• (cs) in reply to SR
    SR:
    Lego:
    This must not have happened in the U.S. Here you would have sued, and quite possibly won, a wrongful dismissal suit based on a hostile work environment.

    --Lego

    If he quit, how can it be wrongful dismissal?

    I did consider suing for "constructive dismissal", which under UK law is when you seek compensation for quitting due to bad treatment. According to people I kept in touch with at the company, my former boss was sh*tting bricks for several months at this possibility - the company had recently lost two tribunals under similar circumstances, but as I went straight onto a better paying job I just chalked it up to experience.

  • (cs) in reply to NetTears

    My mother had a heart attack at 36, and died of heart disease at 44.

  • Rick (unregistered) in reply to java.lang.Chris;
    java.lang.Chris;:
    The only time I upset a director, I almost ended up dismissed for misconduct.
    I worked one place where there was a highly visible disagreement between the person they'd hired for his expertise in an arcane subject, and someone at the top. Naturally, the expert was booted. The explanation that made the rounds was, and I have never forgotten this line:

    "There was a difference of opinion between someone who was a Senior Vice President, and someone who was not."

    A few months later, the expert was proven right, and a very expensive project was shut down to stem the continuing losses. But the SVP remained in his job, and the expert remained gone.

    Now here's the kicker -- this expert did not work in IT! Can you believe it?

  • (cs) in reply to Lego
    Lego:
    SR:
    Lego:
    This must not have happened in the U.S. Here you would have sued, and quite possibly won, a wrongful dismissal suit based on a hostile work environment.

    --Lego

    If he quit, how can it be wrongful dismissal?

    It is called constructive dismissal. It means your employer forced you to quit by either making or allowing working conditions to be unbearable. In this case the gender based profanity would be one piece of evidence in support of that claim. Based on the specific profanity used I am assuming Chris is female.

    --Lego

    I'm male, but in the UK c*nt is just about the strongest word that can be used as an insult to people of either gender.

  • stevewahl (unregistered) in reply to Anonymous Cow
    Anonymous Cow:
    Anon:
    And, seriously, this:
    He almost immediately regretted doing that, as getting sacked might put his family’s health insurance at risk.

    Is TRWTF. How much of a fucked up, barbaric country is this that would remove somebody's health care right when they need it most?

    It has nothing to do with the country. Health benefits were traditionally provided by companies here. You lose the job, you lose the benefits.

    Actually, I think it was here (on TDWTF, in the comments section) that I got a hint of enlightenment on this subject. If you think about it, tying your health insurance to your employer is a WTF; and you'll notice it's not done for home or car insurance, etc. The nugget of knowledge I obtained here (and verified elsewhere) was: This country (US) ties health insurance to employers because of wage caps the government put in place during WWII. Benefits were not counted against the wage cap, so adding health insurance coverage was one way the companies could compete for workers. It stuck after the war, and that's how we ended up on the path that brought us where we are today.

  • Paul (unregistered) in reply to stevewahl
    stevewahl:
    Anon:
    How much of a fucked up, barbaric country is this that would remove somebody's health care right when they need it most?
    This country (US) ties health insurance to employers because of wage caps the government put in place during WWII. Benefits were not counted against the wage cap, so adding health insurance coverage was one way the companies could compete for workers. It stuck after the war, and that's how we ended up on the path that brought us where we are today.
    Not only that, but the government gives employers a tax incentive to provide health insurance. If they gave a similar incentive for groceries, you'd get all your food at work, and when you lost your job you'd starve even quicker! The government meddling is to blame, and more government meddling won't make things better.

    By the way, insurance is not health care. It is merely one way of paying for health care. And insurance is not a right. Rights are things you can do for yourself: speak, associate, defend yourself. If you were to have the "right" to force someone else to do something for you against their free will, that other person would (temporarily) be your slave.

  • Rnd( (unregistered)

    This would be even better if he hadn't even interviewed the candidate...

    esse: latin "to be"

  • Calli Arcale (unregistered) in reply to Frank Lee
    Frank Lee:
    Vollhorst:
    Cell phone in a hospital? Idiot.
    If cell phones in hospitals, or for that matter airplanes, were one one-thousandth the safety threat sign-makers pretend they are, you'd be patted down at the entrance, like they do when looking for guns at the courthouse.

