q_w_e_r_t_y
You see an investment scam and I see divinity
Ahhh...
I think you just explained the raving boss and doe-eyed personnel dept and their cavalier attitude to legal and human rights in two words.
Have you thought about the IWW?
'Psychometric test' results to be placed on office whiteboard for all to see
- Thread starter Badger Kitten
- Start date
Ahhh...
I think you just explained the raving boss and doe-eyed personnel dept and their cavalier attitude to legal and human rights in two words.
Have you thought about the IWW?
Pingu
Credo
q_w_e_r_t_y
You see an investment scam and I see divinity
...having said all that I do think that its a rather good personality test.
The cunt - loudly proclaims colour, starts wearing colour to work every day and refers to Old Bluey in the corner.
The ingratiater - Laughs with the boss about colour in-jokes
The sneak - covertly checks colour before approaching any team member which disparaging of it in public
The cautious - gently tears off a little bit of the corner of the poster every time they make coffee.
The revolutionary - leads team in mass revolt against the colours, known from hence forth as the Colour Revolution in office folklore
The cunt - loudly proclaims colour, starts wearing colour to work every day and refers to Old Bluey in the corner.
The ingratiater - Laughs with the boss about colour in-jokes
The sneak - covertly checks colour before approaching any team member which disparaging of it in public
The cautious - gently tears off a little bit of the corner of the poster every time they make coffee.
The revolutionary - leads team in mass revolt against the colours, known from hence forth as the Colour Revolution in office folklore
Badger Kitten
oof
oh christ, that's painfully awesome
Badger Kitten
oof
wiskey
Albatross Admirer
well if they do the 'assessment' now they'll need to re-do it every 10mins for 9mo of pregnancy, then every week or so for the next 18 years and they still won't get consistent results!
Badger Kitten
oof
The hypothetical employee is not pregnant.
Yet.
Which is why all this stress and crapola is particularly annoying.
I should imagine.
Yet.
Which is why all this stress and crapola is particularly annoying.
I should imagine.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
You went to the Personnel dept 
In confidence
The test is well known, been established for years. But the key thing as with all these tests/inventories, is how they're going to be used.
If I was going to quietly challenge this, I'd find out who had designed and was going to be running the course. It sounds as if this:
is possibly spot on. Perhaps cloaked in additional 'new boss getting to know team'.
Is it being run in-house or has it been outsourced? And who has designed it? And is the person administering the inventory also interpreting the results? What happens to the personal data? Loads more questions - but frankly these sorts of questions are usually dealt with pre-emptively by the Company/organisation running the event. There's always a significant potential for these things to massively back-fire costing time, outlay, energy, credibility and stress all round ... hence the need for detailed pre-course information.
If it helps, I could design a set of questions to ask. Questions that can be anonymised, perhaps asked by all the attendees as a group so no-one puts their head above the parapet?
Btw, you don't need a year's service to get maternity rights - possibly the subject for another thread though. This site's a good place to start to get familiar with maternity issues: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents...amilies/Pregnancyandmaternityrights/index.htm
In confidence The test is well known, been established for years. But the key thing as with all these tests/inventories, is how they're going to be used.
If I was going to quietly challenge this, I'd find out who had designed and was going to be running the course. It sounds as if this:
is possibly spot on. Perhaps cloaked in additional 'new boss getting to know team'.
Is it being run in-house or has it been outsourced? And who has designed it? And is the person administering the inventory also interpreting the results? What happens to the personal data? Loads more questions - but frankly these sorts of questions are usually dealt with pre-emptively by the Company/organisation running the event. There's always a significant potential for these things to massively back-fire costing time, outlay, energy, credibility and stress all round ... hence the need for detailed pre-course information.
If it helps, I could design a set of questions to ask. Questions that can be anonymised, perhaps asked by all the attendees as a group so no-one puts their head above the parapet?
Btw, you don't need a year's service to get maternity rights - possibly the subject for another thread though. This site's a good place to start to get familiar with maternity issues: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents...amilies/Pregnancyandmaternityrights/index.htm
q_w_e_r_t_y
You see an investment scam and I see divinity
Lots of companies do enhanced schemes after 1 or 2 years service tho.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
Yes, I realise that. But it's far from standard/a baseline assumption to work to.
I always heard that one as "The floggings will continue until morale improves". Worth printing out in 36 point bold something and pinning up. If think that if you start this trend with a little judicious guerilla pinboarding, you may well find others pick up on it. I've done it a few times in my career, to amusing effect.
Badger Kitten
oof
To go through various points: It's definitely being put through as a team building exercise - hwo we can all learn to work together effectively, blah blah. Also a way for the new head of dept to learn about how we all work best together blah blah.
No, IO didn't go to the bos first. I was pretty sure that he would greet any protest as a direct challenge to his authority and my card would be marked and my life made miserable for ever more. I went to personnel in confidence to see if they thought the publication of the end results for all to see was okay, and they did. They were beyond crap and it really upset me - felt like I had walked into a world where no matter what I said, I was blankly not comprehended.
Yes, it's outsourced. And administered by an external triner.
I know you don't need a year to get basic maternity rights: but you need a year to get good maternity rights where I work, and I've done a year. I'd rather not say what sort of industry on a BB. It's an office-based job I do 4 days a week and it's not the same industry I was in for the last 2 years as a freelance. I needed a secure office job as the insecurity of being a freelance in a recession was not good and I wanted to drop off the radar.
