Everyone’s got an opinion. They’re all interesting, but here are a few worth reading.
– “Your column about the woman with the cigar-smoking boss (`She wants the boss to quit blowin’ smoke,’ July 27) reminded me of the time in the early ’80s when a manager, who was a friend of mine, began smoking his pipe in his office.
“The heavy, oppressive, sicky-sweet smell was much worse than cigarette smoke. So, one day I brought in some pungent-smelling incense and lit it. He came out of his office and asked what the smell was. I told him that I liked the smell and that it helped me relax. He called me a turkey (or words to that effect), but I never smelled his pipe again.”
– “Your article about dysfunctional bosses (`Head case: Dealing with a dysfunctional boss,’ July 20) hit it right on the button. When (my boss) came on board, she made me break down, and I don’t cry easily. In fact, the last time was at my dad’s funeral in 1981. She is authoritarian, controlling, explosive and self-centered. Talk about egos–she has a table with photos of herself only, and on one side of the wall she hung up pictures of herself.
“What I don’t agree with in that column is your saying to quit your job (when you’re working for a dysfunctional boss). Why should we let people like (my boss) push us out? The executive officers should have a talk with her. They should realize that people like her affect a lot of workers. They are cruel, cold people and it is just not right. These type of people can make you go crazy.”
– “I’d like to respond to your column headlined `When domestic violence invades the workplace.’ (Oct. 12). I was shot five times by my ex-husband in the garage of my place of employment. He then killed himself. But other co-workers could have gotten hurt or killed. My supervisor knew what I was dealing with, since I previously had been stalked and assaulted.
“If my employer had had an employee assistance program set up to deal with violence, this could have been prevented. Since then, the company has done nothing to provide adequate security in the garage. What does it take? It is not just a family matter.”
– “Regarding the 30-year-old who says he has `more than paid my dues’ (`Dishonesty is no way to get back at the boss,’ Sept. 21), at 30, he has not begun to pay his dues. He is still getting even for all that he has been given until now. He won’t have paid his dues until he is completely independent–ready to retire without expecting anything from anyone. He is one of those whining, self-centered `I want it now’ types who give young people a bad name.
“He doesn’t have a right to a job, much less a right to `get even.’ by being dishonest with his employer. I hope he doesn’t come to work at my place. I do my best to keep only honest people employed here. Thanks for letting me vent my spleen.”
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Problems on the job? Write to Lindsey Novak, At Work, Financial Department, 4th Floor, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 60611, or, via e-mail: AtWorkbyLN@aol.com. No phone calls, please.
