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Has it occurred to you that your problems may stem from you not listening to anyone?
It would help the workload greatly if you would change your schedule, but - "Im not doing that! I like my schedule like it is." Im not sure why if you are going to work on your days off. Seems pointless. Your boss might like your schedule the way it is too, but you wont know if you don't ask.
Longer hours doesn't mean you are accomplishing any more that you would working normal hours. You might accomplish more working normal hours because you will be rested and less irritable. The work might not seem so overwhelming to you.
Look, you can be as uncooperative and selfish with your coworkers as you wish, but please bear in mind, if its between the wonderment of you, and all of them, regardless of how wonderful you truly are, you will be cut loose. And lets not forget - the customer (i.e. client) is always right. If not, they have a way of taking their business elsewhere.
At any rate - TT will not be in your crosshairs for a solid month. If any problems truly do stem from TT and not you, it will show in that months time. Her vacation may be by design.
Why is the onus upon OP to change a schedule which was approved by management?
It is not up to TT to determine what is approved or not approved.
It will never end with these types. OP hold your ground and stand firm. Otherwise she will keep pushing the limit.
The point is they are dangling a carrot and for some reason need OP - (Probably because TT is a halfwit F*** up.) So for the time being there will be no firing. The system is a complete sh** storm if I've ever seen one. Constantly badgering employees on the workload (particularly OP) not getting done but not permitting OT and allowing tickets to continue getting passed like a hot potato. Somehow given all of this you still believe it's OP's fault and they aren't listening enough?
Changing the schedule is not going to do jack sh**. The system is designed to FAIL. The OP's co-workers are incompetent and too scared to speak up and refuse to leave themselves.
American working conditions are sh** because we're all over-leveraged have too many kids we can't afford and have to work jobs we hate. This is a big reason I don't have kids. Worst case scenario I would not have to endure this craziness. My sister on the other hand is going to have to put up with whatever is thrown at her at work in order to feed my nephew.
Why is the onus upon OP to change a schedule which was approved by management?
Sure, how could it possibly benefit her to appear to be a company girl who is flexible? What was I thinking?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tencent
It will never end with these types. OP hold your ground and stand firm. Otherwise she will keep pushing the limit.
The point is they are dangling a carrot and for some reason need OP - (Probably because TT is a halfwit F*** up.) So for the time being there will be no firing. The system is a complete sh** storm if I've ever seen one. Constantly badgering employees on the workload (particularly OP) not getting done but not permitting OT and allowing tickets to continue getting passed like a hot potato. Somehow given all of this you still believe it's OP's fault and they aren't listening enough?
Are you claiming to be a coworker of the OP and TT?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tencent
Changing the schedule is not going to do jack sh**. The system is designed to FAIL. The OP's co-workers are incompetent and too scared to speak up and refuse to leave themselves.
American working conditions are sh** because we're all over-leveraged have too many kids we can't afford and have to work jobs we hate. This is a big reason I don't have kids. Worst case scenario I would not have to endure this craziness. My sister on the other hand is going to have to put up with whatever is thrown at her at work in order to feed my nephew.
Okie dokie, then. You are related to the OP?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tencent
Do you have any savings you can live on for the next 6 months? Is there a way you can reduce your living expenses temporarily so you can leave this job ASAP? Can you sleep on a friend's couch for a year if need be?
You need to start looking into your options because it's clear they are just going to continue just playing these mind games. I would have already gotten fired by now because I would have told TT to shove her bullsh** up her a** and to suck a Buffalo's d***, put a dog d*** in her ear and a hippo's d*** in her left nostril to boot. Maybe that would keep her busy enough to stop the horse sh** antics. This is sheer insanity and sounds like a Netflix drama.
Yeah, this is a brilliant idea, lol. She could just tell any prospective employers that she is fresh out of school with no experience in the field, and has not had any prospects since graduating.
Why is the onus upon OP to change a schedule which was approved by management?
It is not up to TT to determine what is approved or not approved.
It will never end with these types. OP hold your ground and stand firm. Otherwise she will keep pushing the limit.
