Bricking It

[Over Carl]

I've been working in my current IT role for around 2 1/2 years.

At the start even though they called me in to do IT and CAD, they actually wanted me to do IT dirty work (i.e. set up printers, log serials, untangle big messes of leads etc.) as well as the trickier admin that none of the admin lot could be arsed with (MS Project, Tender Presentations, etc.)

Thing is our IT systems were so terrible I easily managed to make the point that the company needed someone to carry out an IT role much more desperately than another administrator, and I would have a good claim for contructive dismissal with the companys approach.

In this time I've gradually been improving shitloads (Just as an excercise to myself I've listed 150 improvements I've made in my time so far). To get much of this done I've had to disobey my boss - good examples when I started he didn't like remote desktop as he thought you could make more problems than you fix - even if a user wanted to just use a different pc, that required IT team visiting a site to prepare a user. I've got pc's setting new profiles up themselves and am handling probably 3-10 remote support calls daily.

For a while he was happy to just leave me to it not even knowing what I was up to, and he would just give instructions from time to time.

Last year some of the directors wanted to move us to an unworkable area. I was only taken kicking and screaming but my boss put up no resistance and would just tell me off for moaning or having a messy work area. Only recently H&S has condemmed our area agreeing with what I said from the start - that we need much more space.

Basically his approach is to just satisfy all the demands of the various directors without fighting for his own team, often leaving the fights to me as I don't take crap from anyone. I work my arse off to try and further his dept and any time I do get tired the only words of inspiration/support the cunt can offer is don't bother. Oh yeah, we've also got use of an IT support company. If they recommend anything there is a bottleless pile of money along with if my boss wants something. I've got servers running on desktop pc's nearly maxing out cpu's and I'm not allowed cash for proper kit while some new work experience kid's coming in monday with a brand new bigger screen than me!

Also there's loads of times I've had disputes with the support company where I have wanted to improve stuff and they have been pointlessly obstructive and I have never received support. In fact if I wish to take say a weeks holiday, my boss will ensure to get that weeks work out of me in the two weeks prior.

Now recently he's been giving a lot more orders which often are just plain nonsense, we've been bickering for a while so on Friday I requested a meeting next week. After a bit of a sarcastic email he's now said this is to be in front of our MD.

Problem is he's got one bit of dirt on me that could get me sacked (I lied about lack of criminal record and cannot pass security checks to get on to secure sites). However I've got loads on him - like the fact his company laptop wasn't procured in the normal means and he considers his personal property, I suspect he's getting paid off by the IT support company.

What do I do? At the moment, I'm thinking I can't go for the kill as he will as well. Problem is he only has the one thing on me and I'll have to drop loads of points to save his bacon. I'm thinking of respectfully making the point that he is way too busy running the CAD dept to manage the IT dept and highlighting massive problems that I've fixed on my own initiative that no-one was even previously bothered about. Problem is while the MD doesn't like my boss he doesn't really get IT.

[Bald Bouncer]

Gather whatever evidence you can to back up your claims taking it into the meeting making sure anything you wish to show you can put your finger straight on, try and allow him to show his hand first, keep your temper and don't try and second guess what he is going to say just be prepared.

Try and ensure it does not look like a personal attack on him and you consider this really a last resort for someone to interject as the situation has an adverse effect on the way the section is performing.

[DejaVu]

I lied about lack of criminal record and cannot pass security checks to get on to secure sites.

You mean you have a record?
We all have a past mate, this nothing really to worry about. If the company employed you on the strength of your abilities, this should not matter, especially as you have been there for 2 1/2 years breaking your balls. They can only take this into account when your in the interview stage. Anything can happen while your working there too!

If it does get bought up, just say, we all do silly things when we are younger.

Most 'normal' blokes get the point and just move on. It depends on how anal your bosses are I guess.

As Bouncer said, do not make it personal, afterall, it's your place of work. Let him make himself look like a penis. Just keep it strictly on a professional level. Just make sure you have ammunition from all possible angles.

Problem is while the MD doesn't like my boss he doesn't really get IT.

You've already got the advantage, so if he shit stirs, the MD will have more of an excuse not to like his 'dont bother' managerial approach.

[JonEp]

There is also the Rehabilitation of Offender Act to consider.

If the offence is spent you have no need to declare it to your employer when you applied.

Vetting is a smoke an mirrors game in most cases and far too in vogue these days. Only in specific instances is SC or DV required. Usually involve jobs working with vulnerable people / children or government departments.

When the corner shop claims to require a SC to stack shelves the best they can hope for is a Scottish disclosure of which you have to apply for yourself or give consent. This will only show unspent convictions nothing else.

Despite the fact that I carry out loads of pre employment checks each week at work I think its a very worrying trend that alienates a large segment of the population for no good reason and needs stopping before it get to the point you need a CRB check to sweep the road.

Hope it doesn't get to a mud slinging contest but if it does drop me a PM. I usually know where to find some mud ..

[burner1]

Problem is he's got one bit of dirt on me that could get me sacked (I lied about lack of criminal record and cannot pass security checks to get on to secure sites)

Just because you didn't put your hands up to this (or he chose to take you on regardless) should really put the ball in their court... you omitted something (call it, negligence/ignorance/didn't understand fully the question on your part at the time) but their system at the time took you on as an employee.

