No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

I toss around most of the day wondering if posting this up would be a good idea. But then once again remembering that this is here to remind me of things I shouldn't be forgetting.

My old employer UMC IS Department: Times are still changing there, and with that more and more of the senior tech staff are leaving. I can't blame them, I left after getting kicked in the chops for my last year and a half there. UMC is the sedo county hospital, which means they get to take on all the problems associated with being a county hospital, yet received about 1/4 of the funding from county. In long and short terms, the hospital is always in trouble financially, understaffed and under equipt. The challenges facing me as the Lead Computer tech were many, but not so burdensome as my Asst. Director and my unit Director.

My ex-Assistant Director in a nut shell is an IT idiot, the man had a heart of gold but lacked any business sense. My ex-Director is the pinacle of your mondo grande asshole bosses. He is a cowardly bully that doesn't have the stones to back up his big mouth and ego. He is the type to question you on your honor and integrity when these are things he lacks himself. Needless to say these are not the type of people you'd be jumping up and down to work for.

Now I have a really sweet gig where I work now, my boss is cool; I only support 85 users and most of them are out of the office the greater part of the time making my job even easier. So the next thing I did (out of caring for the hospital and the team I left behind) was really most likely the stupidest thing I've ever done.

I keep tabs on the goings on at the hospital, The Missus still works there (in a different department) Sy still works there (same department so I get the dirt direct)and of course my old crew always tell me what is up. Lokovon took over my job after I stepped down (I could not deal with the Asst. Director) I came to find out that he had put in his notice and was leaving for greener pastures (good on em) and the other lead for a sub-sect of our department was leaving as well (did my crew a favor, worthless as the day is long). Now there would be no one to act as a shield and leader for my old crew. The Missus urged me to contact my old Director and offer to return to UMC. I wasn't wild about the whole idea, but when my Missus asks me for something I can not tell her no, she asks very little of me; so it was the least I could do.

So I composed an email to my old director:

Asshat, (I put his name here, but as we know everyone gets a nick name here)
Regardless of any personal feelings we may have towards one another I
would like to propose a business deal. You've just lost both of your
leads, my old position was never refilled and one of your techs is
taking 3 months off this will leave you exceptionally short handed and
with out an experienced lead. The following is my proposal at my
wife's request, I don't expect anything to come of it but I
promised her I would at least propose it.
I have a pretty sweet gig here at XXXXXXXXX, so to return to UMC
would mean that a few things would need to be negotiated.
1. Reinstatement as lead computer technician, not new hire. I'm
within the 6-month period so this should not be a challenge. Seniority
in tact, CAL accrual and benefits the same as when I left.
2. Salary: I'd need more than XXXXXXXXX is paying me now to do
a much less stressful and less demanding job, I'll start the bidding
at $XX,XXX (piss if I'm gonna tell you what I'm worth :) )a year. This point is negotiable.
3. Since the Tech Team and Help Desk are being put together as one
flag, I'd need to be able to run them my way. I understand that Pineapple Head (Asst. Director) is a friend of yours (and the main reason I stepped down and then quit in
the first place) but the man does not have a head for running the team
effectively. This would mean no glorified secretary to Pineapple Head, no going to
his meetings doing his paperwork and so on, lead will be run as I wrote
it and will actually do field tech work and assist the techs/help desk
staff. This point is NOT negotiable.
4. Optimally I'd rather report to you directly, again I have no
faith in Pineapple Head, the man has a heart of gold, but his business prowess and
technical knowledge have much to be desired - this point is
negotiable.
5. I need the flexible schedule I have here at XXXXXXXX; I've
enrolled into a few classes (MCSE and MCDST) the workload is a bit
heavy, I'm currently working ten-hour days with Fridays off to study. This point is negotiable.
6. None of this uniforms for the techs non sense, by state law if
Pineapple Head requires uniforms he has to buy them and maintain them, this is a
foolish extra cost to the hospital, it isn't what a tech wears, it's
what they know that is important. Last time I checked no one was
complaining about any techs appearance.
7. I know you do not hold techs in high regard, but they are the
people who keep the ship a float on a daily basis, they fight the fires
and do what no one else wants to do. The techs and myself have always
understood that there's a job to be done all we've ever asked for is
for management to be reasonable and respectful. Witch hunting the techs
over attendance and changes in the CBA (Union Collective Bargaining Agreement), when no other department in the
hospital is doing this; is wrong. I know that attendance has been a
problem and it can be corrected if done properly. I know the title of
Supervisor exists within the ranks at UMC, basically the person who
handles time and attendance issues for a director this could also be
negotiated as part of the job responsibilities.

At this point it makes very little difference to me if you want me to
come back and pick up the pieces or not. My wife and many of my users
miss my presence at the hospital. You know as well as I that I can get
things back on track and work with it all being short staffed. I'm
just putting the offer out there, if it is something you think you would
want to talk about, I'm open to that as well; you and I needed a good
airing out before I left.

Dale Foster
IT Specialist
Las Vegas XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Las Vegas, NV XXXXX

I thought that the email was well thought out considering the past and looking after me own future. So this is what Asshat sends back to me...

Dale,
I never got past the words pretty sweet gig before I decided to
stop reading and respond. This is why it didn't work between us; your
attitude and the chip on your shoulder are way too big for UMC. Please
have much success in your life and career.

Michael 'Asshat'
Director, UMC Information Services

Now I was gonna be an asshat myself and leave all of his info up, but well he has done quite a good job of messing up his own life, cheating on his wife, stealing from the company and just generally being an all around tool... Karma is now paying him back... in spades.

Anyway, my point being is that when you take time to try to do the right thing for the greater good of the many, it only takes one asshat to throw all of that away. The Missus truly has a heart of gold herself and wanting to see the right thing done. All in all as I write this I find myself relieved that he didn't actually take me up on it. i went through 5 years of hell with that man. Headaches, stomach aches and generally worrying about things all of the time. Stress ridicules time lines and demands that in no way could be met, but yet somehow as a united front me and my crew always came through, never for asshat; but for the greater good of the hospital that provides the needed services to those who go untreated other wise.

Get up in the morning
Alarm clocks clean socks
Brush your teeth look neat
Join the others on the street
Bus ride tube train
Going off to work again
Up to the third floor
Name on the office door
Paper lying on the floor
Pick it up and do some more
Lunch break break down
Valium and alcohol
Nicotine adrenaline
Don t it make your head spin?
Back to the grindstone
Head on the guillotine
Pulling all the stops out
Socks up head down
Doing it good
You re doing it well
Cos you wanna please the boss
But you wish he d go to hell
But the wages in the brown bag
Underneath the name tag
Are keeping you in line
So you do the overtime
And you get the train late again
Surrounded by the same lame
People playing your game
No one even knows your name
Back straight home late
All the food is out of date
Wife has left a note
Saying Don t forget your coat
Quick snap head back
Living on the wrong track
Should've tried refusing
But you could've got the sack
It s getting so confusing
Cos you know you re only losing
But the choice of ever choosing
Never seemed to cross your mind
So you go to bed at ten
Thinking never again
But you get up in the morning
And you get to work on time

'Get To work On Time' - Subhumans (UK)