    The concerns about cell phones is because unlike all other devices, medical devices generally are exempt from shielding rules. So while the FCC requires that your iPod be able to tolerate RF radiation, an EKG machine doesn't have to, despite the fact that the consequences for failure are rather more severe for the EKG. The logic is that while a customer can reasonably expect to use an iPod anywhere, medical device manufacturers can reasonably put the burden on their customers to make sure the environment is appropriate for the device.

    Many medical devices are largely untested against the sort of interference a transmitting cell phone (especially a 3G unit) can produce. A few have been examined by researchers and found to not only be vulnerable but actually experience faults when a cell phone is nearby. The number is low. Hospitals have had time to come to terms with this, and now they simply understand that for most devices, it really won't matter if a cell phone starts transmitting nearby -- either the device simply doesn't care, or it's not the sort of thing where a transient fault is really going to cause a significant problem.

    But then there are devices where the consequences of a fault are more serious, and so hospitals, having grown much smarter about these things, make sure that devices with radio transmitters are kept a comfortable distance away from the medical devices which are a) vulnerable and b) have serious consequences if they go wrong. For hte most part, that means it's not a big deal.

    Of course, some parts of the hospital will require cell phones to be off for another reason altogether: they want peace and quiet. But for the most part, hospitals have become comfortable with the idea of cell phones and wireless Internet, and in fact many have installed free WiFi so that families and relatives can keep themselves occupied while their loved ones are ill.

  • Outtascope (unregistered) in reply to Anonymous
    Anonymous:
    Pedro:
    The antibiotic is exotic. The condition is common. Two adjectives describing two different things. Parses fine here.
    An exotic treatement for a common condition? No, still isn't parsing right here I'm afraid.

    Because clearly all "common" conditions have effective "common" treatments, right? HIV/Aids is common. Treatments, not so much. Staph infections are very common, though treatments for them are becoming more and more exotic because of anti-biotic resistant strains. My oldest son has an anaphylactic allergy to many common antibiotics, leaving the more exotic ones as the only course of treatment regardless of how common his infection may or may not be.

    Your parser needs an upgrade.

  • Outtascope (unregistered) in reply to SR
    SR:
    Axe:
    The tablets that you have to take every day for ever can be a pain in the arse though..

    Have you tried swallowing them instead?

    FTW

  • Whiskey, Eh? (unregistered) in reply to Donk Donkerson
    Donk Donkerson:
    It's ironic he's getting getting reese cups from the vending machine of the hospital he's at because his wife almost had a heart attack.

    At the Ottawa Heart Institute, there's a donut shop on the first level right by the entrance, and a chipwagon regularly parks on the street just outside so patrons can buy French Fries.

    It's right by the smoking area.

  • (cs) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    Deborah scoffed, “you know, you’re being very rude you know, not answering any of my questions!”

    Credit to Peter, this is the point where I would have completely lost it. Hanging up was much more polite than what I would have done. What I would have said would make Nicolas Anelka blush.

    You can make it very clear that you're not being rude by refusing to answer her questions. Just demonstrate what real rudeness sounds like.

  • WizardStan (unregistered) in reply to Frank Lee
    Frank Lee:
    If cell phones in hospitals, or for that matter airplanes, were one one-thousandth the safety threat sign-makers pretend they are, you'd be patted down at the entrance, like they do when looking for guns at the courthouse.
    Cell phones on planes are not a safety threat, and no one who actually knows what they're talking about says so. Ever left your phone beside a speaker when a call came in, or when it lost signal and tried to reacquire it? Know that buzzing clicking sound? IT'S ANNOYING! You get enough radio transmitters, and the combined transmissions are enough to interfere with the pilots radio, giving them a low buzz and occasional clicks. Would you want to fly a plane with a vuvuzela in the room?
  • Randy (unregistered) in reply to kieron
    kieron:
    TRWTF is reaching for a Reese peanut butter cup when your wife may have just had a heart attack.

    Not everyone copes with stress the same way you do.

