This is so long, I’m sorry…
I took a week long, long-overdue (nearly two years overdue) vacation from July 29 at 5:00 pm until August 8 at 8:00 am. The week before I went on this vacation (which was approved and everyone knew about for months) my Boss’ Boss emailed me and asked for help in planning a surprise party to celebrate National Professional Engineers day (August 3). I told her I was be glad to order the gifts and make sure a space was reserved but other than that I would be out of town.
She seemingly ignored this because as the week progressed she continued to email me about the party. I ordered gifts. I reserved the room. I reminded her again that I would not be in town for any of the other tasks for planning the party. She responded with an okay, but continued to ask all week. At the very end of the day on July 29, she asked me if I had ordered the cake and supplies for the party itself. I was in a meeting until 5 pm and did not see the email until I was at home — by then it was around 8 pm.
On Monday, August 1 at exactly 9 am, she texted my personal cell phone to ask about the cake and decorations. I told her once again that I was out of town and that I was unable to take care of those things. She answered telling me that she knew that but had also expected me to have handed those responsibilities on to another staff member.
I am the Admin for for four different departments in our city. Engineering, Engineering plan review, traffic, and storm water. There was no one else to hand this to — especially since my co workers are all the people are were meant to be “surprised.” She was obviously beyond furious and told me “Well, I hope you have a great vacation.”
On August 8, at 4 pm, I was pulled into my boss’s office. There was another managing director there. I was given a “verbal warning”, a written warning, a “failure to perform”, and a reprimand… followed by a Professional Improvement Plan — a PIP.
I have never EVER been in trouble at work in my entire life, let alone during my 7 years with the City. And there I was, with every kind of trouble I can get… all at once.
My PIP stated that I am insubordinate, do not work as a team player, and that I complain too much about my pay. We are supposed to have yearly reviews that come with a 2% raise… I have not had a review since October of 2020. And, my instructions were that I had until August 31 at 5 pm to write a complete desk manual for my position.
I’ve spent the last month putting together a very comprehensive manual, but every time I show my boss the bar is moved and more has to be added. This thing is over 400 pages long at this point. And — I’m not stupid, I know these are made to train my replacement.
On Tuesday of last week I finally sent in a 7 page report to HR with 11 documents filled with emails and text messages as documentation.
On Wednesday, my boss called me into his office for our NOW DAILY one on ones where he asks for every single task I do in minute detail (I created a spreadsheet and have been taking very careful notes). He pulled out all of my sheets from my write ups and told me he was proud of how well I’ve turned everything around and how I’m doing a great job — yadda yadda. But, that his boss is still frustrated by my inaction on planning the party and that that will probably stay in my record.
On Thursday, I completed (to my knowledge then) the manual. I showed him the work and his response was “this looks great! Keep working on it. I just don’t understand why it’s in landscape mode? Everything is supposed to be in portrait mode… but okay?”
That same day, I was also told that I am no longer allowed ro participate in extra activities at work. I must be at my desk at all moments except for lunch. I was an officer in our Toastmaster’s group and had to let my team know I would no longer be able to participate.
On Monday of this week, he told me that he is going to need me to start working as the assistant to another city department because “you’ve shown that you can get a lot of work done very quickly.”
Today, I am supposed to have my desk manual complete by EOD. I was given another job to add…
This is by no means a comprehensive list of what I’ve been going through. HR has been no help. I’ve been ostracized and removed from so many activities that made me love my job. I have to account for every moment — including bathroom breaks.
I’m exhausted. My mental health has suffered to an extreme. I know they want me to quit, but Even though I have been putting in tons of applications everywhere — I’m not getting any bites. At this point, they are going to have to fire me.
I’m devastated and heartbroken and angry, but I’ve been nothing but exceptionally pleasant at work. I make $38,000 a year.
I don’t know what to do. I guess I just need to know how others would proceed here.
Thanks for reading…