might get fired

Take the high road. If you get called in, simply explain as you did here, calmly, that it was a 30 second job, an obvious need that had to be taken care of, you were worried about company productivity while this person couldn't log on, etc. If your boss reams you out and you feel your walking papers are in process, re-iterate your points and how sorry you are in an e-mail and include a copy to your boss' boss.

I had a boss like that. I found a better job eventually. Everyone knew why I was leaving, and I (against all advice the "professionals" usually give) told them so in the exit interview.

Four months later they finally fired the jerk. I applied for and got his job. He remained unemployed at age 55, never getting another job in IT even during the boom years.

Can't guarantee the same outcome for you, of course. Times are tough, IT jobs scarce, so be careful until you have something else lined up.

Having a jerk boss is good training for you, though. You know how NOT to manage for once you get into that position.

OK - Its unfair - OK the guys a Jerk - OK the Place sucks - But take the road less traveled.

If you are called on the floor for it - OK, here's why I did it - part of the manufacturing of production supplies or YZD product was being impacted - it took 30 second to correct the problem and return to normal operations in that area - this save the company XYT Dollars in down production time - waiting for the process that has been set up.

If you wish - I will no longer do that but please put that in writing so that I can share this with all support staff members.

Let them accept and sign off on the risk - financial costs of it. (Suggestion get an hourly outage cost for production - this will scare the shit out of them - when they see the figures)..

He might claim insubordination as a tactic. however you need to get a boss or HR personel to witness the counciling. All businesses have an open door policy, even in a right to work state like Florida. You can request any observer of your choice if need be. This case is about costing the company MONEY by not having a key employee not able to log into the network. I doubt that any president or other manager wouldnt object to maintaining employee efficiency vs. paying an employee to "just sit there" and get paid doing nothing. Insubordination is countermaning specific orders but most would interpret it as issuing equipment, software, something outside the norm of daily operations his order was unethical and not practical. If you bring up his drinking it is bad form that makes you look less credible. If you want during the counceling bring up his poor attitude and abrasive conduct as concern about his well being that all seem to notice. Or better yet an anyomous tip to HR about drinking on the job prior to counseling as a premptive strike. When it hits the fan his character will come up in question on why so extreme on a password issue, either way its the high road or the low road. it sounds like a bad environment and understand that few are lucky to even have employment these days let alone in their field. Maybe its time to move on but protect yourself against firing to migrate into another job. It matters if they want to get rid of you over small potatoes in reducing overhead. I have learned that you fight the law the law always wins. If not now they will find a reason which just makes them look bad in a harrassment suit. If they document this so called insubordination then fire you later for pidaly issue then it would look very much like targeting, good for you at least.

I work in manufacturing and if I didn't know better, I'd say we worked for the same company. My previous boss was a waste of flesh, controlling, sore licking (literally), smelly, obnoxious waste with a high pitched girly laugh. He was controlling to the point we couldn't get ANYTHING done. He required us to check in everyday when we were on vacation. To put it mildly, he made all our lives hell. If you DO lose your job, at least you won't work for an unreasonable tyrant anymore, anything else has to be better. I was lucky. My boss got fired and I got his job. :)

There doesn't seem to be much to add.

However, I ask that you keep us up to date on this.

You answered your question in the first paragraph of your post. You are unhappy there, LEAVE!

there is nothing worse than workign where you are not happy, even if you decided you wanted to be a fisherman next week, DO IT, that's where you are going to be hapy.

What I see is you are happy with the company but not your manager. Now I have assumed you have taken this up with the powers that be and the only resolve was 'too bad' and 'deal with it.'

I would have wakled out in an instant, you have skills? Do you have drive? Then go work where you want to and escape the paranoid comfort zone of paying the bills. It really isn't that hard to drum up a few grand on the side when you have to, to drum up a few grand when you DON'T have to takes some effort, but if you have bills to pay, you WILL be able to pay them if you want to.

Next, get a job that you actually want to do with a company that is actually worth working for.

if this guy has a drinking problem that effects his work and the company hasn't noticed it, then move on, they will only suffer as a result of having blinders on.

As for the turnover, I've had a job where I hired and fired 60 people every Monday, without fail. It sucked because they were all friends and people I liked (most of the time) but some industry's have a high turnover (which can be great of you are looking to move up in th eranks) and others have the same old boys runnign the show that were there 30 years ago, which is horrible for it shows complacency of employees and offers no room for advancement.

good luck, personally, and I mean JUST MY VIEW, I'd be running out the door before it could hit me on the ass.

Just a side comment here.

Not all manufacturing situations are bad.

The big problems are with companies that make high volume low margin products.

The lower the company is on the manufacturing food chain, the worse the penny pinching can be.

I work for a low volume high margin manufacturing company.
It is one of the best jobs I have had.

Chas

When someone is digging a hole - give them a larger shovel! Eventually the whole will be so big they will not be able to climb out.

I think you are getting bad advice here. Don't presume that upper management are rational people that will back you up for doing the right thing.

