is this bullying at work?

Ok I'll try make this short and sweet.
I work in a factory and I have my own area. I have a fair bit of responsibility and my work is always done on time and neat.
I often have my work finished early then I get brought to a different area where I'd have to work to a deadline to get other peoples work out and I get little or no thanks for it.
For that reason alone I was about to ask for a raise this week.

Anyways the problem, I was out sick for monday and Tuesday of this week due to vomitting bug, the job had no problem with it as i rang on time to explain. But there was abit of work to be done in my area. My supervisor had to do it and had to get someone else to do it with him and he said it took too long, now he has this new thing I have to do every job I do I gotta fill out on unofficial paperwork and put it into computer when I have the chance.

All of this because others couldn't handle my workload which I could of done easily had I not been sick, also the last time I had two days off (over a year ago) when I came back he changed other things around that was unnecessary but time consuming for me. It's like his little punishment for having to cover for me. Should I just accept it and go along with his pettiness?

P.s because I have to fill out time, the department who bring the work to me have to fill out times they gave to me aswell so they are not happy either but it's not nice having tabs put in place. Help!

gugleguy

How long do you know your supervisor there? Are you on friendly terms with other subordinates of his? Maybe have a chat.

gugleguy

gugleguy wrote: »

How long do you know your supervisor there? Are you on friendly terms with other subordinates of his? Maybe have a chat.

I know him as long as im here, 14 years, he just always says oh this is a way of improving how things are done. But I know deep down it's because he had to do my work as i was ill.

davo10

Where is the bullying?

davo10

davo10 wrote: »

Where is the bullying?

Im asking is it or is what he is doing fair, as in making me do silly pointless things as punishment.

davo10

davo10 wrote: »

Where is the bullying?

Im asking is it or is what he is doing fair, as in making me do silly pointless things as punishment. Maybe not bullying as such but I don't think it's right, or would you guys be under the impression he is in the right? It's been busy on me be for and never had to do any of this.

davo10

If he is the supervisor, he is allowed to make changes he feels will improve efficiency and documentation. We all like to do things our way and be left to our own devices but if your superior changes work practices, then you can discuss it with his superior if you feel that strongly but I don't see this as bullying.

Is it possible that while you were away he got an insight into your job which he hadn't had before and recognised the need for improved documentation?

Thanks for reply davo, that is a possibility but he has admitted to doing things to punish others befor. It's also an unofficial documentation just for me and him so he says. but my main concern is, well bar the fact I don't agree with it. Is I do alot of work without paperwork. So if he was to produce this to the boss it wouldn't show my full working week.

I will talk to him later about it but while it may not be bullying its being a nuisance and I dislike it ha.

Also I want to be clear I wasn't intending to just go in and say I'm being bullied by him (bad wording on my part) . I was looking for advice on if anyone else thinks that is normal or if it's ok to bring it up with a boss that I'm unhappy with it as I feel it's unfair treatment

tempnam

if it's unofficial paperwork - then he can't do anything if you refuse to complete it.

Say no, and explain why you don't want to fill out the paperwork and see what he says.

lolosaur

you sound like a great employee.

always on time, never sick. never miss a deadline. always heloing others.

Why dont you apply to be supervisor?

TimeToShine

Deleted User wrote: »

Also I want to be clear I wasn't intending to just go in and say I'm being bullied by him (bad wording on my part) . I was looking for advice on if anyone else thinks that is normal or if it's ok to bring it up with a boss that I'm unhappy with it as I feel it's unfair treatment

You're fully entitled to bring it up with him. You've been there 14 years - you are valuable to them and you should know it. I'm leaning towards the idea that he is doing it out of ignorance as opposed to actually trying to make your life more difficult. Hanlon's razor may apply; "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

Your best bet is definitely to go in and have a chat. Explain how your work is always sub-par when someone else does it - you might be due a raise or a promotion. Best of luck either way.

vitani

Deleted User wrote: »

All of this because others couldn't handle my workload which I could of done easily had I not been sick

Is it possible that he's putting this into place so that the next time you are ill, or away, that he can get somebody to do the work you usually do without it taking two people all day to do?

vitani

vitani wrote: »

Is it possible that he's putting this into place so that the next time you are ill, or away, that he can get somebody to do the work you usually do without it taking two people all day to do?

Hey, there is already a guy who fills in for me I've trained him in many parts of my job but he wouldn't be great cover.

The thing about it is he said it's so we can look at the plan in future and plan the days work ahead, the funny thing is we are supposed to do that daily but I just work it out myself and is always fine.

On a side note he was cursing me to colleagues coz I landed him in a hole!

delthedriver

This issue needs to be addressed immediately, before it turns into a nasty situation.

Have a chat with your supervisor. If the issue cannot be addressed amicably, take the issue up with your Union Rep., if not his immediate superior.

