Poll of the Day > My boss wants everyone to send daily activity logs.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I feel like a child.

our daily activity is automatically tracked anyway if she just clicked on view completed tasks which she knows about

Drop a log in the toilet and send her a pic lmao

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that's dumb...

That's like the boss saying "we don't care about what gets done, only that the time is put in"

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Far-Queue posted...

Drop a log in the toilet and send her a pic lmao

That sounds a bit nutty.

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Far-Queue posted...

Drop a log in the toilet and send her a pic lmao

not a bad idea to float to management

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Send her a screenshot of your "view completed tasks" page in lieu of actually putting together a report.

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Lokarin posted...

that's dumb...

That's like the boss saying "we don't care about what gets done, only that the time is put in"

Sadly, a lot of bosses think this way. Like it's not enough that they're making money hand over fist and all the work is getting done. If the employees aren't miserable, they aren't earning their pay. That's a lot of the reason the 8 hour work day is still a thing. Even if all the work gets done early, they want you to stay the rest of the day and pretend to work

adjl posted...

Send her a screenshot of your "view completed tasks" page in lieu of actually putting together a report.

Oooh passive aggressive... I love it!

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OhhhJa posted...

That's a lot of the reason the 8 hour work day is still a thing. Even if all the work gets done early, they want you to stay the rest of the day and pretend to work

If only everybody would use this echo chamber called Earth to fucking talk about this instead of the stupid pandemic.

Hey, we have an excess production/waste problem on the planet!
Hey, we're working excess hours!

Fifth grade algebra solves the problem, this is the shit that should turn everyone into a conspiracy theorist. Who benefits from this shit?

Everyone would be happier and healthier if they had time to themselves. Instead, we don't question a system that makes us feel lucky if we can pay for shit we never signed up for and get 2 weeks off in a year.

Sanity leads to clinical depression on this planet, I swear.

OhhhJa posted...

Sadly, a lot of bosses think this way. Like it's not enough that they're making money hand over fist and all the work is getting done. If the employees aren't miserable, they aren't earning their pay. That's a lot of the reason the 8 hour work day is still a thing. Even if all the work gets done early, they want you to stay the rest of the day and pretend to work

To be fair, given the whole "work from home" situation, a lot of supervisors and managers have been put into positions where they don't really have anyone to supervise or manage. To that end, it's only natural that they'd try to extend their duties into micromanaging what employees are doing at home, since there's no other way for them to actually do their jobs.

Now, does that raise the question of how necessary many supervisors and managers actually are? Absolutely. There's a whole lot of middle management bloat in many organizations that exists pretty much purely so a promotion can be dangled in front of minimum wage employees and to create a greater illusion of control over the rank-and-file. In times when the rank-and-file aren't physically present and that illusion can't be maintained, it becomes pretty obvious just how flimsy it is. But it's still understandable that supervisors would still try to supervise as best they can despite the lack of physical presence, even if it's not actually necessary.

RedPixel posted...

Everyone would be happier and healthier if they had time to themselves. Instead, we don't question a system that makes us feel lucky if we can pay for s*** we never signed up for and get 2 weeks off in a year.

Uhh, what hole have you buried your head in that you don't think people are questioning the 9-5 paradigm? Plenty of people are questioning that. Nothing's happening because the people perpetuating it know the people questioning it don't really have any other options if they want to eat, but that doesn't mean it isn't being questioned.

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adjl posted...

To be fair, given the whole "work from home" situation, a lot of supervisors and managers have been put into positions where they don't really have anyone to supervise or manage. To that end, it's only natural that they'd try to extend their duties into micromanaging what employees are doing at home, since there's no other way for them to actually do their jobs.

Now, does that raise the question of how necessary many supervisors and managers actually are? Absolutely. There's a whole lot of middle management bloat in many organizations that exists pretty much purely so a promotion can be dangled in front of minimum wage employees and to create a greater illusion of control over the rank-and-file. In times when the rank-and-file aren't physically present and that illusion can't be maintained, it becomes pretty obvious just how flimsy it is. But it's still understandable that supervisors would still try to supervise as best they can despite the lack of physical presence, even if it's not actually necessary.

Oh yeah absolutely. People with pretend jobs will go to great lengths to make it appear they are necessary

what software are you using to send these logs?

this isn't JIRA is it?

I have given my status every day at every company I have ever worked at.
Why are you such a child TC?

Communication is the absolute most important thing in any team.

Raw_Egg posted...

this isn't JIRA is it?

JIRA is the only piece of Atlassian software that works in any reasonable capacity.

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Raw_Egg posted...

what software are you using to send these logs?

Microsoft Outlook

Judgmenl posted...

Communication is the absolute most important thing in any team.

Communication is important, but not daily activity updates which I log how many chart checks and of what type I do each day. They read identical with different names and numbers.

I have never had to give a daily status or had colleagues that had to give a daily status update. Youre also from the northeast...and in my experience companies in the northeast are less relax and have more (pointless) rules...and people in the northeast tend to more commonly pay close attention to rules.

Judgmenl posted...

I have given my status every day at every company I have ever worked at.
Why are you such a child TC?

We are in different types of jobs judgy. Similar tasks taking 5-30 minute come in a queue throughout the day, they get done, queue stays empty. Repeat each day, because thats how much of medicine works. Similar to a McDonalds chef cooking what comes up on the order screen. Plus Im at possibly the most automated center in the world, no exaggeration.

