Spite in Theory and Practice

[Richter]

Bit of a workplace dilemma recently that I wanted to run out for consideration.

My department has everyone take breaks in sequence, so we have folks around in case lots of calls start coming in.  If you're going to start your break late, you're supposed to let everyone know.  In practice, this doesn't happen, and it's a no – no to duck out anyways if someone is still out, even if they didn't notify you. (We can monitor who is on line and who is not)

Jolly fucking draconian good.

One co worker, the one with lunch usually before mine, is horrible at letting folks know if they'll be late.  Not just the occasional lapse for getting busy or loosing track of time, this is a daily occurrence.   They could just be forgetful, but fundamental attribution error and paranoia kicks in and I see it as disrespect of more or less intent.  They're otherwise two - faced and conniving, so I feel no need to be honorable or charitable to them.  This person is also on thin ice for other reasons.  I've mentioned this separately, and management has only been able to mention it generally or make more rules to try to keep things. 

Solution; I take my lunch at the time I usually do regardless.  Most of the time this goes unnoticed, but eventually it WILL be picked up on.  It will look badly for both of us, but it will bring more pressure on the other person to keep track of the fucking time.

Yeah, inherently petty, and spiteful, my lunch is not so high – and – fucking – mighty important, and I'm only pissed off at the principle and the implied thoughtlessness behind it all.  Gamesmanship and academically speaking though, it's achieving my goal both ways (either I get my lunch when I want, or and possibly it gets brought to their attention).  This also, in case of the minimal personal loss of face, encourages proper working and behavior in our group (by my standards)

Correct Xanatos Gambit practice, or waste of time?
Comments?  Advice?   

[LMNO]

Is passive-aggressive, and therefore wussy.


Aggressive-aggressive measures need to be taken.

[Richter]

Example?

This is a "Whoever breaks the surface tension first is wrong" environment, so I see few ways to be productively overt.     

[LMNO]

Plan for a family emegency/horrible stomach cramps/terrorist attack at exactly the time said person is to come back, then lodly annouce that you are going to handle it, because Person X is supposed to be back at this time, and can cover.

Makes you look good, and reveals their duplicty.

[Richter]

Tricky to time, but worth a shot.

[LMNO]

basically, plan on doing something more important than going to lunch, with the "expectation" that Person X will be back by then to cover.

It's better than just saying, "fuck it, I'm going to lunch."

[Richter]

Yup, that can bring in other considerations than just coverage, though.  Person X's lunch timing would be less of an issue given the escalated condition.  It could highlight things properly if we were absolutely SWAMPED with work.  More than once or twice, it gets suspicious too.  Demonstrating and correcting the trend to mess with my schedule is the goal.

Wussy methods or not, with Person X wouldn't say I care.  (They don't rate an Ahab, though, to be clear.)     

[Faust]

If you hadn't mentioned it to the managers already I would have said just say it to him directly but oh well.
You don't even have to do it in an openly mean way. Whenever anyone takes too long on their break here I call them on it "We were afraid you weren't coming back" or similar.
Its a bit different for me because I make the lunches and am responsible when people take too long.

[Richter]

Already did mention it to the higher ups.  Nothing changing, and only new procedure for everyone (which proved ineffective) to try to compensate.
Also tried rolling with it, and taking breaks when time allowed.  It got me shafted out of time, no one else was willing to be coureous and flexible.   

[Doktor Howl]

Push him down the stairwell.

He has to learn.

[Richter]

Thread OVAR.

Problem OVAR.

[Triple Zero]

GOOD!

can we has details, or is it KYFMS material?