This is my first time working in the nonprofit sector, and it was great at first. I was hired to independently run a program: Hiring, training, and supporting people with disabilities for jobs in a company which seemingly everyone wants to work for. No one on my team officially works for the company; we’re contractors through a nonprofit.
Originally, my supervisor was several states away and very hands off. We had a 1:1 video call once every week or two and a video call for everyone in my role about as often. Everything changed a couple months ago though.
Someone who does my role just one state away was made my supervisor, and everyone else who does our job stays under my original supervisor. Let’s call my current supervisor E. She was pretty helpful when I started, giving advice and sharing documents she’d created. As my supervisor she’s exhausting, and I’m scared she’s going to run my program into the ground.
It started the day she was named my supervisor. Someone high up the chain asked me to go full time months before, but E clarified that it wouldn’t happen and they’d rather hire another part timer than give me benefits.
Then she told me I had to track everything I did for weeks so that she could tweak and tighten my schedule. She told me I should be shadowing all my staff for 30-45 minutes every day and spend less time making materials to help them do well in their work.
I’m not gonna lie: E had some good ideas: shorter checklists and schedules, and more meetings with the groups who help support my staff, but even that has gone off the rails.
I just found out that since she started supervising me, she’s been asking someone from one of the supporting agencies to replace me. She’s been trash talking me to them and demanding they come up with something I’ve been doing wrong, and whenever they can come up with anything that could be improved, she tells me they’re complaining about me and she needs to take action.
God only knows what she’s saying to the higher ups for our non profit.
She also keeps jerking me around about my hours. She tells me to work less, then gives me an exact number of hours and a schedule. Then she tells me I’ve been authorized to work whatever hours I believe to be appropriate.
The same day E said that I got an email about benefits starting, so I signed up for them. I told my opposite numbers at the company where I work, and he said that was great. He’d been pushing for me to go full time for 5 months.
This week E walked everything back. She got mad about the hours I’m working and insisted I’m not getting benefits. She says I need to push the partnering agencies to work more hours so that I can work less. I’ve spoken to them and they’re saying if she pushes this they’ll stop bringing forward candidates and might leave the program altogether.
At this point I’m trying to keep this program alive, but I’m also losing hope. I’ve started applying for jobs, most of which make 2-3 times what I’m making now. I feel like all I can do is give up on this program and leave, but it’s my baby, and on paper we’re still the top performing office and the biggest team even though it’s been hardly any time at all.