  • Parthur (unregistered) in reply to Joey Stink Eye Smiles
    Joey Stink Eye Smiles:
    "He had hoped a Reese’s Cup might assuage the fact that his wife was sitting in the hospital"

    I never expected to read the word "assuage" on the Daily WTF. I'm usually tickled when you guys actually use punctuation correctly. Well done, Mr. Fancy Pants $10 Word.

    Yeah, and it's even almost used correctly.

    (The cup could assuage the feeling of worry that he has. It's not going to assuage the fact that his wife is sick)

  • (cs)

    Jeremy: “You upset my wife! she’s eight months pregnant!”

    Peter: “Do you have any suspects?”

  • (cs)

    What I'd really like to know is what kind of life that child will have, with parents like Jeremy and Deborah.

  • (cs) in reply to Rick
    Rick:
    Now here's the kicker -- this expert did not work in IT! Can you believe it?
    That's the general case. Have-knows under know-nots.

    The know-nots don't like what the have-knows have to say, so they get rid of them. Ultimately the have-knows are shown to be correct, the know-nots wrong, but the know-nots are at the top so they continue on with getting other have-knows they need and getting rid of the ones that disagree ad infinitum.

  • publiclurker (unregistered) in reply to Me
    Me:
    Anon:
    And, seriously, this:
    He almost immediately regretted doing that, as getting sacked might put his family’s health insurance at risk.

    Is TRWTF. How much of a fucked up, barbaric country is this that would remove somebody's health care right when they need it most?

    One that values "freedom". We don't want the government to oppress us by helping us stay alive.

    The Real WRF is that this teabagger is most likely serious.

  • (cs) in reply to WizardStan
    WizardStan:
    Frank Lee:
    If cell phones in hospitals, or for that matter airplanes, were one one-thousandth the safety threat sign-makers pretend they are, you'd be patted down at the entrance, like they do when looking for guns at the courthouse.
    Cell phones on planes are not a safety threat, and no one who actually knows what they're talking about says so. Ever left your phone beside a speaker when a call came in, or when it lost signal and tried to reacquire it? Know that buzzing clicking sound? IT'S ANNOYING! You get enough radio transmitters, and the combined transmissions are enough to interfere with the pilots radio, giving them a low buzz and occasional clicks. Would you want to fly a plane with a vuvuzela in the room?

    Wait, which side are you on?

  • Zapp Brannigan (unregistered) in reply to SR
    SR:
    Axe:
    The tablets that you have to take every day for ever can be a pain in the arse though..

    Have you tried swallowing them instead?

    The drugs are probably Analgesics.

  • Leo (unregistered) in reply to publiclurker
    publiclurker:
    Me:
    Anon:
    And, seriously, this:
    He almost immediately regretted doing that, as getting sacked might put his family’s health insurance at risk.

    Is TRWTF. How much of a fucked up, barbaric country is this that would remove somebody's health care right when they need it most?

    One that values "freedom". We don't want the government to oppress us by helping us stay alive.

    The Real WRF is that this teabagger is most likely serious.

    Oh, very clever. You disagree with someone, so you imply that they are gay! Hilarious!

  • Anon (unregistered) in reply to Whiskey, Eh?
    Whiskey:
    Donk Donkerson:
    It's ironic he's getting getting reese cups from the vending machine of the hospital he's at because his wife almost had a heart attack.

    At the Ottawa Heart Institute, there's a donut shop on the first level right by the entrance, and a chipwagon regularly parks on the street just outside so patrons can buy French Fries.

    It's right by the smoking area.

    I was at the Cleveland Clinic when my mother-in-law was sick. They have a McDonald's in their cafeteria. Go figure.

  • Anon (unregistered) in reply to Leo
    Leo:
    publiclurker:
    Me:
    Anon:
    And, seriously, this:
    He almost immediately regretted doing that, as getting sacked might put his family’s health insurance at risk.

    Is TRWTF. How much of a fucked up, barbaric country is this that would remove somebody's health care right when they need it most?

    One that values "freedom". We don't want the government to oppress us by helping us stay alive.

    The Real WRF is that this teabagger is most likely serious.

