# The workplace is adult highschool



## Omgblood (Jun 30, 2010)

The hierarchy, the cliques.. reminds me of high school. Except here the stakes are higher and people will do whatever it takes.

Well I guess you could transfer schools here if you really wanted to.


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## Ellethwyn (Nov 2, 2014)

Yep, and it sucks when your boss is a bully.


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## jonny neurotic (Jan 20, 2011)

Where do you work?


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## AussiePea (Mar 27, 2007)

Oh yes, it can be even more catty and pathetic than school sometimes too. It's one of the reasons I chose a career outside of the typical boring deskjob because it's those environments where this kind of behaviour is most prevalent.


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## Omgblood (Jun 30, 2010)

jonny neurotic said:


> Where do you work?


A factory. It's a fairly small company with about 400 people or so. Some might think, "oh it can't be that bad there." And I would agree partly. I've heard its more 'competitive' in office environments. I was going to talk about my workplace but I'll just spare the boring details.


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## jlscho03 (Sep 5, 2012)

Oh, you think 400 people is small... Um, yeah, I considered myself to work at a medium-sized company of about 100 employees (~30 were in the office with me, the others were warehouse or outside sales). Guess it just depends on the area you live at, huh? Anyway, there weren't any cliques there.

I am afraid, though, of the idea of cliques in the workforce. I know it happens but it's probably more prevalent with large companies, which I've been applying for. It does make me like the idea of working with a large company even less.


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## jonny neurotic (Jan 20, 2011)

Omgblood said:


> A factory. It's a fairly small company with about 400 people or so. Some might think, "oh it can't be that bad there." And I would agree partly. I've heard its more 'competitive' in office environments. I was going to talk about my workplace but I'll just spare the boring details.


I was interested in the details.

I have it fairly OK at my job.I am treated with respect. There's always a bit of banter and it can be quite aggressive banter but I like it. Even tho I am quiet most of the time and certainly when I first started my social anxiety was worse but I didn't get picked on. It's a construction job and there's only a few of on the site so it's kind of like a family.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

Work reminds me of high school in that I'm still beastly quiet and an outcast.


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## jonny neurotic (Jan 20, 2011)

wmu'14 said:


> Work reminds me of high school in that I'm still beastly quiet and an outcast.


It's difficult walking into the canteen in the morning and everyone is sitting around but I started saying, "Good morning gentlemen," and I get "'morning Jon," back from them and it feels good. Even tho I am pretty quiet and it has been commented on by one guy at work I feel comfortable there.

It's something you have to work on. If you don't say hello, good morning, etc, people wont talk to you. Also, little questions about if they have kids, etc, are a good way of getting people blabbering on and then they like you because you listened to them talking about stuff. Then even if you are quiet most of the time people will still treat you warmly. Only in exceptional cases where someone has to work under an abusive manager or something like that that it will be impossible...


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## JohnnyAlonzo (Jan 25, 2013)

Omgblood said:


> The hierarchy, the cliques.. reminds me of high school. Except here the stakes are higher and people will do whatever it takes.
> 
> Well I guess you could transfer schools here if you really wanted to.


All of what you said would be part of life regardless if schools or jobs/work existed. You're complaining about life on planet Earth..


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## Mur (Jan 20, 2011)

The hierarchy....the cliques, you'll see that everywhere you go both online and irl.


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## End0fTheRoad (Oct 10, 2014)

Life is adult high school...


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## allthatsparkles (Mar 1, 2013)

I think, unfortunately, that's part of life. People act catty, form cliques... that's not high school behavior, it's human nature. My best suggestion is to be friendly, try to form friendships, and focus on doing quality work. Don't worry yourself over petty office politics.


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## ilsr (Aug 29, 2010)

jonny neurotic said:


> It's difficult walking into the canteen in the morning and everyone is sitting around but I started saying, "Good morning gentlemen," and I get "'morning Jon," back from them and it feels good. Even tho I am pretty quiet and it has been commented on by one guy at work I feel comfortable there.
> 
> It's something you have to work on. If you don't say hello, good morning, etc, people wont talk to you. Also, little questions about if they have kids, etc, are a good way of getting people blabbering on and then they like you because you listened to them talking about stuff. Then even if you are quiet most of the time people will still treat you warmly. Only in exceptional cases where someone has to work under an abusive manager or something like that that it will be impossible...


You're exactly right. I mostly didn't have problems until I had to work with or under some manager who wanted to treat me like an idiot. I "stood up" for myself, and they became work enemies and harrassed me literally like daily for years (until they moved on, or later when we were all laid off). clique things happen too in a small company when some new manager brings aboard their friends as supporting staff. they "hang out" after work hours but then bully me to keep working on something in front of others to show their power, even after hours.


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## mike91 (Sep 23, 2012)

I work in a kitchen and gardening there only 9 staff mostly older females and every day they ***** behind each others back but i work in the garden as well and flowers dont *****


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## minimized (Nov 17, 2007)

I've always said that adults are bigger children... the workplace is one of the better examples. Throat-cutting, gossip-slinging, cliquish stuff.


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## RelinquishedHell (Apr 10, 2012)

It really is. Just like high school, everyone immediately hated me the first day I started. They started making fun of me and trying to sabotage me as much as they could and made up lies to get me in trouble or fired. They decided that I wasn't miserable enough, so they need to make it worse just to be sure.


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## Nothing123 (Oct 3, 2014)

Agreed.

Its all about backstabbers and strategy and using others for personal gain.

I read a book for fun, some like to push others down.

F.ck them! :/


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## blue2 (May 20, 2013)

Yes highschool is training for adult life, idiots but most people will be ok once they get to know you, but not all, just makes me want to hide away even more


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## Icantbethatbad (Mar 2, 2012)

Yes factories are evil, been bullied by cliques many times due to bad gossip. It never ends.

Time for a career change


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## 7th.Streeter (May 11, 2011)

Ellethwyn said:


> Yep, and it sucks when your boss is a bully.


My 2 bosses are sweet hearts, a co-worker of mine can be quite betchy..but the bosses are what matters and i think they like me ^^

so eh- screw her lol


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## shiningknight (May 12, 2013)

Having a bully supervisor is what makes my work like high school for me. I've never done anything bad to the guy. I used the rest of my paid vacation time to take this week off and from a friend I work with told me my supervisor went to the boss and said "it's me or him."

I doubt they fire me since they do not have any real reason to do so. I've only been late one time due to vehicle problems, always do my best and I even get along with the main boss. 

My supervisor is going to be switching to first or second shift very soon and still complains about me for reasons I do not even understand.


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