We Are Not Amused!

The war on two fronts groans on. The fence dude (or dud) didn't come by yesterday and I don't expect to see him today since it's going to rain.

Currently we are $450 down in pay so far. The bills are coming due and there is not enough money to pay them. Thanks Steve! So how come you haven't paid Jimmy his full pay since he has done plumbing only for three weeks and counting? We have come to the conclusion that this pay reduction is directly connected to Richard the Whiner. "Richard the Lionhearted" he isn't! Richard is a constant source of irritation to the entire company. He is always complaining to Steve or calling Pam to crab. He is also a pot-smoking slacker who never works a full eight hours. Work hours are from 7-3:30. He always leaves about 2:30 so he can take his "labor" home. Yet he reports his pay at a full eight hours a day.

Richard is also nosey. Occasionally one of the guys will pick up the paychecks on Friday and take them to the job site. When Richard has done this he snoops to see who is getting how much. Funny, every where I've worked an employee's pay was private! This is apparently why he whined to Steve that Jimmy was making more money than he was and wasn't doing "anything". Many times a licensed plumber must be on the job site for inspections, resulting in down time for "work" while he waits for the inspector to approve the work. Richard has a habit of opening not only paychecks but also paychecks to vendors or clients. So why does Steve not care?

This paycheck peeking brings up another question for me. Pam does the payroll. Instead of sealing the pay envelopes she tapes them shut! This just makes it easy for someone to sneek a peek. Why she won't seal the envelopes is a mystery to me. Is she allergic to the glue? Is she afraid of a papercut on her tongue?

I also find it interesting that Pete buys a new truck every couple of years. Guess who makes the payments! Not Pete. Steve pays Pete's truck payments. Hum...Does Pete have something on Steve? I think Richard must have something on Steve too.

Please pardon my rant, but I don't understand. The employee who is on time, never takes off, never stretches the truth and whose license the plumbing is done under gets screwed. In seven years, Jimmy has never taken a vacation. Pete takes at least two weeks, some times more, every year. Jimmy is always too busy. He's taken less than five days sick time while Richard last year took over a month. He said the VA doctors told him he was terminally ill. He's still here! Jimmy took a couple of days off when his parents died and 2 days off when we moved to this house. What is wrong with this picture? Why won't Steve keep his promise? I told Jimmy he ought to go sit in Steve's office and irritate him until he gets some answers cause Steve won't answer his phone or return calls. But, Jimmy is too busy doing plumbing. We are not amused!