Strange complaints from co-workers?

WOW!

No strange complaints - at least to my face. People here are afraid of me and that is very smart of them.

Those who have complained about me, if it's constructive criticism I don't mind. I will admit I can be hurt at first but if the point is put across professionally I am happy to talk to them about it.

If is it bitchy or unfair I will confront the person about it and tell them exactly how I feel about their pettiness. I had a manager once complain to my boss about me. I accidentally saw the written report and asked him about it. He had not intended to approach me about it because he knew
a. it was untrue
b. she was in a snit because she doesn't like me
c. I would confront her about it
He was right, I did confront her and told her I had accidentally seen the report and was disappointed she could not speak to me herself if she had an issue with my work/attitude/whatever.
She also, on another occasion, said something derogatory about me during a meeting with clients, in front of me! It was uncalled for and unfortunately she was in the habit of speaking ill of staff members and others during business communications and had never been called on it because the others in the office were too tactful to bring it up. When she made the comment, the room went deadly quiet and I told her I would be happy to continue that subject in private. She nearly **** her pants because I said it with the look and tone that you normally use for "let's step outside", you know what I mean?

I've had people in nearby cubicles complain when I use speakerphone, then will proceed to have a 120DB non-work related conversation. The worst is when the women get cackling, and there are a couple cacklers nearby.

Another time an e-mail that wasn't sent to me, but was referring to me said "..would somebody shoot this guy?". Obviously, the person was upset with me for some unknown reason and was just venting, however, the e-mail eventually made its way to me and I called the person on the carpet. I mean, office shootings have been pretty common lately. The person was sternly reprimanded and has been much nicer to me ever since.

The time I showed up to work wearing a red headband...

ONLY a red headband.

edithdoll, do you work in cambridge?

I hope it was around your hips.

Like a headband is going to cover anything....

Was the headband from your "Flashdance" period, slappy?

PS Coworkers have complained that I work too quickly.

Heeven
Why are people afraid of you? Why is it smart of them? I'm so Confused.........

I have a difficult one.

Yesterday our boss (and friend) came back to work after nine months away having treatment for breast cancer.

The poor woman who stepped up to fill in for her finished doing that, naturally, on Friday. It was a nightmare time.

The previous Friday, a co-worker and I suddenly realised how soon these things were happening - thought of a good pair of little gifts to denote the beginning/finishing - and I, realising that the only time I could get the gifts was the next day, went ahead after consulting a couple of people we could find. I was aware that we hadn't had the chance to consult widely, but figured that I was happy to pay a majority of the cost - because these were very important moments for the individuals concerned, and for out team.

So - following week mega-busy - I managed to get to most people and they were very happy. Two team members, who, sadly, already feel a bit alienated, usually do not have lunch with us. I did not notice that I hadn't caught them at lunch to discuss, but heard they were very angry, felt they hadn't been consulted and didn't intend to pay anything.

The money is no problem, but the other stuff - and the fact that they did not come to discuss it, is more difficult.

I hopefully pre-empted their stuff by writing them notes saying I realised I hadn't managed to get to them, and the speed at which the decision had been made, and saying to feel free not to pay.

Sigh.

Funny how sensitive we and our co-workers can be. In the past I have been told I worked to fast and once I was told I was to slow, hmm.

Once when I worked for lawyers one of the counsel's came out into the front office area and said he missed the sound of typewriters and computer keyboards where to silent, duh. So they, the secretary's, accommodated him by putting the clicking noise on that was the end of that.

Sorry, Jes, but most of my weird stories from work involve lawyers.

One day an appellate court brief was do and the attorney in charge kept making changes and changes. Finally as the clock kept running he decided to stand behind me while I typed. Finally, I told him that in five years none of his briefs (they were never brief) had ever been late. But if he did not go back into his office this one would be. He left my office but I was told later on that he stayed in the hall listening and pacing.

I have been told consistently that I am too aggressive....hmmm..and I thought that in corporate banking that was a good quality to have !!!

I've always been told by co-workers that I work to fast and was making them look bad. Oh well.

Husker,
I'm kidding ... sort of. I am a pretty straight-forward type of person. I have been through quite a bit of harassment during my working life and had some very unhappy experiences. I do not put up with snide remarks or workplace politics. If I am attacked or mistreated in any way I will immediately call a person on it and stand up for myself. As a result, people tend to be wary of me. I have seen, and still see, lots of unfair treatment in the workplace but now people are more inclined to think before they speak in my presence. The good thing is that I defend in a humorous way so that the message gets across but I am not offensive.

Plus I don't think that side of my personality shows online.

Yeah, you come across as a regular shrinking violet, Heeven.



(In case there's any question, I heartily approve of assertive women.)

And I thought y'all thought I was SWEET!

Just wanted to correct that misconception - LOL!

Heeven, does that mean if someone makes unwelcome eye-contact with you, they have a stapler thrown off their head at 45mph?

Assertive women rule.