NationStates Jolt Archive

I am really fed up with a certain "superior" at my job right now. I used to supervise at my current job, but, due to reasons that aren't important now, I had quit. I don't really know why, but I decided to come back. I knew that I had already lost the position of supervisor by default and I was ok with that. I came back to a reduction in pay and fewer hours knowingly.

It didn't take long for my bosses to nominate me as the general "crack-filler", meaning that I do whatever is needed at any given time. The current supervisor, who got the job when I quit, has always been scheduled to work from 4pm to 8pm, but the office runs until 9pm. Sometimes she decides to stay until 9pm, but when she decides to leave at 8pm, guess who has to close? I never agreed to close up when I came back and when I realized that this was going to be a problem for me, I told another "superior" that I could not stay past 9pm.

So to cut my rant short, last night the supervisor left at 8:30. I had to be home to get my kid before my boyfriend had to go to work and there were only two other ladies in the phone room. So, instead of clocking out at 8:55 like normal, I let them clock out at 8:50. The "superior" that I am currently pissed off at made a comment last night about it being 8:47 in the "real world" (our clock-out time clearly shows that we clocked out at 8:50) and asked why we were leaving so early. I told her that her "real world time" was different from our time and needless to say she reported me to the "big guy".

So I got my ass chewed for letting two people clock out five minutes earlier than normal when supervising is NOT MY JOB. I don't get paid the supervisor rate and I think this is a big steaming pile of BS!!! :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :upyours:

Am I overreacting?

Don't get mad at me for asking this, but have you made a decision that was not yours to make?

Five minutes? You are not overreacting.

If it was a bit more, then yes, you would. I myself used to not have a bad boss, he was pretty cool and flexible.

I was hoping this thread was gonna be about Bowser and Mother Brain and shit.

I was hoping this thread was gonna be about Bowser and Mother Brain and shit.

Pft, no.

I was hoping this thread was gonna be about Bowser and Mother Brain and shit.

I was just going to recommend levelling up, getting better accessories, and using a summon to take the brunt of the special attack.

What is your superviors offical hours? Also, did the company ever decide on who should lock up for the night if the Supervisor hours is from 4pm to 8pm?

Don't get mad at me for asking this, but have you made a decision that was not yours to make?

I thought that I didn't, but it seems that I did. I figured that if I'm put in the position to supervise the room, then it is within my boundaries to decide when to let people go home as long as it is within a reasonable time frame. For example, I could see them throwing a fit if I closed the office half an hour earlier than it is supposed to be, but I didn't think that a differential of five minutes would have such a response.

I thought that I didn't, but it seems that I did. I figured that if I'm put in the position to supervise the room, then it is within my boundaries to decide when to let people go home as long as it is within a reasonable time frame. For example, I could see them throwing a fit if I closed the office half an hour earlier than it is supposed to be, but I didn't think that a differential of five minutes would have such a response.

I was raised that you worked the hour that you were given, and you work hard and don't cut from work early. Stay the full hour.

What is your superviors offical hours? Also, did the company ever decide on who should lock up for the night if the Supervisor hours is from 4pm to 8pm?

Her official hours are 4pm to 8pm. When I wasn't here another lady had been closing up, but when I got back they decided that I should do it. At first I hadn't objected because it was just an issue of locking up. Then they decided to add this report and that report. It got to the point where I was leaving anywhere from 9:15 to 9:20. My boyfriend gets picked up for his job anywhere between 9pm and 9:30, so I was pushing it by getting home at that time.

I was raised that you worked the hour that you were given, and you work hard and don't cut from work early. Stay the full hour.

That is a valid point. However, when I agreed to work on the phones I knew that I would be getting out at a certain time which would allow me to make sure that my son was not home unsupervised. When they assumed that I would be able to cover for my boss when she decides to go home before 9pm, I explained to them my time constraints. Currently, we happen to be working on a particularly long questionnare that could easily conflict with my time constraints should someone get on a call past 8:50, hence my decision to leave five minutes earlier.

Yes and no. In the sense that you were entrusted by your supervisor to run the office between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm, you were responsible for two people leaving early, so in that sense you are responsible for their actions even though you weren't hired to be a supervisor or close up.

However, if I were you, I'd recommend discussing the situation with your boss and if necessary, her boss. I think what you should reiterate is the fact that you are not supposed to be supervising anyone or closing. You should also notify your boss and/or her superiors on the days when you absolutely can not stay to close. I think part of the problem is your agreeing, either explicitly by saying "yes" or implicitly by doing so, to cover the time and do the extra duties you're not supposed to be doing. If they want you to do the extra duties or stay later, they'll need to step up to the plate.

