Another coworker had a mental meltdown at work today

[Philosophy]

Our office has a really high personnel turnover rate for some reason. Hardly anyone actually gets fired or laid off. Mostly they just crack under the stress and leave; in fact if the management wants someone to go they usually intentionally cause more stress to get them to quit instead of firing them. The guy who snapped today was actually the former head programmer who hired me last year. A few months ago he decided he couldn't handle all the stress any more so he traded jobs with me and made me his boss. Today he finally had enough - he had fallen about 2 weeks behind on his primary project, he was having some chronic health problems, and his wife who he is planning on divorcing soon ran off with his kids to Florida. So he just quit and walked out. He's the third person to leave like this so far this year out of small company of only about a dozen people. And two other people have actually quit for a couple of days and my boss had to beg them to come back. We've started an office pool to secretly bet on who will go haywire next. I bet on our head project manager who has actually quit and come back three total times now. I don't think anyone is betting on me because I deal with stress exactly the opposite way - by achieving a complete state of zen-like apathy.

This is actually the first real "office" job I've had in my career; before I was mostly doing odd jobs as an independent contractor. Is this sort of office drama normal?

[nini]

1. the software business is demanding.. but

there's not enough people to handle the work if it's that tough and the turnover is so high? Do you work long hours and extra days a week? I put in long hours at times when a project is close to release but we do have slow time too so we don't fry out completely.

the funny thing about companies like that is in the long run it costs them more money in dealing with turnover than just making a decent work environment.

good luck

[Philosophy]

3. we never have quite enough people

but we do mostly subcontracting for the military and we practically have to beg to get paid when we're supposed to, so there is never quite enough cash flow to keep extra people around to pick up the slack. We're almost always a little behind on every project, and I have to put a few extra hours in regularly, but it's not excessive.

[nini]

I betcha the owners get paid though

If you're a decent programmer or project manager you should start shopping around. You should be able to find a better work environment and probably more money. The business is tough enough but to not have good organization and time lines it can make you crazy.

I've been at the same place for 13 years and whenever new people come on board they are intimidated initially at our structure and scheduling, but they end up loving us as we rarely miss a release date and turn out high qualiity products. Find a place that knows what they're doing and you'll be much happier...

Heck, I'd be worried about someone going 'postal' one day.. :scared:

[Philosophy]

7. It took me over two years to find this job

I'm a very skilled programmer, and by far the smartest person in the entire company, but my resume is not very impressive at all and has several unexplainable gaps in it where I was unemployed and couldn't get a job because I was unemployed and my resume had gaps in it (go figure :eyes:). So my prospects for finding another job are not very good, but I'm checking all the time. Basically I'm pinning my hopes on trying to change the company culture from within as I move up the heirarchy (which is happening pretty quickly because of the high turnover and because I'm one of the few people there that our CEO can trust is fully competent).

[nini]

9. you're doing the right thing then

sounds like you're cool with what's going on and won't let it get to you like the others. Getting more experience with different jobs and management type stuff will definitely help down the line.

Some people are just not cutout for the software business and since the place is so small those who can't aren't able to slack off like you can get away with in bigger places. Maybe there's just be a run of bad luck with who has come in.

Good Luck!!

[phaseolus]

2. Not in software development, but...

...that can't be normal. It's dysfunctional and pathological.

Oh yeah -- evil, too.

[DS1]

4. Managers that do shit like that should be strung up and beaten

Yes, I condone physical torture.

[KG]

5. be thankful that melt-down didn't involve a semi-automatic.

[amerikat]

6. It's not normal but it is common

Let me guess. Some 1000lb. ego stuffed into a normal body owns the business?

[Philosophy]

8. How'd you guess?

He's a retired military guy and he never has an idea that he doesn't consider pure genius. A big part of my job is to talk him out of those ideas that are actually really stupid. At least he's come to trust my opinion though.