I worked for a small manufacturer once and I think your company's top management probably sees your boss as a fellow manager and you as nothing but the computer janitor. Facts, reason, and the truth will be no excuse and no defense.

So you need to decide if you are willing to apologize, grovel, and promise to never do it again in order to keep your job. Only you know what your family, financial, and health situation is so only you can make that call. Just don't count on being able to reason with any manager.

Friend, you are in a no win situation. I put up with a bastard boss like this for 4 YEARS! When I put it to a me vs. him, I got the severance and I have never been happier. I'm happier now than I have been in 4 years since I'm away from that sicko.

I dealt with my idiot with three different strategies:

1. Insist all communications are written. It was difficult since my idiot was a "verbal" communicator, but I would screw up his orders and send him an e-mail asking "is this what you wanted". Once I got the written orders, I followed it to the letter.

2. If the people had trouble with Mr. Idiot's orders, I would trick him into meeting with this person IN PERSON with me there. The language was very colorful while I played as stupid as a bump on a log.

3. Catching him in the act. Disloyalty, sabotage, vendor kickbacks, intentional virus infections....firewall, PC connection, and Voice mail logs are wonderful things.

So, if you have "the goat pictures" of this bastard you can show to management, you can either keep your lousy job with your now punished boss (who is looking for revenge on you) or you can get a good severance package away from that bastard and be happily unemployed for a few weeks/months.

Do what you have to but "the bastard" seems to always win.

Good luck

It seem's to me that you are working for a nuckle head. I been there an done that an I have always followed a simple rule cover you a**

Was there a policy written that you had to wait for his appoval. Did you follow the guide lines that were set before you. Even if you have the documentation that you were trying to save the company money you committed an offense an they will have to deal with it as it wriiten. If they don't then the company will be in total kaos Cause you can get by with anything depending on who you know

The next thing i would do is ( this is after your punishment ) is to do what ever the man says to do remember that is his job performance not yours he will drown himself soon or later.

I hope well in your problem an I think I do some sole seaching the login name tells the whole story

I am currently ona sloow dial up so I have not read all the other replies and may be duplicating wgat they have said. But, as I see it from an admin, management and tech (in that order) background, you can either accept his decison to sack you and walk away, or (and this is what I recommend) stand up for yourself as you have little to lose if you do.

If you make a stand you need to take it to a senior level well above your boss and need to make various points in your support, if you get lucky you may get your boss' job. the points to make are:

1. IT are their to support the others in meeting the corporate business outcomes, not the other way around.

2. IT is supposed to be responsive so that those who are acrually making the money can get on with their jobs as quickly as possible.

3. The vast majority of daily IT tasks are routine and the boss' time should NOT be wasted by them.

4. The current policy of your boss does NOT meet the three criteria above and his attitude of sacking people for doing what are routine support taks ment for entry level staff are impacting the company's operations, productivity and financial viability.

5. That you are a highly experienced IT tech and know when a matter should be put to the boss and when it should not, give some local axamples of each, and that you were origonally employed and paid to exercise your sound judgement in these things.

In other words demonstrate your knowledge of being an IT professional and that you act as one, not an erand person.

Another point you may want to consider is what the company policy is re alcoholism and if you have evidence to support your statement that his alcoholism has affected the work area. Personally I would leave this out as it would seem a personal attack instead of professional concerns.

Well I still have job. Thanks for everyone's replies.

All that happened was that my immediate boss (former co-workers...another story), asked me to make sure I told everyone the policy from now on. I don't think it is over yet because I never seen morale this low here.

There are 0 written policies, and all orders are verbal so it is hard to keep a CYA paper trail.

I didn't intend to use the drinking as leverage (yet), but was trying to protray the condition that he is in when we are having to deal with situations.

The latest issue is that our person over hardware had to give a used laptop to a user who had ordered a new one. Without that person's knowledge. He found out however and the sheet might hit the fan.

There is also something else going on.

I know I am rambling but it is like being on a slow sinking ship and everyone is scrambling to save themselves.

I would be more than happy to move on, but I have just had a son so I am too chicksheet to risk it just yet.

I see this either coming out great for the employees and bad for upper management, or the other way around.

I will keep everyone updated and thanks again for the advice. Definitely pays to keep a level head about things if you can.

HR protects the company, not the individual, remember that. Now, if you can clearly and without debate Cover Your A$$, and prove that your manager is "a RISK" to the company, then you have it made. If you can prove you are mitigating that risk in whatever ethical and legal fashion you can, you are safe, both from being fired and demoted. AND, if you bring this to HR, you're chances of being fired are even slimmer (won't go into details why, but its an HR thing), but there is always a chance of being fired for beign a whistle blower. Everyone is expendable, there is always risk.

Just rememberm HR protects the company, and if you have other executives backing you up, then you should be ok. Also remember this, the Business almost always wins over Exec's and definately over IT. The business is a profit center, IT is usually a cost center, so if IT is preventing the business from making profit, guess what, changes will happen (if it can be proved).

Everything is relative.