Thursday August 5, 2004
Bureaucratic Nonsense
Every company has its policies—that’s all well and good, as they are designed to keep things running smoothly. However, every once in awhile you encounter instances where exceptions should be made—sometimes this happens, but more often than not, procedure is followed to the letter.
Such is the situation that I encountered yesterday. I discovered that, despite the fact that I’m leaving next Friday, I am still going to be given my annual evaluation. The weirdest thing is that, in the past, other employees have left around this time of year and were not required to have their evaluation (all annual evaluations are given during this time of year, regardless of what month you started working).
Therefore, I am stumped. I can’t figure out why they are still going ahead with the review—it’s not like they are going to give me a raise—heck NO ONE is getting a raise with the budget as crappy as it is. I feel that I’ve done a good job—I’m smart, learn quickly, and complete tasks in half the time it takes other people—so I can’t imagine that they want to get in some cheap shots at me before I ditch them, but you never know.
I guess I’ll find out next week. This is SO lame!
Posted at 8:20 AM |
that is weird!
I agree with Kevin, tell them you have more important people you want to meet ;)
I’ve heard of exiting interviews before and I never got one.
Here’s what you do next week at work: do nothing and it still won’t matter on your review.
4 | Posted by: Mona on August 06, 2004 @ 11:27 AMYou should be taking advantage of the bureaucratic benefits. Get “sick” for the remainder of your employment period. Eventually there be some paperwork you’ll need to document your illness, but by the time you submit your documentation from “some doctor in LA,” you’ll be gone and you’ll be paid. Your documentation will get filed away somewhere. There’s no way anyone would be motivated to try to track you down for the difference.
5 | Posted by: System Beater on August 06, 2004 @ 11:36 AMMona, see, this is the weird thing. It’s not an exit interview….it’s just the standard annual evaluation that every employee gets every year. No one ever really reads them, so they are basically only good for getting recommended for a raise. Since I’m not going to be here to get a raise, why give me a review? Plus, if I did poorly on something, it’s not like I’m going to be around to show improvement!
Hehe, do I feel a sore throat coming on next week? ;)
6 | Posted by: Jennifer
on August 06, 2004 @ 11:42 AM
Dear Ms. Icyshard,
As an expert in diagnosing medical illness over the internet, I feel that I MUST implore you to go HOME and STAY there during the morning hours until August 14. In the afternoons you may do whatever you wish, as long as you don’t attempt to aggravate your delicate condition by going to “work” — you have so much to live for. Don’t risk your health! You condition (acute ridiculitis) is VERY unstable and the stress of a review…well, there’s no easy way to say this: It could kill you. Please. Stay home. Think of the children. Won’t someone think of the children?
Maybe they’ll give you a raise just before you leave, so that they can claim they gave raises this year. :) Or maybe they’ll beg you to stay?
8 | Posted by: srah on August 07, 2004 @ 3:19 AMThe feedback is pointless though. My supervisor thinks I’m awesome and tries to give me high marks. Then the head of the department, who refuses to let anyone get perfect marks, bumps some categories down randomly, until you are just in the “good” range.
Then you get a note saying that you are recommended for a merit increase—which won’t happen because of the budget, and of course the fact that I’m leaving anyway.
Since my supervisor thinks I’m awesome, any comments of the “constructive” sort would come from the department head—who keeps herself in her office all day and has NO idea what happens on a day-to-day basis. Which automatically means they aren’t very valid, because she has nothing on which to objectively base opinions. In fact, at one point I had no supervisor at evaluation time, so she did mine. The comments were bizarre and inconsistent, to say the least.
I’m telling you, it’s an all around waste of time, and just another example of the ridiculousness inherent in government-funded employment. And Martin, honestly, when is the last time you had a review?! You’re self-employed!
10 | Posted by: Jennifer on August 09, 2004 @ 8:53 AM
