This startup I work for seems to be a repeat offender on this subreddit (mentioned before on another post). But I won’t be revealing names because I signed an NDA. Long story short, I work in tech as a designer, doing full time unpaid work as an intern (for school) this summer.
Since they’re a startup I expected a more lenient culture since they’re literally getting free labour from students. But no, management has been implementing stupid rules that makes efficiency slower. For example, in addition to clocking in/out, they want the interns to show proof of their work by adding it to a google drive (which means as a UX/graphics designer I have to upload incomplete drafts everyday, it clutters up and confuses everyone).
A few weeks ago, they mentioned in passing that from now on we have to CC our department supervisor in every email we send using our company email or get permission to email another person. This wasn’t an enforced rule when I started and since I barely use my email to communicate (outside of my supervisor directly) it slips my mind.
Fast forward to yesterday, they made another rule and from now on all interns are not allowed to communicate with each other on a platform outside of startup platform (about anything even social stuff).
This makes my life as a designer harder because if I need something from my coworker I have to then request permission to my supervisor first then they pass it forward to them. You see how slow that is?
Some new intern joined yesterday and I just needed to pass on some old graphics to them and CC policy slipped my mind. I sent the email without another thought.
All of a sudden I get a call from management after an hour. Management guy says he was notified that I sent out emails without permission. And I told him truthfully that yes it slipped my mind. So he give me a lecture which I expected. But then he accuses me of trying to gain authority over my supervisor!
Management guy says that on my email I gave a welcome to the new intern and that I should leave that to my supervisor.
Now for me I just did that as a generic nice to meet you before I get down to business , but management guy saw that as me trying to climb the corporate ladder over my supervisor and give orders to the other interns.
He made me apologize to my supervisor before condescendingly telling me that he likes my ambition but I need to wait for promotion.
Listen, I’m a college freshman just trying to get experience and do my job. But the way he interpreted that and made me apologize for something I wasn’t trying to do was really embarrassing. I am in no way after my supervisor’s job, he’s a nice a guy and I’m not a conniving bastard.
I feel guilty and oddly gaslit (lol) because management made me question if I came off as trying to get ahead. Like I don’t even wanna work here if not for the exp why would I want that?
I don’t know how to proceed anymore because I’m so embarrassed to show up to work and see my supervisor for the rest of summer.