People who complain about work

I totally get that some people are stuck at dead-end jobs, working in a field that does not interest them at all, because they need the $$ and the economy sucks right now. This isn't about them.

I have several people I am friends with (on FB and IRL) and all they seem to do is complain about their jobs - which are people oriented! Think nurses, home health aides, police officers, teachers...

All day long on FB these people are complaining about going to work and the people they work with.

It really just makes me feel bad for their "clients"... I mean, didn't they choose to go into that specific field? What the heck?

Re: People who complain about work

I'm with you. I'd give almost anything to have a job to complain about right now!!

Re: People who complain about work

everyone does, so many people i know complain about their jobs...they should be happy they HAVE a job, they are alot of people unemployed and trying to find work.

Re: People who complain about work

I find it useless to complain about work and co-workers but you really have 2 options.

1/ you leave
2/ you stay

A new job will not fall off the sky so if you want a new career, make it happen.

Re: People who complain about work

Re: People who complain about work

First of all, I think it's bad form to complain about your job on FB. It's way too public and you never know who sees what you write.

Second, ITA about having some kindness about the people you work with, especially in the careers you mention. I get that you will run into the PITA client, student, patient but there's no reason to post about them on FB.

Re: People who complain about work

dude, people are complainers in general.

that is ALL PEOPLE SEEM TO DO ANYMORE.



honestly I find that those with harder lives complain less about things like that. with "real" problems. people you'd expect to complain and even understand if there were more negative, generally in my experience are not.

it's people who are so blessed that they don't know what a blessing looks like anymore, generally in my experience are the worst offenders.

Re: People who complain about work

Posted by Ophelia

dude, people are complainers in general.

that is ALL PEOPLE SEEM TO DO ANYMORE.



honestly I find that those with harder lives complain less about things like that. with "real" problems. people you'd expect to complain and even understand if there were more negative, generally in my experience are not.

it's people who are so blessed that they don't know what a blessing looks like anymore, generally in my experience are the worst offenders.

Re: People who complain about work

Just playing devil's advocate... maybe they thought it was something they'd anjoy and now they've come to find out they don't? And now they are probably stuck there rather than starting from square one in a different field and taking a huge paycut or facing the possibility of not being able to find another job.

ETA: But there again it was their choice. They made their bed now they have to lie in it.

Message edited 3/2/2011 9:35:10 AM.

Re: People who complain about work

Re: People who complain about work

Re: People who complain about work

Am I doing my "dream job"? No. absolutely not! I don't even know what my dream job is right now!
I DID once have one...did it and realized that it's not something I wanted to do forever so I got out. I had a pretty big responsibility and as soon as I was unhappy, I left because it was unfair to the people I cared for. I am happy with my job now though. I like what I do and generally don't complain about it.
I know that if I want to do something more with my career path, I can! It's not going to fall into my lap..I have to go out there and get it!

Re: People who complain about work

I don't notice this that much on FB, but I do notice it at work in general.

There's a couple of Debbie/Johnie Downers and it just makes me .

My job is stressful enough, when I have people like this complaining constantly........it just makes it that much harder.

I had a co-worker get mad at me recently because I told him I didn't have time to listen to him complain about the same stuff.

Re: People who complain about work

That used to be me.
I had one of those jobs dealing with the public and I absolutely hated it. I complained non-stop to anyone who would listen! I was really stressed out all the time & talking about it was how I would cope. Maybe I annoyed people with all my complaining but I was really beyond miserable.

I did something about it though & changed careers. I am a million times happier now & I never complain about work anymore. But I can understand why some people do, because I've been there! But then there are the people who don't know what a tough job is, yet still find something to complain about... those are the ones that annoy me!

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This gets to me only because I am not working full-time and wish I was.

