Questionable Content 9: To kill a Yelling Bird

[memnarch]

Are we still pretending Original Blond Girl is still working there?

Sara got eaten by an allosaurus. Or so says the cast page.

[mythmonster2]

Being reminded of the cast page's existence, I took a look at it. I'm surprised May isn't on there, considering much more minor characters like PT410X or Nat are on there. Also, I've totally forgotten what Raven is up to. Didn't she come back from college at some point?

[SaintRidley]

Well, there you go Emily. Just get drafted into work at Coffee of Doom.

[Knaight]

Being reminded of the cast page's existence, I took a look at it. I'm surprised May isn't on there, considering much more minor characters like PT410X or Nat are on there. Also, I've totally forgotten what Raven is up to. Didn't she come back from college at some point?

The cast page tends to lag a bit. Plus, May's pretty comparable with Nat, it's just that she's relevant now as opposed to several years ago.

[Fawkes]

Bubbles is in there, though, and she's much newer than May.

[Coidzor]

Bubbles is in there, though, and she's much newer than May.

Then it's not a bug. It's foreshadowing.

[eee]

Spoiler: New Comic

Show

What the heck happened to Penelope's hair? Looks like she dyed it auburn, which is kinda odd. While searching through the archives for a strip with her, I ran across the first one with Cosette, and Penelope's hair color now is similar to Cosette's original hair color...which becomes deeply ironic given that they made Cosette dye her hair brown when she started working for CoD.

Sometimes Jeph just loses me with his random character design changes. Penelope is barely recognizable here compared to how she looked previously.

The presence of Dale, former pizza delivery guy, has forced her to change her appearance to avoid him recognizing her as secretly his one time arch nemesis, Pizza Girl!

Or something.

[eee]

I think, if I were Penelope, I'd be a bit less concerned that Dora just hired someone by accident than that she hired Emily by accident. But then Pen may not know Emily that well...

[Kato]

I think, if I were Penelope, I'd be a bit less concerned that Dora just hired someone by accident than that she hired Emily by accident. But then Pen may not know Emily that well...

Emily in close proximity to vast amounts of hot liquid. This could not possibly be dangerous

Also... I'm pretty sure by now Dora just likes arguing. Just my kind of person.

[Fawkes]

I would be more concerned that the 'promotion' is a lot more work and there hasn't been any discussion of additional pay.

Does Penny even want the job?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

I would be more concerned that the 'promotion' is a lot more work and there hasn't been any discussion of additional pay.

There doesn't have to be talk of additional pay. A change of title (she is now assistant manager) carries with it a higher pay, in pretty much every organisation I have worked in or heard of. A barista makes about $8/hour and an assistant manager about $11/hour, according to the website linked (and those numbers look plausible to me, and they definitely are accurate for my own profession). They could discuss a rate above and beyond the base, of course, but it is not necessary.

Grey Wolf

[Shadow of the Sun]

Claire's freckles appear to have broken out into a terrible case of eczema.

[Fawkes]

There doesn't have to be talk of additional pay. A change of title (she is now assistant manager) carries with it a higher pay, in pretty much every organisation I have worked in or heard of. A barista makes about $8/hour and an assistant manager about $11/hour, according to the website linked (and those numbers look plausible to me, and they definitely are accurate for my own profession). They could discuss a rate above and beyond the base, of course, but it is not necessary.

Yes, that's how it's supposed to work. You get a new title, you get more responsibilities, you get more pay. But it's not an automatic thing. You do have to talk about it. Changing someone's title doesn't automatically deposit more money into their bank account. Your links are average payscales for those positions, not the official amount of money one will always receive for that job.

When you offer someone a promotion, you tell them what their new title and responsibilities would be, and you tell them/negotiate with them what their new wage/salary will be. Also, you generally tell them in person first and let them make the decision to accept it before announcing it to everyone at a staff meeting.

So, yeah, we can assume that Penelope's getting more money with promotion, that's a safe bet, but it's weird that Dora apparently isn't telling Penelope anything about how much she'll be paid.

[Flickerdart]

So, yeah, we can assume that Penelope's getting more money with promotion, that's a safe bet, but it's weird that Dora apparently isn't telling Penelope anything about how much she'll be paid.

This seems like unnecessary detail more than anything. Does it change the story if Penelope goes from 9 bucks to 12, or 8 bucks to 11, or minimum wage to 15? Should Jeph also list how much Coffee of Doom's coffee costs, or the Secret Bakery's bagels, or what the fines at the library are?

[Coidzor]

I guess we'll find out if there's a discrepancy if it comes up as a plot point.

[memnarch]

Claire's freckles appear to have broken out into a terrible case of eczema.

