The Collared Sheep - A Cubicle Community

Man With 30 Kids From 11 Different Women Has Trouble Paying Child Support Payments

McFly — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:36:14 +0000

Octomom ain't got nothing on this guy

It’s like something you’d find on the Maury show.

“A Tennessee man who has fathered 30 children is asking the courts for a break on child support.”

Knoxville resident Desmond Hatchett is a 33 year old with almost as many child, from 11 (yes, 11) different mothers. The details note that the state already takes half of each paycheck, but that still leaves some mothers taking home only $1.50 a month. Apparently, minimum wage isn’t quite enough to raise 30 children.

Even though the state (read: your tax dollars) is no doubt assisting many of these mothers, Hatchett has not broken any laws, so the state cannot legally force him to stop having children. To make matters worse, he’s asking for some slack on his child support payments. Wonder how well that will go in the courtroom?

This isn’t the Maury show. This is an 18-year case of the Mondays.

[Source: Yahoo News, News Channel 3]

The Flip Side of Corporate Life – WWED

Heidi Rettig — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:04:39 +0000

Heck yes! We get Labor Day off!

I’ve been feeling guilty the last couple of weeks – not just because I haven’t had time to write my column for The Collared Sheep – but because I’ve written such categorically depressing advice to young people about the world of work. I’ve been thinking that maybe I should turn in a column that’s a little more positive. After all, surveys say you’ll spend an average of 91,250 hours of your life at your desk working for someone who thinks he’s Skokie, Illinois’ version of Bob Sugar.

Maybe you’ve been tempted to quit. There’s a lot of hustle going around the Internet. Just about anyone will tell you that you can quit the business. You just need to “light your fire,” find $100 for your startup, and that there is life after tampons*. It’s awesome if you can do it, but if you make the leap from your crummy desk job to peddle your expertise as a “super Temp; ” you need to know that it’s going to be different, it’s going to be done in your pajamas (not that I’ve ever done that -shifty eyes-), and it’s going to be very hard work.

You don’t know what it’s like to be ME out here for YOU. It is an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege that I will never fully tell you about, ok? It’s actually very challenging to do high-quality work and find the energy required to develop next year’s projects. There’s zero safety net. You’ll work many, many hours and much of it will be in a room alone.

But I promised I was going to go positive this week.

Your boss may be a dolt, but there are times when being a follower (rather than a leader) may be the best thing going. I’m thinking there are (at least) three things that your desk job offers that are worth a burnt offering on the next big holiday: benefits; a paycheck; and a whole lot of Kwan.

Remember that scene in Jerry Maguire? When Dorothy asks Jerry in the elevator if he’ll be offering benefits? Take a memo from the self-employed: My health insurance premium is upwards of $600 a month and counting. There’s no dental plan. I don’t have a 401(K); a 403(b); long-term care insurance; a discounted gym membership or even free donuts in the conference room on Fridays. I enjoy my work but the day I put my Mom in a $5900 a month dementia unit was the day I starting thinking about applying for a lame government job with full benefits and a liberal leave policy.

Another big bonus of a full-time corporate job is the paycheck. As paltry as your salary may seem, as long as you do what you’re told (and I’ve greatly simplified this argument for the purposes of this column), you get paid. You get to go home at night and watch TV rather than catching up on QuickBooks. You can get a mortgage and a car loan. At the same time. You know exactly how much your check will be each and every week.

But most important? It’s the Kwan. I talk a lot about the huddled, dysfunctional masses, but in real life? I’m all about the team. Help me help you. The folks I worked with at each job have become treasured colleagues and often, very close friends. When we worked together we made difficult situations interesting and fun. Today, I still rely on those same colleagues for feedback about my new project ideas, I know who my “go to” people are in every town; but most important, I know who I can count on personally and professionally. You know who you are. (And you complete me.)

That’s just a long way of saying – I know it’s bad, and I hope it doesn’t last forever, but in the meantime? I’ve given you at least three things worth holding on to during troubled times. I’m glad we had this talk.

[ *Actually shameless plugs for some of my favorite entrepreneurial thinkers: Danielle LaPorte; Chris Guillebeau; and Jennifer Boykin. ]

Written by Heidi Rettig

Heidi K. Rettig is CEO of The Antidote for Ego; a line of mood-enhancing sprays for the unhappy home and office worker and a producing arts consultant. Before launching her own firm, she worked for fifteen years at various big companies in various big cities, in various cubicles.

Website

Infographic: Recruiting on Facebook

McFly — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:19:04 +0000

Chances are actually decent that your next employer recruits you through Facebook. Perhaps its time to update that profile and remove those spring break videos?

