Workplace related rant

[MamaMootz]

I work for a Big Computer company now. When I first started here 3 weeks ago, none of the other associates could tell me where I could obtain a phone headset or a glare screen for my monitor. And I thought it was odd that the best advice they could give me was to "go through empty desks and steal what you need". (Yes, they really did say this).

I think I'm starting to understand why. I decided to challenge myself and try and get these ordered today. Here's the chain of events:

10:00AM: Perform web search on the intranet and find a contact for workplace services. Click on the link for a new request. Ask them for my headset and glare screen.

12:02PM: Receive reply from workplace services instructing me to contact IT services at an 800 number. Workplace Services Doesn't Do That.

12:03PM: Call the 800 number to discover that this number is only for calls regarding software product technical support or password resets. I hang up. Apparently, They Don't Do That Either.

12:05PM: Perform a second intranet search for internal IT services and log a ticket requesting the items. Since workplace services sent me to IT, I figured that's what I needed to do.

1:28PM: Receive e-mail from IT services instructing me to go and visit another intranet website called E-order. Go to E-order.

1:30PM: After searching through E-order, discover that they have now consolidated this service to something called SmartOrder. So I go there.

1:31PM: SmartOrder only has computer components available for order. No headsets or glare screens. SmartOrder refers me to Best Buy or Staples.

2:00PM: I try to place the order through Staples and Best Buy. But I cannot place an order through Best Buy or Staples because I'm a contractor, and not a full-time Big Computer Company employee and my manager will not approve the new equipment expenditure. Apparently, my hurting eyes are not important to them unless I'm a Real Company Employee.

Are you telling me that there is NO ONE at Big Computer Company that has an extra freaking headset? Or that there are no spare glare screens hanging out in the IT department???

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A COMPUTER COMPANY FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

The Question of the Day and the Question of Tomorrow: Will I be able to find myself a headset? Or a glare screen, since I'm getting massive headaches and my eyes are burning from looking at this monitor all day? Help!

I have just discovered that headsets are Prized Possessions here as they are expensive for our phone types and according to the very nice engineers that sit on either side of me, my best bet is to.........

scrounge through empty desks and try to find one.

[AFpheonix]

Can you get a Real Employee to place the order for you?

[Banrion]

Find the ergonomics department. If you have health services for your company, it's usually through them. My mom is a Certified Occupational Health & Safety nurse, and ergonomics fall under her realm. She does all the ordering of headsets, wrist rests, glare screens, foot stools & articulating keyboard and monitor stands for the whole company.

[MamaMootz]

Can you get a Real Employee to place the order for you?

I can't get a Real Employee, since my Manager is the one that has to approve it, but he's a Missing Person. Which is a whole other rant. Real Employees won't do it because their manager(s) are in different business units, and even though we are the same company, they won't cross charge equipment.

[MamaMootz]

Find the ergonomics department.

The ironic thing about this is that yesterday I spent an hour doing ergonomics training and was actually trying to find the headset and the glare screen in response to the assessment they gave me

However, the ergonomics training is computer based and our division's ergonomics department is the same as facilities. Facilities was the first department I contacted yesterday.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'm going to have to talk to Manager when he comes back on Monday. If he actually shows up.