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I guess I would've told the boss at the outset that you had plans in place for a wedding weekend and ask for that day off as part of the hiring negotiation. It's not good to use leave when just starting a job, and especially if it's going to create a problem for the employer (with the other employee, with more seniority, scheduling those days). In some jobs, you have to work there for a while to even earn days?
Until you leave there, you still have to show up and work every day. And that is going to be ever more miserable, the more you allow yourself to think about just how miserable you are working there. Do you know what I mean? Even though you are still actively trying to get a better job ... I really think attitude plays a big part and if you come in to work with a terrible attitude, focused on how much you hate it...every day will suck. I would try to approach every day positively, however you can, and just focus on getting through it hour by hour, or 15 minutes by 15 minutes, whatever you have to do.
I have definitely had some jobs in the past where I looked up at the clock A LOT. It's hard. It's boring. You feel like time is dragging. But just try to think about something else, stay busy with little tasks, do whatever you have to do to keep your mind from going too negative and putting you in an even more miserable mindset at work. When you get a good job, you find yourself looking up at the clock a lot less often. "Oh wow, it's 10:30 already." So you have that to look forward to.
I think one way to get through your current situation is to focus on "being the better person" and spend every day trying to be a better person than Ms. Mean Girl that you work with, and doing whatever you can to make the office a better place. My wife sometimes when it was slow or she was bored, would go around the whole office she worked in and fill all the printers up with paper. Mindless task, but it burns time and people will only look at you positively for doing things like that. There's a million other things you could do: clean the coffee machine in the kitchen, fill up everyone's stapler, refresh the supplies cabinet if there is one, offer to make a coffee or lunch run, in general a lot of it is going to be cleaning and organizing type tasks. Keep yourself busy and give your mind less time to fixate on this one person you do not like.
"It's extremely rigid and I feel like I'm in prison."
Well, that could describe a lot of office-setting jobs... Including mine!
I'm not sure how much is the fault of the employers/workplace and how much might be (possibly; not saying it is) immaturity on your part. Work isn't "fun," in most cases... Just make sure it's not you, or you'll take this problem to the next job, too.
Thank you for all the advice. I'm definitely looking for something else. Everyday it gets worse. Today my evil colleague sent out an email saying she's taking vacation days for nearly every Friday and Monday this summer. Which means I will not be able to attend a wedding I'm a bridesmaid in because she is taking the same day off. She basically made every weekend this summer a long weekend for herself. With no regard for what I may have planned.
Wow. So you think that someone who has paid their dues, and is entitled to vacation days, should just roll over for you? Did you even ask her if she would work on the day you want? Or are you just assuming she did this to make your life miserable. Maybe she has to use her vacation days, and this is the way she decided to do it. And would be happy to skip one weekend to help you out.
For the record, you are low man on the totem pole here. You get the last pick of vacation. My brother is a firefighter, and their vacations are scheduled by seniority. He was always last to pick his days off, so he NEVER got a holiday or one day during the summer, when his more senior coworkers took those days for their weeks of vacation. It was over 5 years before he got one day during the summer, and longer for a holiday. Now, after 15 years in, he gets to pick his days first.
Thank you for all the advice. I'm definitely looking for something else. Everyday it gets worse. Today my evil colleague sent out an email saying she's taking vacation days for nearly every Friday and Monday this summer. Which means I will not be able to attend a wedding I'm a bridesmaid in because she is taking the same day off. She basically made every weekend this summer a long weekend for herself. With no regard for what I may have planned.
Good Lord, get over yourself. You're almost 30 years old at a secretarial job that you still haven't learned how to do after a whole month. You don't get any perks.
So I have been at my new job a little over a month and I absolutely hate it. Maybe not so much my responsibilities but the company culture and colleagues. It's extremely rigid and I feel like I'm in prison. I took this job with high hopes. The pay was very good for a secretarial job. But the money isn't worth my happiness. I dread everyday I have to go to work. I have tried to wait it out and look for the positive. But other then the money - there are no positives. I work with a woman I can't stand. She has somewhat trained me and I say somewhat because she has pretty much left me to fend for myself. When I ask questions she acts annoyed. She's passive aggressive and condescending. My manager is completely unapproachable and if I did complain about this woman it would only make it worse. I just want out at this point. I'm married and my husband says now isn't a good time financially to quit without another job lined up. I'm in the Midwest and have been applying for another job, even though it's slim pickings.
I have never been so miserable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Siena27
Thank you for all the advice. I'm definitely looking for something else. Everyday it gets worse. Today my evil colleague sent out an email saying she's taking vacation days for nearly every Friday and Monday this summer. Which means I will not be able to attend a wedding I'm a bridesmaid in because she is taking the same day off. She basically made every weekend this summer a long weekend for herself. With no regard for what I may have planned.
I'm confused.
Did you actually put in for the day off or did you wait and assume that no one else was taking it?
Are you sure you can't take the day off? Is there out of town travel/expenses that you have already paid?
@Siena : Passive aggressive people. The big issue in most offices.
Friendly on the surface..... and Beasts, when your back is turned.
>>> Dan O'Connor offers a good series of videos on YouTube, for communicating with difficult people.
I highly recommend his videos. They are short, helpful, have comic relief, he is excellent.
My boss is a passive aggressive, and I have learned to diffuse her attacks
by listening to Dan's advice.
Rules, restrictions......Very difficult I know. (I stick my finger in time clocks every day....and I am an Indigo Creative by nature.)
It's soul breaking. Consider this job a temporary thing,not permanent. And sock away every penny you can, so you can leave when you need to.
Peace.
@Siena : Passive aggressive people. The big issue in most offices.
Friendly on the surface..... and Beasts, when your back is turned.
>>> Dan O'Connor offers a good series of videos on YouTube, for communicating with difficult people.
I highly recommend his videos. They are short, helpful, have comic relief, he is excellent.
My boss is a passive aggressive, and I have learned to diffuse her attacks
by listening to Dan's advice.
Rules, restrictions......Very difficult I know. (I stick my finger in time clocks every day....and I am an Indigo Creative by nature.)
It's soul breaking. Consider this job a temporary thing,not permanent. And sock away every penny you can, so you can leave when you need to.
Peace.
Wow. So you think that someone who has paid their dues, and is entitled to vacation days, should just roll over for you? Did you even ask her if she would work on the day you want? Or are you just assuming she did this to make your life miserable. Maybe she has to use her vacation days, and this is the way she decided to do it. And would be happy to skip one weekend to help you out.
For the record, you are low man on the totem pole here. You get the last pick of vacation. My brother is a firefighter, and their vacations are scheduled by seniority. He was always last to pick his days off, so he NEVER got a holiday or one day during the summer, when his more senior coworkers took those days for their weeks of vacation. It was over 5 years before he got one day during the summer, and longer for a holiday. Now, after 15 years in, he gets to pick his days first.
No she won't cover that day. She's a nasty person.
Honestly OP, unless you want to be unemployed again, realize that first of all, you have to work your way up the pole and second of all you're acting like a spoiled brat.
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