How to get your lazy boss to do his job?

[Schfifty Five]

I worked some OT back in Jan that I never got paid for. Some paper work needed to be generated which needs to be signed off by my boss. Literally every single week since then I have gone into his office asking if he has signed it yet. Same answer every time, "Oh I haven't got to it yet, but I will be really soon."

I see it just sitting there on top of his computer, same as all the other weeks, untouched. It's like 11 hours of over time, which will probably turn out to be like $350-$400 after taxes, and I really need it.

It's starting to piss me off now because this is my money, not some BS thing. In a world where I couldn't ever get fired, I would tell him to do his fucking job as a supervisor and stop dicking around. However, I need to be more...Polite.

How would I get the results I want? Trolls, give me your funniest and most troll-like answer because I know you will post some stupid shit in here anyway.

It doesn't sound like you really need it seeing as how you've been ok with it for 2 months now.

However, that doesn't excuse your supervisor for putting it off this long. Do you know what the process is? Is it as simple as him signing it or does it require him to reconcile some working hours on a certain date and compare numbers, etc? If he just needs to sign the paper, then next time you go in there, ask him if it's done, and if not, ask him to sign it right there and then and do not leave until he does so.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

You sohuldn't be bugging him you should be bombarding Payroll and HR with requests multiple times per day who should be so sick of you they are Bombarding him multiple times per day.

 

[Phoenix86]

This is a violation of Labor Law - even if its not approved they still have to pay you. The approval process is a formality. They have to pay you for the time worked.

1) Contact Payroll
2) Contact HR
3) Walk in office, grab paperwork, ask him to sign it - now
4) Contact Dept of Labor

This -3, boss is useless don't even discuss it with him anymore.

 

[z1ggy]

This -3, boss is useless don't even discuss it with him anymore.

I am going to go in there and ask him today about it. When he says that he hasn't done it yet, I will ask him what there is left for him to do. All I think if that he needs to just simply sign his name at the bottom and then I could probably send it to payroll or whatever is left over.

Seems like if that's all he needs to do, I could politely ask him to do it now because I have been waiting for that extra cash for a while.

And this is the type of place where if you ruffle feathers, kiss your career bye-bye.

 

[Rakehellion]

I worked some OT back in Jan that I never got paid for. Some paper work needed to be generated which needs to be signed off by my boss. Literally every single week since then I have gone into his office asking if he has signed it yet. Same answer every time, "Oh I haven't got to it yet, but I will be really soon."

I see it just sitting there on top of his computer, same as all the other weeks, untouched. It's like 11 hours of over time, which will probably turn out to be like $350-$400 after taxes, and I really need it.

It's starting to piss me off now because this is my money, not some BS thing. In a world where I couldn't ever get fired, I would tell him to do his fucking job as a supervisor and stop dicking around. However, I need to be more...Polite.

How would I get the results I want? Trolls, give me your funniest and most troll-like answer because I know you will post some stupid shit in here anyway.

1. Ask him when he's planning to do it.
2. Request that it be done by a specific date.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

And this is the type of place where if you ruffle feathers, kiss your career bye-bye.

If it's that bad, then I hope you are looking around.

 

[Juddog]

I am going to go in there and ask him today about it. When he says that he hasn't done it yet, I will ask him what there is left for him to do. All I think if that he needs to just simply sign his name at the bottom and then I could probably send it to payroll or whatever is left over.

Seems like if that's all he needs to do, I could politely ask him to do it now because I have been waiting for that extra cash for a while.

And this is the type of place where if you ruffle feathers, kiss your career bye-bye.

If it's taken this long, honestly, it sounds like he'll keep stalling forever so that you don't get the money. It's time to start looking for another job, that's really all there is to it. He's screwed you and you'll most likely never see the money at this point.

 

[spaceman]

roll with it
bve lazy w. him
as ur leader hes setting the example
ambition will fuck u hard sometimes
give him a hug
and a coffee

 

[spaceman]

just say u need that money b
cars dont run on friendship
also
start going in a little late
shredded if possible..yeah fucking burn one up
realize u are on the road to doom
rich poor baller fucker hater whatever
stop and get a donut and breakfast sandwich
scratch some tickets
mail it in

 

[z1ggy]

If it's that bad, then I hope you are looking around.

I am. Problem is I really like my house and I don't really want to move out. Also, I don't want to move really until I find out where my girl friend will be working once she gets her doctorate in 2 yrs.

Bosses recommend their employees for raises and promotions. I report my boss to HR for withholding pay, he is going to get spanked on the peepee pretty hard. I'd rather just bear the shit and get a good raise this summer.

 

[Juddog]

I am. Problem is I really like my house and I don't really want to move out. Also, I don't want to move really until I find out where my girl friend will be working once she gets her doctorate in 2 yrs.

