We come to you today as a group effort in hopes of finding a prank or so that could aggravate a co-worker as much as he aggravates us daily. We do not wish for it to harm him physically in any way, nor do we wish to be destructive to his belongings…just something to annoy him.

Dave is a very uptight perfectionist.  He is very clean and tidy, nothing is ever out of place.  He carries an aura about him that is depressing for all of us.  We actually are happy if he calls off work, but that is very very rare I assure you.

Dave is in charge of reviewing all of our reports sent to him before approaching the board.  He will not even glance at these proposals if they are not correctly stapled on the left corner and the staple must touch the 2 sides in a perfect manner. This makes it easy for him to read of course as he is folding back the pages.  He also makes all corrections noted by highlighting the area with highlighters. He uses a different colored highlighter for each kind of mistake he finds. If we need to change punctuation, he highlights it in blue. If the error is with sentence structure, it is highlighted in orange,  if there is an area that is not backed up with proper references, then it is highlighted in yellow…etc. etc.  Post It notes are considered taboo as they can get lost and could refer to more than one area of our reports. Pen’s are only allowed to be Black as blue is too bright for him to read. Pencils are to always be kept sharpened prior to the start of your day as noise carries over our cubicles and the sound of electric sharpeners annoy him.

Do you see where we are coming from here? This is our everyday life at work. We want a silent revenge. Any ideas?

Tried Trio

Dear Tried Trio,

I could not help but chuckle when I read this post. I could not imagine having to walk on eggshells all day at work without going insane. I can understand protocols, and structure, but this sounds to be going over board for certain.  Lucky for you, I do have a few funny pranks that can be pulled on him.

1. Empty all of his staples and replace them with colorful ones instead, a nice shade of pink should be sufficient.

2.  Replace all of  the colored highlighters with matching Colored Pencils instead.

3.  Break the tips off all of his pencils when he leaves to lunch, forcing him to have to use the sharpener himself.

4. The next time he is absent, leave him post it notes all over his cubicle for any and every little thing you can think of.

5. Try rearranging all of desk items one morning before he comes in. Place trays on the left side to the right side, anything on the right side over to the left side.

6.  Work together to come up with a day when everyone will staple their papers out of order. Just always have the first and last pages correct, but misplace 1 or so in the center.

7. Place an ad in the local paper or through a call in radio station advertising his car for sale at a ridiculously low cost. Give them his cell phone / direct work number and tell them to call him between your work hours. This could of course have been an “Honest” mistake by someone and nothing to do with you. It would be fun listening to him say that they have the wrong number all day long.

These are several pranks that I think will make him become annoyed to say the least. Please let me know how everything goes!

Always,

Marsha

2010

Many people like to make resolutions with themselves for the New Year.  Some will vow to try to lose weight, stop smoking, or visit the doctor more regularly.  Others will vow to attend church more regularly, to stop cursing, or to go out more to meet new people.

I, myself, have made the resolution to learn to be more appreciative for all of the wonderful things I do have, instead of focusing on all of the things I “wish” I had.

At one point or another we always seem to find ourselves saying “I wish we had ______” or “We need to have _______” but how many times do we actually say “Thank you lord for providing me with ________ just so I am able to do _______ on a daily basis”

I don’t care how minuscule it may be, I am going to try to be thankful for it and if possible to think of where I would be if I didn’t have it at all.

If you made a resolution and would like to share it with us, please leave a comment below.

Always,

Marsha

We here at

Always Marsha

would like to wish everyone a

Very Merry Christmas!

I am blessed to come from a close knit family, and that makes for really special holidays.  When your family comes together under one roof for any get together, it should be considered a blessing.  Life is precious, and we need to embrace these moments that will one day become a mere memory of a loved one.

We have had a few holidays when not everyone was able to make it for a visit.  These holidays were not the same, but we did try to make the best of it.  We would always call our missing loved ones on that special day just to let them know we missed them and were thinking of them.  It was still really great just to hear their voices.

This year, make it a point to even go out of your way( if you need to) in order to call or visit your loved ones and to let them know just how much they really mean to you.

Christmas should not be based solely on who gives the most or the best gifts.

You are taking Christ out of Christmas when we let our focuses dwell on material items.

I would also like to encourage everyone to read the Birth Of Christ from the bible to their children or other family members. The account of Jesus’ birth can be found in Matthew 1:18 – 2:23 and Luke 2:1 – 24

I will now close with a poem I wrote many years ago.

I DREAM OF CHRISTMAS

I DREAM OF CHRISTMAS

AS BEING A SNOWY WHITE

WAKING IN THE MORNING

SEEING EVERYONE’S FACES SHINING BRIGHT

I SEE MOM, DAD,

MY SIBLINGS TOO

THE ONLY ONES MISSING

IS SANTA AND YOU!!!

© AlwaysMarsha

Alright I have just found out that something I have done at work is illegal. I was in a disciplinary with my boss and I recorded the conversation on my phone without letting him know I was. My boss has since found this out and has suspended me and has also reduced my paycheck by 4k a year. He has said that he is not going to involve the police in the matter but he is a petty person and may try and sack me. Also I have found that it isn’t illegal that I recorded him, it is just illegal to use it as evidence.

Could you help what should I do?