That was actually the second thing I noticed, right after the slanted first panel. (I know it's supposed to be the countertop)

[Fawkes]

This seems like unnecessary detail more than anything. Does it change the story if Penelope goes from 9 bucks to 12, or 8 bucks to 11, or minimum wage to 15? Should Jeph also list how much Coffee of Doom's coffee costs, or the Secret Bakery's bagels, or what the fines at the library are?

Yes, the actual number is a completely unnecessary detail. So are the specifics of what Penelope's new duties are. All I'm saying is this seems like a bum deal for Penelope when all that's being talked about in the comic is the downsides. I don't need to see the dang employee contract, I'm just surprised that payment didn't come up as a topic of conversation so far in the strips concerning the promotion, because that's like the first thing about getting a promotion.

I was not expecting pushback on this

You know what? I'm doubling down. Dora's a terrible manager, and if her delegation in #3107 is any indication of how things are gonna go, then Penelope needs to bail ASAP, possibly burning the place down behind her.

Tripling down, Coffee of Doom is a stain upon the earth, where aimless twenty-somethings toil away in purgatory until their miserable death by allosaurus.

[eee]

Claire without glasses is a bit disconcerting...

[Traab]

Yes, the actual number is a completely unnecessary detail. So are the specifics of what Penelope's new duties are. All I'm saying is this seems like a bum deal for Penelope when all that's being talked about in the comic is the downsides. I don't need to see the dang employee contract, I'm just surprised that payment didn't come up as a topic of conversation so far in the strips concerning the promotion, because that's like the first thing about getting a promotion.

I was not expecting pushback on this

You know what? I'm doubling down. Dora's a terrible manager, and if her delegation in #3107 is any indication of how things are gonna go, then Penelope needs to bail ASAP, possibly burning the place down behind her.

Tripling down, Coffee of Doom is a stain upon the earth, where aimless twenty-somethings toil away in purgatory until their miserable death by allosaurus.

Her new duties are not unnecessary details. Her being in charge of scheduling and the like is likely going to be, if not a direct cause of drama at some stage, at least be included as part of her character development. Also, while yes, asking her ahead of time is the standard way to do things, discussing someone else's pay at a group meeting is also not done.

[Admiral Squish]

I would say at least a casual mention of a non-specific pay raise, either at the meeting or during the breif one-on-one afterwards would certainly serve to soften the unpleasantness of Pen-pen's suddenly increased responsibilities.
Still, I don't think it's all that bad.

And yeah, Claire sans glasses is strange. I suspect I'll have to get used to it, though.

[Fawkes]

I would say at least a casual mention of a non-specific pay raise, either at the meeting or during the breif one-on-one afterwards would certainly serve to soften the unpleasantness of Pen-pen's suddenly increased responsibilities.

That is literally all I'm saying.

I mean, that, and the whole allosaurus purgatory thing.

[eee]

Penny and Dora are going to have such a FUN working relationship...

[Fawkes]

VINDICATION

See, I TOLD you it was weird!

[Coidzor]

Agreed, strange Claire is strange. I wonder if this is just Jeph being Jeph or indicative of some kind of time skip?

Also, did Emily suddenly grow boobs or have I just been really unobservant up to now?

VINDICATION

See, I TOLD you it was weird!

And I said it'd come up if it was in play.

[Kato]

Also, did Emily suddenly grow boobs or have I just been really unobservant up to now?

I can't say I have noticed a change. Her boobs never were that prominent, though going back I guess they are actually more noticeable than others. But neither then nor now did I pay them much mind.

Also: I kind of feel like Penelope will be offended Emily gets what she was making just before... but maybe she'll just work more hours or... dunno.

[Traab]

I can't say I have noticed a change. Her boobs never were that prominent, though going back I guess they are actually more noticeable than others. But neither then nor now did I pay them much mind.

Also: I kind of feel like Penelope will be offended Emily gets what she was making just before... but maybe she'll just work more hours or... dunno.

Not if its the general starting wage. Its kinda hard to tell how long penelope has actually been working here and if she has been getting pay rate increases or not. So since she gets a pay bump, I dont think she will give a dang that someone else makes her former lower pay scale.

*EDIT* Also, I will laugh a lot if this entire update was nothing more than jeph reacting to people outraged over penelope not being told flat out she would make more money in the earlier two comics. Especially with that last panel being a reference to his comic itself. "Hey, its worked well so far!"

[Adaon Nightwind]

I do hope this leads to more Emily Screen time. She's the most beautiful aspect and person of the comic to me right now, even though i miss her longer hair.

[Cikomyr]

Tai has mastered Academia Fu.

Wait until the very last day and then use the pressure to crank out quality texts

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Tai has mastered Academia Fu.

Wait until the very last day and then use the pressure to crank out quality texts

And always give your audience what they want, not what you think they should want.

GW

[eee]

Glassless Claire is still... disconcerting...