Grrrrr

You've read me grumbling about the amount of courses I'm obliged to do as part of my job, on more than one occasion, and I don't mean to bore you all to tears by writing about it again. However, this is beyond the pale.

I received an email from my manager informing me that I was overdue on completing one course, and could I please get on with it. The next email in my inbox was an email from the company which runs these courses, and this informed me that my course had now come up for renewal. So the very same day that this course comes up for renewal, I get an uppity email from my manager?

I checked the website. They operate a simple traffic light system, so if your course is green it's up-to-date, if it's amber it's due for renewal, and if it's red it's expired - all perfectly simple. So I checked the course, and yes it was on amber - but it had only come onto amber that same day, and it wasn't even due to expire until the end of July. July!

There are times when you have to say, in effect, "Yes, manager. No, manager. Three bags full, manager." It's called keeping your job. And there are times when you have to firmly say "No." So I sent said manager a perfectly polite email, with the website's email attached to prove that the course had come onto amber a mere few hours ago. I pointed out that I'd always done the required courses on time, and not one, not once, had expired.

When I next arrived at work, she hurriedly trotted down to corridor to me, very apologetic, saying how she has to send reminder emails to everyone. After a few hours, rather than a month or so? "Well some people have 7 or 8 courses all on amber, and if they expire than I can't put a person's name on the rota." 

Fine, but that's not me, is it. Mine are done. Always have been.

"Very sorry," she said. She is new in the manager's role, so I'll let her off. I do have a copy of the email exchange, though, filed online, just in case it's needed at some point.