I''ll start off by saying I have worked for my City since 1994. I have been working in my present department since the end of 1995. When I started working here, I was seen as intelligent and hard-working. Now, it has come to the point where I am defending how much work I do in a given day. Relentless back-stabbing, misrepresentation, and targeted bullying can do that to a person.
Well, what got me in this mess, I would say, is getting on the bad side of a "floor supervisor" who had gotten her own way for 20 years. When you speak up against someone like this, believe me, it unfortunately works against YOU.
In the latter part of 1998, a co-worker, a close and good friend, and I went to our supervisor over what we felt ( and knew) was abuse of overtime by our floor supervisor "Gail" and one of her pals. My friend had actually brought this matter to my attention. Together we went to our supervisor, and said this overtime was quite unnecessary. It was stopped. Little did I know at the time how I was to eventually "pay" for my good intentions.
Up until this time I was seen as a good worker who could be trained to cover and take over other jobs. No complaints. Well, it was the Christmas season, and things were very busy around the office. I was one of the few people who worked overtime to clean things up. Well, around February 1999, after months of covering other desks in our area ,and after I returned to my own desk, I was called into the supervisor's office with Gail. Well, I was questioned about my productivity and ever since I got back to my own desk, there was still a pile of work on my desk. I explained, I have been away from my desk for a few months, and Gail was supposed to be covering my desk (nobody else was trained to cover)... I was even accused of not being productive working overtime. "Just ask anybody who was working with me, they will back me up." I said. But, I couldn't defend against the nonsense that was thrown at me.
Well, my supervisor said that for the next little while I wouldn't be getting any overtime and top up pay. Frustrated, the meeting ended. (Did I mention my supervisor is a indecisive waffler who listens alot to Gail?)
Around this same time, we got a new superintendant (my supervisor's boss)...Gail spends a lot of time talking to her.
Summertime 1999, I noticed that I am not getting any overtime, or any real duties to do. Gail gets quite a bit, even though she doesn't work very hard and other people around the office notice it. I am frustrated but do not know what is going on.
September 1999, I come back from a few weeks holidays. I get called into the office with Jim (my supervisor) and Gail. They had been meaning to talk to me about my lack of productivity. Gail, whose desk is near mine, suddenly had an urgent need to get a pen and "went" into my desk, and "found" work hidden in my desk. Was I hiding work in my desk? I went ballistic...I got up and stormed out of that office. My superindendant asked me to just take a 10 minute break and then we would meet in her office.
It turns out we had a series of meetings and game plan to discuss my productivity. I had to prove I was working by telling Gail everyday when I was done my duties on my desk, and when I could report for other duties. I had to track the times I went for breaks and lunchtime because some unnamed people, as Gail reported, were constantly complaining to her that I was away from my desk for long periods of time
Well this went on for a few months, very stressful and nauseating, I may say. It's funny, but other people in our area can have their work given to other people to do all the time, talk on the phone several times a day, and Gail doesn't note it,or care. Funny huh?
Ever since then, I have been called into the supervisor's office to answer to a lot of things initiated by Gail. Silly, trivial things, and I will not bore you anymore about it. It's just that there are so many different standards for everybody that you never know where you stand.
I have to constantly "prove" things. Other people in our section get away with goofing off, having their workloads dumped on other people to do, and I have to prove myself!
I do not like my workplace, and see right through all the hypocrisy, back-stabbing, and favouritism. But the supervisors, for their own reasons, chose not to see what a negative place we work in. Most of the people in the office can see right through Gail and her manipulations, but the supervisors cannot.
I am again being questioned for my productivity and other, what I would say, are minor issues. I have been told I may face a disciplinary hearing over these issues. Needless to say, I feel stressed and worn down by the relentless targeting I feel I am subjected to.
Maybe a disciplinary hearing will clear the air, because they have to back up their ridiculous allegations, now don't they? I don't fear this, I just am so tired of having to answer to their stupidity. If it comes down to it, I will talk about the work standards applied to some and not to others, how some people are expected to take on all the work while others are left to do next to nothing...I will have my say.
I am grateful that "Mysterious Woman" is here for gals who are subjected to terrible workplaces and office bullies. Only those subjected to continual bullying can understand what you are going through.
