AboutJoan Schramm Expertise I can answer questions about handling difficult bosses or co-workers, motivation, team-building, and just getting along in an organization. I am also an expert on conflict resolution and communication as well as other issues dealing with business relationships.
Experience Joan is a professional Coach and the founder of Momentum Coaching, www.achieve-momentum.com. Her experience is from over twenty-five years of business leadership, training and coaching.
Organizations Coach Training Alliance, Coachville, Attractionville, 247 Coaching, Solo-E
Publications Many of my articles have appeared in local newspapers and online at sites like www.ezines.com, www.marketingseek.com, www.articlecity.com, www.exactseek.com and others.
Education/Credentials BS in English
MS in Human Resource Management
Certified Coach through the Coach Training Alliance
Expert: Joan Schramm Date: 4/14/2008 Subject: Hostile work environment?
Question I genuinely feel like one of my managers is 'out to get me' and is trying to get me to quit my job.
A few days ago, I was scheduled for an eight hour shift. Around noon, I got a coffee, and stood with some other coworkers while they ate lunch. She approached us, and told us we weren't being productive enough, and that we needed to do 'something.' My coworker asked if he could finish his lunch, and she actually said 'no!' We work in the customer service industry, so there's no designated break, or lunch time, we just have to find opportunities. That night I discovered that she had written me up for 'quantity/quality of work,' because I had taken that moment to have lunch with my coworker. She then proceeded to keep me there doing trivial chores for TWO HOURS after my shift had ended. She didn't give any one else these 'chores' to do. And she has since threatened to write me up for trivial things.
I'm certain that she's intentionally making my job difficult to get me to quit, or finding silly things to write me up for so that she has a 'legitimate' reason to fire me.
Answer Lindsey --
Thanks for writing.
In the absence of a specific written job description, you don't have a lot of options.
I would try to get some specific thing in writing, as to job duties, work quantity and quality, breaks, lunch breaks, overtime, etc. Set up a meeting with your supervisor to discuss your work routine and performance and try to pin her down to some specifics about what you should and shouldn't be doing on the job. This might be something your entire team can do as a group -- it's ridiculous to expect you all to work without any specific written duties and responsibilities.
Do you have an HR or personnel dept? You might want to run these issues by them and get some clarity.
If not, and if you can't pin your boss down as to specifics, and she keeps dumping on your, I'm afraid about the only thing you can do is get out of there and find another job where you'll be treated fairly.
