A time for change...

It's Friday. I am free :)

Today was bittersweet. i slept in, I got myself organised for work at a leisurely pace and arrived just after 9am. Had a good long chat with Susan (my colleague, now former), read some emails, had my exit interview (MORE LATER), went to lunch with the few people I actually got to know at that place, came back to work, packed up my gear, had a lovely chat with Mario (a colleague who was in a senior position within the company), chatted to a few people on the floor and packed up and left the building. I was home by 4pm :) It was nice.

Back to the Exit Interview. i met with HR this morning. I know this lady fairly well, she is very approachable and very much the personality you want to see in HR. She asked me a few questions. Stock standard questions, like "Where are you heading to?", "What is the bigger reason for leaving?" etc etc. I answered all these questions truthfully. Then, it came to my turn.

I explained my situation with a bully boss. A woman who doesn't cope well with stress, even though we work in an environment which is naturally going to be stressful. She appears to be quite a nice person, if she would let go of the control she is desperately trying to hold on to. She can't manage her own time, let alone the team of people she has been entrusted to support and manage. She won't listen to people and therefore, has an inability to communicate or articulate her requirements. Then, when her message is not heard, she cracks it and rants and bullies. She is a liability to the company. She plays favourites with me and my colleague, and obviously, I am not the favourite. She offered my colleague two free dinners with her husband (my colleague's husband, not my boss' husband!) and I was offered nothing. She tells my colleague, after a hard week of work to go home for the rest of the day or week, and offers me nothing. The only times I have had days off are those I have enforced myself, the offer has never been extended to me. She's too emotional and appears to feel unstable in her position.

I offered all of this information to the HR person. I offered it in a professional and mature manner, backing it up with examples of how I have experienced these grievances. You know what she said?

That I was the 5th person from this department to make similar complaints and that all that I had said was not a surprise and I wans't telling her anything new. She said that each of the people who filled positions with my manager had complained of similar problems. I was both thankful and mad. HR has known about my manager's antics for years and has not done anything about it. So, I am a little mad and resentful. I mean, i have suffered this woman's shit, become very insecure and unhappy generally, doubted myself and she tells me she knows this is happening? So, I'm pissed. I mean, I have left a job which paid well! I'm talking pretty good moula for someone like me, I have left two great colleagues who made me laugh my guts up every day and a company which offered nice people and a nice addition to my resume.

I am assured by the HR person that this has to stop and that the CEO of the company will be approached for discussion. She seems to think that they might have to strip my manager of some responsibilities. Great. Anyway, I said my peace and I am hopefully moving onto a new job which offers me less stress, more opportunity for autonomy and responibility and respect. They are an ethical organisation and their people seem so friendly.

For now, I am on holidays. I have a week of relaxation and opportunity to catch up with all the stuff I never got around to with that shitty job. I shall be getting my hair done - yes, BoPeep, i am still considering growing out my hair, so I might just get a decent colour in it to make it look good still. I am getting my tax done, so yay for money!! I get to play with Clio and I shall be cashing in my Angus and Robertson gift voucher, given to me today for my departure present, to purchase the newest Dean Koontz book! yay!

Ok. Time to go. I might publish the other post from the other night. I have probably repeated myself here again, so deal with it.