Work lunacy or you are damn if you do damned if you don't

Forums: Life At Work, Bureaucracy, Office Politics
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Does anyone else think this is ludicrous? My boss and a peer of mine went to an industry conference. This occurs once a year and usually a couple of people at my level and above get to attend - sort of a thank you for good work. I have had the opportunity to attend previously.

Any way, they come back and both are reprimanded. Why? Because they left work for other people to complete while they went. I took over a couple of items from my boss and my peer had to leave a couple of items with her boss. Basically aside from getting a computer and doing the work while at the conference, they had no other choice because of the timing when these items had to filed.

One of the items I covered did have a good amount of work left to do on it (no fault on my boss' side - just the nature of it). I didn't complain and felt no need to - simple - you cover for each other when needed.

So they just got reamed for it - they both did. What the h*ll? I'm the one that did the work and it didn't bother me to help out. They both worked late the night before the conference so only what couldn't be done ahead of time needed to be covered. Now I'm worried if I ever am out of the office and some one needs to cover for me.

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@Linkat,

How did the reprimander know about the unfinished work? Did someone complain about it?

BBB

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@BumbleBeeBoogie,

Because the work impacts other departments and is a regulated filing. It had to be filed while she was out. Besides two - all the others were completed and sent to the other group to file.

One, because of the complexity was up against the deadline (still within 24 hours) and had a high level individual needing to look at it as well - again because of the complexity for this particular filing. It also had a last minute update (again more due to the complexity than anything else) so it was delayed and I was here a little late -no later than most nights but beyond the work day so it did get noticed.

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@Linkat,

Have I got this straight?

Workers are scheduled to attend industry conference.

They work hard to make sure they are caught up on their work.

They make sure that what wasn't finished is covered by co-workers.

All deadlines are met.

They got in trouble for this.

I agree with you, this is absurd. I think you have a rat in your office who pulled a "s/he got to go to the conference and I had to do all the work" ain't-I-a-martyr -look-at-me bull. You know those kind of people who only look good when they can make other people look bad.

I'd talk to HR about it. Ask for a clarification on the policy. If it makes you nervous imagine what it might be like for people further down the chain of command.

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@boomerang,

Yeah but that person should have been me! I was the one covering - I didn't go to the conference. I did not complain and felt no need to complain. I did not have an issue covering for my boss. She has covered for me when I had to leave just recently on time from work and not stay late.

I wonder if it was my peer's boss complaining on covering for his reports work who also attended the conference - I can't imagine as not too long ago, he left us with much more work when he went on vacation.

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Work lunacy or you are damn if you do damned if you don't

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