The point is they are dangling a carrot and for some reason need OP - (Probably because TT is a halfwit F*** up.) So for the time being there will be no firing. The system is a complete sh** storm if I've ever seen one. Constantly badgering employees on the workload (particularly OP) not getting done but not permitting OT and allowing tickets to continue getting passed like a hot potato. Somehow given all of this you still believe it's OP's fault and they aren't listening enough?
My last post was a long rant. I'll reduce the length of my replies.
First, I don't plan on just throwing in the towel and quitting, especially without something else lined up. Note that the manager is set to leave her position for 6-12 months by January and so there's a chance to start fresh with a new manager and for things to improve.
Tencent, I agree with you that it's not up to TT to convince management to review my schedule and she should not feel the need to encourage me to talk to management to change it.
Do you or anyone else have any tips, short of cursing at TT and getting angry, on how to tell her to mind her own business? Again, she's not my supervisor and she should not feel the desire to constantly interfere with my employment / report me to the management for what she perceives are my "mistakes" and insubordination.
Comecloser, I actually do see a benefit to the team of me being there 5 days a week instead of 4 as I would have an extra day to work on my own tasks and TT wouldn't feel "obligated" to pitch in (she says her own workload is heavy at times and she feels stressed when I'm not there and she does my work). However the big advantage to me with my current schedule is that 1 extra day off allows me to catch up on home life, potentially find another cheaper place to live, yes, travel if budget and time permits, pursue hobbies and most importantly, travel to/from and attend interviews outside of my current city.
Lastly, Tencent is not related to me, we're not colleagues ...don't know how you arrived at those conclusions just because that other poster defends me.
My last post was a long rant. I'll reduce the length of my replies.
First, I don't plan on just throwing in the towel and quitting, especially without something else lined up. Note that the manager is set to leave the company within 2 months and so there's a chance to start fresh with a new manager and for things to improve.
Tencent, I agree with you that it's not up to TT to convince management to review my schedule and she should not feel the need to encourage me to talk to management to change it.
Do you or anyone else have any tips, short of cursing at TT and getting angry, on how to tell her to mind her own business? Again, she's not my supervisor and she should not feel the desire to constantly interfere with my employment / report me to the management for what she perceives are my "mistakes" and insubordination.
Comecloser, I actually do see a benefit to the team of me being there 5 days a week instead of 4 as I would have an extra day to work on my own tasks and TT wouldn't feel "obligated" to pitch in (she says her own workload is heavy at times and she feels stressed when I'm not there and she does my work). However the big advantage to me with my current schedule is that 1 extra day off allows me to catch up on home life, potentially find another cheaper place to live, yes, travel if budget and time permits, pursue hobbies and most importantly, travel to/from and attend interviews outside of my current city.
Lastly, Tencent is not related to me, we're not colleagues ...don't know how you arrived at those conclusions just because that other poster defends me.
No. I think someone already suggested it, but the best thing you could do is try to clear the air between you and TT, and if you change your schedule to 5 days, that may be all TT needs to lighten up. Teamwork makes the dream work, lol. Maybe take her to lunch, or buy her a candy bar - some small token of not being indignant.
Your reasons for not being flexible mean nothing to the company and work against you overall. Your reasons for doing it suddenly make you a valuable asset to the company again. They show you are putting the company and its problems at the forefront. You are flexible to accommodating their needs. Even if the mistake is theirs for ever agreeing to the schedule in the first place, they are going to have to find a remedy for it if it isn't working out. The easiest remedy would be to see you leave.
You can do what you wish, but at some point in your career you are going to want to start making connections and building up references so that you can move up and out. If you think walking away is in your best interest, that's your call to make.
I don't know you or Tencent, but he writes like he knows TT personally, and about feeding a nephew, so I asked if he was somehow personally connected. To you he may be filling the role of a shoulder to cry on, but to anyone reading this, he is coming across somewhat...differently.
One more thing. I noticed that several colleagues take their work laptops home even when they're off. I guess they're working from home on their days off and making sure they can declare that their projects are complete when they send updates to the group rather than passing it on to others. So they are putting in extra hours too. The difference with me is that I prefer the office environment where I have access to a full keyboard, mouse, monitors and the usual equipment. Plus when I'm alone in the office, whether on duty or not, I can get more work done.