Many Thanks,

Ricky Recorder

Dear Ricky Recorder,

I am usually opposed to writing about issues regarding legal advice, but you did not specify in what you wanted help with.  In that case, I will give you my take on this situation.

I think you are saying that you were in trouble at work, and your boss called you to discuss your disciplinary actions to be taken. During this conversation, you decided to record him.  Is this correct?

By your letter, you did not state where you were from.  It is really hard to say what your laws are there, but I know that in some areas here, you are legally able to record a conversation if at least one parties to that conversation were aware of the recording.  In your case, you would be the party aware of the recording, thus it would be legal.  It becomes illegal when a third party records a conversation between 2 people and neither of them are/were aware of it.

Also, where I am from, this recording done by one of the two people in the conversation can be admissible in courts as well.  Every court and every judge is different, and each judge gets to choose what he will deem admissible as evidence even if it is legal.

With that being said, I would encourage you to checkwith your local laws and find out the details for what is legal or not.  Laws will always vary from country to country and state to state.

It is possible that you are in the right to have recorded your conversation, and this poses as a threat to your boss.  This may be the reason he chose to suspend you and give you the pay cut.

At this time, you are going to have to step back and examine the situation.  If you were to lose your job over this, would you be okay with that?  Can you live with the pay cut versus no job at all? Are there other available jobs in your area that are hiring? Which route would be better for you and your financial status?

If you wish to keep your job, then sometimes a simple explanation and an apology can work wonders at getting your point across to others.

If you feel strongly about your actions, then don’t hesitate to contact an attorney at this point to discuss it further with them.

Always,

Marsha

HAPPY 4th of JULY

While most everyone in the USA celebrates our Independence Day on the  4th of July in one way or another, it is most known for Firework Celebrations and Parties.

Always Marsha would like to remind you to KEEP SAFE this Holiday Weekend.

IF YOU DRINK, DON’T DRIVE!

ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT!

JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS!

And Remember to

HAVE FUN ! ! !

Normally I would never write to an advice column, no offense, but it is not my thing. I just wanted to get a second opinion on an issue I am having at work. We work 9 1/2 hours a day. We do get a 30 minute lunch, which is unpaid of course. Between times we recieve a couple of 5 minute breaks. I am a 60 year old man.  I have worked for this company for the past 10 years. I want to tell you that I have been yelled at from this place of work just because I use the restroom on my 5 minute break, and come back from doing my business and am 1 minute late. I assure you that I am only doing my business, washing my hands, and nothing more. I was wondering if this was legal or normal in a place of work. My old job that was closed down, I had worked there for almost 30 years. I have never been treated so rudely as I have at this current factory. I would just quit, but at my age, I will find it difficult to find another job. Not to mention that we have really good insurance. I don’t like being treated like a kid when it comes to breaks. What should or could I do?

Gotta Go

Dear Gotta Go,

It is a shame when places of work will treat you with such indignity. I wonder if they abide by the rules themselves and only take 5 minute bathroom breaks and not a second more when they really “Gotta Go”.  I believe most everyone will agree that they themselves have had to take longer breaks than just 5 minutes to “do their business”. I find your company or any company like this to be very rude and would like to simply say…”SHAME ON THEM”.

I would like to first of all suggest that you check with your States Labor Laws. I know in the state in which I live, employees are entitled to a rest period of at least 10 minutes during each four hours you work. This rest period is a paid break. I can only assume your company is giving you 5 minute breaks every 2 hours. To me that has its good and bad points. Perhaps if they offered just 1 10 minute break, then you would be able to “go” more freely. Then for the lunch break, employees are entitled to to a reasonable period for a meal no sooner than the third nor later than the fifth hour of your work shift. This break does not have to be a paid break. With this being said, I think your company is being legal, but not very considerate.

I would also suggest that you simply appologize after being yelled at and try to explain that you were only doing your business and nothing more. Places of work should take into consideration that everyone must be permitted to relieve themselves at some point, and not everyone can tell their bladder or bowels when it is ok or not to go.

If your place of work continues to be unreasonable about the situation, perhaps you could take it to someone above them. Go through the chain of command. Line leader, Foreman, Human Resources, and keep climbing up the ladder. If this fails, or if you just wish to bypass this step, then you can always check with an attorney. Many attornies offer free consultations. You could discuss this issue with them and see what they advice for you.

If all else fails and your place of work still continues to be unreasonable, here is a thought.  Don’t quit.  Also, don’t get stressed out if they fire you, at least then you will be able to draw unemployment and continue recieving a paycheck. Their is also the The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 known as (COBRA) option to continue your insurance as well. This may give you the time to find a descent job that would be more considerate to your bathroom needs and offer benefits as well.

Always,
Marsha

A New & Free Online Advice Column.

I have been giving out my advice for years & now I am willing to do so with the public.

I can give you advice on Dating, Marriage, Family, Parenting, Work Ethics, and more.

To submit your questions

Email me at: marsha@alwaysmarsha.com

Be sure to address your email to DEAR MARSHA.

I would also ask that you use an alias name.  Choose a name fitting to your situation.  For example: If you write me asking for advice about a partner that always chews their food with their mouth open, and you don’t know how to ask them to chew properly…then you could call yourself CAMP…meaning Can’t Ask My Partner!

I look forward to hearing from you soon,

Always Marsha