An occasional project comes up every where daily activity lists are reasonable. But otherwise communication is able to happen without sending lists at the end of the day of what you did.

blu posted...

But otherwise communication is able to happen without sending lists at the end of the day of what you did.

Especially when that list is automatically compiled for you.

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I am in a similar situation. They eliminated 80% of the positions above mine, and gave me all of their duties with no raise. And now, I need to fill out an end of shift report every night going into detail of what I accomplished on a hour by hour basis. It is a waste of the company's and my time.

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CaptainObvius posted...

I am in a similar situation. They eliminated 80% of the positions above mine, and gave me all of their duties with no raise.

Thats crazy. Interested to see how COVID will have impacted jobs in a few years.

OhhhJa posted...

Sadly, a lot of bosses think this way. Like it's not enough that they're making money hand over fist and all the work is getting done. If the employees aren't miserable, they aren't earning their pay. That's a lot of the reason the 8 hour work day is still a thing. Even if all the work gets done early, they want you to stay the rest of the day and pretend to work

Exaaactly. It needs an overhaul.

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Lokarin posted...

that's dumb...

That's like the boss saying "we don't care about what gets done, only that the time is put in"

KPI

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adjl posted...

Send her a screenshot of your "view completed tasks" page in lieu of actually putting together a report.

I would probably do this, tbh. I hate when theres an easy way to do something, and people want you to do something ridiculous. I can get passive-aggressive with stuff like that.

OhhhJa posted...

Sadly, a lot of bosses think this way. Like it's not enough that they're making money hand over fist and all the work is getting done. If the employees aren't miserable, they aren't earning their pay. That's a lot of the reason the 8 hour work day is still a thing. Even if all the work gets done early, they want you to stay the rest of the day and pretend to work

Even on base, we use to have to do this thing on this computer program where the whole day had to be filled. You have to have 8 hours a day filled for the number of people on shift. So, we just always had to make up times to make sure the day was filled. Its was pretty dumb. And useless. I think they still do it, but I havent work in that section for many years now...
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LinkPizza posted...

I would probably do this, tbh. I hate when theres an easy way to do something, and people want you to do something ridiculous. I can get passive-aggressive with stuff like that.

I really dont want to foster that kind of relationship. Im fine taking a hit every once in a while if I can get some other benefits by keeping things cordial, even if its frustrating and a bit demeaning to retype a list out of what tasks were tagged on and maybe and some trivia to it if Im feeling passive-aggressive (emailed pdf of patient record to x clinic, answered email about start date to coworker, gave suggestion of plan strategy to coworker). A negative environment is worse than an inefficient one for overall productivity (and enjoyment), and my place has a huge negativity problem already, from both the top and the bottom.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/11/those-toxic-co-workers/

blu posted...

I really dont want to foster that kind of relationship. Im fine taking a hit every once in a while if I can get some other benefits by keeping things cordial, even if its frustrating and a bit demeaning to retype a list out of what tasks were tagged on and maybe and some trivia to it if Im feeling passive-aggressive (emailed pdf of patient record to x clinic, answered email about start date to coworker, gave suggestion of plan strategy to coworker). A negative environment is worse than an inefficient one for overall productivity (and enjoyment), and my place has a huge negativity problem already, from both the top and the bottom.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/11/those-toxic-co-workers/

Probably doesnt work with every place. Though, it probably also the people. Where I work, you can be passive aggressive without negative impact in most cases. Normally, when were passive aggressive in my area, its closer to joking with friends. And we laugh about it. Though, you have to be get what youre saying across sometimes. After being passive aggressive about the ridiculous tasks this one guy gives, he tries to understand that we know of a better way to do it now. When theres another place where they can get the answers...
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So what do you do all day.

*Sweats profusely.*

blu posted...

I really dont want to foster that kind of relationship. Im fine taking a hit every once in a while if I can get some other benefits by keeping things cordial, even if its frustrating and a bit demeaning to retype a list out of what tasks were tagged on and maybe and some trivia to it if Im feeling passive-aggressive (emailed pdf of patient record to x clinic, answered email about start date to coworker, gave suggestion of plan strategy to coworker). A negative environment is worse than an inefficient one for overall productivity (and enjoyment), and my place has a huge negativity problem already, from both the top and the bottom.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/11/those-toxic-co-workers/

You could probably get away with copy+pasting the "completed tasks" list and adding a couple annotations wherever appropriate, at least. Less pettily passive-aggressive and therefore unlikely to strain your relationship, but also less work than actually typing it out.

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They implemented work logs at my old job (it was a huge reason for me leaving). Just like TC, our activity was already logged. That wasn't good enough though, Supervisor wanted hand written, daily submitted minute for minute log of what we did during the day. I protested it and got written up a few times. Glad I left. I believe it was introduced to make us want to quit.

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Evil Ryu919 posted...

They implemented work logs at my old job (it was a huge reason for me leaving). Just like TC, our activity was already logged. That wasn't good enough though, Supervisor wanted hand written, daily submitted minute for minute log of what we did during the day. I protested it and got written up a few times. Glad I left. I believe it was introduced to make us want to quit.

Also probably introduced for management positions to maintain their own job security & leverage from some of the articles I've read.

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Kotenks posted...

I had a job where I was became so efficient that I was able to complete it quickly. I learned to stop doing that as it was better to be slow and take all day rather than finish quickly and have nothing to do.

That sounds like it would be a good thing. Unless your bosses wouldn't let you bring in something to do like a handheld or a book.
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