Misconceptions about your job

[willywonka666]

I heard a cashier explaining to a customer at Walmart today how self checkouts would not cost anyone their jobs despite the popular assumption-they’d move then to other parts of the store.

I’m on my local tourism board and some assume that we should give the money we make from concerts and fix the roads-tourism money has to go back into tourism so that’s not possible despite popular assumptions again.

What are some misconceptions about your job and what’s the reality?

[Push R Truth]

People scream all the time about "You have a budget of over 10 million and you can't fix my road!"


When 8.5 million of that is earmarked by the federal highway admin or state DOT to use of very specific projects that are on a 10 year plan and the other 1.5 million literally keeps the lights on, keeps equipment in working order and clears snow in the winter.

We basically have about 300,000 dollars to "fix" the other 2500 miles of road in our jurisdiction every year. That's why all you see is some occasional pothole repair and other minimal maintenance.


It's a vicious cycle because funding continually gets cut because "You have a huge budget and don't do shit with it" even though like I said the funding is all earmarked by the Feds/State for other projects. If I took even 10,000 from a bridge project and spent it on filling potholes I'd get federally audited within 6 months,stripped of my license and I'd be blackballed from any similar position for life.

yet nearly every day I'm getting screamed at by politicians and the public to do exactly that.


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Aug 13, 2018 11:23:17 GMT -5 willywonka666 said:

I’m on my local tourism board and some assume that we should give the money we make from concerts and fix the roads-tourism money has to go back into tourism so that’s not possible despite popular assumptions again.

To go with the previous poster: We'll get a 750,000 grant to work with local tourism to pave a bike trail by a highway. Then the calls roll in "YOU WASTED MONEY ON A BIKE TRAIL WHEN I DRIVE A GRAVEL ROAD TO WORK". Hey man... tourism dollars paid for that through a very specific grant. We didn't waste a single dollar that would have worked on your road. That money was either going to get spent locally on that trail, or it was going elsewhere far away.

[SmashTV]

I work in a complaints department for a Government organisation. 'I'm a taxpayer' is something I hear when people feel they've got the right to be a dick, as if my colleagues and I are exempt from paying taxes...

The other misconception is that my office has liaises with the politicians and senior officials. Nope, we just answer the calls and take their flack.

[Push R Truth]

Aug 13, 2018 11:41:09 GMT -5 SmashTV said:

I work in a complaints department for a Government organisation. 'I'm a taxpayer' is something I hear when people feel they've got the right to be a dick, as if my colleagues and I are exempt from paying taxes...

The other misconception is that my office has liaises with the politicians and senior officials. Nope, we just answer the calls and take their flack.

Do you get the same phenomenon where people think that because you work for the government that you somehow magically don't pay taxes?

[SmashTV]

Aug 13, 2018 11:44:08 GMT -5 Push R Truth said:

Aug 13, 2018 11:41:09 GMT -5 SmashTV said:

I work in a complaints department for a Government organisation. 'I'm a taxpayer' is something I hear when people feel they've got the right to be a dick, as if my colleagues and I are exempt from paying taxes...

The other misconception is that my office has liaises with the politicians and senior officials. Nope, we just answer the calls and take their flack.

Do you get the same phenomenon where people think that because you work for the government that you somehow magically don't pay taxes?

Yep, and I heard it today on my first day back from a week away when there were just two of us in from a team of five...talk about back to reality! If they say that I just smoothly reply 'We all pay taxes, sir/madam...' and leave it at that. It always trips them up a bit as if they hadn't thought of that.

I do like my job, I like the people I work with and I'm quite good at it. Sometimes, though, it can just be pain in the arse.

[Limity (BLM)]

Aug 13, 2018 11:38:37 GMT -5 Push R Truth said:

People scream all the time about "You have a budget of over 10 million and you can't fix my road!"


When 8.5 million of that is earmarked by the federal highway admin or state DOT to use of very specific projects that are on a 10 year plan and the other 1.5 million literally keeps the lights on, keeps equipment in working order and clears snow in the winter.

We basically have about 300,000 dollars to "fix" the other 2500 miles of road in our jurisdiction every year. That's why all you see is some occasional pothole repair and other minimal maintenance.


