yorkshire_lass

I'm sorry guys just gotta vent!!!! It is boring so pls feel free to ignore, I just dunno what the hell is with this company I am working for, is it culture diff's from UK to US? Or am I right in thinking I am being put upon and there are communication probs in the office?

Initially I was sceptical about this job, low pay (they advertised as 'negotiable'), shitty hours, not much chance of career progression, so I said I was withdrawing my application. However, the director said she would really like to discuss it with me further and advised me of the career paths and offered more money, so I attended second interview and got the job. Now three weeks into the job I am again having serious misgivings. They are sending emails to my personal email address, most of which have nothing to do with me, but when I raise the subject they say I need to be informed of all the information that is passing through........ they have my email because I initially applied by email.

Now my supervisor has started to call my cell phone when I am not working. It was supposed to be just 2 nights per week plus one weekend day, but they have had trouble filling the other nights and weekday and I am working far more hours than I ever really wanted to. Today the call was over something I felt was really trivial, and it was a task she felt I had not completed according to company policy, but the routine I had followed was the one I had been taught by the other manager there. I told her that but she seemed to want to make me feel guilty because she said she was having to stay late to put it right. I was at the end of my tether and told her she and the other managers needed to get together and work out exactly how they wanted things doing and then let me know. There was no apology for mixed messages, just a guilt trip for it not being to her satisfaction. Also, I have noticed the other part timer is not completing her tasks on the nights I am not there and I am having to make up for it, I raised this and was just told to check what hadn't been done and take care of it, and then given another task on top of my usual duties that I really had no chance of completing before closing time.

The last time I worked I was doing some routine work and noticed some anomalies in the schedule/bookings and it turned out the director and one of the managers had made mistakes, fairly serious mistakes, but when I told my supervisors she told me to email them both pointing out the mistakes and to stress that more accuracy was needed. Well I dunno what you guys think but I don't see it as my place to go telling the director and manager their mistakes and telling them to be more careful when I am on the lowest rung of the ladder in the office and only just started the job! I didn't send the email and expect I will be berated for that too.

Am I missing the whole point here and is this a US/UK difference in how the work pace operates? I have worked in office jobs and administration prior to becoming a teacher in the UK, but never experienced this sort of confusion before!! When my 'supervisor' explains anything to me she goes into this type of 'corporate speak' and I come away thinking 'What?!?!' but when the other managers explain it it all seems quite simple and clear. I have lots of other examples of things that are pissing me off with this job but don't want to go on any longer than I already have.
Thanks for listening, I needed to vent, any insight would be really appreciated.

Ray

Jusy make sure the burger has the burnt bit facing down.........

dbj1000

No, I don't think your experiences are common, and I don't think this is a cultural difference. I think that your initial misgivings about the job were correct, and it hasn't taken long for you to be proved right.

In particular, it sounds like your supervisor has a problem, and is taking it out on you. She's also setting you up to be fired if she's trying to get you to criticise the directors in writing.

What I don't know is how badly you need this job. I seem to remember that you don't, really.

Before you decide what to do, you need to decide what you want them to do if you are going to stay. Stop all email to your home account? Give you a company cellphone so that you can turn it off on days you're not on call? Change of supervisor even?

Once you've decided that, you can decide whether to tell them your requirements, and how likely they are to fire you for it. Remember that you need to go to your supervisor first, and give her a fair chance to do something about your concerns before you go over her head. When you do (and I'mm sure you will) go WAY over her head. To me it sounds like she is the problem in this company, not you.

I wish you the best of luck.

Jerseygirl

Good advice dbj1000. I certainly wouldn't read any e-mails or take any calls from the company out of business hours. Best of luck.

dbj1000

There are companies, and jobs, where that's a requirement of the position. I think Yorkshire_Lass has been told that she has to be "on call" two nights a week, for example. In my position I am on call Mon-Sat 6am-11pm in theory.

The difference is that I have a company computer and pager, and I can turn them off when I'm not on call. I choose not to, but I'm in a more senior position than Yorkshire_Lass, so as I see it I'm being paid to be on call. She isn't.

What is clearly overstepping the mark is to use someone's personal email address and cellphone for out-of-hours work at all, and even more so when she's getting email and calls on days she's not on call.

In your position, Yorkshire_Lass, I would demand a company cellphone, a separate email address for company email (you can set that up, but require that they only send mail to that address) and a clear promise from them not to contact you for any reason out of hours on nights you're not on call.

Either that or I'd quit. Being me, I'd quit

USBound

I think that if you spot the mistakes of anyone then you should let them know regardless of their position... it might seem cheeky per se but a mistake is a mistake and it needs correcting at the source.

further on the personal email thing - let them know you don't want it <period> then immediately setup a spam blocker to block it out or even better use an email client to return the email to sender, they'll get the picture.

on the phone thing - do the same but when you recognise the number just ignore it... eventually it will stop. The advice above regarding getting a company phone might work but companies are often loathe to give out phones to new employees due to trust issues.

Elvira

I agree with others that it is the supervisor who seems to be the main problem, though the lack of clear company procedures clearly isn't helping. In the first instance, the OP should try to agree on working practices with the supevisor, though she may eventually have to bring her concerns to the attention of a director.

One thing that is very important is that she keeps a detailed log of all 'incidents' and discussions, with times and dates.

