The Pounce
I really didn't know what else to call it. Am I the only one who feels like they're just some sort of figurative prey in the workfield? Like the leads, supervisors, what have you are just waiting for your next mistake or missed file to leap upon it and broadcast the error to all other supervisors, leads, etc.?
This morning I was notified that a customer's file was missing. I had neglected to do the background check but I did it as soon as I realized it wasn't there. That wasn't enough. The supervisor let all other supervisors know that I had missed it even though I put the file where it belonged.
This sort of thing happens frequently--the pointing out of things I've missed I mean. Never an acknowledgement of all the things I did right or completed (and I have a lot to work through in a day). Even if I got 100 right, they would harp on the 1 that was incorrect.
It'a like one can be human but not in the office where everything has to be completely perfect (& that in itself is a contradiction).
I'm just wondering if anyone else has similar experiences. I know it can't be just me feeling like a rodent being observed by a cat.
@Enthenia
No it is not only you.... is there some sort of competition like thing....
i knew several co-worker/ lead types who liked to nit pik thinking it would elevate them or maybe they are jealous of your abilities.
i learned to just do the best i can and let the chips fall where they may there is NO pleasing those types.
@toughTiger6481 It's frustrating because I can't say anything. I did once and it was included in a write-up.
I don't know why there'd be competition. I'm a lowly hourly employee. Half the time I'm so busy that I don't have any spare moments for myself. But the leads when they decide to come in and work in the office, always have the time to chat. I don't really care about that. After I got in trouble for something that wasn't entirely my fault a couple of years ago, I keep my interaction to a minimum. And, I'm constantly drowning in work.
I had one co-worker suggest a talk with the management but I don't even have the time to do that. I have mentioned how time consuming the work is but that doesn't seem to matter because we just get more reports to view.
Then the leads get mad when I neglect or forget something. Like moving the files. I have so many file folders, spreadsheets, and browser windows open that I rarely see my desktop.
I know it's not a competition but it feels like I can't win and there really isn't any recourse. There are others who feel as I do (from what I hear from talk when I go in to the office) and the only good thing it's doing is getting more people to enroll in oneline schools to get training so that they can break away from this company.
I don't get why any organization would want to function like that.
@Enthenia
Competition is not always about that it can simply be about competence
For example i did many things like you are talking about and a leader type had some ideas to streamline as he was trying very hard to show he was doing something ... he was falling back on his own things and wanted to point out how i was doing something was wrong to get heat off of him.
it did get to a point where i said "fine show me how that works" and proved he could not even do or understand the reports i was doing... so made him look bad in front of boss he made my life miserable micro managing and nit picking. Until I did report him for a hostile workplace and he was told to leave me alone.
@toughTiger6481 I went to HR shortly after the write up (& after that, one of the managers always "happened" to be in the vicinity when I came back from the restroom. Got to where I would wait until the manager was out of the office before I went to the restroom) but I will never do that again. It only made things worse.
If I had a surplus of cash, I'd have left this job long ago but I'm in the middle of school and I don't have money to spare. At least I completely understand why people in other departments have just walked off the job.
@Enthenia
It is very hard some places are a club and allow crap behavior. sometimes HR is not help ...
It is important if you ever do to use buzz words they care about like harassment/ hostile workplace/ or any item that they are not adhering to according to labor laws in your area.
I know it sounds hard but sometimes a little research and insurance policy of you know something on them can make a workplace bearable until you can move on. In the end there is no one that will step up for you or tell you to grin and bear it ..... that is why i grew hard and stand up for myself.
@toughTiger6481 There is also retribution and I don't like conflict which is why I do my best to ignore everything. That and the fact that I'm always drowning in work. If I wasn't able to listen to my music and didn't have my online classes, I wouldn't be able to survive. And the pets help. I also try to do pictures or write.
But when people who have worked for the company for over ten years are looking for other options then something is wrong.
Today I got more of the same. Yesterday, I changed a report because the timeframe was wrong. I updated the totals to reflect the correct one but a supervisor questioned the amount which was the old one.
I went back to look at my work to see it I had it saved (was fairly certain I had but one program doesn't save all the time) and Idiscober that the timeframe and totals have been extended past what I was told.
What's the point in me doing the work if it's just going to be changed? I caught this sort of thing a time before and asked management about it and they basically said "Trust the leads. They know more."
So it's not enough that I get called out on errors when I have 10+ things they expect me to get done at the same time (& 100% correct), things get arbitrarily changed and I never know why. How is that going to get anyone to do their job better?
It feels like every other day I'm doing something wrong but I can't say anything about it because then I'm labeled with a bad attitude (has happened before).
I really wish I had the means to up and leave this place.