Okay... so I used to have my own office. Then they did some moving around and combining, and now I share an office with a woman who has been working at my place for 6 years. She's about 55 years old, stubborn, set in her ways, miserable and gossipy - and hangs out with women just like her who I KNOW don't like me and talk about me (p.s. - these people all have save the date magnets for my wedding since I had my e-party soon after I started working there last year and just invited everyone. Screw etiquette... they're not being invited to my wedding).
Anyway... when I leave my office for an extended period of time, I put my phone on 'call forward' so that when someone calls me, it goes right to voicemail without ringing. She doesn't. So yesterday, she was out all day. Her phone was ringing constantly, so I finally put her phone on 'call forward' so that it would just go right to her voicemail. Ahhhh... peace and quiet for the rest of the day.
So, today when she came in, I immediately told her that I had to put her phone on call forward since it was ringing non-stop while she was out. She looked at me in absolute disgust and asked where the calls went? I told her to her voicemail. She looked pissed, and started taking her lunch out to put away and slammed her water bottle down on the desk, so I guessed she wasn't happy. Whatever... she has no regard for the fact that she shares an office with anyone.
So, fast forward to later today... 2 minutes before we're all leaving for the weekend... and she says to me, 'Sarah..I'm going to be out on Monday morning for a few hours... just for the morning, though. I should be back in the afternoon. I would appreciate it if you didn't put my phone on call forward. I would rather it ring.'. I was like, 'well, I find it very distracting while I'm trying to do my work to have to hear the phone ring all day. What's the difference between letting it ring 5 times before going to VM and just going right to it?' And... get this... she said, 'well, in my line of work, I like to give my callers the option of hearing the phone ring a few times before leaving a message and hanging up before the VM.' WHAT?!?!?!
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(we hold the same position... just different subject matter) I told her that they can still opt to hang up before they leave a VM, and I would just appreciate not having to unnecessarily hear the phone ringing all day, like I do for her! She's like, 'well, I would just appreciate it if you didn't do that.'
Then she ran in to tell her miserable 'friends' what happened. I don't get it. I'll tell you one thing... on Monday... her phone is being put on Call Forward. Her phone is SO close to me, it might as well be on my desk, and I can't work while I hear her phone ringing loudly and constantly ALL DAY. Can you believe this!?!?
I want my own office back!!!!!!!!
UPDATE:
For those who are interested:
Okay... so I got in and told my immediate supervisor. She completely sympathizes with me that I have to work with this woman day in and day out, and said she wouldn't be able to last one day with her (lucky me). Supposedly, they are working on a building redesign to make more office space - so hopefully we won't have to share offices in the somewhat near future. I told her that I would be putting her phone on Call Forward if it got annoying again. She told me to just expect that my office mate wouldn't be happy. I told her that I'm prepared for that, but I'm not a little girl and I'm not being intimidated by some ridiculous and obvious scheme by my office mate and her cronies to try to push me around. I think she respected that.
So, with the call forward on, my office mate walked in all chipper into our office this afternoon. We said hello, and I said, 'oh, I had to put your phone on call forward again - it was driving my crazy!!'. She didn't say anything... but her face changed in an instant to PISSED. It was pretty anti-climactic for today, but I don't think this was the end. I'm sure her and her little friends will think something else up.
Sorry it wasn't more exciting! lol. I was nervous about the whole thing today. I'm just glad I stood my ground and didn' t have to bear hearing that phone ringing all day again!!
Thanks for checking in! Isn't office drama oh-so exciting???
