Office Politics Advice!

dan35293426 · 2014-03-06T15:59:43.000Z

Hi SpiceHeads

I’m being hit from all angles at the moment! I have a local company trying to get back in but to do that they’ve got to get rid of me. I have the village idiot after my job - his wife is a manager so he seems to change departments every 6 months.

I had one person a manager that I could really count on and trusted but this last week or so she’s distanced herself and has done a whole 360 on me.

She’s written a summary of a meeting we had but most of it has been either highly exaggerated or made up - either way it makes me look real bad. I can’t challenge it because I will lose. Strange complaints are coming out of the wood work and I’m not sure what to do at this point?

This happened last year at my final appraisal I was promised a permanent contract but strange complaints came out - 2 of which were borderline sexual harassment but they were never addressed at the time??? Surely they should have investigated it at the time and at the time of my appraisal the two people had left the company?

So they only extended my contract for 9 months, I’ve got 5-6 months left on this contract now the next 4 months are crucial to the company so they need me.

Once again I’ve been promised a permanent at the end of the 9 months but with all this baloney coming out at the moment I can see there’s going to be a repeat performance…

Any advice folks?

scojjac · 2014-03-06T16:05:59.000Z

Start looking for another job. Better to find a job while you still have one.

Meantime, keep to yourself as much as possible and focus on your projects and tasks.

dreamwalkn · 2014-03-06T16:06:16.000Z

Get your resume up to date and start looking. You are more marketable moving from a contract job that has a definite end than after the contract is over. Even if they WANT you after your contract is up, do you really want to stay under those circumstances? Move on mate!!

bear7079 · 2014-03-06T16:06:21.000Z

Fire up the resume and tell them to screw once you get a new job. you can get out before the end of your contract. List out your concerns as to why you are leaving and note the miss-information you have found.

If all these people are throwing up red flags? why would you want to stay. it is easier to get a new job while still working.

and stop hitting on the the boss’ PA.

stevem · 2014-03-06T16:06:38.000Z

You just have to ask yourself if that is somewhere you really want to work. Especially with the recent turn of events. If they are pulling that kind of stuff now, what is to stop them in the future at any point.

I would document EVERYTHING that you do there over the remainder of your time, sending weekly updates to whomever is in charge. This will help with ridiculous accusations.

However, this is more a personal choice of whether or not you would WANT to have a permanent job at the end of the contract.

mercutio879 · 2014-03-06T16:07:57.000Z

Get the promise in writing.

If they refuse to put it in writing, start sending out resumes. If they are okay with the promise in writing, have the language say that any complaint should be dealt with within two or so weeks, that way they can’t sting you at the end. Unfortunately, though, it sounds like the decision has already been made, especially if the one person that you trusted is distancing themselves.

jlobsien · 2014-03-06T16:09:31.000Z

If they’re playing games like that, they’re not a very serious company, and they probably won’t go very far – which means neither will you. Not knowing all the details, the best advice I can give is to get off that ship before it sinks.

Huw3481 · 2014-03-06T16:11:41.000Z

Get the stuff in writing or get the hell out of Dodge.

101110101101 · 2014-03-06T16:17:25.000Z

Huw3481:

Get the stuff in writing or get the hell out of Dodge.

… get the hell out of Dodge… REGARDLESS… leave the drama behind.

sqlrage · 2014-03-06T16:20:38.000Z

Most workplaces don’t have these types of problems. If you do find another job it probably can’t be worse. You have got a few months to get your stuff together, so take it and run.

kfberns · 2014-03-06T16:21:01.000Z

With all the BS, do you even want to stay if they offered it? Don’t think for a minute that the BS will stop when you are full time; that tiger won’t change his stripes.

IT jobs are really starting to pop up again; I’m constantly being approached to interview at another co. so don’t put up with the BS. Update your resume and start looking for a new place.

markgilbey · 2014-03-06T16:21:05.000Z

If they’re behaving like this now, you probably don’t want to stay there on a permanent basis anyway. I’d start looking for something new as soon as possible

shadowtechnc · 2014-03-06T16:25:33.000Z

Unless you’re waiting for them to set your cubicle on fire with you in it, you need to be looking to pull the chute. It sounds like the only reason they’d keep you after this is if you were stupid enough to stay.

GO! NOW!

vericomitguy · 2014-03-06T16:26:35.000Z

Drama there now means drama forever. Leave them. Clearly they do not appreciate you and are just stringing you along.

chrisw · 2014-03-06T16:27:05.000Z

Sounds like too much drama. Not to sound like a broken record but polish up that resume and start looking for a new job.

fmftw · 2014-03-06T16:28:28.000Z

Sounds like a horrible place to work. Run!!!

james485 · 2014-03-06T16:30:27.000Z

My best advise for you is when it comes to this they’re gunning for you and it’s best to start searching before you get the axe. Office politics have no place in the business…you go there, you help them grow, you get paid, and go home.

Polish up your resume and start applying for jobs/contracts. If they start pulling this then they will make sure to make you look like the fall guy by any means necessarily. This happened to me at my last company and I found something else before they could fire me…man did it burn them that they couldn’t do it.

So yeah…like everyone else said…time to get out of dodge man.

ryan7702 · 2014-03-06T16:32:09.000Z

Dan3529:

I had one person a manager that I could really count on and trusted but this last week or so she’s distanced herself and has done a whole 360 on me.

Not to nitpick, but I think you mean a 180… HaHa

But I’m with everyone else, get goin’ while the goins good… If that makes any sense…

jkhigg · 2014-03-06T16:38:13.000Z

I agree with Frank481, “run!!”

I ‘ran’ once.

About a week after I left, one of the file servers had a disk crash. (I had tried several times to get the system replaced.)

I heard I was blamed, and that I somehow made it happen.

Whatever.

Good thing for them that they had a GOOD backup; guess who implemented that?

mhunt · 2014-03-06T16:38:45.000Z

+1 to everyone who says move on!

If the manager you thought had your back has distanced herself and even gone to the trouble of falsifying meeting minutes, thats a fairly strong indicator that she knows which way the wind is blowing.

Its better to jump before you are pushed.