Submitted by Aurielie_ t3_yb8qje in tifu

To keep the intro short, I'm a sales analyst for a business many people may be familiar with and I'm at a lot of board meetings as it's the corporate end of things. Lately, it's been a hybrid work environment so a lot of are meetings are hybrids. We're outfitted with microphones for this occasion. Little bluetooth clip-ons like you'd never notice on your favorite YouTuber. I'll be frank, I hate the company but they pay my bills. That aside, when you have a bunch of bald eggheads in a room talking numbers for hours it can get pretty dull. I'm usually very good about this sort of thing, and there's no hitch

Today however, I just wasn't having it. We had a board meeting in which a lot of the talk was about if the hybrid/full-remote workplace was a good idea and somehow (I zoned out, I genuinely missed this part of the argument), these eggheaded bastards landed on no. I heard that part and kind of shrunk in my chair because the opportunity to be in the comfort of my home really does balance out how much this job makes you want to commit unalive. I don't give my input on things usually, I tend to let the execs duke it out but they genuinely for a moment seemed like they'd drop it and that was strike one.

Next, pay. Oh the greatest point of contention. A lot of facilities the lower-tier execs visited were in god awful disrepair and if there's anything these folks like to do, it's not take accountability for giving the workers what they need and clear-cut metrics to achieve. Pay cuts were talked about and it's convenient that the bar was drawn at my level (Sales Analyst I) and below. I excused myself and thought I'd left my microphone in the room but actually still had it on me as I went to the restroom. Didn't need to use it, thankfully. But I did heavily vent how stupid of a discussion that was, pointed out how asinine it is that they'd cut everyone's pay but their own alongside calling certain folks by name a variety of descriptive nomenclature..really flexed that writer in me... I really went in. Until I dropped my microphone that is, literally. Yeah, it was on me the whole time. Debated hard about going back. Honestly thought they'd fire me over PA or something. But no, they talked it up in there until I returned and said:

"Ms. Aurielie_, it's clear you feel very strongly on the matter given your colorful expression, what would you suggest we do when the facilities are failing to meet our expectations?"
A part of me defecated from the soul for a moment. This is a really good job, and I'd hate for what was meant to be a candid outburst to be something that ended it. They made it clear they understand my frustrations and would hear me out, but I did get a bit of chewing out from our superiors who got second-hand embarrassment from hearing what I had to say. Did throw in some spineless namecalling. My heap of paperwork is high, luckily none of it corrective action adjacent. I did propose much better alternatives, and I wish I could disclose the brand so the workers could thank me for potentially saving their pockets but there's no telling if they listened. I'm still a little shook up from it, it is probably my greatest blunder in life so far lol.

TL;DR - Forgot clip-on mic was attached when I expressed vehement disagreement for corporate executives boneheaded plans. They heard it all, I am in the doghouse but still employed!

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Lactobeezor t1_itfg84v wrote

Hope it doesn't do you any harm but these ass hole company's need to here things like this. If you are going to cut pay do it from the top down.

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Aurielie_ OP t1_itfguox wrote

Amen. It's not been awful but I definitely can feel the malice in the mountain of paperwork lol

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eresh22 t1_ithhhla wrote

I've ended up business-friendly with a couple of my CEOs because I wasn't afraid to tell them what I really think, but it always scared my supervisors when I did. I'm cringing imagining your mountain. I've definitely been buried under that.

I think I helped them stay connected to the people when they were talking numbers. Factoring in people can changes your whole approach a situation. It sounds like you already have the respect of at least one of the boneheads. Hopefully you'll be able to help keep them connected to the people aspect of the business.

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Aurielie_ OP t1_ithjey2 wrote

It's definitely one of my small things I aspire toward. While I'm indifferent or at least not that impassioned about the products we sell, I think understanding the person with 3x less of your paygrade is imperative to having your whole business model not fall apart

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otas1 t1_itftaw8 wrote

Start searching for a new job? If you find something better good if not you are at least still employed.

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Aurielie_ OP t1_itfu65e wrote

Oh yeah, I've definitely got a couple of contingency plans lined up

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Jellan t1_itgxshh wrote

Sometimes management benefit from hearing exactly what people think. It might work out better than you anticipated.

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LadyBug_0570 t1_itha58u wrote

They might like the size of OP's balls (or ovaries) and promote her! Especially since she didn't wimp out when asked dorectly and actually gave them an alternate plan that avoided pay cuts.

