The "R U OK ?" Thread

Alan79 said:
I've hit the point of tired where I feel like I resemble my laptop. Leave me idle for 5 minutes or more and I fall asleep.

Been working in a nursing home kitchen for a few months and since lockdowns began I've been getting about triple the number of shifts. Not a bad thing to be kept busy while a lot of people are stuck at home bored. But it's hit the point of being ridiculous. Most weeks I get 1 day off and have been doing double shifts (13 hour days) 2 or 3 days out of 6 because the nursing home I work at didn't really split the workers properly over their 2 facilities (1 specializes in dimentia care etc and the other just regular aging). Even had 2 fortnights where I've done 13 day stints with only 1 day off. Been doing 50-60 hours per week and was dealing with it well until last week when the cook I was mostly working with decided I'm the devil and I need character assassination. Spent three days not being able to sleep until I spoke to the kitchen manager about the fact that this cook Karen was flat out lying about things. Kitchen manager basically said that Karen has a habit of doing this with every worker she's had to spend time alongside and not to worry, they know I'm a good worker, not the devil etc. But three sleepless nights have made me hit the wall in terms of energy. Worst part is I won't get a break from working with this nutcase and I still have to play nice and pretend I don't want to tell Karen that she's a ****. Not sure why they're still employing somone like this that can very quickly make work a fucking miserable place for others. Seems like bad business to have someone like this in the roster.
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Wow mate, so very sorry to hear this. It is a really difficult situation when you have no option but to work with someone who takes delight in making your day miserable. It is one of those things that you feel that you can never please them no matter what you do but you know it is not you because they are the ONLY person who acts as if you are the problem. Gets to you and makes being there hard. Yes you are right in saying that it is bad business to have someone like that on the roster but she must really know how to play the game without putting herself in a vulnerable position

I could suggest that you simply don't dwell on it but when things wear you down and your work hours are as long that is easier said than done. Just don't let it get you down that much that things spill over into home life. Think of this aspect .......you mentioned that no one else has an issue with your performance and that this women has a problem as she has treated others the same..that is a positive.
Your conversation with Wendy should have calmed you a little and it was good that you told her about the issues. Also you are not obligated to chat all the time during work as you need to concentrate on the task at hand but Karen thinks it means you are "being mean to her" ..her problem not yours.....she can't make up her mind what she prefers..... whether you talk to her in a manner she doesn't like (once again her problem) or not at all. She rocks the boat...not you....

I like to think that I get on well with everyone, I am pretty easy going . Looking back at my earlier work days, if I am truthful, in all my seven years of working on the relief staff of a bank where I never knew where I was going to be from one day to the next, there was only ONE person whom I could not warm to and who was an absolute dare I say it .........bitch. Thankfully my visits to that particular establishment were few so it really was only an issue whilst I was there. Never lost sleep over it but your situation is different.

You need to try and clear your mind of all the noise that this person creates in your head. Meditation is helpful and taking the time to properly unwind by putting your feet up for a while can help. Warm shower and a not too heavy evening meal ( that is if you can face food).Venting here as well can help.......and like many have said, do so freely.

Good luck and hope that Karen stops being... well a Karen...
 
Alan79 said:
I'm personally over it but haven't had time to get over being tired. For a few days this week I wasn't sure how well she was able to manipulate the management at work. Have worked with people that use management to manipulate things if they want people gone from jobs in my 20 years of working life and she totally fits that bill. So the worry of knowing that she'd been in the job for more years than I have months there meant I was getting about 3 hours of sleep a night on top of the long hours at work. I just didn't know if she was going to undermine me in the job and try as I might I'm not brilliant at clearing this type of thing from my mind when I lay down to sleep.

