Journal of No. 118

You won't find what you aren't looking for, and when you're, instead, burying your head in the sand, the issues you're hiding from will eventually come back to haunt you. Just, instead of something small and manageable, it will be something much more vicious. 

This principle, while incredibly important for our own personal health, applies to business interests, too. And the two go hand in hand when it comes to employee stress and burnout that might come from burning the candle at both ends for too long, or otherwise from understaffing or personal issues. 

In a world where rest is a reward and not a right. We have a tendency to deprive our bodies and our minds of the rest that they rightfully need and deserve, and run ourselves ragged in the name of a promotion that we might never see.

This employee was told to stop discussing burnout in their 1-on-1s and even received a write-up for bringing it up too frequently. Their requests for help were used against them, being cited as reasons for the write-up. 

It's unwise for employers to react to employees' cries for help in this way, for one, it opens the employer up to risk of claims of retaliation and unfair dismissal. For another, well, it doesn't make the burnout, or whatever underlying issue there is, go away, and it will leave it to continue to fester until it becomes an even bigger problem for the organization and business operations.

Every boy dreams of the day he'll receive a Porsche for his 16th birthday, but for most, that's all it is: a wishful dream. Unless, of course, you're the child of a lord, a duchess, or someone who invested in Bitcoin back in 2013. So it's no surprise that this teenage boy can't believe his luck when his dad tells him he'll be receiving his uncle's 1978 Porsche 911 as an early birthday gift.

However, there's a slight complication. His father never actually asked his car-enthusiast brother-in-law for permission to give away his $60,000 vintage Porsche. As you might expect, when Uncle Mark finds his nephew sitting in the driver's seat of his "baby," he completely loses it, demanding an explanation.

The brother-in-law insists the boy deserves the car for his birthday and that Mark can simply buy another one. First of all, most 16-year-olds deserve a tricycle, and second of all, who in their right mind thinks they have the authority to give away a $60,000 asset that doesn't even belong to them? Only someone who's clearly never heard the word "no." Furious over the entire situation, Uncle Mark doesn't find enough satisfaction in just kicking them out of his house, instead, he begins plotting a far more permanent revenge.

Boarding groups are a free-for-all on certain airlines. If you know the US airline I'm talking about, which is a well-known, points-happy airline that's known for its lack of assigned seats, you've probably had a scuffle much like the woman in this next story. 

While boarding a flight with her husband, this couple was lined up and ready to get onto the plane with boarding group A, their assigned group. However, a Karen was sneakily trying to squeeze her way into the front, suspiciously glancing at her boarding pass and hoping she could get away with the pre-boarding group. When asked her boarding number by the couple, she became snide and offended, acting entitled to get out of sharing the truth: Her boarding pass was nowhere near group A's status. 

So while I'm a huge advocate for assigned seats for this very reason, it does make for a funny story about calling out a person's entitlement. Because perhaps one day, if we call out the entitlement of enough Karens, they'll finally stop stomping on everyone around them—Here's hoping.

Last minute plans don't work out for everybody — some people have super busy lives, and they're going to need a few day's heads up before seeing someone. 

Other people thrive on last-minute plans. They're happy to drop what they're doing and go hang out somewhere. Still, it's nice to have some warning so you can organize your schedule. This person is a bit irritated that their family members keep springing surprise visits on them, and it seems like the guilt is eating at them. They live right next door to their parents, so right away, that might be an issue in the long term. They then share that at the end of a long work day, they just want to hang out with their dogs, not talk to some long-lost aunt and uncle who have driven into town to see their parents. 

However, some commenters chided them for the ways they've been avoiding their family members. They're lying about it, but then they're also taking their dog outside to play in the yard, so these far-away relatives might get hurt feelings after knowing this person is lying. 

I don't think they're wrong for wanting some space, but maybe there's room for compromise. It couldn't hurt to say something like, "Oh, I only have 5 minutes before I have to take an important phone call, but it's nice to see you, Aunt and Uncle." That kind of white lie works for both parties! This person can say hello, then head off to do their own thing. They're also telling their parents that if they'd had more notice, they could've stayed longer, but oh well! Regardless of what they choose to do, it's their life, and they only have one lifetime to spend doing things they love. Whether they're spending time with family or with their dogs, they should do what will make for the best memories and the most happiness possible. Just because someone is family, doesn't make them obligated to have a ton of your time: some distant relatives can just stay distant. 

There are some things you absolutely cannot ask during a job interview, and if you are ever asked them, that is definitely not a place you should start working at. 

These rules are there for the benefit of the candidate, but they also keep an employer mindful of treating everyone equally. For example, did you know that an interviewer is forbidden by law to ask you how old you are, what language you speak at home, or if you plan to start a family soon? If not, I'm glad that you're now enlightened, because these rules can be very important. It can keep a potential employer from thinking things like, "Oh, she's too old to do this job," or "I hope this guy isn't a father, because he's going to need to leave early all the time to help out with the kids." Nope, you cannot openly consider these things during the hiring process, and that makes the hiring process more equitable for everybody involved. 

While interviewing for a senior role at a software company, this job candidate was stunned by a bizarre question asked by the interviewer. At least this person stopped in their tracks and called out the interviewer for thinking it was appropriate to ask such a question, adding that she seemed surprised that they wouldn't answer. This is very basic stuff, and anyone in a capacity to hire and fire should be well aware of the consequences of asking the wrong questions during interviews. Yikes! Let's hope she learned her lesson, and kudos to this person for refusing to settle and take a job that was a waving red flag.