My Top 10 Moments with Le Pew
I have recently quit my job and am moving to Minneapolis to pursue other endeavors. I put together this list to fondly remember the time I’ve spent with my former supervisor.
#10. YOUR JUMPER IS TOO SHORT
I was wearing a jumper to work and yes it might’ve been a little short. In my defense I weighed less at the time than I do now and I was wearing thick tights (almost leggings they were so thick). After briefly looking me over when entering the building, Le Pew called me into her office. She gave me some compliment that I don’t remember and then segued with this little gem, “Then next thing I need to talk to you about is somewhat uncomfortable.” She then told me that although it was really cute, she felt that my jumper was too short for wearing to work and that I should not wear it in the future but she was not going to send me home to change and I could remain wearing it for the rest of the day.
#9. THE MOST AWKWARD DINNER OF ALL TIME
I was given the opportunity to go to the Illinois Library Association Conference in Springfield. I was to be down there three days and Le Pew was going also. She wanted to meet up for dinner one evening. I agreed because I really didn’t see how I could do otherwise. She wanted to go to a nice steak house which was great because we got to spend two whole hours together. At this point I have been working for her for close to two years and we have never gotten along and she has a serious problem holding up her ends of conversations. Not just with me, she is just socially awkward and has a talent for killing the fun out of any conversation. I have been really great friends with all of my previous supervisors and would’ve enjoyed dinner with any of them but this dinner was the longest, most awkward dinner of my life. I had nothing to talk about with her and ran out of conversation starters after the first half hour. I would start staring at paintings on the wall and she would follow my gaze and question what I was staring at.
#8. THE KICK ‘EM WHILE THEY ARE DOWN STRATEGY
This really is one of Le Pew’s favorite strategies. When she has something she wants to criticize you for she loves to make sure she has at least 2 or 3 items to scold you for so that her enjoyment is spread out further. A good example of this was when I asked for use of one of my vacation days which caused issues (see #4). She was mad at me for wanting to use vacation at a time that was inconvenient for her, then yelled at me for using work email to communication aspects of this vacation use transaction, and then threw in, “While you are here…” She then began to yell at me for being on desk when I am not scheduled. We have a desk schedule in which 75% of our time is on public service desks and the other time is time for working on projects in out office. On Saturdays she would leave me off desk for the entire morning on the schedule and have the other 2 of my coworkers schedule on desk 100% of the day. I always felt bad about this and would just be on desk the whole time too. It is fairly busy on Saturday mornings and a second person only helped in my mind, she however felt it was the wrong thing to do. I am sure it was because she didn’t want me out there talking to the other reference librarians. I am fairly certain that this conversation was the moment where she perfected this strategy.
#7. MY BIRTHDAY
I started at the library in November of 2005. The second week of work happened to be my birthday. I was depressed because I already hated my job, I especially hated Le Pew, and I was working until 9 on my birthday and wouldn’t be home (I was commuting from my parents house) until 10:30. My birthday is a huge deal to me. It always has been. My dad wanted to take me to Panera Bread for my birthday dinner on my dinner break. My break was at 4:30 and being that Panera is slow I asked Le Pew if I could use some time from my evening break in case I didn’t get back within my half hour time limit, but that I would try to get back within the time limit. Before working at this library I worked in a hospital library where I could more or less come and go as I pleased and before that I worked in an understanding public library where this was completely possible. I didn’t think it was a terrible question. Le Pew did, however, and began telling me in a firm authoritative tone that “we do NOT do things like that here” and the way she responded left me with the feeling like I was a complete idiot for asking and on top of it being a depressing birthday I immediately started to cry upon returning to the reference desk. I helped several patrons while crying and Le Pew walked by again, saw me crying, and led me away from the desk. She then went to check with administration and decided that just this once it would be okay to do what I had asked. In the end I was back to work within the 30 minute limit anyways.
#6. IM GONE WRONG
An unfortunate chain of events led to a certain IM conversation being left up on the screen at work for Le Pew to find. She called me and the other party into her office and with some good reason explained how disappointed in us she was, etc. We were complaining about her but in our defense it was all work related. And she really could’ve just let it go. The greatest part of the conversation though was she pointed out that I was referencing in the IM conversation discussing a work project with a former supervisor. She felt it was inappropriate for me to discuss a book display project with the person who used to have her job and spent a minute or two really pounding that point in. The former supervisor mentioned happens to be my boyfriend. She didn’t know that at the time and I almost wish she would’ve because that would’ve made her so much angrier.