Brief rundown of the three days that bought the lack of energy on.
Sunday- Start 13 hour shift at 6 am. Get bacon eggs and tomato plus porridge in oven, go to set tables 45m away from kitchen door. Karen comes in early to put sunday roast on, rings doorbell 6 times before I have time to get to the door, I open it and say "can you ring that again please I'm getting really fond of it" while giving her a dirty look (she's not supposed to enter there anyway, all workers are meant to enter the main entrence and do temperature checks while this covid shutdown is on).
-5 hours later kitchen manager comes in and I get chewed out about supposedly not following Karens orders (complete lie). I don't get the right of reply while Karen speaks in her saddest voice while I try to defend myself about the accusation. I have the feeling that this is the first in a series of complaints. Go home angry and can't really sleep.
Monday- (second day in a row of 13 hour shifts) Hear Karen asking nursing staff if she hears how I talk to her multiple times throughout the day, so I decide I'm just going to speak when spoken to in a polite manner.
- About 3 hours from finishing time she practically yells at me that if I'm not going to talk to her she's going to take this up with the CEO of the nursing home and would I like to go now? I tell her I'm busy, I can't usually hear her when I'm near the dishwasher and that for most of the rest of the day I'm working 40 plus metres from her and I don't like to shout, but if she wants to take it to the CEO that's fine with me. Total silence for the next hour before she clocks off, but she's banging every pot and pan she touches and looking at me like daggers. I still have two hours till closing up after she leaves which is nice since I'm already wanting to tell her to go fuck herself and if she'd been there I probably would have.
-Go home and can't sleep again since I think a shitstorm is heading my way.
Tuesday- The registered nurse on duty comes and asks me to put silverside on for lunch since Karen has called in sick and the kitchen manager will be in to cook today.
- Wendy (kitchen manager comes in) I jump straight in and say I suspect Karen is off because she felt I wasn't talking to her on monday and go over what I've written above with. Tell her that during her (Wendies) shifts with me she'll know I'm mostly quiet and follow instructions, but that if something needs to be done first I might take half an hour to do something I've been asked to do. Tell Wendy that I haven't tried to create any tension but that I think Karen is trying to undermine me since the Sunday morning incident. Wendy assures me that she's happy with my work, that Karen has found issues with everyone she's worked with and that she'll talk to the CEO about this since Karen has called for stress leave since I'm ignoring her. Later in the day CEO comes and tells me not to worry since Wendy has explained the situation.


So I know i can just relax and do my job now. But have still worked massive hours since this happened last week and have had just the 1 day off. Really can't wait for the nursing home to swap workers between the two locations so I can get more than a single day off and cut back from 2 or more double shifts every week. It's more about being tired now than stress about being undermined. But still not looking forwards to working with Karen again. I know that she can still make life difficult even if she doesn't undermine my job security.
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Only just seen your posts 79. Sorry this work mate is so high maintenance.

99% of TK members value your reasoned opinions and conciliatory approach to issues on here, so I imagine you would be the same in your workplace.

As you know, I volunteer at a nursing home and yes the kitchen here is a sewer pit of gossip and bitching. Must go with the territory as others here have said.

Every single chef, or head kitchen supervisor, we've had here has been an insecure control freak and tried to make the other staff (who are far more popular) life hell.

They don't seem to be able to handle the pressure and/or have no staff management skills or team building abilities.

Yet want all the kudos.

If any other staff seem popular with the other staff or they show initiative or any flair for the meal preparation, or presentation, the insecure supervisor gets all snarky and mean. Usually the good staff leave. Then the supervisor gets inferior staff working for them, the standards drop, the residents complain about the food and the troublemaking kitchen supervisor is put under the pump, so then they leave. The cycle then starts again.

Why? Sadly It seems endemic to that industry.

DL offerred some great strategies to deal with this in her post above I thought.

Could I also suggest if this doesn't resolve itself very shortly, that you seek a remedial counselling session between Wendy (or whoever) and 'Karen' and yourself....that will demonstrate to Admin your concern and willingness to resolve the work environment in the best interests for the sake of your employer.

Good luck with it all.
 
Mutt Dafty said:
What's this rock painting thing? I've seen a few around the area and thought it was sex/drug/dog fighting related ffs.
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With the lockdown craziness, they get hidden around the local area for kids to find and rehide or keep
 
Ecca said:
With the lockdown craziness, they get hidden around the local area for kids to find and rehide or keep
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I see, been finding them everywhere lol.
 
Here's my latest creation...

It's kinda fun
IMG20210927165431.jpg
 
Well I've bite the bullet and am going under the knife to get myself a new knee on October 7. After 2 reconstructions, 3 decades of chronic pain, the last one being bone on bone, I'm finally on my way to becoming a Bionic Man.

The new procedure doesn't involve going into the bone, rather the metal is moulded around your existing ones and even the knee cap is kept and strengthened with more moulded metal. Looking forward to the drugs and the eventual pain free walking, but not the "now you gotta bend it" part of the process.

Was very apprehensive at first, but the closer it gets, the more excited I am to get it done. If anyone has had it done, any advice I will be immensely grateful. Those that believe can pray for me and those that don't can have a drink for me.
 
