Dilbert Job

[Wio]

Does anyone work in an environment that resembles that of the Dilbert comic strip?

I do. I think anyone who's seen Dilbert and had a "Dilbert Job" can easily confirm it with no questions asked.

The basic layout is as follows:
1-Small company, pretty much everyone knows everyone, with one owner who is like the king
2-The boss either micromanages too much or assigns impossible tasks (In my case, both)
3-Those who act on what seems the logical, obvious thing to do often are scolded for acting without permission
4-Those who decided to ask the boss what to do due to reasons of the 3rd attribute end up being mocked for not doing the obvious
5-Any mistake or slightly less efficient method of work is emphasized as the cause of any problem that may occur in the future, no matter how illogical
6-Any mistake on the owner's part is overlooked, and some times red-herring'd with reiterating such mentioned in the 5th attribute.
7-Usually, there is a guy who is learning English, and speaks it well enough just to be able to understand him. (Not uncommon in Southern California)
8-Usually, there is a guy who manages to get away with doing nothing all day. (It's never understood why said person isn't fired)

I've gone from my younger days of laughing at Dilbert comics to now where I can completely relate to them. I find solace in knowing that I'm going to quit soon.


Can anyone in AF relate due to having such a job?

[Wilson]

I've got 1 through 6, I work for my dad in his optical stores...not quite Dilbert, but I can certainly relate to most of the list. Except there's NO ESCAPE!

[Wio]

I've got 1 through 6, I work for my dad in his optical stores...not quite Dilbert, but I can certainly relate to most of the list. Except there's NO ESCAPE!
The 7th and 8th attribute are optional but VERY LIKELY, as Dilbert jobs are the mother of such situations.

The owner of my place of employment has a warehouse full of junk that he's trying to sell. We're getting so much more input than output that the place no longer has any space for more junk. We're literally filling up the aisles of our storage facilities, which is making it nearly impossible to access other parts of our inventory.

He'll also say things like "tech these printers, but only take 5 minutes on each", which, unless every printer works perfectly(rarely the case), is impossible.