You be the judge.

[Source: HireRabbit]

Music Video: You’re Fired – Jasiri X vs Scott Walker

McFly — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:20:36 +0000

I have one of those.

Ah yes, the classic tale of Boy lives in city. Boy becomes rapper. State official destroys job market. Boy raps about said official. The people rejoice.

Jasiri X is a hip hop artist just trying to make it in Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s job market is terrible – some might say worst in the nation. Large numbers of people in the state are calling for the termination of official Scott Walker, and Jasiri joins the movement with the below video.

Picture: I’m Late For Business!

McFly — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:21:25 +0000

If you commute in a pair of roller blades, you’re doing it right.

News From The Cube – May 15, 2012

Reply All — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:56:46 +0000

#newsfromthecube highlights

In addition to the community we’ve built here on The Collared Sheep, there’s a fun group of folks on Twitter who make the work day easier by broadcasting live from their cubicles and offices.

We use the Twitter hashtag #newsfromthecube (or #nftc when we’re pushing 140 characters). And because we know you’re pulled into meetings or get stuck on conference calls all the time, you can’t always be up on your cubicle news.

So allow us to present some of our favorite #newsfromthecube tweets from the last week!

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 7

Past installments of #newsfromthecube

Undercover Boss Analysis of Jose Mas: CEO of MasTec

McFly — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:12:18 +0000

“Undercover Boss” is a new television series that takes real top-level executives of large corporations, and plants them in entry-level positions in their own companies, disguised as just another John Doe, to see what really goes on in both the front-lines, and the minds of their employees. The Collared Sheep will be providing analysis of each executive in each episode, because, well, we all work for CEO’s like these.

Name: Jose Mas
Title: CEO of MasTec
Headquarters: Miami, FL
Product or Service: telecom and infrastructure

Brief Overview:

In this week’s episode of “Undercover Boss”, Jose Mas, CEO of MasTec, goes undercover as “Manny Medino” to see the company from the employees’ perspective.

Analysis

Did you say to cut the red one or blue one?

Position 1: Electrician

Overview: Brothers Alex and Kelvin show Jose how they setup a neighborhood with power, by hooking up power lines.

Result: Alex and Kelvin poke fun at Jose’s slow pace. Jose learns that Alex and Kelvin’s mother brought them over as children from South America, and they’ve struggled to make ends meet ever since.

Alex and Kelvin mention that the company unfortunately does not provide common tools they use at their day to day jobs, and they barely have enough to pay for these, let alone pay for their lineman certification courses to get to the next level of their careers.

How he made amends: MasTec will be providing all the tools necessary for the job, so the employees do not have to purchase their own. Jose notes that he will also pay for both Alex and Kelvin to attend school for their lineman certifications. Additionally, he will setup a new scholarship program for needy children in their communities.

What he should have done: MastTec should obviously be providing the tools and equipment for on-the-job needs – and Jose agrees. Paying for Alex and Kelvins lineman courses was generous, but it won’t do much to help less fortunate employees. Jose should have looked for ways to drive the price of these down – or perhaps offered scholarships to performing employees as incentive.

Riding into the sunset

Position 2: Heavy Equipment Operator

Overview: Wendy and Jose use a bulldozer and steam roller to even out the ground new a new wind farm, to keep the land looking good for the owner.

Result: Jose struggles to drive the bulldozer, and ends up creating just as many dirt mounds as he demolished. Wendy notes that many people in the community take issue to her and her crew setting up the wind farms, and at one point asked her not to come back to a restaurant in town.

Wendy is has an illness that will require her to replace her teeth to correct her smile, but unfortunately she neither has the money nor the PTO days to take care of it. Wendy also states that she in debt, and only wishes she could go home one day and not owe anybody anything.

How he made amends: Jose promises to host a community event everywhere they install wind farms, to teach the community about the benefits of this source of clean energy. Jose also tells Wendy that he will pay for her dental work, and awards her $30k additionally, to help pay off her bills.

What he should have done: Reaching out the inform and educate the community is the right play here. Big energy corporations don’t have the best reputation as of late, and anything Jose can do to move community perspectives in the right direction will smart.

Playing tug-o-war with the ground is hard.

Position 3: Gas Line Maintenance

Overview: Rick shows Jose how to replace underground gas lines for preventative maintenance.

Result: Jose doesn’t quite have the strength nor speed to get the job done, so Rick steps in to help. It’s clear that this job can be very dangerous, as leaking gas can explode into flames. Rick takes precautions and always has an extinguisher nearby.