Actions speak louder than words mate, and if you can show you've been an asset to the company to the MD (I.T savvy or otherwise) then I'd just give him the facts.

IF this bloke had known about you having a record or whatever the Police have on you and didn't disclose it at the time he found out, then he could be in the shite mentioning it at this late stage.

Best of luck.

[Corbei]

I would say the same as above allow him to show his hand first and if he makes it personal make a point that you know that you do not always see eye to personally but but you don't want this to be a personal attack on each other and if possible bring evidence on paper of the improvements you have made made and concentrate on ones that have made\saved the company time and money.

If you really think he will fuck you up the arse with the record stuff see if you can hint about what you know about him and see if he backs down and if he doesn't bring it up a carefully worded email to the MD after the meeting is called for

[MoNkFiSh]

In a perfect world a lot of the statements above are true but in the world we live in rules get broken and lies get believed - what I find generally when you walk into this meeting - your boss and the MD will already have discussed the problem and already will have decided what they are going to do, you need to walk in and be as courteous as possible - take your list of improvements with you and go down the road that you suggested of saying you feel your boss is doing his best but is overworked in the CAD dept. etc etc.. make it look like you have the companies best interest at heart not a vendetta against your boss.

As for his company laptop - Id imagine he`ll have an excuse for it ready to get him off the hook if hes any brains at all - and yes Id worry about the criminal thing if it got brought up they could sack if they wanted and then if u try for unfair dismissal make it so long winded you wont be able to afford to pay for the case (Ive seen that happen). Good luck with it all m8.

[Owl]

Gather whatever evidence you can to back up your claims

As accurate as possible dates & times

For a while he was happy to just leave me to it not even knowing what I was up to, and he would just give instructions from time to time

Shows you were managed badly

Just as an excercise to myself I've listed 150 improvements I've made in my time so far

Shows you managed yourself with no direction or leadership as your line manager does not appear to care two hoots about you as a person, employee or what you were doing. All these improvements must be a positive for the company.

You saw a way to improve IT for the good of the company. Who has the best intentions of the company at heart? and who is there just to draw a paycheck?

I'm thinking of respectfully making the point that he is way too busy running the CAD dept to manage the IT dept

Personally I would not (without wanting to sound a twat) who are you to decide that? All your evidence should highlight that without the need for you to tell the MD how to run his company, which will probably piss him off.

Best of luck

[Over Carl]

Many thanks for the advice, K+ everyone. At the time I was seriously hung over and thinking about the whole job market getting worried and that but to be honest now I'm actually looking forward to this. Either I get my life back and time to relax, or something gets sorted about my boss, either way I'm a winner.

I'm thinking seeing as he's called the meeting even if I get asked to start I would at least be entitled to ask to hear the accusations against me first so I can respond concisely without wasting the MD's time. I'm hoping if I respond keeping it above the belt he won't go below. If he does it's mutally assured destruction time.

Thinking about it the biggest thing he's got on me is that I frequently disobey him. I've got shitloads of incidents that prove it had to be done so I'm kind of looking forward to this.

Also thanks for the idea about not mentioning my boss being overworked. That would also imply I'm after my bosses job. All I wanna do is carry on fixing stuff tbh.

[Over Carl]

Buhahahaaa - he decided today he suddenly did want to see me prior to out meeting tomorrow and it appears he is bricking it I will get him out of a job tomorrow.

We agreed on quite a bit and managed to pin point many of our differences which aren't as far apart as they first seemed.

However there were still points left over that we couldn't resolve and despite him trying to get out of it as much as possible I've stuck to my guns that we are to meet with the MD tomorrow.

Looking good so far!!!!

[GTI]

In the words of the great Churchill, 'to jaw jaw is always better than to war war'. I've avoided a lot of self destruct moments by just being honest, up front and candid with people without the need to escalate further. Ultimately working is about being paid, anything that might jeopardise that little arrangement is not worth it IMHO.

Good luck tomorrow mate

[GTI]

And?????

[Zippeyrude]

the dirt on you is actually to your benefit....

if your boss knows about your previous, and he didnt do anything about it he is complicit. infact he is in a worse position in that he should have dealt with that at the time. if he didnt i would suggest that his management abilities and trustworthyness are less reliable than yours.

gather dirt, loads of it and keep it where no one can delete it find it etc. I use an old fashioned A4 folder

I fucking love office politics.

good luck mate....

[Over Carl]

Our MD didn't have time for us.

I'm gonna send my boss an email proposing a truce (still with some terms attached).

Thinking about it we can work together and have worked hard and well together in many ways and I can put a lot of the frustrations down to being in a 2 man massively overworked team.

If I was to get him ousted, I could end up with his role which I would dread, or even worse I could end up with a very technically proficient manager who I might not get on with and I would loose the ability to bullshit my way out of situations which comes in handy once in a blue moon.

[Realist]

Better the devil you know as they say.

Truce is a better option in my mind.

[Over Carl]

Sweet - I made a few concessions just so I wouldn't look a total cunt and my boss has been told to give me an r&d budget and delegate more authority to me, and the MD's told us if we need more hands on ship to ask. Couldn't ask for better.

[Little John]

Tell your MD the saying is "hands on deck" not hands on ship

[Over Carl]

To be totally honest, I can't say whether the mistake is mine or his