February 2020 Monday 08:30am
Been in the office and have the usual routine completed—door lock[i], lights, blinds, computer on—and was bringing up the necessary work programmes when the door was flung open and in walked the FD/MD.
To my “Morning” greeting and before I could get the ‘Are you alright’ out of my mouth, I was treated to “Couldn’t you sleep” in return.
Why they do this to me has baffled me for the duration of my employment here. It was not the end of, what would turn out to be another of their terse grillings.
“You’re here early”
“What’s the matter, couldn’t you sleep?”
“You have to give me a list of advance notifications of when you’re going to be in early”
“Is that okay?”
“I can see it’s not okay?”
The answer to this inquisition lies further back but one thing for sure is that mainly when arriving earlier than the 9am start of the office workday, the FD/MD has not been there which is not a problem unless of course you’re the FD/MD who tells everyone and anyone that one is always in early, working over the evenings, working over the week-ends and working in one’s holidays.
Supportively, the Boss’s Pet has no sympathy and says it’s FD/MD’s fault/problem—behind their friend of 30+years back—of course.
Their attitude is “this is what they (FD/MD)get the big bucks for”, “more fool them”, “Chairman doesn’t care, squeezing everything out of them to make him money”.
Having been bombarded with this tirade I calmly explained that I didn’t want to discuss it at the moment because I was thinking about the background to my being sent away from the office over the week-end because FD/MD wanted Boss’s Pet to be able to stay at work “with their compromised immune system”.
My imparting this was ‘Red Flag’ to a five foot bulle.
Another exchange followed.
FD/MD “What, I said go home because you sounded unwell”.
Me-I said I felt well enough to be at work
FD/MD “you sounded unwell”
Me-I was sent home because Boss’s Pet had moaned at me for two days straight about how I shouldn’t be at work because they have a compromised immune system”
FD/MD “Well they do”
Me-That doesn’t mean I should be stopped from attending work. The offices and warehouse are full of people with germs including coughs and colds. None of those were sent home. I was sent home solely because Boss’s Pet had moaned for two and a half days to you about their immune system being compromised.
FD/MD “Well it is. Are you saying that we shouldn’t take care for Boss’s Pet.
<![if !supportLists]>- <![endif]>The FD/MD was still sporting a cough, a mouth still with ulcers including on their lips
Me-You have a cough but you’ve not stopped coming in or been moaned at by Boss’s Pet?
FD/MD “I’m not going home, I never have time off sick”
Me-So it’s another instance of different rules being applied to me
FD/MD “you’re getting paid for it; what is your problem?”
FD/MD “What do you want out of this?”
Me-I want it to stop; isn’t that enough?”
Exchange about the holidays[ii]
At this point I repeated I don’t want to talk about it until I’ve had more time to think about why and how I was sent away from the office and prevented from working in order that someone else could continue to attend work and only for the FD/MD to fly out of the office in to the production/warehouse area up the stairs to the HR office and come down shortly after because the HR person doesn’t work on Monday or Tuesday.
Returning to their desk the FD/MD was still incandescent but at least when the Boss’s Pet had arrived and, following our usual routine[iii] I asked if anyone wanted a drink they were no longer snorting responses to me.
They didn’t want a coffee as normal – they had a can of pop. Nor did Boss’s Pet want one they’d got their water. So I made myself a drink and carried on. Things popped up in the course of work but I only received cursory responses and was, again, excluded from the chit-chat.[iv] Gawd they made the atmosphere oppressive.
Aah now the latest little confab. in the kitchen whilst I was left alone in the office made sense. Away I go again, I’ve been sent to Coventry.
I tried again late morning-more of the same treatment.
The FD/MD’s coughing throughout the morning elicited the Boss’s Pet to say– “ Well at least you don’t go sick just for a cough[v]”. To which they replied “No, I’ve got too much work to do.” So the FD/MD’s coughing, sore lips and ulcers in close proximity to them isn’t a concern for Boss’s Pet. Hmmm.
What time is your lunch[vi] said the FD/MD to the Boss’s Pet?
I thought it was One o’oclock said the FD/MD to the Boss’s Pet?
