When leaving a job under good circumstances, even though you didn't want to leave, would you do tiny acts of defiance anyway?
I got a wonderful temp position, as a receptionist, at a wonderful factory where they make precision tools for the aerospace industry. I was replacing a gal who was out on maternity leave.
Of course, I was very over qualified for the job, and there just wasn’t much to do except keep an eye on the coffee and field and transfer phone calls. But I loved everyone I worked with, and the factory itself just fascinated me.
The gal who I replaced came back part time for most of December, and we became friends.
Last Friday was my last day, though. However, they will be looking to hire another person to work the office, and all but promised me the job if they get the go ahead, so I’ll just have my fingers crossed.
So…I didn’t want to go. To make my sadness known I fucked up the date stamp we use to stamp invoices, and I taped one of her drawers closed with one strip of clear Scotch tape (not the heavy duty stuff.) It’ll be easy enough to actually open, but the date stamp….Lord that thing gave me fits! I almost got the hang of it before I left, and maybe she knows some secret to it that I don’t know, but changing the dates was a matter of trial and error, stamping and stamping until I had it right. If I came back to this I’d faint!!
So is this something you might do, if you knew your audience well?
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Never. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t like the job or the people and I certainly wouldn’t do it if I wanted to work there again!
No, I would never have thought of doing that especially if I wanted to come back.
No.
Anyway, where I come from that would probably be an Article 15. Not a good thing to have on the record.
No, I wouldn’t. Even though you’ve explained your sadness about leaving the job, I really can’t understand why you’d do these things (taping-shut a drawer?!?!). I care about you, Val, and I’m more than a little concerned.
Absolutely not. It’s juvenile and unprofessional. I figure I owe my employer my best work, especially if they’re a good employer.
Yeah, if you wanted to go back that was a pretty big mistake. You went into it knowing you were just a temp so I am not sure why you felt this was necessary.
@Dutchess_III I have come to know you as a “Firebrand” a rare breed of love, fun, dare me and I’ll do it and damn the consequences…bull in a China shop and shatterer of sacred cows and hard fast rules. You are not reckless but clearly like to color outside the lines. What you did made me chuckle and I am sure you did too! Now grow up and go find a job you are qualified to do! ;)
No. I might want to return someday.
No. It’ll wind up biting you in the behind when you least expect it.
Nope. It never occurred to me. I’m leaving under good circumstances so why would I want to do anything negative? I don’t get it. The only time I came close was a temp job I had that I should have completed a few tasks before going, but I didn’t not do them in purpose in defiance, I just didn’t get around to it before leaving. I wish I had.
I’d like to understand what you’re thinking, as I don’t follow your intent or how you think it might go or be received.
If things went so well why feel the need to be defiant? Messing up the date stamp isn’t too big a deal. Hopefully someone notices and corrects it without thinking too much about it but what you did was childish and stupid.
Depends on who your target is. An office without innocent pranks is a dry, cold & sterile place that’s not good to work in.
I once saw a couple of new engineers get into a prank war in the off season. One even lined an empty file drawer with plastic and set up a complete aquarium with stones, a filter, fake plants and a beta fish. He left a small container of beta food on his desk with feeding instructions. Later retaliation consisted of taping the entry into his cube with a cardboard box and filling the cube full of packing peanuts left from a big shipment.
This kind of behaviour throws up red flags to me. I’d look for someone else to temp next time. It really is childish and not in the good way.
No, especially not if I wanted them to hire me permanently. Who do you think that they are going to blame?
No. That’s pretty immature if you ask me, no offense Dutchess but really?
I was appalled at a 50 something year old , now ex friend, that spit in her boyfriends brand new car some years ago when they were breaking up and I went with her to the house they purchased together to pick up some of her things. I couldn’t believe she would do something so incredibly childish.
You say that you left the job “under good circumstances…” You know, Dutch, that the circumstances quickly became bad.
I would never think of doing something like that whether or not I was hoping to be asked to return. I think it sounds crazy and childish. I imagine it’s quite the office talk when they discover what you did.
Not completing your tasks on the last day can be called defiance.. screwing up the work on purpose is something else!!! I wouldn’t imagine doing it on purpose even if I hate my job… Because it’s paying for my bread and butter after all..!!!
Um…. no???
@Coloma I usually don’t judge people’s actions, but I probably would judge that one. I very much agree. Even the THOUGHT of doing something like that is extremely immature and childish. God knows I see way too much of acts like this in my generation.
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