Bosses recommend their employees for raises and promotions. I report my boss to HR for withholding pay, he is going to get spanked on the peepee pretty hard. I'd rather just bear the shit and get a good raise this summer.

If he's too lazy to sign something that's weeks old, what makes you so sure he'll give you a raise? You know that raises take paperwork too right?

 

[3chordcharlie]

This. Let him know that this is causing you hardship.

No way.

If this was $3-5000 in OT then sure.

I don't think you want to put it out there that a few hundred dollars is causing you hardship.

You could use the 'my (wife/gf/poolboy)'s birthday is next month and that's my budget to buy them that new sex swing' approach, but it's not enough to plead hardship.

 

[z1ggy]

If he's too lazy to sign something that's weeks old, what makes you so sure he'll give you a raise? You know that raises take paperwork too right?

Well I just asked him, "So how is that OT thing coming along?" And he basically said he will try to get it to it today. There apparently is more that needs to be done than just sign it. He also has to fill out "something" in the computer system.

So for now it looks like it isn't getting done. I will have to try again next week. That is when I will say something on how I "need it for xyz".

Sigh this is such BS. This company is run by total noobs.

 

[Juddog]

Well I just asked him, "So how is that OT thing coming along?" And he basically said he will try to get it to it today. There apparently is more that needs to be done than just sign it. He also has to fill out "something" in the computer system.

So for now it looks like it isn't getting done. I will have to try again next week. That is when I will say something on how I "need it for xyz".

Sigh this is such BS. This company is run by total noobs.

Gradually increase how many times a day you ask him about it.

The mindset of a procrastinator is to put off anything they can until they are basically either forced to do it by a higher authority, or get to the point where harassing them about it greater than their internal urge to put it off. You don't want to use the former, so your only choice is the latter. Keep bugging him about it, bringing it up literally whenever you see him. Email him about it, call him about it, remind him in the hallway about it.

 

[Sureshot324]

I would be honest with him, and use a carrot approach.

Something along these lines... "I know you're really busy and have a lot to do. But it's been X weeks that I've been waiting for this OT and not having the funds is causing difficulties for my family. Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you to get this done?"

If there's something specific you know he wants done and that you can do, offer to do it.

Something like this. Just reminding him again isn't enough. You need to increase the urgency of your request without being impolite. Make him feel extra guilty about putting it off.

It sounds odd though that he would put off signing an OT form for this long. Maybe he's under pressure to cut costs of his department and is worried that approving OT will look bad on him.

 

[z1ggy]

Gradually increase how many times a day you ask him about it.

The mindset of a procrastinator is to put off anything they can until they are basically either forced to do it by a higher authority, or get to the point where harassing them about it greater than their internal urge to put it off. You don't want to use the former, so your only choice is the latter. Keep bugging him about it, bringing it up literally whenever you see him. Email him about it, call him about it, remind him in the hallway about it.

haha yeah basically. It just sucks because supervisors basically control your career here. It's so beaurocratic that you could be a great employee, smart, motived, etc but if you dont kiss ass and make the upper people happy, you will literally be stuck where you are forever.

So overall, even if I don't insult or report him to HR, even if I just piss him off enough to annoy him and get my OT money, later on when it comes time for him to recommend me for a raise, he might think..."Well that z1ggy guy really annoys the shit out of me...He gets little to no raise this yr". Externally, he would just tell my manager that I performed like shit or something, but in reality it's just because I annoyed him.

Yes. I need to find a new job.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

haha yeah basically. It just sucks because supervisors basically control your career here. It's so beaurocratic that you could be a great employee, smart, motived, etc but if you dont kiss ass and make the upper people happy, you will literally be stuck where you are forever.

So overall, even if I don't insult or report him to HR, even if I just piss him off enough to annoy him and get my OT money, later on when it comes time for him to recommend me for a raise, he might think..."Well that z1ggy guy really annoys the shit out of me...He gets little to no raise this yr". Externally, he would just tell my manager that I performed like shit or something, but in reality it's just because I annoyed him.

Yes. I need to find a new job.

FYI, it's like this just about everywhere, so get used to it.

I've met plenty of people who were extremely smart and motivated, but TERRIBLE employees in a business atmosphere.

 

[z1ggy]

Something like this. Just reminding him again isn't enough. You need to increase the urgency of your request without being impolite. Make him feel extra guilty about putting it off.

It sounds odd though that he would put off signing an OT form for this long. Maybe he's under pressure to cut costs of his department and is worried that approving OT will look bad on him.

I've been on OT for almost 3 years STRAIGHT. The project we are working on, is a multi million dollar project. The cost of the entireeeeeeee project over its life time, is around 6 Billion.

 

[z1ggy]

FYI, it's like this just about everywhere, so get used to it.

