbeing. I miss the days when everyone just relied on common sense and if you hurt yourself due to not using common sense then you were a "silly goose". Nowadays there are no grey areas, everything has to be thoroughly investigated to see who gets compensation and even the tiniest risk is treated like it's highly likely you're going to die. And then they wonder why so many young people are snowflakes these days (employment speaking, that is).

A woman at work is really angry because she had booked a vacation but took it for granted that nobody else will be off the week she booked it, and now she's trying to get the week off work and has found out that the week she wanted off is already taken by someone else.

I understand how she feels. This new "one person on annual leave at a time only" (unless it's your scheduled rest day) system does mean that you can't plan your life properly. I also understand how frustrating it must feel for her. But she's the sort to kick up and get her father-in-law involved, who works higher up in the company, and he'd confront the supervisor saying it's urgent or something, and because the supervisor is scared of him he gives in and lets her take her annual leave. This then isn't fair on the rest of us, because I don't have a relative in a higher up position in the company to back me up and scare the supervisor into giving me what I want, I just can't have the annual leave if someone else already has and that is that.

Earlier this year I had planned on finally getting married to my partner and had booked the wedding day and everything. It was April, the start of the work holidays year, and I knew normally nobody really takes annual leave in April as they prefer to save it for the rest of the year. But, sod's law, the woman wanted to take that exact week off that I needed, and we both had to fill in our annual leave forms and the one who got it scanned over to the supervisor first got the annual leave. Of course I lost, because I needed extra time to work out what shifts I would be doing that week (as we have a 4-weekly rota), and as I was sitting there struggling, she was writing her's out fast, desperate to get in first. She did, and got her holiday, while the supervisor firmly said I cannot even take a day on that week even if it's urgent - which it was. I mean, you don't get married every day, do you? And it did say in the company policy that getting married is an urgent reason to take a day's holiday from work, but he was stubborn.

So that's why I don't think it's fair if she gets her own way. I think if that did turn out to be the case again then I'd put in a grievance, as a matter of principle. Because I can't stand unfairness.

Work is hard. Have been struggling last 2 weeks with the schedule. My ears are constantly ringing and head burning, can't hear what people say most of the time. I want to save and should try to find something else with less hours. I haven't been drawing because I'm still getting used to the change! But it's all I keep thinking about and how I get through the day. But I tell myself I can do this.

I've just had an email about a job I had applied for last week. It's cleaning at a vet place where pets have surgery. I love animals. The company is going to phone me tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous.

My old manager (years ago) when I worked nights used to say: "the night shift is for thieves and druggies"

I don't think he had much faith in his workforce

Most likely you are overwhelmed trying to multi-task. It is normal for Aspies to fixate on stuff.
It may help for you to draw for five minutes at a time, much like other workers who take coffee breaks or smoke on the job. Nobody can handle that sort of stress without a break, which is why some resort to the nasty habit of smoking.
Just a little something to break the "mind loop" Aspies get fixated on. The stress relief may help you work more efficiently.

Also, there is what management asks and what workers actually do. Watch your co-workers and try too do about the same amount of work. If you do too much that sets a bad example that your co-workers don't like.

^ Didn't quite work with me. All my coworkers get their phones out during quiet periods at work or even sit on their phones waiting for the next task to be available for them. But I got a picture taken of me doing that, by a temporary contractor engineer who I didn't even work with, and he showed the supervisor who came down angrily and had a go at us, with the picture on display. It was so humiliating and I was so angry, because this contractor was bullying me but getting away with it because of being a "good engineer" and not an actual employee there - even though the company was paying for him to be there. He always broke rules too and I felt like playing tit for tat and taking pictures of him using the company phone to chat to his friends and sitting on his phone between tasks, but I didn't really want to sink to his level.

He's gone now, as the company has stopped hiring contractors, but I'm still scared that he's going to reappear one day.

I worked at a place where you couldn't laugh because, obviously you were laughing at someone else's expense

I seriously wish people in senior positions would sort their mental health out before they decide to go into these roles

It's flipping excruciating having to live and work under such tyranny

I struggle with work because when I'm at work, work isn't my main priority

And I'll never be able to break out of that mindset

My supervisor has the weirdest of workplace rules that he can easily hand out a disciplinary for. It's quite frightening when he has a completely different set of rules to the rest of us, rules that aren't really in the invisible social rule book.

