h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

so as not to derail the other conversation further:

there's no requirement for any period of notice in the Probezeit in fact, they could have waited until 5pm on 31st Jan and told him not to come back. That is the wonder of being employed outside of the Öffentlichen Dienst. We are shafted, basically...

As it turns out this guy did something totally stupid, and that's it - Vertrauensbruch and off he goes.

I was wondering about the arbeitsamt, but what can you do? That is the way now in Germany and voters (of which I am not one, unfortunately) let it happen

I just read the law - apparently it's 2 weeks notice - not to the end or the 15. of the month, just a straight two weeks, from either side, without having to give a reason, during the probeeit

Ooh. Only two weeks and no reasons given? Well, that's gotta suck. How are you supposed to improve when they don't even tell you what it was they didn't like about your performance?

I didn't know that about Probezeit. A breach of trust (is that what you would call it?) *is* a totally different matter. You would have to be silly to do something like that while on probation, as it were. But then, stupid people do exist. Similar thing happened in a store a friend of mine runs. He actually had this Azubi in her last year. Just weeks before her final exam, in fact. And that is when she got caught stealing cigarettes from the store. It was bye-bye right there and then. (To make her look even more stupid, this was not the first misconduct and she had *really* been on probation. Now my friend is saying he should have sacked her on the first offence...)

The other thing you mentioned - I do vote here, but nothing changes anyway. (And to be honest - which party would actually pull off a real change of affairs? Steinbrück's gang? Murkle's gang sure wouldn't and Philip's boyband wouldn't want to. The Greens (whom I usually vote for) have other things on their minds, and the Linkish guys... well, let's not go there...)

Thanks for taking this discussion here

How are you OpenU courses coming?

I'd vote if it was allowed, as it is I'm just allowed to pay tax

what he did was so stupid I can't believe it happened. we had a tombola at our christmas party, and his name was drawn (high value prize) but he had left already. The company decided that since he wasn't there they would pull another name. And the guy was there so he took it home.

(I actually don't really agree with what they did - but the best thing is: get over it)

Instead of getting over it he (having studied law at uni) wrote an email to the HR chief saying that he was going to check the legal position and he wanted the prize. They gave it to our lawyer who laughed. Then he was fired. Selbst schuld, as we say.

As for the OU - going ok so far. I'm only in the middle of my 2nd semester (I do one a year, really part-time) and it's getting to be a struggle to find the time. But I think it will be ok.

I hadn't realised you were also a boarding school-opfer
I did have a lot of fun there too, it must be said, but I hated being away from my family. And as you mentioned in your post in that thread, I didn't experience the usual teenage growing up thing, and now it's coming back to bite me because the Gruesomes are 16 and 14 and I have no idea how all this is supposed to work!

Oh, with the gruesomes, it is not your fault (or your parents): It is THEM! (You really should read this tongue_so_far_in_cheek_that_I_can't_talk )

That story about the probeguy has got to be a joke, right? Selbst Schuld to the third. But I guess that makes for some good stories

Boarding school *was* fun at the time. But I guess, though it felt good and right, it just was not what I actually needed at the time. Many of the misgivings about my parents that I have today were planted well before that, but I am thinking that, had we actually fought it out before I hit 20, there might have been a chance to rethink our whole relationship. Now the situation is this: things that have been brewing inside me have grown too strong to gloss over (to pretend everything is fine when I am around my parents), while on the other hand my parents have just grown too old and stubborn to even consider what I might have to say. Ach, but I am sorry, I did not mean to pour this out over you

I think it is great that you do the OU courses, even if it takes longer than maybe you thought and even if it is hard to find/make the time. This is something I have always admired in others - this desire to learn more. So hang in there, you know it will be worth it!

What you say about you having missed stuff in your adolescence that you now feel a need of, that makes me kind of worry about my own daughter. The good news is, though, that the Lady of the Mice (my wife) had more than a normal share of disputes and fights and friction in her day. She *knows* how to fight things out. Plus, she really (and always) reflects on everything she does (and on everything everybody else does - another case where "glossing over" will not work. Try to hide the fact that something is bothering me? Forget it. She knows. I might even say: She KNOWS! ) So together, she and I, just might things work for the little golddaughter (and any sibling she might end up getting; as far as wanting is concerned, the golddaughter is not expected to remain an only child )

ah I say that I don't really know how the dynamic of how a family with teenagers works, but of course, I was home in the holidays so it's just me trying to find a reason for being useless and shouty sometimes.

I've never discussed how much I feel I missed out on with my parents, my mum hated hated that i was at school so it would upset her now. And she's on her own now anyway so best let bygones be bygones.

as for the guy at work - well he's an idiot. I don't think they were right to redraw the prize, but it's something you never had, I can't imagine how he thought he had a "right" to it.

Just had an online tutorial, it's hard going (30 years since I left school, although I did have to do a lot of education in the military and I did an english literature correspondence A-level about 15 years ago.

And don't worry about saying stuff here, or to me: some things are better said, and sometimes they are better said to invisible strangers. It gets it out there and doesn't worry anyone else.