Just to let some steam off: **** Human Resources!

[matatron]

Hi guys

I don't know if this is the correct forum. Just wanted to let some steam off and share a story.
For Halloween this year, I made a Immortan Joe costume. I started working on it since august. Searched on TheRPF for info, files and tips. Tried to make it as faithful as possible. 3D printed the badges, got some clear plastic and molded it with a heat gun for the armor, sculpted the mask, made my own wig with hair extensions, etc...

Then in my day work companny the HR department announced a costume contest with $100, $75 and $50 Amazon giftcards as prices. Not a big prize but still something.

So I brought my costume to work. Everybody loved it! There were other good costumes too. It was fun.

So HR took photos and uploaded them in the Intranet and the employees could vote for their favorite costume. The cut was at 5pm. I was winning all day. Then around 4pm one of HR employees, a girl with only a half her face painted as a sugar skull, started to get votes. She went up and for a moment she was winning. Then some friends told that it was because she, as a HR employee with access to all the employees emails, was contacting everybody asking for votes.
I asked my friends to vote for me and they asked their friends and teammates and eventually I surpassed her by 20 votes at the end of the day.

So today they finally announced the winners: a tie between us two. We both won 1rst place and each receive the $100 gift card.

Everybody says is bull**** because:
1. her costume was only half face painted, she wasn't even using special clothes or anything
2. she got all those votes because she used her position as HR to contact a lot of employees
3. even with all those votes, I had 20 votes more than her, and she had 20 more votes than the second place, no reason to call it a tie

It's clear that her friends in HR manipulated the results...

Well, anyway. I have my $100 gift card so I can't complain... but is still disappointing to see that 3 months of work, time and dedication is worth the same as 10 minutes of face painting and knowing the right people.

Have any of you been in a similar situation?

I leave you some pictures to compare...

 

[NeoRutty]

Re: Just to let some steam off: f_ck Human Resources!

My Studio was working on the "Thomas the Tank Engine" series and I figured I'd get in the spirit and make a Thomas costume for Halloween.

I made this wearable Thomas and I was the conductor....

I ended up winning, but I got only one vote more than the girl who dressed like a school girl from the show. Just cuz of the "School girl" bit. Even my best friend voted for her "She's cute... you're not... you understand".

 

[third3ye]

Re: Just to let some steam off: f_ck Human Resources!

First of all, chill out, it's just an office costume contest. Second, this happens all the time - a few years back I wore my UD Replicas Cap TFA costume to work and entered the costume contest, only to lose to some dude cross-dressing as Elsa cuz it was funny. It's either that or office politics where someone is just more popular. Third, if this HR person wants to go through all that effort to get votes, then you really should just feel sorry for her and move on, cuz that's stuff you pull in high school. HR employees are always going to have certain advantages/perks because of their systems access, that's true for every company, but keep in mind generally HR also gets paid less (executive recruiters aside).

My suggestion is just drop it in the future. I can't speak for your office culture but generally speaking if someone wants to raise that much hell over a costume contest, it just looks bad on that person and makes him/her seem petty. Next time, just dress up, have fun, and don't worry so much about a $100 gift card. Now if the prize is $1000, then bring it :lol

 

[matatron]

Re: Just to let some steam off: f_ck Human Resources!

I agree. Will drop it off and be a good player about it. I have my $100 and already thinking in what will spend it.
I even didn't said anythig about it in Facebook because surely other work mates would see it and it could eventually get to her or any other HR staff and my job is not worth $100. As you said, whining about it would look bad in the office environment.
That's why I vented it here. Is a safe place where I know it will not reach HR and also where others would undestand.
Just needed somewhere safe to say **** that HR Bitch...
Thank you for listening. Now if you excuse me I have $100 burning in my pocket and Black Friday is coming.

PS. I was thinking on coming to job next year painted exactly like her....

 

[Nitz146]

Re: Just to let some steam off: f_ck Human Resources!

I don't know dude, her face painting is pretty rad.
Just sayin.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

Re: Just to let some steam off: f_ck Human Resources!

My office had a costume contest with a panel of 3 judges. I've never had an office job before and it was my first ever costume contest.

I wore my Darth Vader costume. First place was $500, $250 for first runner up, and $100 for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place.

About 12-15 people entered the individual costume category, there was also a group category.

I placed 4th, behind a Russian Mail-Order Bride, the scout from the movie Up, Maleficent, and the winner (actually 2 people, not sure how that was not considered a group) who won dressed as our company Success Wall.

I had fun. Sure, my costume is screen accurate and cost $2500 more than the rest and took me 3 years to make, but I had a blast anyway and got $100. Gotta roll with the punches sometimes. Besides, a dozen people didn't win anything at all.

 

[DL 44 Blaster]

Re: Just to let some steam off: f_ck Human Resources!

If it was for your kid's second grade school project then yeah maybe all of this, but uh...just no. Relax....you'll live longer.

 

[Angelus Lupus]

Re: Just to let some steam off: f_ck Human Resources!

My office had a costume contest with a panel of 3 judges. I've never had an office job before and it was my first ever costume contest.

I wore my Darth Vader costume. First place was $500, $250 for first runner up, and $100 for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place.

About 12-15 people entered the individual costume category, there was also a group category.

I placed 4th, behind a Russian Mail-Order Bride, the scout from the movie Up, Maleficent, and the winner (actually 2 people, not sure how that was not considered a group) who won dressed as our company Success Wall.

I had fun. Sure, my costume is screen accurate and cost $2500 more than the rest and took me 3 years to make, but I had a blast anyway and got $100. Gotta roll with the punches sometimes. Besides, a dozen people didn't win anything at all.

http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrksdbbg...wwfdgs/9/976173/4001324/44470014184678-vi.jpg

I suspect, in these situations, a Vader will never win because the average person won't know the difference between your $2k-$3k version and the off-the-shelf Rubies. Therefore, they'll assume you just bought it as-is, and didn't put in the effort. It sucks, but Vader is so embedded in the cultural psyche that most people won't stop to consider all the intricacies.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

Re: Just to let some steam off: f_ck Human Resources!

Yeah, there was no 'question and answer' about the costume, it was name, department, and who you were dressed as.

If if they had learned that I made it myself, and out of my 6'4" costume I'm only 5'9", I might have placed higher.

Still, free $100 for wearing something I already had is pretty sweet.

 

[third3ye]

Re: Just to let some steam off: f_ck Human Resources!

I suspect, in these situations, a Vader will never win because the average person won't know the difference between your $2k-$3k version and the off-the-shelf Rubies. Therefore, they'll assume you just bought it as-is, and didn't put in the effort. It sucks, but Vader is so embedded in the cultural psyche that most people won't stop to consider all the intricacies.

I don't know about that, the quality difference between a legit expensive costume and a cheap Rubies is pretty obvious even to your everyday crowd. I've gotten a ton more attention and compliments with my legit costumes than the times when I bought something cheap, even for the same character. For these contests what generally matters more than the quality of the costume is the idea behind the costume. Wit and humor always trumps screen accuracy for these contests, in my experience. Very different judging criteria than say a costume contest at a con.