Whatever you end up doing, you must document everything. If something happens and you feel like you were wrongly dismissed, you need to have backup.

Whatever you end up doing, you must document everything. If something happens and you feel like you were wrongly dismissed, you need to have backup.

I don't think I would be dismissed. It's a very small company (we currently only have five others in the phone room, not including myself and the other biggies). I have been told that I am a very valuable employee and the fact of the matter is that I am the only one here who knows how to do all of the different jobs aside from the big guys' jobs. Not even the current supervisior knows how to do some of things I do. I see what your saying though and it's a very wise suggestion that I will follow.

I just feel that this particular woman has something personal against me and it gets on my nerves.

I think you have every right to be upset. The fun world of management involves incremental increases of responsibility with little or no acknowledgement most of the time. If you came back under the impression that you weren't going to be managing, and you made that clear to the 'big boss', then this is his fault. Taking it out on you won't solve the problem.

It sounds like the head chief needs to set the priorities amongst all of the management, and not take frustrations out on them when his plan (or lack thereof) isn't working.

I think you have every right to be upset. The fun world of management involves incremental increases of responsibility with little or no acknowledgement most of the time. If you came back under the impression that you weren't going to be managing, and you made that clear to the 'big boss', then this is his fault. Taking it out on you won't solve the problem.

It sounds like the head chief needs to set the priorities amongst all of the management, and not take frustrations out on them when his plan (or lack thereof) isn't working.

It's actually not the big boss riding my arse. It's all the middle lackeys who like to feel important. I was told that she mentioned it to the main man, but he hasn't actually said one word to me about it. It's just the idea that she has "favorites" and the current supervisor can leave for a half hour in the middle of her shift to drop off her car to her boyfriend, but I can't close five minutes early?

It's actually not the big boss riding my arse. It's all the middle lackeys who like to feel important. I was told that she mentioned it to the main man, but he hasn't actually said one word to me about it. It's just the idea that she has "favorites" and the current supervisor can leave for a half hour in the middle of her shift to drop off her car to her boyfriend, but I can't close five minutes early?

Hmm... sounds like personality clash more than anything else. Unfortunately there's no remedy for small-minded middle-managers...

I've been in personality clash situations before -- everything from simple prickliness to outright paranoid loons deciding I was plotting against them everytime I got a coffee. It either works itself out or it doesn't, but in such a small office, if I were in that situation, I would discuss it with the boss and maybe even just find a diplomatic way to come right out and ask if she has a problem with you -- if you think she might. Let her know what you're thinking and feeling.

But above all, what you really need to do is be extremely explicit and specific about what hours you can work and when you have to leave. And once you've gotten that clear, you must never deviate from it again unless there is a real emergency. The person who said that you had sort of agreed to close, if only by just doing it, was right. As my mom always says, your job description is whatever they can make you do, and if you're doing it, you can't claim that you can't do it, right?

As my mom always says, your job description is whatever they can make you do, and if you're doing it, you can't claim that you can't do it, right?

That's very true. I've always been a push-over when it comes to accepting assignments. I often thought it was my flexibility and my willingness to take on new tasks that helped me advance in the company. Unfortunately, I no longer have the freedom to do whatever whenever. This is why I made a point of explaining that I could not be here past a certain time. I pointed that out again today. I think I'm at the point of giving them the key to close up and telling them that I simply cannot close ever, at all, end of story.

Had you considered pointing out to them that since you are not the supervisor, you do not have the authority to prevent them from clocking out? If anything, I would say that the supervisor was derelict in their duties by not communicating their wishes prior to departure for the evening. As an employee, all you can do is follow instructions. If you are not given clear instructions, the responsibility for the consequences should fall on the supervisor.

Supervision is an exchange: in exchange for being able to tell people what to do, you are responsible for the consequences of their actions. If you don't tell someone to do something that should have been done, then you are still responsible for the consequences.

Sounds like your "superior" is incompetent and is trying to blame you for it.

Had you considered pointing out to them that since you are not the supervisor, you do not have the authority to prevent them from clocking out? If anything, I would say that the supervisor was derelict in their duties by not communicating their wishes prior to departure for the evening. As an employee, all you can do is follow instructions. If you are not given clear instructions, the responsibility for the consequences should fall on the supervisor.

Supervision is an exchange: in exchange for being able to tell people what to do, you are responsible for the consequences of their actions. If you don't tell someone to do something that should have been done, then you are still responsible for the consequences.

Sounds like your "superior" is incompetent and is trying to blame you for it.


I sincerely like your way of thinking. :D

I do get to clock in to supervisor when she leaves. I just don't get paid that extra 75 cents.