I have to go and do a training thing now so won't be able to post until this afternoon. Thank you for all the help.
No, IO didn't go to the bos first. I was pretty sure that he would greet any protest as a direct challenge to his authority and my card would be marked and my life made miserable for ever more. I went to personnel in confidence to see if they thought the publication of the end results for all to see was okay, and they did. They were beyond crap and it really upset me - felt like I had walked into a world where no matter what I said, I was blankly not comprehended.
Yes, it's outsourced. And administered by an external triner.
I know you don't need a year to get basic maternity rights: but you need a year to get good maternity rights where I work, and I've done a year. I'd rather not say what sort of industry on a BB. It's an office-based job I do 4 days a week and it's not the same industry I was in for the last 2 years as a freelance. I needed a secure office job as the insecurity of being a freelance in a recession was not good and I wanted to drop off the radar.
I have to go and do a training thing now so won't be able to post until this afternoon. Thank you for all the help.
innit
c'mon, little life giver
Just call in sick on the day?
When I worked in a government department they were mad for this kind of shit and would brand it as team building, as people have said above. I didn't feel safe doing it with my boss who was a warm-hearted and generous person but also capable of going batshit at a moment's notice. Didn't feel like handing over the supposed secrets of my soul to have it thrown in my face when they were having a tantrum - luckily the testing was postponed until after I'd left. But I would have thrown a sickie if I had to.
Oh yeah, and one of our team was into this colours thing and told me (and everyone else) that I was "green" without doing any kind of tests whatsoever??? Never even found out what that means!
When I worked in a government department they were mad for this kind of shit and would brand it as team building, as people have said above. I didn't feel safe doing it with my boss who was a warm-hearted and generous person but also capable of going batshit at a moment's notice. Didn't feel like handing over the supposed secrets of my soul to have it thrown in my face when they were having a tantrum - luckily the testing was postponed until after I'd left. But I would have thrown a sickie if I had to.
Oh yeah, and one of our team was into this colours thing and told me (and everyone else) that I was "green" without doing any kind of tests whatsoever??? Never even found out what that means!
danny la rouge
Ninja swords for all disabled people
On a scientific level, the tests might as well be Personal Horoscope Charts. On an industrial relations level, just no fucking way.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
It's shit like this that makes me eternally grateful I don't work in an office.
But isn't this steering the office environment towards a racist agenda as you now start to interact with each other based on your color and people of the same colour will now start to hang out together with some colours thinking they are superior to other colours (as in the alpha beta example earlier in thread) - especially if they are the same colour as the boss 
Of course when the boss gets his results he might not be happy with how it portrays him and so scupper the whole thing anyway after all these things are as reliable as horoscopes
or just leave a copy of this book lying around
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Divided-Kin...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257331507&sr=8-1
Of course when the boss gets his results he might not be happy with how it portrays him and so scupper the whole thing anyway after all these things are as reliable as horoscopes
or just leave a copy of this book lying around
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Divided-Kin...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257331507&sr=8-1
AverageJoe
...
Hi BK
I know this probably isnt going to be a popular post, but remember why you are there.
You are playing the long game - you want to be there for a year so you qualify for maternity leave.
So, although you dont agree with whats happening, it may be for the best to compromise your ideals in this instance to ensure that you reach your long term aim.
Its not easy, and I would hate it, but if you focus on 'why' you are doing it ('I'm only doing this so I can get a year under my belt, qualify for maternity leave and then have a baby), then you might find it easier to deal with.
Labelling yourself to a new boss as a trouble maker may have longer terms implications, especially as this boss seems like a clueless tool. If they label you now, then you will be labelled for all the time they (or you) are there.
As you have already said, resigning isnt an option, so I am guessing that neither is being sacked for Gross Misconduct. Which is what idiot managers use as a way of getting people out of the way. And I should know - I had loadsof bosses when I was younger cos I wasnt willing to compromise myself.
Its a shitty situation to be in, but I think for what you need, you are gonna have to do this 'Team Building' - in fact it doesnt sound like you have a choice, so show willing (even if you arent inside), get through this week, and then look forward to your maternity.
Sorry that this isnt more sugar coated
I know this probably isnt going to be a popular post, but remember why you are there.
You are playing the long game - you want to be there for a year so you qualify for maternity leave.
So, although you dont agree with whats happening, it may be for the best to compromise your ideals in this instance to ensure that you reach your long term aim.
Its not easy, and I would hate it, but if you focus on 'why' you are doing it ('I'm only doing this so I can get a year under my belt, qualify for maternity leave and then have a baby), then you might find it easier to deal with.
Labelling yourself to a new boss as a trouble maker may have longer terms implications, especially as this boss seems like a clueless tool. If they label you now, then you will be labelled for all the time they (or you) are there.
As you have already said, resigning isnt an option, so I am guessing that neither is being sacked for Gross Misconduct. Which is what idiot managers use as a way of getting people out of the way. And I should know - I had loadsof bosses when I was younger cos I wasnt willing to compromise myself.
Its a shitty situation to be in, but I think for what you need, you are gonna have to do this 'Team Building' - in fact it doesnt sound like you have a choice, so show willing (even if you arent inside), get through this week, and then look forward to your maternity.
Sorry that this isnt more sugar coated
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