Rick complains that the incentive plan is far too hard for anyone to reach, and is rather demoralizing. Rick plans to marry his fiancee as soon as he rounds up enough money for the wedding. Rick’s fiancee’s sister has a mental illness, and stays with Rick for care.

How he made amends: MasTec will be adjusting their incentive program to make it more attainable by the employees. Jose gives Rick $20k to pay for his upcoming wedding, and another $25k so that Rick can provide care for his fiancee’s sister.

What he should have done: The correct move here is to lower the bar on the incentive program (after a close inspection of the performance stats to see just what may or may not be possible from the employees) – well done, Jose. An incentive plan too high is a slap in the face, while an incentive plan too low can be costly.

Whistle while you work

Position 4: Construction Crew

Overview: Hugh guides Jose through some basic construction work on a power line site.

Result: Similar to some of the previous positions, Hugh doesn’t think Jose quite has what it takes to perform at this role, joking at one point that his 11 year old child might be stronger than Jose.

Hugh is very concerned with safety. He was in an accident years ago, and Jose’s mother and father visited him in the hospital, asking how they could help further. This was touching to Jose, since his father passed away a few years ago. Hugh noted that Jose’s father used to come around and see the employees all the time, but Jose’s children haven’t done the same. Because of this, the employees were actually rather close to the Jose’s father.

How he made amends: Jose promises to visit with employees much more often, to stay in touch with their needs. Jose offers Hugh his home in the Bahamas to use for a family vacation – an all expenses paid vacation courtesy of Jose. Hugh is also given an additinal $25k.

What he hould have done: Meeting with employees more often will help Jose keep in touch with the internal feelings of his company.

Grade:

Power up.

Jose Mas earned a “B” grade for her appearance on Undercover Boss.

Overall, Jose did a great job responding to the issues presented by the employees in the company. His generosity was on par with many of our previous undercover bosses. He did, however, fall trap to a situation common to most undercover bosses – providing financial help to a select few, where the need is much more broad (i.e. paying for one person to go to school vs setting up a scholarship program for all top performers). As an MBA graduate, he should have seen this one a mile away.

Don’t like our grade? Drop us a rebuttal, and leave a comment below.

Columbia University Janitor Earns Ivy Degree

Von Kaiser — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:10:04 +0000

We usually reserve our Case of the Mondays feature for people who are likely having a crappier Monday than you are. But today we’re throwing a curveball.

This weekend college students around the country celebrated graduation, thus saturating our precious workforce even further. That alone is enough to give you a case of the Mondays.

However, there is one graduate whose story is so inspiring, we have to share. 52-year-old Yugoslavia refugee Gac Filipaj earned his Ivy League diploma when he walked across Columbia’s stage. Here’s what makes his story all the more special:

For [12] years, Gac Filipaj mopped floors, cleaned toilets and took out trash at Columbia University.

Step your game up, every other janitor...

Because he’s an employee of Columbia, he did not have to pay to take classes. Talk about taking advantage of company benefits.

Obviously it wasn’t easy for Filipaj. He works a 2:30-11pm shift as a “heavy cleaner.” He would head home to the Bronx after work and attend to his second job: studying. When the work load would get heavy or he had an exam, he would pull an all nighter, hit up class and then knock down his day’s work, making $22/hour.

Filipaj’s struggle seems small compared to his life before emigrating. He was in the middle of a war zone, traveling 236 miles by train to Montenegro, where he was studying to be a lawyer. Right before he finished his studies, he was drafted into an army that considered Albanians their enemy. Filipaj is of Albanian descent.

Now an American citizen, Filipaj did it all without a computer or cell phone. Much of the money he makes is sent back to support his family. The dude is a grinder.

So if today seems extra tough, think about our boy Gac, who made “Good Will Hunting” a reality.

Have a good Monday.

And good luck to Filipaj, who earned a degree in “classics.” His best bet might be that $22/hour janitor job. The job market is killer these days…

[Source: Associated Press]

Milwaukee PD Racking Up Firings

Von Kaiser — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:08:03 +0000

You know the old saying: April showers bring May firings. That’s how it’s said, right?

Maybe not. But if you’re in Milwaukee, it very well could be the new hot slogan in the police department. Working for Milwaukee PD the first week of this month has been quite the occupational hazard.

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn has fired two more Milwaukee police officers — one for obstructing a homicide investigation and another for showing his colleagues two topless photos of his ex-girlfriend — police announced Tuesday.

Hm, that's a nice rack...Oh! You're fired.

