I'm feeling a little better and now I'm willing to talk about what was eating me.
There was a dispute between me and a co-worker of mine at Big Green that I previously thought was my friend. She tried to use my taking the short tax preparation course as an excuse to steal all but the easiest returns.
We were in the office by ourselves the other day and I was taking in a client that had itemized deductions and some other things. My co-worker asked if I could handle it, and I said yes, but she proceeded to eavesdrop on my interview with the client.
I did okay through most of it, and then I ran into a 1099-G for a tax refund the client received last year from the state. I asked my co-worker for help with the one form and she flew into a rage, accusing me of stealing her clients ("taking money out of her pocket" were her exact words) and being insubordinate to my boss.
For the record, my boss said that I was not allowed to do Schedule C or D forms, but everything else was pretty much fair game.
Anyway, I countered to my co-worker that I had no qualms sitting at my desk and doing nothing if that made her happy, but I was here to help people and that's what I intended to do. I also told her that regardless of what she thought our boss had said that I was operating within the boundaries that our boss had told me. She kept whining, bitching and complaining and acting like I was going to get fired if I didn't do things her way.
We had to cut it off when a client came in, but started after each other when they left. She tried to pretend that she wasn't going to tell our boss about what happened, but sure enough, our boss brought it up to me about midway through the day. My co-worker, who I thought was my friend, lied to me! After she acted like she wasn't mad anymore, looked into my eyes with a sad puppy dog expression, begged my pardon and shook my hand!! That bitch!!!
I didn't want to talk about it to my boss, because I didn't think it should go any further and figured she'd take my co-worker's side, but I made my position known to my boss and she actually sided with me. She told me to be more careful around my co-worker, whom other office assoicates had complained about to her, but said as long as I was operating within the parameters of what I was told by her to do, that I would be fine.
My co-worker and I work together this Saturday. Hopefully there won't be any more drama.
Sorry about that, hope all goes well!
ReplyDeleteWould you believe she actually had the nerve to call and ask if I could trade shifts with her after all that...twice? She's got some nerve!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a screwed up past few days. But I'm better now.
Sounds really crazy. Im sorry it is so hard.
ReplyDeleteYou might want to keep notes for a bit there. Just some self preservation of what is actually happening in case for some reason all this comes back to bite you again. Names, dates, times as best you can recall in case you have to defend yourself again. You'll look prepared, she'll look like she is crazy.
Do what you know you are do and focus on the job at hand, regardless of what she or others might be doing or saying. For one thing it keeps you focused and busy, but also, it keeps you minding to what you've been told to do by your boss. You'll appear to be rising above it all, and professional.
This all sort of reminds me that I never recounted the story of why I quit phone books. I hate bad work situations....and when people try to screw things up for good hardworking people. Sighz
I pray it all works out-as we both know it will. God is good at just taking these kind of situations and making them right one way or another-usually in ways we didnt expect.
Those are good tips, Muddy. I've had to write down stuff on other jobs for the purpose of self-preservation, so I know the drill to a certain extent.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to tell me the story of why you quit phone books sometime. Hard working people are apparently being screwed left and right. ;-)