    Oh, very clever. You disagree with someone, so you imply that they are gay! Hilarious!

    Wow! Now I'm really lost. At first I thought Me was clearly being sarcastic and publiclurker sarcasm detector was broken. Then I saw your response and I'm not sure if my sarcasm detector is broken or if you really don't understand "teabagger" in this context. [Hint: publiclurker wasn't suggesting Me was gay].

  • (cs) in reply to Axe
    Axe:
    The tablets that you have to take every day for ever can be a pain in the arse though..

    You're putting them in the wrong end. They enter through the big hole in the top, not the bottom.

  • Yosef (unregistered) in reply to EmperorOfCanada

    I do know, that "spelling Nazi" has become a common online jargon for someone who is ridiculously strict with spelling. Anyway setting someone like that on the same level,I feel, is inappropriate for two reasons:

    1. "Being strict on grammar", this can not be compared to the horrible crimes, that where performed during the nazi regime.

    2. Setting the "victim" of a corrective Comment (constructive criticism) comparatively on the same level as a true victim of the shoah (holocaust) is mindless and rude towards all victims of this mass murder genocide.

    If you agree to this, please just stop using this term.

    Shalom

    CAPTCHA: distineo : a matrix hacker being hooked on red pills and became a dealer (Distributor) for the same, to finance his addiction.

  • wonkyDonkey (unregistered) in reply to SR

    Constructive Dismissal?

  • Vic (unregistered)

    I had a slightly similar situation years ago. My mother had died the day before, and I went to the office to explain I'd be taking some time off to be with my dad, and let management know where my projects stood. My manager insisted that I not take time off until I finished the project. Bad enough, but then he said that I shouldn't be bothered by my mom's death, after there was a particular war going on at the time and "lots of people are dying."

    As luck would have it, a director who didn't know about my mom heard his weird statement, and after the manager left my office, the director came in to ask what that was about. He had two reactions - he asked why the hell was I even at work, and for years after made sure I was well treated (plum assignments, good raises)

  • wonkyDonkey (unregistered) in reply to SR
    SR:
    Lego:
    This must not have happened in the U.S. Here you would have sued, and quite possibly won, a wrongful dismissal suit based on a hostile work environment.

    --Lego

    If he quit, how can it be wrongful dismissal?

    Damnit...

    Constructive Dismissal?

  • WizardStan (unregistered) in reply to GalacticCowboy
    GalacticCowboy:
    Wait, which side are you on?
    Officially speaking, I'm on the side of those arguing phones should remain off, even if that means calling them a "safety threat". Technically speaking I'm on the opposite side from those saying "it's not a threat so we should use our phones." Strictly speaking I'm on the side that says "it may not do any damage to the plane, but phones (and any transmitter, really) is still a bad idea for other reasons." Satisfied?
  • publiclurker (unregistered) in reply to Anon

    Unless he's willing to force this guy out of the closest, it's just a case of someone who finds the truth to hit a little too close to home.

    http://blog.reidreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/proud-teabagger.png

  • another_drone (unregistered) in reply to NerfTW
    NerfTW:
    swedish tard:
    frits:
    I have a feeling most people's berserkers would gas-out after 10, maybe 20 seconds of berserking. Especially readers of this site.

    If you go berserk for real, you can go full steam for 10-20 minutes even if you are an elite couch potato. Of course, you are going to pretty much black out when the rage subsides. Even people in good shape are completely spent after such an episode. Im from a family of swedes which have an affinity for berserker rage. Most of us are quite good at controlling it though, but once you get there... Well... Lets just say its a bad idea to be in the way of someone that actually went berserk, and not just throsing a tantrum++.

    Oh get over yourselves. There's no such thing as "Berserk". it's called being a whiny little baby throwing a temper tantrum. Most people grow out of the "I'm the Incredible Hulk" fantasy. You might want to try that.

    Yes, there is. I know someone who can literally "go berserk". Their eyes get all red ( I guess the aforementioned "seeing a red haze" ) and glassy, and after it is over, they have NO recollection it happened. They also have chemical imbalance in their brain, so that might account for it, but boy is it scary. And yes, they can do some serious damage in 30 seconds. I hate to see what would happen if they ever unleased on a person.