KambahOne said:
Well I've bite the bullet and am going under the knife to get myself a new knee on October 7. After 2 reconstructions, 3 decades of chronic pain, the last one being bone on bone, I'm finally on my way to becoming a Bionic Man.

The new procedure doesn't involve going into the bone, rather the metal is moulded around your existing ones and even the knee cap is kept and strengthened with more moulded metal. Looking forward to the drugs and the eventual pain free walking, but not the "now you gotta bend it" part of the process.

Was very apprehensive at first, but the closer it gets, the more excited I am to get it done. If anyone has had it done, any advice I will be immensely grateful. Those that believe can pray for me and those that don't can have a drink for me.
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If all goes well you'll be running like the six million dollar man in no time.

 
KambahOne said:
Well I've bite the bullet and am going under the knife to get myself a new knee on October 7. After 2 reconstructions, 3 decades of chronic pain, the last one being bone on bone, I'm finally on my way to becoming a Bionic Man.

The new procedure doesn't involve going into the bone, rather the metal is moulded around your existing ones and even the knee cap is kept and strengthened with more moulded metal. Looking forward to the drugs and the eventual pain free walking, but not the "now you gotta bend it" part of the process.

Was very apprehensive at first, but the closer it gets, the more excited I am to get it done. If anyone has had it done, any advice I will be immensely grateful. Those that believe can pray for me and those that don't can have a drink for me.
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Good luck..you obviously KNEEd it done!
 
Philmus said:
I was a chef for 10 years too. Packed it in. Stressful, unsocial hours, the drinking and lifestyle that comes with hospitality, shit money for a qualified tradesperson etc etc. I work in operations for a company that builds fuel tankers now, do my mon-fri normal day shifts and go home with more money than i was getting as a chef.
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I've got a fee mates who worked for holmwood Highgate building tankers up here in Brisbane, they absolutely loved it.
 
Caveman said:
I've got a fee mates who worked for holmwood Highgate building tankers up here in Brisbane, they absolutely loved it.
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Yeah cool, small world huh? Are they boiler makers? I know HH very well. Heaps of those tankers running around. I'm in Sydney and see at least 5 a day at work. We get HH to build the tanks themselves then we manufacture and fit everything else to them (pumps, air systems, meters, registers, outlets etc). Pretty interesting stuff when you get into it all, they're so much more than just a container for liquid
 
KambahOne said:
Well I've bite the bullet and am going under the knife to get myself a new knee on October 7. After 2 reconstructions, 3 decades of chronic pain, the last one being bone on bone, I'm finally on my way to becoming a Bionic Man.

The new procedure doesn't involve going into the bone, rather the metal is moulded around your existing ones and even the knee cap is kept and strengthened with more moulded metal. Looking forward to the drugs and the eventual pain free walking, but not the "now you gotta bend it" part of the process.

Was very apprehensive at first, but the closer it gets, the more excited I am to get it done. If anyone has had it done, any advice I will be immensely grateful. Those that believe can pray for me and those that don't can have a drink for me.
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Not sure if you need both done (eventually), but if so surgeons advice is back-to-back, otherwise you might put off the second one and never do it.

6 weeks of immediate recuperation and discomfort but according to my old man totally worth it in the long run. He had both knees replaced back-to-back about 3 years ago. The surgeon said post op that he usually can re-use parts of knees for other uses (cartilage etc) but that he put both my old mans in the bin they were that shot. As Dinkum Snr said: ‘Fair enough, no shortage of miles on them, got a pretty good deal’.

You’ll probably find water therapy helps in recuperation - walking in pools. It helps in regaining strength without putting too much pressure on the new kit.

Good luck with it. The real challenge is choosing your new TK handle: @LeeMajors or @SteveAustin? :-).
 
DinkumDog said:
Not sure if you need both done (eventually), but if so surgeons advice is back-to-back, otherwise you might put off the second one and never do it.

6 weeks of immediate recuperation and discomfort but according to my old man totally worth it in the long run. He had both knees replaced back-to-back about 3 years ago. The surgeon said post op that he usually can re-use parts of knees for other uses (cartilage etc) but that he put both my old mans in the bin they were that shot. As Dinkum Snr said: ‘Fair enough, no shortage of miles on them, got a pretty good deal’.

You’ll probably find water therapy helps in recuperation - walking in pools. It helps in regaining strength without putting too much pressure on the new kit.

Good luck with it. The real challenge is choosing your new TK handle: @LeeMajors or @SteveAustin? :-).
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Lol cheers man and can't go past @SteveAustin. I'm gunna overwrite my name above my bed. :grinning:
 
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