For example, he doesn't want us telling each other his rules. Like he made it crystal clear that no more than one person was allowed to be on annual leave at the same time, that was the rule, but when I explained this to a coworker who's English isn't very good, I almost got a warning letter. I'm not quite sure what the letter would have said, but my guess is something along the lines of "only I tell people the rules", even if I'm only trying to help someone and what I was saying to her wasn't a lie. I just didn't want her to book a vacation then realise she can't have the time off because someone else has booked in before her. The supervisor is hardly here and is very hard to get hold of via phone, and he seems to have been neglecting us anyway as of late, because he's just bad management.

Stealing, bullying, poor attendance, etc, are things that warrants a letter of warning, not one coworker truthfully and helpfully telling another coworker how the system works regarding annual leave dates, something we all need to arrange among ourselves anyway as a team.

My mind often wonders to my previous place of work and the strange relationship between the MD and the HR, both women

I'm going to think on this some more so I can put it into words better

It was a very strange set up, I tell you but I'm thinking it might not be all that unusual

I have three interviews next week.

I hope at least one of them works out.

The first is temp work and part-time, so if I did get that job then I'd be back on the job search again to find something permanent.

Whereas, the second is full-time but it's a lengthy commute and would likely mean moving in the long-term. It also means I might have to book time off to do one of those intensive driving courses because I wouldn't be able to schedule regular driving lessons anymore.

Then the third is likely to be somewhat high-stress and the hours will vary, but they are less likely to be picky. It's a shorter commute than the second but further away than the first. It would get the Job Centre off my back, but it's my least favourite option.

They used to call The Jobcentre "The Joke Shop" in my day

I wonder how your interviews went Lost_dragon

I respect joke shops a great deal more.

-

The first interview was a group interview. I never particularly like group interviews because they always feel a bit like a dystopian game show. I was rejected via email on the same day.

Then there was the second interview. A fair bit of travelling was involved for this one. However, I really liked the place. The interviewers were lovely and the office was so neat and organised. I'd mentioned the fact that I'm looking to relocate there on my CV, but I wish I'd gone into more detail on that in my interview as it was probably a concern for them. So far, I haven't heard back yet.

As for my third interview, things were a bit chaotic. I showed up ten minutes early and introduced myself only to discover there were other candidates waiting in the room. Turns out we'd been scheduled roughly around the same time. We asked the lady at the front of the shop if this was a group interview, however she told us that she didn't even know the company was hiring.

I felt a little overdressed as the others were in very casual clothes and I went for smart casual. The interviewers rocked up wearing clothes that were even more casual than the others. Instead of calling us into another room, they interviewed the three of us separately in the same room so I could hear the other interviews as I was answering mine. I found that distracting. Then my interviewer told me that he has fifteen other people to interview and the successful candidates will need to do an unpaid trial shift in another city but that they will pay for the travel expenses.

Which is daft because the job was to sell ice cream. Why would I need to travel to somewhere else to work for free to prove I can sell ice cream? Taking the absolute Mickey.

I had a job were they forced me to take a day off when they knew a high ranking person visited (2/year). Political placed person, drop everything when he asks something and no rule applies. Yes, that will not pass...
Didn't take it as an offense but genuine 'thanks'.

'treats everyone the same' featured on evaluations a lot and not always a good thing. (clearly very much not true)

Current job I'm not allowed in meetings with a certain someone because they fear I'd run off. (I've met him, usual it hotshot but I learned to cope and not entirely just full of wind...) I don't quit jobs as fast as I used to (the one above while some fond memories, but nothing to do all day so didn't last long).

I had an "interview" the other day. The place was a mess. The boss said they'd show me around, then after go round the corner to a coffee shop. One person started showing me around. I didn't have experience of the things I was shown. Then the other boss continued showing me around, telling me everything under the sun about how they operated (the work was stressful, nobody knows what the day will bring etc), and it continued like that for an hour. Barely any actually interview of me whatsoever. I mostly just nodded or acknowledged what he was telling me. No coffee shop, very few questions to find out about me, I was stood up the entire time just listening. Tried to interject my experience from my last workplace where I thought it was relevant. I don't know what to think, not sure they liked me.
Decided today would be the day to find temporary work just to get some income. Signed up to a agency online then needed to go into town so dropped in. Ended up leaving feeling as useless as I did when I came out of university. They seemed to take everything I said as a negative indication towards the types of work they suggested, so was struggling to muster enthusiasm for any of it. Despite leading with I want temporary work as I need income. So cleaning was the best they could offer me, despite all the skills I've developed over the past ten years of my employment.
The messy/chaotic place now seems very attractive, but I fear they won't be in contact.