If you’re not willing to be the boss, you assume the risk of working under a boss you don’t approve of. Comes with the territory. I’ve left more than one place of employment because of an insufferable manager.

What red flags is Bob throwing off? It's hard to judge if your actions are justified without knowing more details about those red flags. In a lot of instances it's not about professional reasons people don't like or want to work for the new boss but personal reasons. With 40 years on the job you ought to be able to retire unless it's not financially feasible for you to do so, if that's the case tread carefully least you find yourself fired after 40 years.

Do you like getting a paycheck? No idea of the context with this situation, but you can either keep working or find a new job. Jobs are kind of like clothes - try one on and if it doesn't fit - move on and try another one.

Bottom line is, you're either a super hero, or no different than any replaceable employee. There's only one way to find that out and it is to put your notice in.

Two years from retirement? Forty years on the job? Maybe too late, but my advice, tread lightly. You could be seen as the problem.

Since it appears that 5 other team members have the same read as you on 'Bob', you at least are quite certain that you are not nuts.

40 years? You eligible for your pension?

Been there, with a bad manager who became director. I should have left, but at those times, things were bad in IT all around. Plus I had silver handcuffs, so for fiscal reasons, not easy to walk away. Then the whole IT decimation by job exporting and H1B importing.

I wish you the best. Dealing with it mentally is hard - painful.

quote:

Originally posted by Otto Pilot:

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
After 40 years I'd be asking myself why I'm not the boss.

He may be in a sort of situation like I find myself.

I fly planes, I love flying planes even when I hate flying planes.

If I started a climb up the corporate ladder, which I could, I would no longer fly planes, I would fly a desk where I would dream about flying planes. And that would just suck.

Sounds like my wife a retired Registered Nurse. She ended up managing and no longer being a "nurse". She retired when the head aches of dealing with staff wore her out.

While I'm empathetic, I recall a few sayings I've learned business owners/presidents are fond of:

"The boss isn't always right, but he's always the boss."

"The tail doesn't wag the dog."

and

"He works for us. We don't work for him."

Displaying a negative attitude, IMO, is likely to backfire on you in one way or another, eventually. Make your concerns known, but express your desire to carry out top management's wishes to the best of your ability, for the good of the company.

quote:

Originally posted by jbcummings:
I was sorta in this position at one time. I didn’t at that time have the service edge that you have, but I found doing everything ‘by-the-book’ is a pretty powerful tool to ‘break-in’ the new boss who has no clue. It’s not always the best course, but management has little to no recourse if you play strictly by their rules and force them into a position to do the same. I was asked by the manager’s manager to stop it. My response was when you get rid of Bob as he has no clue about what to do and is dangerous to the business. Eventually they did, but it does take time and is annoying to everyone.

I have heard that strategy referred to as "malicious compliance". Do exactly what they tell you to do so they can see how stupid it is.
It works.

Bruce

quote:

Originally posted by rusbro:
While I'm empathetic, I recall a few sayings I've learned business owners/presidents are fond of:

"The boss isn't always right, but he's always the boss."

"The tail doesn't wag the dog."

and

"He works for us. We don't work for him."

Displaying a negative attitude, IMO, is likely to backfire on you in one way or another, eventually. Make your concerns known, but express your desire to carry out top management's wishes to the best of your ability, for the good of the company.

Good stuff here. You should never agree to do anything unethical or illegal, but other than that, they are in charge.

If you make too big of a stink about a new boss, the "retirement" choice might not be yours to make...

I'll add to my previous comments, I've been with the same medium-sized company since '94. The most shocking firings have been people who were there for a long time, and often thought/acted as if they were almost unfireable. They were wrong.

I know that's a harsh message, but it's the truth.

The OP has 40 years, he has more than enough seniority to get on days (nights are a negative for most people, and get off them ASAP). I'm betting the boss who is promoting Bob knows he is a problem waiting to happen, and is counting on the OP to babysit him until he straightens out. Also, with 40 years, the OP getting fired a couple years short of retirement screams age discrimination, especially since he is only requesting day shift after all that time.

If they wouldn't let me on days, I'd go the malicious compliance route, follow Bob's instructions to the T after documenting them, and let him crash and burn.

A little perspective here.. OP isn't asking for a raise, or time off, or any special treatment.

He's asking to change shifts and he's senior. Every place I've ever worked with multiple shifts, senior guys had first choice of shifts.

It's showing entitlement mentality, that despite established rules for shifts and seniority, people seem to think he 'owes' it to the company to stay on that shift just to do the extra work of training the questionable new guy.

Everybody plays by the same rules.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
...You should never agree to do anything unethical or illegal...

I took that stand a couple times and ended up being forced out. The boss always wins, even if he's criminally wrong, so if that's the situation you're in, quit before you end up with a conviction. I witnessed an innocent employee get convicted and do prison time after being framed by senior management of a failing bank. Lucky for me, I was headhunted for a position at another bank just before the shit hit the fan. None of those actually responsible for the collapse ever were charged.

OP Here. I see some wonder why I'm not the boss after 40 years. Well the deal is I'd have to give up about 30,000 in pay and 2 possibly 3 weeks of vacation. Bosses don't get overtime. They would then tell me what shift to work and when. I could be terminated at any time.

I've been working 5 tens and 5 on Saturday for the last 8 years. I most likely make more than my bosses boss. I'm a tool maker, which they don't seem to be able to hire ( due to a 2 tier wage scale for 2 years and no one wants to work nights) and a proud union member. The company has stripped supervisors of the authority to fire or reprimand workers without filling out paperwork and making a request. I'd need a jug, a gun and an under age girl to get fired.

I don't make trouble, don't smooch da' pooch, I'm pretty good at what I do and generally keep my head down. Pension? Pension? That would hardly pay my utilities, oh.. and we lost that at contract 5 years ago.

Thanks for the great input gentlemen.

quote:

Originally posted by craigcpa:

Not everyone wants to be Chief. Every Chief needs good Braves. Great Braves make good Chiefs look great.

That is it in a nutshell.

Good luck OP. Most of us know what it’s like to work for shit bosses—I certainly do. No advice here, just hope that it works out well for you.

Hell, if you are un-fireable then go nuts and raise hell. I wish I was, but I know I'm all too expendable.

“I see some wonder why I'm not the boss after 40 years. Well the deal is I'd have to give up about 30,000 in pay and 2 possibly 3 weeks of vacation.“

Oh. I understand now. I wouldn’t want to be in charge there, either.

quote:

Originally posted by Leemur:
After 13 years I’m not a manager or higher because I’ve seen what they deal with and the hours they work vs the pay. Nope. No fucking way I’m doing that. My job for the most part has been fine and I’m good with my position.

This is me in a nutshell.