Darn.

[swestrup]

I haven't really been posting much lately. Maybe because so much seems to be going on now that I don't really see how I can summarize it here. Maybe its because I'm now under the (expected) stress of adapting to a new job and (much worse) attempting to force the new work place to adapt to me. This involves repeatedly pointing out to my new boss that his bad planning is NOT my emergency. Otherwise, I would be doing huge amounts of overtime, already.

So, I've been leaving at 5:30 most days, even when there were things that 'just had to be done' that day. Today was no exception. At 12:00 O'Clock I was given a new highest priority task that needed to be done 'today'. I took 5 minutes to place post-its on the wall in the shape of a stack. I want the boss to be able to SEE how many things he's already asked me to do simultaneously. Then I spent an hour working on the problem, and went for lunch.

I got back at 2:00 and had just started working again, when the boss called a meeting. It lasted 3 hours. It would have lasted LONGER but at that point I mentioned that my 'must do' task now had only 30 minutes left in which to be done, before I had to leave for the day.  Well, 30 minutes might have been enough if nothing had gone wrong. As is, I'm still learning my job and I made a silly mistake (which is only silly in retrospect. Nowhere in what I had learned so far was it pointed out that it could be a potential problem).

So, at 5:35 I left. One of the other folks said not to worry, that he'd finish the job for me. (He's the one who normally gets this sort of job.) I kind of feel sorry for him ending up with the problem, but I was perfectly willing to simply drop the ball and get blamed for it tomorrow. I don't see any other way of making things change.

That said, I am very much not the confrontational kind of guy, and even this passive-aggressiveness is very stressful to me, but what else am I to do? Everyone else gets in at 9:00 am every morning, and stays past 6:00 pm, usually working through lunch. My health simply won't allow that, and I don't see how its even fair to ask it of me. No one else has put their foot down, so it looks like I'm gonna have to.

Grump.

Comments

[joenotcharles.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a bad scene. But, it's better than letting them guilt you into working huge hours.

[swestrup]

Yeah. The worst part is that I LIKE the job, and the people and even my boss. He just needs to learn to make reasonable demands!

[joenotcharles.livejournal.com]

It's probably good to give him lots of either-or options. Like if he calls a meeting, say, "I can come, but if I do I probably won't have time to finish task X that you gave me this morning. Which do you prefer?"

Of course, given that you said they were still hiring and I know they were pretty desperate before Christmas, maybe they're just understaffed right now.

[marcydoll.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain, as I left my job in December as my workload just kept increasing and the stress was getting to me. The only thing you can do is try to speak to your employer and let them know that you are doing your best and perhaps they could help you out (hopefully). All the best to you and do keep in mind that this is a new job so it will take time to adjust of course. Have faith though ;)