pathetic b!tch I have to deal with

[marmel75]

So our company is expanding a bit. It is good to see growth. We got a couple new techs, and I am training one, guy seems cool enough and put in a lot of extra time he did not have to to help out with an AC compressor for a local clinic that had to get the service done immediately. But we recently got a secretary (ahem, I mean administrative assistant). So I think she knows boss, or is family I have not asked. But she went on complaining about her pay, and seems to think her degree entitles her to be paid better than the techs most of whom do not have higher education but do have years of experience and certification. She sits in an air conditioned room shuffling papaer and I am the one getting my hands dirty fixing AC systems and sweating balls during the worst heat wave we have experienced. Worst however is that me and the boys would always joke around a lot. Just casual crass potty mouthed IDGAF joking. It sounds crass, but it was all in jest and it was part of the blue collar camaraderie... But apparently she complained about our casual joking and all we all get wrung out for being unprofessional. It has been like that for years. It was a dynamic that I honestly cannot deal with the silence that ensues when she is around. She turned a friendly blue collar joking work environment into a safe space. All the other techs, even the new guy, thinks she is a b****.
What do I do about this... The techs do listen to me and I have been with the company for 4 years and longest of all of the current ones, I trained many of them.
I have no problem with women in the workplace... So long as they do not mess with the dynamic we have. I love my job mostly because of the dynamic. Nobody took anything seriously, but we always got the job done and trusted each other to do it. Everything was fine and good here until this.

Unfortunately regardless of how harmless it seems, what you are doing is considered workplace harassment and you could be fired for it. The law is squarely on her side in this case, so either figure out how to make the jokes outside of her presence or stop making the jokes...

 

[ImTheDoubleGreatest!]

It was not what I predicted, I mean he basically choose a new secretary over multiple other people who worked with him longer and a guy who worked for him since he started up the business. I do not understand... What kind of white knighting BS is this?
I mean does loyalty mean anything anymore?

Loyalty does not exist in the workplace anymore. That was several generations ago. Nowadays it exists solely on a friend-to-friend basis, and a bit scarcely at that. If you want things to change, you either have to make things 'official' and bring some kind of technical policy, law, or rule into it, or come to your boss again after getting on really good terms with him. Otherwise, the best solution would be to make her want to quit because 'the job just wasn't for her', meaning you show her things that would INDIRECTLY repulse her or make her feel somewhat like an outcast, or try to have her become one of the bros. Or just leave and possibly bring your friends along too.

 

[TheMonkeyKing]

-There will always be at least one person in the office who grinds everyone else's gears. I've learned to avoid conflict at work, at all costs. A good way to counteract this is to pull them closer in to the circle. You can adapt the banter to include everyone without losing the old atmosphere. They often struggle with inclusion if they are newbies. Either that or just tone it down.

-That being said, four years is getting on for a long time to be in the same job in today's market. An old consultant of mine used to say that after two years in a job, you've learnt, done and seen everything that you are going to in that given environment; you're then just doing a day job. Might be time to broaden your horizons elsewhere. I'm in a similar but differing position; I love the people I work with, but I can do the job with my eyes closed and am basically over-qualified, over-experienced and under-paid. I have to move on, said as it is to leave the people behind.

 

[Alvafe]

-There will always be at least one person in the office who grinds everyone else's gears. I've learned to avoid conflict at work, at all costs. A good way to counteract this is to pull them closer in to the circle. You can adapt the banter to include everyone without losing the old atmosphere. They often struggle with inclusion if they are newbies. Either that or just tone it down.

-That being said, four years is getting on for a long time to be in the same job in today's market. An old consultant of mine used to say that after two years in a job, you've learnt, done and seen everything that you are going to in that given environment; you're then just doing a day job. Might be time to broaden your horizons elsewhere. I'm in a similar but differing position; I love the people I work with, but I can do the job with my eyes closed and am basically over-qualified, over-experienced and under-paid. I have to move on, said as it is to leave the people behind.

only reason I see for you to change a job too soon is if you are underpaid or find a better one with something or things on it you want/like, if you think you are underpaid and there is no chance to get a better pay on your current job then yes look for a new one.

too much job jumping also looks bad on your resume, mostly when I get to hire a new person and see his last jobs and time on workign on then, the one who did a lot of job changing, gave a lot of problems for the company and after a time changing jobs again.

@Asmodeus

are you sure he is not bonning her? only reason I see anyone keeping a employer, if he is smart about his bussiness, is if he is a hell of a good worker and bring more results then any problem he can generate, so I also have to ask how you consider the company you work for? really good and expanding? or with some serious administrative problems, like failing to pay for things, missing deadlines and so on.

 

[MrWood]

i tend to laugh and belittle women who act the way the OP stated. She gets compensated for the position she has, not what she thinks her educated ass should get. If she has a doctorate but works as a secretary she gets paid exactly what she is worth and the duties that come with her paid position. I actually work exclusively with masters and doctoral graduates, I am a college dropout and make considerably more than most of them because I am a self taught specialist who can talk the talk and walk the walk as I have an innate capacity to excel at what I do because passion.

OP:
ask her why her precious educated ass cant get a job in the field she went to school for and mention that you in no way feel sorry for her.

 

[ubercat]

If you want to give your Machiavellian moves a workout the other way to get rid of her is to feed her monster ego. Become her friend and then after a while keep agreeing how underpaid she is. Don't do this straight up you need to become friends with the b**** first or she will catch u out.

 

[Asmodeus]

If you want to give your Machiavellian moves a workout the other way to get rid of her is to feed her monster ego. Become her friend and then after a while keep agreeing how underpaid she is. Don't do this straight up you need to become friends with the b**** first or she will catch u out.

Butter her up, use as much charm as I can on her. All the while bide my time... Maybe convince her to leave and look for a "better job"... I can play both sides of this coin, give her the illusion of being her friend. I will have to be subtle...
Perhaps if I become her friend, I will be able to learn weaknesses and find mistakes that can be utilized in her removal also...

Keep your friends close... But your foes closer... That is a viable stratagem I can do.