To think my boss is pathetic?

[Boringboss]

Been with my company for 4 years - in her team since May. She’s been here for 16 years.

She’s not horrible but a complete micro manager and if she’s ‘annoyed’ with you then she’ll just ignore you for days (work remotely).

I think she micro manages and keeps information to herself to make herself indispensable and irreplaceable to the company BUT my bug bear is about annual leave.

She boasts that she never uses her full allowance and hasn’t taken a holiday in 4 years because she is too ‘loyal’. On the other hand, I use my full allowance each year but others on the team seem to follow her lead and I have had a few snide comments about my recent holiday (one week OOO).

IMO life is too short to be ‘loyal’ to a company you don’t own and would sack you tomorrow if it benefited them.

@donttellmehesalive no - she knows she micromanages and jokes about it. My most recent appraisal was exceeding in all areas and I received a pay rise - no idea how she feels about the rest of the team. I can play the game and over kill information to satisfy her micromanaging but I still don’t like it.

Absolutely take your holiday they are mugs if they think they are appreciated for it because it becomes an expectation. I have colleagues who work ridiculous overtime with no pay I absolutely will not be giving my time for free.

Most managers don't have time to micromanage. It's better to delegate and trust your team. I've only ever seen it happen when entirely warranted but if you are exceeding expectations in all areas and being given pay raises this can't be your situation can it.

@donttellmehesalive ’wow you’ve used up all your allowance - I have 27 days left to take but I won’t be able to fit it in. I have only taken 6 this year. I haven’t taken the full amount in 4 years - I’m just loyal like that hehehe’

Some people take a lot of pride in their work. It is almost an identity, or takes the place of a hobby. I don't understand it really and I am sure we all know people like that, and they are forgotten within days of leaving or retiring. But nothing you describe is very awful. You say she isn't horrible. So I find that calling her pathetic a bit mean tbh and it makes me wonder whether you say similar to colleagues.

TBH

I would be tempted to reply something like isn't that like taking a buy one get one free deal and not taking the free thing

It's against a lof of company policies to not take leave. I know somewhere where they would force you to take it, by giving you days off that they decided for you.

@donttellmehesalive I take pride in my work but I value my time off. If she wants to make it her identity and take no time off that’s fine - but I dont think it’s the sign of a good manager to try and breed a culture where others feel as if they can’t.

I haven’t and would not say anything to my colleagues - I’m venting on an anonymous forum.

Never taking leave is often a red flag for fraudulent activities people may not want other to see!

Bizarre. It's not 'loyal' to not take leave

equally nothing bad would happen if she was away

Could she be afraid that if she takes time off, everything would continue regardless, exposing that she isn't actually contributing much and that the team would work better without her ?

Fraud!

if she’s ‘annoyed’ with you then she’ll just ignore you for days (work remotely).

Hmmmmm....I think you gave yourself an answer in your op. Sounds a perfect solution for a micro manager 😂

Tell them they are being really selfish taking their full salary.

I’ve just joined a new team where they never use all their entitlement and frown upon sick leave. It’s utterly miserable. My sickness rate is low but I just find the embedded culture awful. They’re all complete martyrs. My commitment has been questioned… I’ve worked in the organisation the longest, worked overtime during the pandemic without question or pay. 9 years and they question my commitment.

We must take 2 weeks leave (like as others have said ), the more senior you go the more tightly it is enforced as well.

My team that I moved to in lockdown are a bit like this.

Two of them were off same time as me ( different core responsibilities) but weren't going anywhere so would log in to keep an eye on things. Meanwhile I was in Lanzarote drinking Pina Coladas. I call them the holiday martyrs.

It's such a weird atmosphere that when I do take time off, I've stopped telling people i'm going away. Even a camping weekend for the Queens Jubilee meant I was apparently off on holiday the whole time.

Screw em, I deliver my work just fine and live for my holidays.

I had a manager who paraded it around that she never took her annual leave. She was a massive slacker, always missing in action. She used to send emails at 7am or 10pm to make it look as if she was working all hours. She was always missing deadlines and would blame whoever wasn't in the room for this. People like this tend to get on in toxic organisations. It's a sign to get out, I'd say.

She’s obviously not very intelligent then is she? Why would you essentially work for free?

So, basically, you try to emotionally manipulate your team into voluntarily sacrificing part of their compensation package. Nice.

You're aware that if you're found to be penalising people for taking the leave they're legally entitled to, even subtly, you're in trouble,.right?

How many people ask to be transferred away from her team due to burnout?

This is just like my boss. Initially, she micro-managed, and now she doesn't manage many of us at all, save for a small group of younger, recently appointed staff. She has her favourites, and moves on to the next favourite when you've served your purpose. She maintains she's always there for us, but sits behind two locked doors, so you need her secretary to check if you're allowed in. Never tells us when she's taking leave, so it's quite possible she's not sitting behind those two locked doors! But worse than constant micro-managing is a complete hands off approach with intermittent micro-managing to pick holes in what you've just got on with because she's not around to consult.

My team are great, though, and most of us are coming up for retirement, so there's an enticing pension package on the horizon with the advent of a 60th birthday. No-one is about to leave just yet. Just hoping the boss - coming up for 65 - goes first.

I had a great boss in my previous job and value what I learnt from him.

I would go with a different tack.

• wow you’ve used up all your allowance - yes, I’ve always found having a good work life balance enables me to deliver my best at work, I find having a break makes me more creative/productive (insert appropriate word).

• I have 27 days left to take but I won’t be able to fit it in - I’m very good at planning and organising, can I show you how I plan ahead?

• I have only taken 6 this year. I haven’t taken the full amount in 4 years - Aren’t you worried about bringing (employer) in to disrepute, they are legally required to make sure we take at least 28 days (inc BH), after all they don’t want to be seen to be running a sweat shop.

That sounds like a toxic workplace.

People don't live to work.

I hope you are making sure your staff take their statutory leave otherwise you are acting unlawfully as the legislation is clear that nothing must be done to prevent or discourage employees from taking their statutory leave.

Additionally, under Health and Safety at work you have a duty of care and discouraging people from taking leave may not met that requirement.