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Upset_Taste_9309 t1_itghfm7 wrote

You accidentally helped your coworkers from getting pay cuts at the start of a recession and possibly made some allies at work. Good for you! I hope you have the cajones to have their backs in the future. Who knows? Maybe they’ll be impressed with your problem solving skills and consider you for a promotion when the time comes😊

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fatfishinalittlepond t1_itgf4s4 wrote

This is why I always mute myself and double check I am muted in stuff like this because I am not good at hiding expressions or thoughts on stuff I disagree with. when I have downtime at any office job I have had, I find myself digging in to the company information. I will look up executive pay, company sales information, metrics, etcetera. I find too often companies are hamstringing themselves and therefore their employees or I will find trends to either support what the company claims or disagree with it. Companies don't often realize it but a lot of their data is available to any employee who wants to go looking.

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eresh22 t1_ithhpmn wrote

My mouth works faster than my mute button. I've just learned to embrace it and run with it.

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QuevedoDeMalVino t1_itfrasj wrote

It is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that I hear/read from a situation like yours and that, to the venting party surprise, the powers actually care and listen.

Corporate environment seems to favor a very filtered discussion and viewpoint sharing. So it is funny when something like a hot mic lets things through unfiltered. But my favorite part is the unexpectedly kind of welcome reaction and in some instances even newly gained respect. There is something to be said for assertion at the appropriate times.

Learn and enjoy.

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Aurielie_ OP t1_itfs5f5 wrote

I'm glad to hear this can be for the better. I'd hope it to not just go in one ear and out the other with this.

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Xanaxshake t1_itfi0bc wrote

It's not probably not easy nor fun, but definetly made some people rethink things.

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Aurielie_ OP t1_itfj9lv wrote

I hope so. This happens a lot, and each meeting is just a willy measuring contest half the time. I'm embarrassed but glad I said what I said and hope it makes a difference

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FRANPW1 t1_itfpu5s wrote

The microphone 🎤 is always on.

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Aurielie_ OP t1_itfr2g3 wrote

Definitely treating it that way from now on!

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Routine-Air7917 t1_itju6kc wrote

This makes me really happy that douchebag ruling class elitists got to hear how much they suck and that they are shit. Lol made my night, and I hope it works out for you and the lower rung people

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somenormalwhiteguy t1_itg547t wrote

I like people like you. You bring a clarity to Board meetings that often times is lacking.

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Zupheal t1_itja0uh wrote

I am this guy at my company, I will sit back and let everyone discuss what they think we should do and listen to everyone, then my boss will look to me for my unfiltered opinion on it. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don't, but he knows he can trust me not to kiss anybody's ass and more often than not it helps us to address issues the C levels have overlooked.

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GhostNinja1373 t1_itii4du wrote

Well i hope things turn out in your outcome in the long run even though you mentioned they gave you ton of paper work. Which im sure they know they fucked up or can do better

Either way a little honesty goes a long way i guess xD

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WifeofBath1984 t1_itjqjtv wrote

Frankly, I'm glad you forgot about your mic! At least they listened and didnt go through with their b.s. plan! I thank you of behalf of your coworkers lol

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CuriousAstronaut3 t1_itjzhjm wrote

Curious, what did you propose, OP? Decrease the expectations for these facilities and accept management wont get so much? We all dream of that;) actually, the way it accidentally happened, is about the best way you could express yourself. Now you've vented without any liability (cause accident) and its all going to get better for you:) obviously they handled it well, and actually asked you for an advice on solution of this. Could have gone much worse, so actually things went really well - this day was about the most productive day in your career, otherwise you would need months/years just to break the ice. What you can do now is to suggest better solutions.

And I agree, each recession is an excuse to decrease the lowest sallaries, and every good period with profits is usually just an excuse to increase the highest sallaries. There should be laws governing these changes through time, cause this is now systemical.

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Artezio t1_itt5ubq wrote

At my old job, I had weekly conference calls with the executives. One of the executives asked a question about what we think about their decisions, it was strictly rhetorical and we were all supposed to stay on mute. One of the others at another location didn’t realize he wasn’t muted and blurted out “because you’re a dickhead who sucks the CEO’s dick” as an answer to the rhetorical question. Our conference calls would show who was talking and what location it was at. Never heard that guys fate

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