If someone makes a mistake, whether it is a college or a superior, there are usually ways of bringing this to their attention in a diplomatic and non-judgemental manner.

As far as e-mails and phone-calls are concerned, I would use the auto-reply function for the former ("Yorkshire-lass is not on call at this time. If your concern is urgent, call..."). And, as has been suggested, ignore cell-phone calls/messages.

I would also start looking for another job...

StephC1520

Oh I understand your frustrations! I just started my new job here last Monday and I already am lookig for new jobs! They totally misrepresented what the job was at the interview and i was hesitant to take the position too..but it is good money so I took it...now I hate it! My training has bee non-existant and all my colleagues talk about is how the customers are terrible at the job so they are not really selling it too me...my old company that I used to work in has offices here so I have applied to 4 positions in a day!!!
Wish me luck!! I really want to tell this new job to shove off and go back to a company I know and liked...

About your new job if you really are not liking it then start looking for something else, if you can....life is too shrt to be stuck some place that makes you unhappy,.I learnt that the hard way!

User Name

On a trip out to Scottsdale, AZ for a job interview. A job that looked good on paper, but didn't pan out. They wanted someone to take over their in-house patent counsel who was working more as General Counsel than patent counsel. Just didn't look that there would be enough work for me. After the interview they stuck me in a limo to do a tour of the Scottsdale "burbs", which seemed to comprise of gated communities in lovely surroundings. I really loved what I saw. Anyway, didn't get the job offer so I never got a chance to see if the job would pan out the way I thought it would.

What struck me about Scottsdale is the amount of expansion of businesses. It seemed an expensive area, housing costs were sky high around Scottsdale. I thought it would be easy to start a business here and get lots of cash flow. The opportunities seemed to me to be jumping into the limo. Everything looked so new, so I figured that small businesses here should thrive with so many things to do like landscaping, maintaining car parks (I gathered paintwork can fade fast here). A whole plethora of business opportunities for the right minded soul to get into.

But we British seem so stuck on working for someone. It is a very liberating experience not having to worry about some boss or supervisor or whoever. As the owner you make the decisions.

Have you thought about starting a business - perhaps a part time business? It might take some medium to long term planning. What about doing a grad degree aimed at starting your own business?

For example, masters in speech therapy for children and/or adults with difficulty in speaking (perhaps after an accident or stroke). I only mention this as an example because a co-worker at a firm I worked at in Chicago has an adult child who did just that, got a couple of years experience in a hospital setting, and then started her own practice at home. She is earning so much money that she schedules clients for certain days of the week. So her business is part-time.

Doing incredibly well after a stressful two years working in a hospital with management that wasn't exactly of the kind that she expected. She is off that treadmill, and has control and peace in her life, and she can fit her profitable business around a growing family (2nd one on the way). Just one example, not meaning to limit what your opportunities are, but they are plentiful for sure. Just an idea, do your own due diligence and of course there is a strong element of additional risks and costs in starting your own business. Seek advice from appropriate professional sources.

britontour

Sounds like your first instincts were right I'd start looking for another job. Why not temp for abit that way you don't get into company politics and in a way your are your own boss and there's always a good chance of becoming permanent but this time you will know what the job involves.

ladygwennie

As others have already commented, I think its the Job and the company not cultural differences. I would say give it a little time and start sending out the resume, or look at other options that could be open to you. I wish you luck in either this job working out or finding something u do somewhat enjoy or want to do. I was looking and interviewing for admin jobs myself. I ended up getting solicited by "temp agencies" but i have yet to have been offered anything i would take (but thats partly my fault due to the fact that i couldnt drive, so very limited locations). In fact i have decided to go back to school and take a different path, I am still looking at possible part time jobs, but I have to admit temp agencies over here are very different than they are back home, so will have to see. Best of luck!

User Name

Good for you. I did a similar thing. Withing a few months of arriving I started going to a grad school that had night and weekend classes. I worked full time while studying. Not easy, but can be done. Some worked part time while attending the same grad school, some took mundane jobs like parking cars. Others took jobs where they could study during quiet periods (I think they had security jobs checking IDs at building entrances), and still others were doctors and nurses, teachers, social workers, state troopers, Chicago cops, you name, the spectrum was there.

Sooty

You shouldn't be pestered at home like that. It's only customary to ring an employee at home to: 1) ask him/her to work overtime. 2) get some information from the employee that the company has to have in order to operate--i.e. something the employee knows that no one else does. 3) clear up some personnel issue (payroll or vacation question). The second and third examples would rarely occur. Anything else is an invasion of your privacy.

User Name

I think there's scope for adjusting to the American model of "live to work" than the supposed French model of "work to live". It's a case by case thing. If there is an important deadline to meet and an employee's input is required, I guess employees will get rung while at home, but it would have to be an urgent matter. I agree, there is a scape goat mentality. So we have a "live to work" combined with a scapegoat culture.

ladygwennie

Well some jobs demand that u do work from home, whether it is a salaried position or u get overtime. I mean it sounds like the OP knew that there was going to be some "out of the office work" to do, i do agree that they shouldnt push it on u tho. My husband has to be "on-call" every few weeks, but it does alternate between all the people in his group and he does get a bonus for it and he can do what he has to from home.