It's a vicious cycle because funding continually gets cut because "You have a huge budget and don't do shit with it" even though like I said the funding is all earmarked by the Feds/State for other projects. If I took even 10,000 from a bridge project and spent it on filling potholes I'd get federally audited within 6 months,stripped of my license and I'd be blackballed from any similar position for life.

yet nearly every day I'm getting screamed at by politicians and the public to do exactly that.


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Aug 13, 2018 11:23:17 GMT -5 willywonka666 said:

I’m on my local tourism board and some assume that we should give the money we make from concerts and fix the roads-tourism money has to go back into tourism so that’s not possible despite popular assumptions again.

To go with the previous poster: We'll get a 750,000 grant to work with local tourism to pave a bike trail by a highway. Then the calls roll in "YOU WASTED MONEY ON A BIKE TRAIL WHEN I DRIVE A GRAVEL ROAD TO WORK". Hey man... tourism dollars paid for that through a very specific grant. We didn't waste a single dollar that would have worked on your road. That money was either going to get spent locally on that trail, or it was going elsewhere far away.

This is a really fascinating post. I, like everyone else, has no idea the inner workings of such departments, and how the money works. Thank you.

[the2ndevil]

I’m a Pharmacy Technician. What I do is a lot more involved than “just putting pills in a bottle”

[edgestar]

My former manager told me, that he trusted me on ladders, with heavy boxes, even though he was well aware of my seizures. I told my mom, that I was uncomfortable, and ended up calling corporate, to tell them that, in case he put in my file, that I wouldn't follow orders. The woman I talked to, even said I had a winning lawsuit against them, if he made me do it, and something happened. Both of my neurologists, wrote notes that said I wasn't allowed on ladders. They investigated the manager, and he's gone, now. Now, if any new managers come in, they already know I'm not allowed to be on the ladder.

[Toxik916]

I work for a health insurance company and we get the angriest people calling in.

It is easy to hate insurance providers and lord knows we could do better at keeping the costs of healthcare lower, but the people on the front line don't control your premiums and we are more than happy to help you pay denied claims or try and get services approved.

Healthcare costs are high because of 3 things on this order. Pharmaceutical costs, hospitals and doctors billing exorbitant prices, health insurance companies being for profit even if they are "non-profit". There's too many hands in the pot and too much money to be made in healthcare. Greed is why we are in this mess.

[Fade]

There is no A.C in god damn character costumes.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

As a tax man, I give people money more often than not. Only the very rich tend to get huge bills.

[Jake, The Jake, Jake]

Mail carriers have no idea where your check is.

[Deleted]

That I have one.

[twiggy101]

I'm a web developer and I was asked to change the cover for a company's Facebook page. I told him:
a) I don't offer social media services.
b) I don't even have his login credentials.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

You do not need to know complex math like Calculus and all that to be an Accountant

If you know how to add,subtract,divide, and multiple you good

However, in saying that you better learn your debits and credits

[Deleted]

"You're a tour guide, aren't you supposed to know everything?"

Uh...no. That's not how history works. Interpretations are changing all the time.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

If you smell chlorine at the swimming pool, that water is filthy. Pool water shouldn’t smell.

[DiBiase is Good]

I worked in a Cinema for over ten years for one of the biggest chains. I started off as a normal Staff Employee and became a Manager, at one point being responsible for the ordering of food for the Concessions stand.
At no point did I have any control over the prices of food.

Also, it is not cinemas who put age ratings on films. Someone once asked me who they should write to and complain about people under 15 not being allowed to watch 15 rated films, I responded with “The Prime Minister, 10. Downing Street, London”. They told me to f*** off.

[riseofsetian1981]

As a floor staff employee at a movie theatre I think the biggest misconception is that all we do is watch free movies. They don't take into account of directing customers to their proper auditorium, customers getting mad at us over prices, cleaning up the theatres, bathrooms, and lobbies, and putting up the stock orders from the truck can be physically and mentally taxing too.

[Junkenstein]

For teaching - that we only work the hours of the school day. I get in at 7:45 every morning and on a good day I can get away at 5:30pm. Which is assuming no parents evenings, staff training, after-school commitments etc.

Having the summer off is as nice as everyone says it is though.