Strict boss? What do you remember?

remorseless

Sagz wrote: »

If you think those things are strict you'd hate to have me as your boss!

my first job ever I had a very nice boss and I can say it was the best experience ever. Even though I had 'common sense', he was strict'ish and I needed it to adapt to a workplace! He was just mostly bossing me around to do my tasks quicker and to go the extra mile so I was a bit always on my toes.
Funny thing I got so used to it that I never had a strict boss after him

JJG

missprice wrote: »

Had one boss that counted the pens used and if you dared ask for one say a week after being given one, you had to give a good reason or not get given one.
One boss wanted addresses typed
Name
Address
Postcode

When the convention at the time was
Name
Address
Postcode.

I'm confused about the difference?

Callie22

missprice wrote: »

Another wanted all loaves to be the correct weight ( I was not the baker, just delivery) he would weigh each loaf and send back any wrong uns. Again with maybe 20 loaves or less fine, but we were talking hundreds.

To be fair, underweight bread is something that you could get into trouble for if the weights and measures people visited and found that too many of your loves were underweight. It may still be the case, I haven't been a baker for a good few years but I know that my mum's bakery used to get a visit every couple of years and they'd weigh all of the loaves to make sure that you weren't fiddling people.

mustang121

Sagz wrote: »

By using your mobile during work time (for personal issues) and taking longer breaks than specified you are not doing the work you are being paid for.

If you think those things are strict you'd hate to have me as your boss!

Why? So long as the work gets done on time, accurately and professionally who care if a Employee occasionally sends a text? I agree that there employees who take the urine, but most people can be trusted.


After staring at reports and spread sheets, its sometimes far more motivating to have a 2 min break around a coffee machine.


I occasionally send/take the odd personnel text or call or two, but on the other hand I always go the extra mile to help work whenever I can. If work start getting stroppy over something so trivial then I might be less inclined to do anything extra.

Pennywise

mustang121 wrote: »

Why? So long as the work gets done on time, accurately and professionally who care if a Employee occasionally sends a text? I agree that there employees who take the urine, but most people can be trusted.

Easier to have a blanket ban. Sadly, it's human nature for some people to take the piff. I used to work for a firm where we had very flexible "flexitime" where we could work longer some days and had relative freedom to take the time off. This came from several years of mutual respect where staff worked longer when it was busy and took time off when it was quiet. Unfortunately, a couple of younger staff started taking the piff, doing longer days even when there was nothing to do, so they could take time off at their convenience. The result was having to get "overtime" approved in advance which affected everyone.

Where do you draw the line with texts and mobile phone calls? I doubt even the most strict manager would quibble about the very occasional case and emergencies, but when does it stop being acceptable? Is it one text or day, 5 or 10? Won't it cause resentment if someone doesn't do any, yet sat with someone who texts 3/4 times a day? There's the potential to waste a lot of management time just to police it and warn when some people are getting close to taking the mickey. Far easier just to have a blanket ban.

[Deleted User]

When I've witnessed mobile use and disregard for rules it has been more well, strikes me, just a team of real mates working together, some companies won't even employ people from the outside, unless they really have, for this reason I'm sure.

[Deleted User]

remorseless wrote: »

my first job ever I had a very nice boss and I can say it was the best experience ever. Even though I had 'common sense', he was strict'ish and I needed it to adapt to a workplace! He was just mostly bossing me around to do my tasks quicker and to go the extra mile so I was a bit always on my toes.
Funny thing I got so used to it that I never had a strict boss after him

Lovely, so the aim of your survey type thread was??

remorseless

Deleted%20User wrote: »

Lovely, so the aim of your survey type thread was??

I was talking to a young/first work experience person and making the point to him that often in certain roles/positions, they'll need to 'obey' their boss even if they don't like it to keep their job... I wanted to show him that, no, it's not just me remembering those experiences and it's fairly normal, esp in entry level jobs.

When I had my first job, I didn't even think about the need to facebook, twitter, constant message, smoke, listen to ipod loudly, not looking tidy, etc.... but younger peeps now may think that these behaviours are okay at work or worse, they can just go home if they don't like it!

dawyldthing

remorseless wrote: »

I was talking to a young/first work experience person and making the point to him that often in certain roles/positions, they'll need to 'obey' their boss even if they don't like it to keep their job... I wanted to show him that, no, it's not just me remembering those experiences and it's fairly normal, esp in entry level jobs.

When I had my first job, I didn't even think about the need to facebook, twitter, constant message, smoke, listen to ipod loudly, not looking tidy, etc.... but younger peeps now may think that these behaviours are okay at work or worse, they can just go home if they don't like it!

I've heard a few just walk out even after a few hours. In fact once we had one guy who stayed less than a day and walked out

ben_m_g

I totally agree with the late, no mobile rule. Every job I've worked in has been the same.

My bad boss stories...

30 minute lecture on how the pie chart was the "wrong" colour, no expectations had been set. I changed it from dark blue to light blue.

I let one of my guys leave work after their house had been burgled in the middle of the night (with his wife in it), he wanted two hours just to talk with police and comfort her. Apparently this was completely unacceptable.

I followed direct instructions to lay on cover for a guy that needed to be with his wife after a major surgery (couldn't walk, couldn't fend for herself) apparently I should have read his mind that he wanted a different person.

I complained that I missed major training for my job (I was the only one not doing it and needed it to actually do the work) I was told to stop whining and get back to work. (Three weeks afterwards I was the only one in and we had a major issue because I didn't know how to complete the task.)