When Does Folklore Begin 4171

KR Williams

Brain Surgeon to Plumber: "How much will it cost to fix the sink???" Plumber to Brain Surgeon: "I get $180 per hour." Brain Surgeon to Plumber: "Hey!!! I don't even get that much!!!" Plumber to Brain Surgeon: "Yeah...I didn't either when I was a brain surgeon."

Everywhere I have worked, appearances counted much more than performance. If you did the work of 20 engineers and looked lax or sat looking out the window for a few minutes..that would *not* be tolerated. If you came in an hour late but stayed until 9 PM, that was evidence that you are *not* a good worker. ISTM that employers have the atbreastude...that the hour you were late in the morning belong to them, and they should get work out of you then too.

ISTM that *no* matter how much work you get done, employers are jealous of any small amount of time when they perceived you were *not* working. Maybe you were concentrating on a programming problem while looking out the window...you get *no* credit for that. You have to look busy and look like you are working hard.

As the PHB said in Dilbert: "Having a personal life is just like stealing from the company."

(Now obviously I am *not* talking about bosses who understand how work gets done. I am talking about the preponderance of PHB's that need to go on a clue finding mission."

Sounds like a good working relationship between you and Doug. I am glad that your manager finally got a clue and recognized that your situation was a good way of getting work done. Of course, I doubt that this manager could *admit* this to any of his cronies.

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