There is a hint of bullying IMHO. Get the thing nipped in the bud.

Goos luck

delthedriver

delthedriver wrote: »

take the issue up with your Union Rep.

What union rep lol, there is no union rep it's a joke, so its either discuss with him or discuss with the boss who will ask have i spoke to supervisor.

I am getting mixed answers in this thread, I can understand if he was actually trying to fix it so it didn't happen again, but that's not how it works in this place.

Example of what happened today, I had almost caught up with my work and was walking back t my area i could see him peeking his head in looking for me, and he asked me to go help someone as there was stuff going out in 20 minutes.....again not a problem i do it but it slows me down on my work. So the problem doesn't lie with times of my work.

delthedriver

Deleted User wrote: »

What union rep lol, there is no union rep it's a joke, so its either discuss with him or discuss with the boss who will ask have i spoke to supervisor.

I am getting mixed answers in this thread, I can understand if he was actually trying to fix it so it didn't happen again, but that's not how it works in this place.

Example of what happened today, I had almost caught up with my work and was walking back t my area i could see him peeking his head in looking for me, and he asked me to go help someone as there was stuff going out in 20 minutes.....again not a problem i do it but it slows me down on my work. So the problem doesn't lie with times of my work.

Well then sounds like you need to sit down with your boss and put the issues calmly to him and see what he has to say

Mrs OBumble

OP, by definition, it's only bullying if it's repeated behaviour with malicious intentions.

Now, it's poor form for him to have told you that he did things to punish people in the past: if he was a competent supervisor, he would not have been talking to you about other people's issues were addressed.

But you're telling us about two incidents that occurred over a year apart - and where I'm can't see any malice.

You've told us that there is a problem when you're away. It makes you feel good that you can get your job done by yourself. But it's actually a problem for the company is you being away throws up issues for several other people - if means they depend too much on you, and would be in the schmuck if you left or got hit by a bus. So actually - your supervisor does need to investigate, and figure out ways to provide better cover. And quite possibly some extra paperwork (either to collect information about what's going on, or to record details that other people need to cover for you) is part of this. (And yes, your manager absolutely can ask you to do "unofficial paperwork" - provided it's a reasonable request.)

To be honest, from the way you've posted, you sound like you're very resistant to change. And while you're willing to help out with other areas, you don't like them getting involved with yours. I can understand that you want to keep your area neat etc .. but teamwork (which is really about reducing the risk if one team member is away) means you need to share ...

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

(And yes, your manager absolutely can ask you to do "unofficial paperwork" - provided it's a reasonable request.

Thanks for your detailed reply my friend, Yea they can ask me to do the paperwork, but the paperwork he gets me to fill out is meant to go by right back to the stores so they know what it is.
So its not just myself who has this problem, its a few members of staff,

Maybe I'm taking it the wrong way and I don't like change but the way he has set up that it has to be timed what time it came down and how out looks to me like he thinks I can't do the work myself. Which is far from right so I may address that with him while on the subject.

Thanks

stevenmu

Tbh I think you might be taking it the wrong way, which is mainly your supervisor's fault for not explaining it very well.

It sounds like when you were absent, that your supervisor and colleague were failing to complete the work in the time required, but you clearly are able to complete much more of the work than they can. It also sounds like your supervisor probably has a rough idea of how much work he can allocate to you to do over a period of time, but doesn't know how much he could allocate to someone else if they were filling in for you.

If you look at it from your supervisor's point of view this causes him some big problems. If you are out sick, go on holidays, or even leave the company, then he has to replace you with someone else. This means both that he faces a big loss in productivity, and even worse, he doesn't know by how much so it makes it very hard for him to plan work and have it completed on time.

My guess, is that your supervisor is trying to fix this situation by doing what supervisors everywhere do, putting metrics in place. If he gets you to record how long it takes you to do things he can get a baseline for how long everything should take. He can then use the same methods to see how long it takes other people to do the same amount of work. If it takes other people far longer, then there is a problem and he needs to fix that, usually by training the other people until they are at your standard, or possibly by putting some standard operating procedures in place. At the very least it will help him plan work better if you are unavailable for some reason.

That's my guess based on your first post anyway. Generally people are far too busy trying to make their own lives easier to go out of their way to make someone else's harder.

LynnGrace

Deleted User wrote: »

Thanks for reply davo, that is a possibility but he has admitted to doing things to punish others befor. It's also an unofficial documentation just for me and him so he says. but my main concern is, well bar the fact I don't agree with it. Is I do alot of work without paperwork. So if he was to produce this to the boss it wouldn't show my full working week.

I will talk to him later about it but while it may not be bullying its being a nuisance and I dislike it ha.

Can you add in the other pieces/ tasks to the paperwork in order to show the full working week?