New Job is a Nightmare

[Gagirl]

Last June, I was promoted and transferred to a new department. The job sounded like a pretty good one so I took the transfer and promotion. What a mistake that was. I was put on a project that was rushed and completed in a week. No one understood it or knew what they were doing. It had to be implemented quickly due to a date on someone's goals.

 

 

I am starting think I was hired to be a scape-goat on this project. I have to work with a team who is somewhat stupid but, can talk a good game. One of these people constantly berates me in front of other staff members, vendors or whoever will listen. If I make a mistake this guy points it out via email and sends it to my boss and everybody on the team. He is constantly standing over me and looking for any faults he can find. This behavior has went on since my first day on the job. He has an assistant who schedules three status meetings each day and she is always giving me a list of things to do with no priority status. If I send out an email about something being completed she sends back some smart ass comment. Everyday, something is a priority and high drama. The next day, it doesn't matter anymore and I need to stop working on it and go to the other thing. Three weeks later, I'm getting chewed out for not completing the other task. My old manager blocked a lot of this but, he was demoted in February.

 

 

I was assigned a new manager who loves everyone on the team but, me. She took away my work from home schedule without any notice and now I can no longer take my kid to the specialist for his autism. She didn't even ask me why I needed the same schedule everyone else has. So far, I've been kicked off three other projects so I can focus on this one ****ed up project. I am supposed to now meet with her every morning before work for assignments. So now I have her micromanaging me, another co-worker coming by just see if I need help (yeah right), the stupid assistant, and the ******* who makes a fool out of himself by throwing temper tantrums in front of managers, vendors and everyone except his own boss. I am looking for new employment but how in the world do I survive this in the mean time? They are always asking for my input then want to sit there and argue about it. Honestly, I don't think any of them care about making this project successful. They want to throw me under the bus and play the blame game. I wasn't even involved in this project when it was screwed up to begin with.

[d0nnivain]

You learn to stick up for yourself.

 

 

Schedule a meeting with the guy who points out your mistakes & ask him to stop embarrassing you. Then ask him what he thinks you can do to improve productivity. When you get e-mails with to do lists, you set the priority schedule for them then send back a confirming e-mail.

 

 

Also set up a meeting with your new manager Talk to that person about team productivity & your role in that plan. Ask how the manager thinks you can improve. Also site the FMLA & ask to have your work from home schedule reinstated or some other accommodation.

[SammySammy]

Until a new job comes through, I would have fun with these people.

 

I would challenge myself to be the very best that I could be each and every day. Execute each task as effectively and efficiently as I could. Communicate with each person in the best way I possibly could. Have a great attitude every day - I would REFUSE to let them kill my joy.

 

It would all be about improving my ability to deal with difficult situations and difficult people. Personal development.

 

Make a game of it. Critique myself. Get feedback. Constantly look for ways to improve.

 

Then move on to a new job with an improved set of skills.

[Emilia]

You are right, you were hired as a scape-goat, that guy is a bully. The way he operates is by learning how to pick fault in others' work to deflect from himself. Because he does this, he puts others on the backfoot and no-one dares to complain.

 

It's a cultural thing in large companies usually where there is no accountability. I had to deal with this myself and I made an official complaint, the bullying person was moved somewhere else.

 

Do you like this company? I'm leaving mine because it's full of projects like this and I'm not learning anything.

[Michaelroyale]

Hi gagirl, I can understand how frustrating this must be for you,but this is the thing , a good management team work together and sort the problem out in a professional way,poor leadership creates frustration and resentment with in that team...don't let this beat you but look at it as a challenge and work at it in a professional manner, situations like this define who we are as individuals some can take the pressure a lot won't, it's all good experience in a world full of weak people and poor managers..be the best you can and best of luck...

[Gagirl]

Well, this issue has been resolved. He became verbally abusive in a meeting with the project manager and other co-worker present. Every time I tried to answer his questions or calm the situation it escalated. My co-workers joined in too. It was awful!!!

 

I had a virus the night before but was in the office because I could no longer work from home. As this played out I kept getting nausea. Finally, I put my hands on the table and said" look, I've had a virus all night and I have to leave because I'm getting sick". I packed up my stuff and walked out leaving them all sitting there in disbelief. I was off the next day for a conference and my boss was off the following day. Three days later I was removed from the project and blamed for its failure.

 

The odd thing is I'm still employed. I have to meet with my boss everyday even though she says I no longer work for her. I have no work to do and have been told to find another job in the company but, there isn't anything available at my pay grade. I've cleaned out my desk and laptop. So, why won't they just give me my severance package and my pink slip and call it a day? Why do I have to go meet with her every morning and sit there all day with nothing to do? Why do I have to tell her when I come and go if she no longer cares? I've got one week until my two week vacation thank goodness! I can't quit until I find another job because I kids who depend on the income so I need the severance and unemployment to make it though.

[Emilia]

Why would you quit? It looks like you are getting paid for doing nothing. What's wrong with that?

[Miss Peach]

This sounds political to me. I would be spending that time looking for another job. You aren't going to get anywhere in this one unless you have some other departments you can transfer to outside of this group's management structure. I've seen taking away work before. It always ended up with firing that person eventually.

[porta77]

Keep your head down. Don't complain or gossip. Learn all you can and quietly look for another job.

[PianoMan2016]

Well, this issue has been resolved. He became verbally abusive in a meeting with the project manager and other co-worker present. Every time I tried to answer his questions or calm the situation it escalated. My co-workers joined in too. It was awful!!!

 

I had a virus the night before but was in the office because I could no longer work from home. As this played out I kept getting nausea. Finally, I put my hands on the table and said" look, I've had a virus all night and I have to leave because I'm getting sick". I packed up my stuff and walked out leaving them all sitting there in disbelief. I was off the next day for a conference and my boss was off the following day. Three days later I was removed from the project and blamed for its failure.

 

The odd thing is I'm still employed. I have to meet with my boss everyday even though she says I no longer work for her. I have no work to do and have been told to find another job in the company but, there isn't anything available at my pay grade. I've cleaned out my desk and laptop. So, why won't they just give me my severance package and my pink slip and call it a day? Why do I have to go meet with her every morning and sit there all day with nothing to do? Why do I have to tell her when I come and go if she no longer cares? I've got one week until my two week vacation thank goodness! I can't quit until I find another job because I kids who depend on the income so I need the severance and unemployment to make it though.

 

Because if they fire you or lay you off you now have 1. cause to sue (please don't quote me on this, I am not an attorney -- but I am pretty sure -- might want to check with an employment lawyer in your area), 2. They HAVE to pay you unemployment. You can take your complaint to the state labor board and force them to pay unemployment either way.

 

Sounds like they are giving you so much **** in an attempt to force you to quit, aka constructive termination, which is also highly illegal.

 

I'd suggest keeping your head down while looking for a way to get out of there immediately.

[The_Dork_Lard]

Until a new job comes through, I would have fun with these people.

 

I would challenge myself to be the very best that I could be each and every day. Execute each task as effectively and efficiently as I could. Communicate with each person in the best way I possibly could. Have a great attitude every day - I would REFUSE to let them kill my joy.

 

It would all be about improving my ability to deal with difficult situations and difficult people. Personal development.

 

Make a game of it. Critique myself. Get feedback. Constantly look for ways to improve.

 

Then move on to a new job with an improved set of skills.

 

I like this reply, I agree with it.

 

It looks as if this job is doomed, and the situation will never get better on its own, if at all. So see it as an opportunity to improve your confrontational style, and as MidKnightDreams said, improving your skills. Every cloud really does have a silver lining.