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I work with a debbie Downer...we trained together and talk on the phone now and again...luckily I can send her to VM if I'm not in the mood

Re: People who complain about work

I am someone who made a total career change -- I was a corporate litigator at a large Manhattan law firm for 9 years and now I am an associate broker for a local real estate company. For me, it was a quality of life issue and about doing something I love. But it wasn't an easy decision to make, and it was something I thought about for a long time before I took the leap.

Aside from financial tradeoffs, I think a big issue was losing my "identity" as a lawyer. A lot of people define themselves by what they do -- cop, nurse, lawyer, etc. -- and it can be hard to let that go, even if you dislike your job. And a lot of people have family pressure ("everyone in my family is a cop and I was meant to be a cop") or self-imposed pressure ("I always wanted to be a lawyer and I invested a lot of time and money to become one.").

But I don't think it's necessarily true that those people who complain to friends and family and co-worker show their dissatisfaction in their job performance. I know that even though I didn't love what I was doing, I always gave 100% to my clients and did very well.

Also, there are some people who maybe don't hate their jobs as much as they say; they just like to complain (or consider it a form of bonding with friends or co-workers).

Re: People who complain about work

I admit that I am one of these people. I don't know if it's the place I work or the job in general but I am miserable and I am vocal about it outside of work. I stay because DH is currently unemployed and looking for a job and we need my income, as crappy as it is, to survive. I also stay because the economy sucks and honestly, I don't know what I want to do. It really s.uck.s but right now I don't have a choice but to suffer through it for now.

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I also wanted to add, since I am a social worker, that I think it is also pretty common and UNDERSTANDABLE in many cases for us to complain.

I WISH many people could see the crap I have to put up with many days.

In a lot of situations, people are expecting me to fix problems that have absolutely no solution.

As one person, my clients EXPECT me to fix issues that are screwed up in our country, like our health care system.

They want me to change problems instantly that go back generations in their family.

I've been blamed over and over, cursed at, threatened and clients have also tried to call me out and attempt to make me feel humiliated in front of my colleagues for issues beyond my, or anyone's control.

I try to have a rule though...........I will sit down and vent for 5 or 10 minutues a day with my co-workers and then that's it. It's time to focus on the problems I CAN solve.

I also have learned to just not talk about work outside of work. When my day is done, my day is done.

If the negativities of work have taken over your life though, I think it's time to start searching for a way out.

I think often we can start to feel comfortable, even in a negative environment, or job that does not suit us.

Message edited 3/4/2011 8:37:22 AM.

Re: People who complain about work

Posted by Ophelia

dude, people are complainers in general.

that is ALL PEOPLE SEEM TO DO ANYMORE.



honestly I find that those with harder lives complain less about things like that. with "real" problems. people you'd expect to complain and even understand if there were more negative, generally in my experience are not.

it's people who are so blessed that they don't know what a blessing looks like anymore, generally in my experience are the worst offenders.

Re: People who complain about work

Some people complain to vent, some people complain because they find it commical, some people complain just to have something to talk about. IMO ignore it if it bothers you.
In this day and age where we have twitter, facebook and even forums like this people just shoot off without even thinking.
Half the stuff I ignore because it doesn't effect me in any way shape or form. As my mama always says, "It takes all kinds to make the world go round"

Re: People who complain about work

Totally agree but I think some people are just be nature complainers. You know the type that cannot find any joy in ANYTHING they do.

I also think there are jobs that can suck the life right out of you. I worked in a group home & holy cr@p, it was physically & mentally exhausting.

Now I"m in HR & laugh at the "I'm a people person" type of people who want to get in HR.

Message edited 3/16/2011 2:41:16 PM.

Re: People who complain about work

what do you do and are they hiring?

Re: People who complain about work

I was at a job that I HATED - I had taken a risk and switched industries and it was terrible.

Finally, after realizing I was doing nothing but complain about my job all day, I just up and quit.

Now I am back in my old industry and 1 million times happier. It was so hard but it was absolutely the right thing to do.

I agree with all the posters above - those who do nothing but complain about their jobs need to either take some action or stop complaining!

Re: People who complain about work

I have always adored you but after this: