Argh. Bad day at work.
It must be the current economical troubles coupled with bitchiness at work with the retail ladies (two in particular) but I can't shake this feeling that my job is no longer safe. It sucks, especially when only weeks ago I was as confident as could be.
So, I know this is about to come out sounding paranoid, and I really don't mean it to sound like that, but I feel as if J & V (two older ladies at work) are out to get me. Not in any psychotic way or anything, but I can just FEEL them bitching about me. I don't understand WHY, and I really don't understand their reasons either. I don't understand why they have to make a big deal over something so small. Do they have nothing else in their lives that is more important to worry about? It just annoys me, because I am the type of person that, if I have a problem with someone at work, will go and TELL them. I'm not going to whinge and complain to everyone else about it, and hope they eventually get the point. And I'm not going to clean up after someone or do their work for them because I'm scared of telling them they're doing something wrong either. ARGH.
Now would you like to know the back story on this? I really don't even want to tell it, because it is INSANELY stupid to begin with. It's just eating at me. I just can't believe how unnecesary all of it is.
So. I can do the retail staff's job, as well as most tasks in the kitchen. I cover the shop front from time to time when someone has a day off. J has a few days off, one of them this mornings shift.
V comes in at 11.45am, the start of her shift. She looks around and sniffs 'oh, you've sliced all the bread. It goes all soft when you do that.' (as opposed to leaving it unsliced and unbagged on the racks). I say 'um well, I usually do that.' (I do - I find it so boring out the front so I slice all of the bread. You have to do it throughout the day anyway, why can't I do it all in one go?).
Thinking that's the end of it, I go to finish my shift in the kitchen. I mention it to S, the apprentice. She says "Yeah, V said that to me. She said 'Oh she sliced all the bread, it's all soft.' like it was a bad thing or something. like, that's how it is in the supermarket. wouldn't you want soft bread rather than hard dry stale bread?".
I went out the front and said to V "Look, I sliced the bread for you thinking I was helping. Obviously it wasn't a help, so I won't do it again. I just want to ask that if there's anything I'm not doing, or anything I'm doing wrong, please tell me rather than talking about it to other people." V tries to pull a stunned expression and says "Oh, it just goes soft, like I told you. If that's what you do then that's fine you can do it your way." I said to her "Look, I won't do it again. It's all fine."
Later S says to me "V asked me if I told you that she said the bread was soft."
*sigh*
Well, that was TODAYS story. There's another recent one, which is basically the same but involved me writing in the order book a cake was paid, but not writing it on the sheet that was attached to the cake box (I didn't know where the cake box was at the time). J decided to go on and on about it at work, and I wasn't there, and then wrote a long lovely note in the order book for me.
See now, I know it's not something that should be getting me that upset. But it is just so frustrating and annoying. Why the HELL do these silly old ladies bicker to one another, why don't they just talk to the person it INVOLVES. I just don't understand. ARGH.
Apparently they also have a problem with me working two Tuesdays (the day I normally work at my other job) because the other baker is away. They seem to think that I am getting special treatment because I didn't lose any hours over the public holidays last week. They don't seem to get that they CAN'T do MY job. Why should they get extra hours when they can't do what I can???
ALSO they asked S why *I* was the one covering the absent shifts when all of our hours get reduced, and not S. Why does it matter? Why is it any of their business?
It just makes me feel all sicky inside. I don't like the feeling. I just feel not liked and not wanted.
I could be a grown up and brush it off. Or I could behave like a little kid, sulk and say 'THEY SUCK'.
Is it bad that the little kid approach FEELS better?
BAD day at work.
June 15th, 2009 at 07:39 am
June 15th, 2009 at 02:21 pm 1245075675
Hang in there hun; your bosses know who does the real work and who tries to fudge things. *hugs*
June 15th, 2009 at 03:06 pm 1245078386
Some people just get way too comfortable with telling OTHER people what they should be telling you, because they're too cowardly to hear what the actual person they have a problem with would say. I think that's the case with these ladies; it doesn't sound like they're sabotaging you, just making a big deal about little things. At least the one did have the good grace to tell you about the soft bread thing (as well as talk about it behind your back), so she's not completely two-faced. I'd just try to stay sweet and let them know (not in a frustrated way, even though it's super-frustrating) that you don't mind getting their take on things and that it helps for coworkers to exchange ideas. Might not help anything, but it doesn't sound like they're any serious threat to you, so I wouldn't worry too much.
June 15th, 2009 at 05:00 pm 1245085203
June 15th, 2009 at 09:49 pm 1245102550
Don't let yourself get dragged down into this pettiness. No matter who is right, this won't get either party respect in the eyes of a manager (if he/she is a normal, reasonable person).
I would just try to do my job well and be cordial and calm. You do not need to apologize again or to follow up on this ridiculous "problem" that is only in that woman's head. Your manager wouldn't, right?
So here is my unsolicited advice
June 16th, 2009 at 01:54 am 1245117248
June 17th, 2009 at 04:04 am 1245211443
Sister got a call from our aunt calling from Minnesota, conversation ensued. Sister told her that during the summer she is living at the farm generally 5 days/week to tend the garden, etc, yak yak. Hang up.
Not ten minutes later another aunt calls, the one who lives about 20 miles away. Luckily sister couldn't get to it in time so the message went to voicemail because this aunt is in a huff - "why do I have to call Minnesota to find out you are living full time at the farm?!!" (and had been for a couple of years) 3 reasons. 1 - none of your f&((ing business. 2 - 20 miles away. Couldn't pass by on the way to the big town to see if a car was in the driveway? 3 - you are nearly 70 years old. Grow up.
So I feel for you. But ultimately you are younger, smarter, more energetic, and more flexible. If your boss doesn't realize what a gem you are, he's nuts.