#5. THE SCOLDING
One day at work I was in the office with several coworkers including our computer technician. The computer technician mentioned having a headache and I jokingly offered some of my prescription muscle relaxers to him. Now it was clearly a joke and the majority of my coworkers in the office laughed and moved on. Le Pew, however, decided to rise from her office chair and through the glass of her office gave me a stern nonverbal scolding complete with shaking her head side to side in a “no” fashion and shaking her finger at me. I replied with an almost scream level response of, “I WAS KIDDING!” Didn’t see know I need all the prescription meds I could get to deal with her?
#4. INAPPROPRIATE USE OF EMAIL
No this doesn’t mean she was using email inappropriately, and this doesn’t even mean *I* was using email inappropriately. This instead, refers to the first of two times I was berated for using email to discuss work issues (see #2). This first incident happened when I was trying to use a vacation day. I had asked for a Friday off and she offered to let me leave after lunch. I told her I would check tickets to see if that would work or to see if I could use a slightly different variation of dates. I looked at tickets and the available flights didn’t meet my needs so I sent her an email telling her that the available flights didn’t work and that I was resubmitting my request in case something could be worked out since she hadn’t checked with temps or anything. She then called me into her office on the next day she and I were both there saying that she was “taken aback” by my email after she thought we had worked out the request even though I explained in my email that after looking at tickets that it wasn’t going to work for me to leave that late in the day. She told me I can have the day off but then threw in, “we need to talk about how you handled this,” making me feel like a terrible person for even asking. She then scolded me for sending her a message via email rather than talking to her face to face even though when I found out the flights wouldn’t work she wasn’t at work so I used what I thought was the next best form of communication.
#3. THE MICROFILM INCIDENT
The first couple of weeks I was at the Moline Public Library I was learning all of my daily tasks. Anyway I was opening the library on a Wednesday morning after closing the previous Tuesday evening when I was approached by Le Pew. She sternly asked, “So there was a problem closing last night?” I panicked, trying to remember if I set the alarm, made sure I got everyone out, and thinking I had forgotten something serious. I stuttered my response stating that there were no problems I was aware of. She then asked me, “Well, why was the microfilm reader left on?” in a tone so severe it might’ve been used to scold me after dumping coffee on a mean patron’s head. I then replied that it wasn’t left on intentionally which began a long lecture involving what I should be paying attention to when closing. Granted, it was a mistake to leave it on and I understand it sucks power and kills the light bulb quickly (I actually never knew if it was the reader or the printer left on) and she should’ve pointed it out to me but the way it was handled made me realize I was going to hate working for her.
#2. LIBRARY DAY
Le Pew wanted me to go to Illinois Library Day. Illinois Library Day is an event in which public library workers and supporters head to Springfield for the day to make legislators aware that public libraries need more funding. I was not interested in attending Illinois Library Day as I am not the lobbying type and the idea of marching with signs was completely unappealing. When I told her that it might be better suited for someone else she informed me that not going was unprofessional and that she didn’t see how I would want to deny myself any continuing education opportunities as they were so few and far between. I told her that I didn’t see how marching around with signs was a continuing education opportunity. She replied after 15 seconds of stuttering that I should think of it as professional development, then. She then told me a parable about how a former supervisor refused to attend an event his boss wanted him to and how his standing was never the same in this organization after that. Did I want that to happen to me? No I didn’t. I wanted to quit and have no standing at all. This conversation changed my job search to the status of urgent. When Le Pew initially asked me to go to this event I responded to her emailed request by emailing her back. This was the wrong thing to do as she then started berating me yet again for discussing work issues through work email. When you have an issue with something you are supposed to talk about it in person therefore the supervisor doesn’t have anything in writing that the employees that are being treated badly can use when involving their union (this is my translation of what she was saying). This conversation ended with a panic attack for me (my first and only) and splotches all over her face and neck.
#1. WHEN I QUIT
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I submitted my resignation. I expected something fake I guess like fake friendliness, fake sadness, or something along those lines. Instead Le Pew treated me exactly how she felt. She seemed excited that I was leaving. She even said, “I am sure you will be much happier there.” I agreed with her. She then spent the next two weeks pretending I didn’t exist. I was shunned from all department meetings and communication. I was invisible. It was the weirdest thing ever. I guess it was a good way to end our boss/employee relationship. I am just thankful I will most likely be able to avoid her for the rest of my life.