I've met plenty of people who were extremely smart and motivated, but TERRIBLE employees in a business atmosphere.

Nah, it's not like this every where. Don't get me wrong, my boss is a very nice, friendly individual, but he utterly sucks at being a supervisor.

At my last job, when you needed supervisor things done for you (change of contract charging #s, labor time issues, etc etc) it was done. It's just a different culture here.

 

[AreaCode707]

Schedule a short meeting with him, with the location in his office/at his desk, with an ambiguous subject line like, "Manager-employee session".

Walk over at the scheduled meeting time, sit down and say, "Sorry, I've been waiting on the overtime for x weeks and unfortunately I have to make sure it's included in the next payroll cycle. I know you've been swamped and had a hard time getting to it, so I wanted to block a few minutes on your calendar to make sure it gets processed. Can we pop up the paperwork and work through it so I don't have to worry about missing the payroll deadline?"

Sit there and make small talk about something else work-related but simple while he does the processing, thank him profusely and apologize for being a pain, "but you know how it is when you've got to make the payroll deadline and they're such sticklers about red tape," never mention WHY you need to make the next payroll cut, and leave with him feeling good about the fact that he's a good manager who helps his employees with his powerful paying-people skillz.

 

[kami333]

Schedule a short meeting with him, with the location in his office/at his desk, with an ambiguous subject line like, "Manager-employee session".

Walk over at the scheduled meeting time, sit down and say, "Sorry, I've been waiting on the overtime for x weeks and unfortunately I have to make sure it's included in the next payroll cycle. I know you've been swamped and had a hard time getting to it, so I wanted to block a few minutes on your calendar to make sure it gets processed. Can we pop up the paperwork and work through it so I don't have to worry about missing the payroll deadline?"

Sit there and make small talk about something else work-related but simple while he does the processing, thank him profusely and apologize for being a pain, "but you know how it is when you've got to make the payroll deadline and they're such sticklers about red tape," never mention WHY you need to make the next payroll cut, and leave with him feeling good about the fact that he's a good manager who helps his employees with his powerful paying-people skillz.

^ Bingo

PS your boss sounds similar to mine, I'm 14months late for my annual review from last year. And 2months late for this years.

 

[WackyDan]

I had a company that was nearly four months behind on paying me for my expenses. Numerous calls, emails to my manager and even the people managing expenses resulted in zero satisfaction.

I finally had it... Called my manager to the carpet and told him I was taking the company to court for the back expenses. That woke them up and they found a SNAFU in an HR system that had been sending my expenses to a different address. *This was 13 years ago...

You have to be polite, but direct. You have to have a documented trail of communication showing he has been non responsive to resolving this for you.

 

[AreaCode707]

^ Bingo

PS your boss sounds similar to mine, I'm 14months late for my annual review from last year. And 2months late for this years.

My old manager never bothered to set goals for me and, not wanting to give her fodder to start a condescending argument, I never set goals for myself either. Right around review time I got a new manager and about five weeks of wall-to-wall travel and pretty much said, "fvck it, I don't have time to write a self-review," so never did, new manager was in about the same spot, so my performance review consisted of, "We got you a decent raise. Here. You know what you did last year, so I'm not going to bother to tell you (but good job.) Now let's talk about next year."

All in all, an ideal review process.

 

[z1ggy]

You have to have a documented trail of communication showing he has been non responsive to resolving this for you.

This is a good idea. I am going to start emailing him from now on. That way in another month when he doesn't do anything, I can be like, "Look, I sent you 6 emails on dates a b c d, etc requesting you finish the OT approval. Can you please do this promptly?"

The larger picture is...When do I take it up with my manager? I mean... 2 months sucks, but we do have tons of work going on in this group..But after 4? 6? A year? Where do I draw the line here?

 

[WackyDan]

This is a good idea. I am going to start emailing him from now on. That way in another month when he doesn't do anything, I can be like, "Look, I sent you 6 emails on dates a b c d, etc requesting you finish the OT approval. Can you please do this promptly?"

The larger picture is...When do I take it up with my manager? I mean... 2 months sucks, but we do have tons of work going on in this group..But after 4? 6? A year? Where do I draw the line here?

I suggest you take it up with him now.

Who exactly is your boss? The guy sitting on his thumbs or some other guy you call your manager?

You should have already been documenting this communication. Either way, as long as you have documented that you actually worked the OT then you have a leg to stand on. Send him an email explicitly mentioning the times you have spoke to him about authorizing the payroll for the OT and that you are facing hardship of some sort if you desire. Give him a week once you send it and then escalate over his head.

In my mind, hardship shouldn't fucking matter... but it may help get shit done for you. If you still don't get it resolved, I'll come over and kick his teeth in for you.