Well, it sounds like they are not totally unfounded firings. Those are pretty serious accusations for police officers, along with another reminder that picture messages do not fade like Polaroids, although we bet that’s some kind of Instagram setting called “Shelf Life” or “Left in the Sun.”

Unfounded or not, it sounds like this Chief Flynn character is a force you shouldn’t mess with. It reminds us of all the jokes during the GOP debates about how much Mitt Romney enjoys firing people. Flynn has ordered the firing of at least five people in 2012. At this pace, he’ll easily trump last year’s firing total of 6.

Our advice to anyone in the MPD: Walk on egg shells. Everything is an occupational hazard.

Our question: Does your office operate like this? Is there always a threat of getting fired. I can say you pretty much have to kill someone to get fired in my company, so I’m glad I don’t have to work in fear like these other cats.

Then again, I wouldn’t be showing anyone naked pictures of exes on the job.

[Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

The Utterly Ridiculous 20 Hour Work Week Theory

Claudia Somerfield — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:17:48 +0000

What is the 20-hour work theory?

The New Economics Foundation was founded in 1986 and they aims to demonstrate economic well -being. They recently proposed the concept of 20 hour work week that can solve the unemployment issue by offering double the number of current jobs. Recession has hit America and the rest of the world during the last decade and the effects can still be seen. People have lost jobs and more people are ready to take up new jobs. The rate at which new jobs are created has declined and hence there are more jobless people today than ever before.

How is it supposed to solve problems?

Having a four hour day, two people can be employed for the same job. Most people would like to spend time with their family or invest it into some hobbies or other recreational activities. Having less hours to work every day also gives employees the time and energy to study further if they so desire. There are many things that the employees can do in their newly found extra time, provided they have the extra money to do them.

Why is it ridiculous?

If you ask a full time employee who works 8 hours or more every day to reduce his working hours by half, you also expect him to manage his household in half the salary. Sadly, this does not change the world outside. The same business person who reduces the salary of his employee is not in a position to reduce the price of his goods or services. So every person who is getting half of his original salary would have to cut down his expenses in the same proportion. In spite of the best practices to live frugally, this is a hard thing to do.
It does not seem to be a practical solution because in economies like these, people need more money than time. Even though thinking from a communal point of view, it is good to share the amount of money with everyone so that everyone can afford at least a minimal lifestyle. This solution is not a practical one.

What are the alternatives?

The 20-hour work week theory might be a ridiculous one, but there can be some other alternatives that might work in this economy. This situation calls for more innovation and better ways to do things. On a positive note, we must understand that hard economic times are opportunities to think again more intelligently and modify our processes to suit the current requirements. There can be ways that involve a lot of people and help them all earn more. It can be new innovative business ideas that can change the way business is done. There can be recession proof ideas that can be a boon for everyone who is affected by recession.

The 20-hour work week theory appears to be a good thought but does not look like a practical and progressive approach. However, it is just a start and a lot of work can be done on similar lines to give a better solution to the unemployment issue.

Written by Claudia Somerfield

Claudia is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on luxury and technology. She recently read an article on Office Furniture that attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on an Windows Phone.

Brilliant Resumes on Craigslist – May 9, 2012

Reply All — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:52:21 +0000

Your competition.

We’ve been providing our readers with a sneak peak of some of our favorite resumes found on Craigslist. After those long days of job hunting, sometimes we all need a good laugh.

If we can provide one piece of advice, don’t follow any of the resume postings on Craigslist.

Although entertaining, it’s doubtful that many Fortune 500 companies are prowling Craigslist for potential hires. That said, let’s just see how tough your “competition” really is:

Best house cleaners in the world? When your mother and aunt are involved it is believable.

Why work yourself when you can buy a pug to do the work for you? Brilliant idea. To maximize profits, make him work at the young age of 3 months. What we find the most surprising: the pug knows the difference between high five and “pound it.”

Have to make money somehow?

Age 39 and no work experience? How do you make it 39 years without any qualifications or skills? Regardless, parking or storage just seems like such a strange niche to pursue.

Here is your standard Craigslist post. Lots of various skills that make the person capable for quite a few different jobs. What sticks out to me the most however, is army skills. We’ve come across many Craigslist resumes but never have seen army skills. This person can shoot, kill, navigate, and the list probably goes on and on. We’d hire them.

Our other favorite Craigslist resumes:

April 4, 2012
April 18, 2012
May 2, 2012

Picture: Yes, This Is Real Dunder Mifflin Paper

McFly — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:27:35 +0000

Get your Scrant on!

News From The Cube – May 8, 2012