A big disadvantage of being there during weekdays during the daytime is how loud it gets, especially from one corner of the office where people are constantly socializing and laughing it up. I've overheard that a few colleagues who are more the quiet type are upset with the disruptions and how it distracts them and yet the manager does nothing. They're apparently too afraid to rock the boat to speak up about the issue. But the bottom line is that the loud office environment reduces my productivity and breaks my concentration. Just the other day, the manager dumped urgent tasks on my desk that had to be done within 1.5 hrs and kept visiting me every 10-15 minutes asking for updates. The pressure was strong from the micromanaging and urgency, the noise level high, and I felt like telling the misbehavers to **** I'm trying to concentrate, but that would be me going against the machine, so I tried my best to tune them out.
One more thing. I noticed that several colleagues take their work laptops home even when they're off. I guess they're working from home on their days off and making sure they can declare that their projects are complete when they send updates to the group rather than passing it on to others. So they are putting in extra hours too. The difference with me is that I prefer the office environment where I have access to a full keyboard, mouse, monitors and the usual equipment. Plus when I'm alone in the office, whether on duty or not, I can get more work done.
A big disadvantage of being there during weekdays during the daytime is how loud it gets, especially from one corner of the office where people are constantly socializing and laughing it up. I've overheard that a few colleagues who are more the quiet type are upset with the disruptions and how it distracts them and yet the manager does nothing. They're apparently too afraid to rock the boat to speak up about the issue. But the bottom line is that the loud office environment reduces my productivity and breaks my concentration. Just the other day, the manager dumped urgent tasks on my desk that had to be done within 1.5 hrs and kept visiting me every 10-15 minutes asking for updates. The pressure was strong from the micromanaging and urgency, the noise level high, and I felt like telling the misbehavers to **** I'm trying to concentrate, but that would be me going against the machine, so I tried my best to tune them out.
Why do you keep comparing yourself to other people?
There is no point, especially if you are already at the point where management is making things uncomfortable for you. You are in a position to make concessions that could shift the time you have spent there from being a complete waste, to an experience gaining and networking opportunity for your new field.
You are not in a position to bargain anything new for yourself, or complain about what others there do and have. Like you said, they aren't praising you anymore. You only have yourself to look at to see how to change that. Its your move on the chessboard of life. The company has made their move.
I'm not a fan of the "longer hours, three days off" work schedule. It causes all kinds of communications and workflow problems when people's schedules aren't synced up. Yep, I know how much some people love it, but a lot of stuff falls through the cracks and takes longer/costs more.
Regardless of what happens, stop referring to your coworker as "TT" or "tattletale." This isn't grade school. It doesn't matter if she is or isn't. What you're doing is setting things up in your own mind to fail. You're too focused on her and what she does rather than on your own results.
Too little information to tell if the workload is to great for the workforce, if it's unevenly distributed, or if you're working at 80 and everyone else is at 90. Each of those heads down a different path, assuming you want to keep this job. But in any case, you need to control your "I'm being attacked by everyone defensive attitude." Maybe you are, but it doesn't matter, because the attitude will affect both how you do your work and how you are perceived by others. A large part of success in the work environment is showing the right attitude regardless of how you actually feel inside. In this case it causes you to lash out at everyone, including your supervisor and manager who actually sound like they are trying to help you succeed.
As for tips on how to tell her to mind her own business, well, don't. It's a no win situation. Do your job to 110%, complete all tasks ahead of time, leave nothing behind for someone else to do on your days off, and keep all interactions with her and coworkers completely professional. If her issues are illegitimate, she'll hang herself.
No. I think someone already suggested it, but the best thing you could do is try to clear the air between you and TT, and if you change your schedule to 5 days, that may be all TT needs to lighten up. Teamwork makes the dream work, lol. Maybe take her to lunch, or buy her a candy bar - some small token of not being indignant.
It's not up to me to change my schedule. TT and my schedules were recently reviewed by management and they decided to move her to a more traditional M-F one while leaving mine as is. This upset TT, she says now she has to set alarm clocks and get up earlier than before. (boo hoo, so she has to act like an adult).
