Anyone else’s managers suddenly started micromanaging THE HE-L out of them??!?! No??? Just me??!! My boss straight up asked me why I’ve been away from my desk for so long because they stalked my Teams status (I put a hold on my calendar) and when I told them I had a doc appt, they asked “with who?”…. Did I really need to tell my boss I was at the gyno? Even with stupid tasks like replying to emails, my boss will Teams me and say “when are you planning on responding back to that email that just came in 2 minutes ago???” Like jeez they underpay us, ask us to come in 4 days, and micromanage? Big brother much?
23 replies (most recent on top)
My post about Indian managers - both placed in India and in US - are the micro-managers thanks to their worship-the-boss mindset has been deleted.
Looks like it did touch a raw-nerve
@d4
Thanks for also noticing it. I am the one who suggested the jiggling mouse but I also often tried calling myself and inviting myself to meetings- however the mouse is more reliable so your micromanager doesn’t ask you whom you were meeting with:-)
I would send pictures of my p-o floating in the bowl when they demand proof that I am relieving myself or provide an uncomfortably graphic description of my visit to the gyno when management gets too helicoptery. Then they back off.
The problem with this place is that everyone is scared that they will lose their job. It creates an atmosphere of paranoia to never make a mistake and answer all inquiries immediately. Managers stress out and the they stress out their employees.
Its also true that they are looking to find something on you to be able to rate you BE.
Bottom line, this place is spiraling out of control. Always have a plan B, any day can be your last. An exit plan should be your top priority!
@d4 can also set up a meeting with someone after they left the company, just join the call and it shows you're "in a call", share one window and now you're "presenting".
@bm no jiggler required. if you start a meeting with yourself, it’ll set your teams status to “in a meeting” or “in a call”. But, then you can manually change it so it shows “active”. If someone hovers over the green it’ll still say “in a meeting” but you’ll show green no matter what.
@OP sounds like your boss wants you on the chopping block.
I don’t get micromanaged at all.
Always stay one ahead of the game. Always keep applying for other jobs. Have options.
@bt
She can easily make an HR complaint that her manager wanted to know which doctor she went to, and she definitely felt uncomfortable and stressed about telling boss about her personal gynecologist visit and that micromanagement has caused her stress and affected her mental well being, and I think this post reflects that. She has a better case in her complaint if she has been working for several years with good prior performance until this micromanager showed up. Complaining to HR about this is smart if she received a BE, which is likely intended to deny her severance if laid off. I hope that I am wrong and sincerely good luck to her
Showing as red/busy in teams doesnt stop people from expecting replies. Blocking out your calendar for lunch or appointments doesnt stop people scheduling meetings at that time. This place is toxic, they think they own you 24x7
@c8 yes i've received the "let's discuss this in our next 1:1" threat by my boss. if i don't respond to him within 5 mins, he'll follow up with "hello?" "where are you?" "are you ignoring me?" likeee dudeeee why are you soooooo obsessed with meeeee
Mine has always been looney tunes, so I'm kind used to it. Getting serious on applications/networking to exit this he-l hole though.
Yes.
I got this yesterday when I was in the bathroom doing my business. It was about an email that a big client sent. ‘Hello? Where are you ? What are you doing?’ .. I said, ‘ I was relieving myself and that’s all you need to understand’ and ‘I dont think it is appropriate for you to ping me to answer a client email immediately either. We should talk about this 1x1’ … then an hour later? ‘Can you respond to them’ and I said ‘ didnt you see and understand what I responded to you? It’s a client problem and we really should be on the same page’
FYI manager is Indian, young , female, loud and overwhelmed.
This place knows people are pi---d and going with a minimalist approach.
I had a severe micromanager that did that to me too. She was paranoid that she was on the chopping block and made everyone's life he-l for them to be on top of everything. Turns out they let her go, guess she was right.
Thankfully I’m no longer at that dump… Left a couple months ago, but my
PTSD from that place has me still checking in from time to time on the site
Make no mistake… Your boss is a documentation trail to set you up on a fake pip
Mid-level management is so weak and smarmy. They bow to whatever the overlords say and go along with their diabolical plan in an effort for self preservation, even though that week manager will be on the chopping block too eventually
@bm what HR complain do you have when telling someone how to scam the company? Can we say this is why everyone else gets micro managed or pushed back in office. Dddrrrtttt
@OP so did you not request to have time away and just disappeared like no big deal?
Get an undetectable mouse mover and jiggler with its own electric outlet, so you don’t connect the jiggler through usb to the company laptop. Amazon and others have it for less than 20$. Use it for the 15 minutes or 1/2 hour when you need to take a walk or use the bathroom with a “Busy” Teams status. Of course, you can use it only when you’re working at home. Document this interaction about your boss asking for your doctor information and complain to your HR representative if/After you get a BE and put on performance improvement, which is likely the final step before they lay you off without a severance. At that point you have nothing to lose and a formal HR complaint (which you should document) may at least get you a severance. Good luck
I hope you didn’t answer their follow up question. That’s something you definitely do not need to tell them and if you are in a state that provides by law the ability to use PTO for doc appt, just book that hour in Oracle.
because they have been asked for heads so they need any little reason to let someone go
Lol my boss did this same thing to me. He kept asking weird questions when I told him I was away eating lunch. “What were you eating?” “Where?” ….. I responded with “did you actually need something from me?”
Yes definitely micromanaging over the last year and getting worse. I'm expected to notify team if I'll be away from desk longer than a bathroom break. I get reprimanded for not replying to emails and teams chats instantly but its impossible to get work done if I stop to reach messages and chats every time they come in.
wow this is next level big brothering. Ask them to get a pleasure device at work and head to the toilets. CTFO
I think it’s because they themselves fear they’re on the chopping board hehehehehe