Shifty looks and mumbles exchanged between the FD/MD and Boss’s Pet. I was very unsettled by the events unfolding and the atmosphere being created when I speak up for myself and had said to Boss’s Pet that it was my day for a one o’clock lunch.
Then a telecon. immediately after where FD/MD talking to Arbey “it’s one o’clock, we’ll speak around then”. I turned my head 90 degrees left to look over at their desk and caught them looking at me. Hurriedly they turned away and busied themselves with the ‘phone cable before they hung up.
I called my daughter on the way home and said I didn’t want to go back. They reminded me how much they tried to get me out by making my life difficult including the seemingly never-ending One Rule for Everyone and A Different Rule for Me[vii] and that I shouldn’t let them get me out of the way another time so I put on my lipstick went back.
Hi, I said on going back into the office by which time the number was swelled by one as the afternoon woman was in and it was like the Wild West scenes with tumble weed blowing through. Nothing; wall of silence. I decided there and then I was going to call the union to tell them about this treatment. Unfortunately for me the ‘phone rang and ‘Thick …[viii]’ was (as though it was my fault) putting a creditor through to discuss promised payment not forthcoming, yet again[ix].
Lovely chap, sitting in Spain enjoying the weather and looking for their promised payment. Sociably asking me about my holidays but the three women – FD/MD, Boss’s Pet and HerMadge, had all stopped what they were saying and doing to listen.
This was intolerable.
Please can we have a payment and for it to be ‘actually made and credited to our bank account this time’ was the upshot. Turning to the FD/MD I relayed the message as I had 6 previous reminders and promises to pay. Being curt and using very few words I turn back to Ben and say “the payment will reach your account today”. One happy creditor and as I am wrapping up the telecon. I retrieve my mobile from my bag and place it nearby on the desk. I am going to ‘phone the union.
As soon as I am off the ‘phone I leave the office, ‘phone discreetly held and walk to unit 2-the manufacturing side. Immediately I am through the front door I see the Cleanr[x] and they want to talk to me. Whilst listening the front door suddenly thrusts open and as I turn away from the Cleanr see that it is the Essbee who takes the stairs up to the first floor. Cleanr gives me a frown and, after what could only be 90 seconds returns back down the stairs. The Cleanr and I must have looked baffled to hear them say “I was looking for Arbey-I forgot they were in America” and shot off out of the front door. Cleanr could not fathom the sense of either the exercise nor the commentary of Essbee as they were in daily discussions as to the whereabouts of Arbey with the FD/MD in the accounts office.
Telling Cleanr “chin up” and “take care” I took my leave and went in to the bathroom single toilet cubicle and locked the door. I tapped out the number of the union and a few seconds later was connected and the hold message “someone will be with shortly” had started to play.
Well next thing is the bathroom door flies open and after a couple of seconds the tap starts running and the sound comes of someone washing their hands. I can see through the crack that the FD/MD has followed me over to the Mfg unit seemingly being told by Essbee that’s where I am. Standing up, I press the red ‘phone button, unlock the door and walk out of the bathroom and nearly run straight into the man stood right outside. To say they were flummoxed was an understatement.
‘Hi’ we exchanged and he asked me- “FD/MD”s is in there aren’t they.
Yes I replied and slipped out the front door and headed back to the Production/warehouse/offices unit fairly rapidly.
Instead of going back in to building I skipped around the side of the building, past the ‘smoking shelter’ and to the back. Shaking I re-dialled the union and proceeded to tell them ‘what’s occurring’.
Emotions overcame me whilst I am sharing this tiniest of a slice of the type of action I contend with on a daily basis.
You need to tell them you cannot stay in this “hostile” environment and leave the office and go home and see your doctor is the advice and they ring off.
Of course it was never going to be so easy as when I walked back in to the accounts office FD/MD was nowhere to be seen. Boss’s Pet and HerMadge were there but I couldn’t leave them a message-who knew what it’d turn into by the time they’d played their Chinese whispers tricks with it. Only thing to do was to write an e-mail and say, verbatim, what the union advisor had told me to say.
I took my bag out of the drawer and relief flooded me when I was in my car and driving away, out of the estate. I called my daughter; “I’m on my way to the doctors.”
Coming up…
It’s not like the ‘coughing Major’ on Who Wants to be a Millionaire