I don't think rewarding TT's combative, meddling behavior by taking her out to lunch or treating her to chocolate bars is right. It would sending the message that what she's doing is OK and should be encouraged. I think TT needs to be put in her place and told to back off, if not by me, by the manager.
I don't really believe in killing someone with kindness and buttering them up when they don't deserve to be treated that way. However TT is strong willed and stubborn so I don't see her backing down on her own. She considers herself a fighter and seems to enjoy stepping on colleagues (me) by trying to control them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ComeCloser
Your reasons for not being flexible mean nothing to the company and work against you overall. Your reasons for doing it suddenly make you a valuable asset to the company again. They show you are putting the company and its problems at the forefront. You are flexible to accommodating their needs. Even if the mistake is theirs for ever agreeing to the schedule in the first place, they are going to have to find a remedy for it if it isn't working out. The easiest remedy would be to see you leave.
I actually agree with you that the easiest solution to the ongoing problem, which is mostly orchestrated by TT, is to dismiss me - after all I'm "only" a contractor. TT would win, I would lose.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ComeCloser
I don't know you or Tencent, but he writes like he knows TT personally, and about feeding a nephew, so I asked if he was somehow personally connected. To you he may be filling the role of a shoulder to cry on, but to anyone reading this, he is coming across somewhat...differently.
Actually I appreciate viewpoints from both camps, with and against me. But Tencent if you're reading this, you may want to tone down the cursing about the donkey d and all that. Because I won't be hurling insults and curse words at TT in that way.
It's not up to me to change my schedule. TT and my schedules were recently reviewed by management and they decided to move her to a more traditional M-F one while leaving mine as is. This upset TT, she says now she has to set alarm clocks and get up earlier than before. (boo hoo, so she has to act like an adult).
I don't think rewarding TT's combative, meddling behavior by taking her out to lunch or treating her to chocolate bars is right. It would sending the message that what she's doing is OK and should be encouraged. I think TT needs to be put in her place and told to back off, if not by me, by the manager.
I don't really believe in killing someone with kindness and buttering them up when they don't deserve to be treated that way. However TT is strong willed and stubborn so I don't see her backing down on her own. She considers herself a fighter and seems to enjoy stepping on colleagues (me) by trying to control them.
I actually agree with you that the easiest solution to the ongoing problem, which is mostly orchestrated by TT, is to dismiss me - after all I'm "only" a contractor and TT would get the control she craves so much.
TT is a non-factor here. If the problem is not your schedule, and the work is all being done properly, and the clients are all happy - which we know they are not because you already posted that a couple of them have complained about you - then why do you think management is micromanaging you? You can point to TT all you want, but what is the answer when the buck stops with you?
BTW, the company knew you had no work experience in the field when they hired you. They know how much they mean to you even if you don't seem to see it yourself. They cant just let you go - you have to break the contract. Its not going to look good, and in this computer age, Im not sure people can hide bad or failed employment histories the way they used to be able to.
I'm not a fan of the "longer hours, three days off" work schedule. It causes all kinds of communications and workflow problems when people's schedules aren't synced up. Yep, I know how much some people love it, but a lot of stuff falls through the cracks and takes longer/costs more.
Regardless of what happens, stop referring to your coworker as "TT" or "tattletale." This isn't grade school. It doesn't matter if she is or isn't. What you're doing is setting things up in your own mind to fail. You're too focused on her and what she does rather than on your own results.
Too little information to tell if the workload is to great for the workforce, if it's unevenly distributed, or if you're working at 80 and everyone else is at 90. Each of those heads down a different path, assuming you want to keep this job. But in any case, you need to control your "I'm being attacked by everyone defensive attitude." Maybe you are, but it doesn't matter, because the attitude will affect both how you do your work and how you are perceived by others. A large part of success in the work environment is showing the right attitude regardless of how you actually feel inside. In this case it causes you to lash out at everyone, including your supervisor and manager who actually sound like they are trying to help you succeed.
As for tips on how to tell her to mind her own business, well, don't. It's a no win situation. Do your job to 110%, complete all tasks ahead of time, leave nothing behind for someone else to do on your days off, and keep all interactions with her and coworkers completely professional. If her issues are illegitimate, she'll hang herself.
I pretty much agree.
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