jase555

Right guys as some of you may know, had a major server issue janusry 2nd , whole lot died, company email the works

I was on Holiday , but tried a dial in to check all was ok , could not get in so went in out of my good heart and got a shed load.

The tale goes on .....

Boss back on monday , approached him and as of today hit him with some facts and figures, next thing he is pulling my chain and asking me to copy my backup server (really mean backup just cloned a drive and the lot is on a shacky peg)and he wants to skip the costs and pull a fast one.

I am not happy , but what do i do,

Since getting the job 4yrs ago , i have been phoned abroad as nobody can fix the setup (small engineering company me in charge of IT but not finacially), dial in every weekend to reset stuff for the time and attendance system to work for the night shift sunday as the 2 systems we use do not link properly after a backup.

It's payrise time soon and over the last years just got the usual 2.xx percent even though I am putting a lot more in.

I like my job not my superior who is the Company Accountant.

Any advice

Major Points

Asking me to do something I ethically do not agree with

Getting taken advantage of as work is getting more

I cannot go above as MD and him buddies but reckon MD does not know full story.

Thanks in advance guys, serious replies only as I am really in a whole here !!!

jase

MattW

Put your concerns in writing, ask him to sign he is happy with it, do the work, look for another job.

ajm

Time to start using the old 'CC' field on your email client I think. Write a "Risk Assessment" report on IT highlighting all the shortcomings and their potential impact on the company and send it to your boss, CC'ing to the MD. Hopefully when he realises the success of his company hinges on an under resourced infrastructure held together by your good will he will feel empowered to make changes for the better.

Funkii Munkii

You have my empathy

Different industry same problem

Clueless Boss with head stuck up **** making everyone miserable

Our attitude is why should we leave, let him hang himself, it will happen sooner or later.

jase555

thanks for all the advice so far, as I expected some people are in the same as me regarding employer.

Question

Would the introduction of unexpected DOWNTIME help my situation ?

nobody can trace, they don't know how !!!!

mj

I'm no IT expert, but I would say DOWNTIME has put you in your current position.

If this guy knows nothing about computers he will be holding you responsible. As Far as he is concerned he pays you so there isn't any so called downtime, and in his eyes you have failed.

What was the cause then?

ajm

Agreed - no "downtime" , keep it stictly professional. Being beyond reproach is an essential part of having the moral highground!

jase555

there has been no downtime at all,

he knows a little in IT (i setup a company network found out 5 machines)

he sticks finger in pie and when it goes wrong shuts the door says i am busy.

told me today as far as he is concerned email is not an important facility to the company yet why does everybody use it.

problem is in the past :

found a problem told him 5k to fix now or if you leave it will go belly up and cost you 10k, what happened left it , it went belly up but told big boss it cost 10k to fix, nothing about me being able to get it done for half the price 3 months earlier.

basically I went in over the holidays because I felt something wrong , I could have went home and ignored it until everybody came back on the 5th , and spent all day trying to fix but morally or is it mug I plugged a solution together, they even killed the heating in the factory had to work the full day in an office temp of 8 degrees

Funkii Munkii

Downtime!! Grrr

Another W@nky power word

Step up to the plate
Glue yourself to it
Take it steady
and so on and so on


"our" boss has a shed load of these stupid sayings, thats about all he has to offer!!

Someone shouls start a "Slaughter your boss" thread so we can all unload our venom

ajm

Thats how bosses communicate though, a constant stream of bull$hit! They can never understand a word of IT (despite pretending to each other they are well up on technology) so if you can speak fluent bull$hit then you have an instant advantage!

I love explaining something to an MD in concise but technical terms and watching their eyes glaze over, then, just before you lose them, say something like "trust me, I'm all over it!" and watch the relief wash over them!

beemerboy

Jase,
Fight yer corner!!!

There are too many bosses who take all the credit when it goes well and then point fingers once pearshapedness kicks in...
I've had a few set-to's in my varied IT career path (without dropping anyone in it either) - everyone gets found out about their worth and ability, bide your time and as suggested here, start a few cc mails going.
When i took over IT support for an internet firm, my predecessor was a fat waste of space who didn't document anything, had no structure, and basically spent all day stuffing his fat face.

However when i took over i had my own agenda of how to make the place a better environment and not have the IT/Staff barrier, which was already in place.

I started by emailing people (all 20 staff) about virus alerts, and things like that, alkerting them to possible server downtime or forthcoming issues etc, basically keeping them in the loop.

My time there was a doddle, and if i did fcku something up (everyone does, from time to time)i got the respect and time to deal with it properly, without people throwing their toys out the pram and yelling blue murder.

With my experience, it was all about communication, and it has stood me well and put me in my current fortunate position.

The fat guy is now unemployed and spends all day in a cybercafe eating somewhere!!!

Whatever you do, do it with your heart and well meaning, and you wont go far wrong.

If your boss still gets funny, take him outside and kick the **** out of him...

Good luck

BB

MooseRacer

Thats how bosses communicate though, a constant stream of bull$hit! They can never understand a word of IT (despite pretending to each other they are well up on technology) so if you can speak fluent bull$hit then you have an instant advantage!

I love explaining something to an MD in concise but technical terms and watching their eyes glaze over, then, just before you lose them, say something like "trust me, I'm all over it!" and watch the relief wash over them!


...and that's the problem with too many IT geeks. Display an inability to explain techincal issues in a manner suited to the audience.

ajm

indeed, which is why it pays to be fluent in all tongues!

NACRO

Find another job in a larger company with a proper IT policy, then go in and resign. The look on his face will be priceless and you'll move your career and pay on another notch.
Too many people stay with same company for many years, all this breeds is a complacent attitude to work and a familiarity which is not good for personal development.
I've never stayed in any job longer than 3 yrs and every time I've moved have found my skills increase, it's a fresh challenge every time.
I can't see your situation getting any better because of this guys power within the company and the whole culture that you've described.

[Edited by NACRO - 1/9/2004 8:28:18 AM]

Suresh

Nacro has a good point. Update your CV and your skills where neede and move on to something better. Companies all over are crying out for people who have your work attitude. You have out-grown that mickey-mouse company.

Good luck.

Suresh

JR55

If I have read your post correctly yor boss is asking you to use unlicensed software to get things back up and running, if this is the case you personally would be in the brown stuff if FAST payed a call therefore I would also follow the cc route and get him to sign anything in relation to carrying this out therefore putting the emphasis on him. V tricky situation m8 I hope it turns out OK.