Matt--I agree, generalisms never seem to help anything. The thing that kind of bugs me is, the office used to be a lot of fun and people were free to engage in conversation, sing, laugh, do whatever--as long as the work got done. I am a very hard worker, I pay very close attention to detail and I work quite quickly, which in every other office I've temped in has been a good quality to have. I'm not sure when the office etiquette changed, or when their expectations for us changed, because they haven't been consistent with enforcing any of their new "rules." Some people are hounded and hovered over while others get away with virtual murder. I wasn't aware that it was an infraction of any rule to lean over and say something to the guy sitting next to me, as that had never really been a rule before. When Fussbudget was hired, a new employee handbook was distributed (only to full-time employees--not to temps) and they had to sign agreements and things, but since I never got a copy of the handbook, I have no idea what they were agreeing about. It's like we've gone from working at Disneyland to working for the Weisslers, and everyone's heads are spinning trying to figure out what's what. It's making my stomach hurt to think about it... I know work isn't supposed to be fun (necessarily), but it's not supposed to give you ulcers, either...especially when you're "just" a temp.