  • (cs) in reply to Parthur
  • (cs) in reply to Parthur
    Parthur:
    Joey Stink Eye Smiles:
    "He had hoped a Reese’s Cup might assuage the fact that his wife was sitting in the hospital"

    I never expected to read the word "assuage" on the Daily WTF. I'm usually tickled when you guys actually use punctuation correctly. Well done, Mr. Fancy Pants $10 Word.

    Yeah, and it's even almost used correctly.

    (The cup could assuage the feeling of worry that he has. It's not going to assuage the fact that his wife is sick)

    So it's a demonstration of ellipsis at the same time? Now that's really fancy!

  • Joshi (unregistered) in reply to kieron

    You're right, he should have been down in the lab with the other doctors trying to figure out what was wrong with her.

    Seriously, the guy had likely been there for hours (at least an hour and a half). In that kind of situation, as much as you're worried about your loved one, you also start to feel kind of useless and somewhat hungry. Let the poor guy have his peanut butter cup.

  • (cs) in reply to kieron
    kieron:
    TRWTF is reaching for a Reese peanut butter cup when your wife may have just had a heart attack.

    He should've shared because everyone knows peanut butter fills the cracks of the heart.

  • Rodger Combs (unregistered) in reply to notromda

    Alex: I think the above post should be blue'd.

  • (cs) in reply to Rodger Combs
    Peter returned to work to face the wrath of a scored director
    http://vuvuzela-time.co.uk/thedailywtf.com/Articles/Critically-Conditioned.aspx
  • Dan (unregistered) in reply to Joshi
    Joshi:
    You're right, he should have been down in the lab with the other doctors trying to figure out what was wrong with her.

    Seriously, the guy had likely been there for hours (at least an hour and a half). In that kind of situation, as much as you're worried about your loved one, you also start to feel kind of useless and somewhat hungry. Let the poor guy have his peanut butter cup.

    Just think... If he were down in the lab, maybe he would have found the bug in their software that was causing the results to be inconclusive. Actually I was kind of expecting today's WTF to have to do with the medical equipment, but alas it was a "The sun occasionally shines on a dog's butt" kind of story instead.

  • anonymous (unregistered) in reply to Axe
    Axe:
    Heart attack at 37, she's clearly not tried hard enough. I had mine at 31.

    [snip]

    The tablets that you have to take every day for ever can be a pain in the arse though..

    You're supposed to take them orally.

  • K. (unregistered) in reply to Calli Arcale
    Calli Arcale:
    The concerns about cell phones is because unlike all other devices, medical devices generally are exempt from shielding rules. So while the FCC requires that your iPod be able to tolerate RF radiation, an EKG machine doesn't have to, despite the fact that the consequences for failure are rather more severe for the EKG. The logic is that while a customer can reasonably expect to use an iPod anywhere, medical device manufacturers can reasonably put the burden on their customers to make sure the environment is appropriate for the device.

    As a medical equipment design engineer, I can tell you that this part is untrue. All medical devices must pass tests for susceptibility to interference from other electronic devices. However, all you can do as an equipment designer is attempt to reduce the likelihood of a malfunction due to interference, not eliminate it. Restrictions on cell phone use in hospitals are there to eliminate this residual risk.

    But you're correct when you say medical equipment is not required to be tested with actual cell phones. IIRC studies have shown some interference problems with cell phones in very close proximity to (i.e., resting on top of) medical devices.

    Everything else you've said is pretty much spot on.

  • OJ (unregistered) in reply to Calli Arcale
    Calli Arcale:
    The concerns about cell phones is because unlike all other devices, medical devices generally are exempt from shielding rules.

    This is interesting. Do you have any references?

    I used to work for a large medical device manufacturer. The building I worked in had a shielded room for testing the devices with electromagnetic interference stronger than the normal computers in the building were expected to withstand. I was under the impression that this was required by FDA or something similar.

    The software, on the other hand, was slightly scary. Good thing they had rigorous testing processes.

