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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I am so angry with my employers right now....

27 replies

MeRightYouWrongMeBigYouSmall · 19/05/2011 14:55

My employers rent a building on a business park, yesterday I received a letter from XXXX Council advising that a planning application has been submitted for the building next door to be used as a Nursery. The letter also stated that if we wanted to contest then please do so before 6th June - or words to that effect...

(Unknown to my employers) My initial reaction was Yeah! Brilliant! DD could possibly attend this nursery in future as obviously it would be really handy.

So, after passing on the letter to employers I've just received a telephone call from MD telling me that they are contesting this application on the grounds that having a nursery next to a business is unprofessional!!!! (erm, I was under the impression that a nursery is also a business)

Unprofessional!! This coming from the people who actually physically turned my scan picture so that it was facing down on the desk (it made them sick to look at it), the people who sent me a text message one evening wanting to play a practical joke on our colleagues pretending that I was carrying his child! the people who when asked "What can I do to help" replied with "Just don't get pregnant again"....the list goes on!

Obviously they will want me to 'deal' with it, and I strongly disagree with contesting this at all...

AIBU to be angry, I really want to refuse to 'deal' with this.

OP posts:
carabos · 19/05/2011 15:02

Just because they object doesn't mean the application will get turned down. It usually means that if there are no objections the application can be dealt with by the planning officer under delegated powers, but if there are objections it will go to committee.

Rosyloo · 19/05/2011 15:02

You have every right to be angry- they have no right to treat you any differently or as an inferior. They can contest it, you can send a letter saying what a brilliant idea it is- what are their concerns for there being a nursery next door? Is it, in any way, going to affect their business?

AuntieMonica · 19/05/2011 15:07

FWIW, i don't their objection will be taken seriously...not 'professional' Hmm

they do sound very narrow minded and a bit, well, twatty tbh

but i'd be feeling pretty much the same as you, a nursery is a business, we've got quite a few in the various industrial estates in town, they're always full.

Original poster
MeRightYouWrongMeBigYouSmall · 19/05/2011 15:30

Oh crap - we've just had a minor disagreement about this!

He told me his reasons - basically about large amounts of deliveries equalling potential hazards (fair enough I suppose) but I had to hold my laughter at this reason - we share a car park and our customers would object to finding parking spaces full when children are being dropped off and picked up from nursery!!!

He asked me to do a letter, I asked him to forward me in writing his concerns so that I could do a letter, and I explained that because I did not agree with them then I could not possibly put what he was thinking into my own words....He called me an awkward bugger (under his breath) and walked out!

OP posts:
kenobi · 19/05/2011 15:35

So... are you more or less of an awkward bugger than the person who put your scan picture face down on the desk?

What a STUPID thing for him to say. And unprofessional.

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 19/05/2011 15:40

I cant imagine his reason for refusal would be taken seriously anyway.

But.....are you in a position at work to refuse to do this letter??? Arent you making a rod for your own back professionally wise?

He does sound a complete twat tho :)

Original poster
MeRightYouWrongMeBigYouSmall · 19/05/2011 15:43

Betty - I have typed the letter and emailed it to the council, I refused to do the letter in my own words which I think is fair tbh.

However I do not think this will be forgotten unfortunately....

OP posts:
Original poster
MeRightYouWrongMeBigYouSmall · 19/05/2011 15:45

FWIW - after he called me an awkward bugger, I had an email from him telling me what to put in the letter

OP posts:
BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 19/05/2011 15:46

Oh sorry, didnt see that you had done A letter........fair enuff then!!

No, it prob wont be but then you know what?? Good for you for having principals, I just hope they dont come back to bite you on the bum...I work for a very small company and they have a long memoryHmm

nickelbabe · 19/05/2011 15:48

I would have refused to do the letter.
full stop.

(but then it sounds like your twat of a boss would take exception to that)

Flisspaps · 19/05/2011 15:50

Can you write a personal letter of support of the application?

PuppyMonkey · 19/05/2011 15:52

Is it just me who still gets quite amazed that there are still "bosses" out there who will get someone else to type and send emails for them?

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 19/05/2011 15:54

well if there weren't puppy there would be a hell of a lot of PA's out of work!

Original poster
MeRightYouWrongMeBigYouSmall · 19/05/2011 15:55

I will be writing a personal letter of support, the weird thing is that I had to PP his letter and sign my name (I do it with all his letters tbh, so not doing it on this occasion would've added fuel to the fire) so my personal letter of support will have the same signature as the objection letter.....

Hmm

I dont believe this objection will make one iota of difference to the application, unless I'm surrounded by complete fuckwits in the business park where I work....

Ha - he also told me that I couldn't afford the nursery anyway, he knows what he pays me and knows that I dont have enough to fund this kind of childcare!! Cheeky fucker! (He has no idea what DP could be earning)

OP posts:
Flisspaps · 19/05/2011 15:56

Tell him he should pay you what you're bloody worth then!

Original poster
MeRightYouWrongMeBigYouSmall · 19/05/2011 15:56

I'm not even a PA - I'm the Finance Manager Grin Then again I generally get all his shit to deal with and eventually the exception just becomes the norm IYSWIM

OP posts:
PuppyMonkey · 19/05/2011 16:07

Yep, I know about PAs and stuff, but, you know... I'm still quite amazed by it.

squeakytoy · 19/05/2011 16:15

On a professional level, as the boss of the company it is well within his rights to make an objection to the planning. As an employee, writing a letter on your employers behalf is no doubt within your remit. Your personal opinion really doesnt count for anything in this type of area.

It sounds like you dont feel valued at your company though, so if I were in your position, I would be looking for a different job.

WhereYouLeftIt · 19/05/2011 18:05

If it's a business park, I'd imagine lots of employees at the other business units would feel the same as you about it. There could be lots of letters of support?

MadamDeathstare · 19/05/2011 18:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

northerngirl41 · 19/05/2011 18:53

It's not unreasonable - I'd imagine the reason the nursery want to use an out-of-town business park space is so they can have children playing outside - and if I was running a business next door to a playpark I'd be mightily peeved to have noise from outside audible to my customers whilst on the phone, in meetings etc.

We had an application for a children's petting zoo next door to us... I couldn't see the harm in it until the rooster kept on crowing whilst I was on the phone. Thankfully the owner was quite sympathetic and took the rooster elsewhere, but he was well within his rights to ignore my complaints and carry on!

londonone · 19/05/2011 19:22

I think it is perfectly reasonable to object to a nursery on the basis of increased traffic levels/limited parking.

I also think it is fine to turn your scan picture over. Why on earth do you think your work colleagues would want to see your womb? Weird.

Flisspaps · 19/05/2011 19:26

I thought about this after posting earlier.

What you should have done is written the letter from him, in your own words, especially as you had to pp it.

Dear Council

We think it would be brilliant to have the nursery next to us.

pp MeRightYouWrongMeBigYouSmall

THE BOSS

ps please let MeRightYouWrongMeBigYouSmall have free childcare as she is a fab worker and I clearly don't pay her enough thank you xxxx

takethisonehereforastart · 19/05/2011 19:32

puppymonkey they are still out there doing that and more. I had one who would walk the length of a long corridor to ask me to make him a hot drink, and then walk back again to wait for me to deliver it. The kitchen was in an alcove in the centre of the corridor, so he had to walk past the kettle twice to make his request and he still didn't have the ounce of sense needed to switch the bloody thing on as he passed it.

lesley33 · 19/05/2011 20:06

I get the admin worker to type put letters that will go in the post as it sounds like this letter will. It takes the admin worker far less time than it would take me.

And imo you were an awkward bugger.