  • anon (unregistered) in reply to Paul
    Paul:
    stevewahl:
    Anon:
    How much of a fucked up, barbaric country is this that would remove somebody's health care right when they need it most?
    This country (US) ties health insurance to employers because of wage caps the government put in place during WWII. Benefits were not counted against the wage cap, so adding health insurance coverage was one way the companies could compete for workers. It stuck after the war, and that's how we ended up on the path that brought us where we are today.
    Not only that, but the government gives employers a tax incentive to provide health insurance. If they gave a similar incentive for groceries, you'd get all your food at work, and when you lost your job you'd starve even quicker! The government meddling is to blame, and more government meddling won't make things better.

    By the way, insurance is not health care. It is merely one way of paying for health care. And insurance is not a right. Rights are things you can do for yourself: speak, associate, defend yourself. If you were to have the "right" to force someone else to do something for you against their free will, that other person would (temporarily) be your slave.

    You don't have a "right" to have someone come to your house and put it out when it catches fire, either, but the developed world has learned (the hard way, I might add) that this function is better left as a tax-funded government service than left to the free market.

  • PG4 (unregistered)

    OK, on cell phones and planes.

    In the US, the FAA doesn't care, but the FCC does.

    Now the FAA gives the pilot the power have someone turn off anything they think might be interfering with nav equipment. And yes, I have told a friend taking a ride in MY plane, with me in left seat to, "Turn that cell phone off!" Not because of a nav issue, just because he wouldn't leave work behind and enjoy the ride.

    So why does the FCC care? Just go up in plane 3000' or so AGL and suddenly you can hear stuff at airports half way across the state. Line of sight, no ground clutter, you hear much much further, and you also transmit much much further. The cell systems as designed tries to find the cell or adjacent cell that hears you signal the best. It can't cope with a hundred cells hearing your phone all the same time.

    My understanding is that newer cell stations have antenna patterns and other software features to help the problem, but you can still mess things up.

  • Bruce W (unregistered)

    This reminds me of when my wife had emergency abdominal surgery. I called my boss who asked me right then if I could go on a three-day business trip in two weeks. I reminded my boss that my wife just had major surgery and would have problems walking for two weeks. She begged me to go and I finally agreed. I later learned my boss wanted me to go because her husband didn't like having her travel. My wife still hates that manager even 15 years later.

  • (cs) in reply to Mason Wheeler
    Mason Wheeler:
    NerfTW:
    Oh get over yourselves. There's no such thing as "Berserk". it's called being a whiny little baby throwing a temper tantrum. Most people grow out of the "I'm the Incredible Hulk" fantasy. You might want to try that.

    IIRC the Berserkers were real warriors who would go into a real rage-filled state in which nothing mattered except hurting people and breaking things. They had to use some sort of drugs (funny mushrooms or something like that) to achieve it though; it's not a condition you come by naturally, no matter how angry you are.

    More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurkha

  • (cs) in reply to Donk Donkerson
    Donk Donkerson:
    It's ironic he's getting getting reese cups from the vending machine of the hospital he's at because his wife almost had a heart attack.

    This is one of Reese Cups main selling points and sells more from then then anything else combined.

  • (cs) in reply to Vilx-
    Vilx-:
    Though there is one WTF in there - why was Peter trying to remember phone numbers and not using the phonebook of his cell phone?

    Maybe he has a Blackberry. I have a Storm (v1) and it occasionally deletes most of my Contacts, leaving a few assorted numbers and email addresses I never actually use.

    Phone number of landlord from two years ago? Check. Wife's email address? Missing. (Not that I need help remembering, but it is easier to use the contacts shortcut than type the whole thing on a mini-keyboard.)

  • Sig (unregistered)

    Thank god for reasonable CEOs who actually care about their people. A rare breed in IT...

  • Mark (unregistered) in reply to stevewahl
    stevewahl:
    The nugget of knowledge I obtained here (and verified elsewhere) was: This country (US) ties health insurance to employers because of wage caps the government put in place during WWII. Benefits were not counted against the wage cap, so adding health insurance coverage was one way the companies could compete for workers. It stuck after the war, and that's how we ended up on the path that brought us where we are today.

    Which is lovely, except it's a half-truth. The wage caps accelerated the phenomenon of health insurance as a job benefit, but they did not cause it.

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