Pulled up for “picking on someone at work”.

We have always been told that we are mature enough to talk to our peers directly about issues, and not involve management.

So you tell management that you have tried to do that, but your peers are not mature enough to respond sensibly and instead have falsely accused you of picking on them. Tell your managers that means it is now up to them to sort this out.

When you talk about it try to stay objective about what the problems are. You say you lost it, it’s understandable being frustrated, the problem is people feel picked on if you raise your voice or shame them. They focus on your behaviour rather than their own. It sounds like management need step in here.

I feel for you, I’ve occasionally worked with people who seemed to need to be constantly instructed to do their basic duties. They don’t last long but it’s harder while they’re there.

Are you the only person frustrated at the newer staffs lack of productivity?

Are other people also picking up the slack for them?

If you are honest with yourself do you think your frustration resulted in unprofessional behaviour when you "lost it"?

I think you need to find out if any of your colleagues who are also covering for less effective team members are willing to meet with management to discuss the issues with newer members of staff and ask them to deal with it.

Take a list of specific examples to the meeting and ask management to tell you what procedure they would like you to follow if other people are not doing their job.

Be prepared to apologise for losing it, keep the apology limited to the nature of your behaviour, not the nature of your complaint.

When projects come in keep a record of who was allocated which tasks and report to management if other people do not do complete their portion of the work. Ask colleagues for updates on their progress via email so that you have a record.

I'd be interested in how long the people who think they are being picked on have been in paid employment and whether the company has a comprehensive induction/orientation program for new employees.

Agree with PP this sounds like shit management.

It absolutely should not be your business to pull colleagues up on their productivity or anything else. That’s what their manager is paid for. You just do your bit and if there’s a failure, the manager will have to investigate and identify points of failure.

You have fallen into a dangerous habit of assuming responsibility you don’t actually have, presumably because of a management failure.

Well I'd put it back on management, pretty pathetic. Not managing their staff, then telling you not to go to them with issues and sort it out yourselves and then reprimanding them for it. Although it does sound maybe you actually told them off rather than doing it professionally. But definitely back to their managers absolutely.

When someone is frustrated they can 'snap', which on the outside shows as angry body language, raised higher-pitched voice, stiff-body, red cheeks etc. I think this is what the lazy gits in your office will use against you to say you are being angry (not frustrated at their lack of support).

Try not to get caught out again. Have your points planned, written and take them to management..."they only achieve 1 task a day, they take 1hour breaks twice a day...".

Don't do less, do your job but, don't do more, i.e. don't work harder and don't stay late. Encourage others to do their jobs and also to record the lazy gits working gaps.

This sounds like poor people management all around.

People not managing the shared space is a leadership issue. They set the expectations of acceptable standards and you do your own washing up.
For the work issue, you need to be consistently transparent with your manager so they can pass this on.

It can be hard working with part-time people especially if you are new to the organisation. Ideally there should be some time set aside so you can all work together in a training session.

OP, if you have been off for a few weeks maybe the problems will have become self evident to your bosses in your absence, seeing as you weren’t there to pick up the slack?

You should deal with it un a more professional way. Call a meeting about performance targets. Are these people still on probation. It does sound a bit as if you are treating them like children. You are right not to accept the poor performance. But it was your method of dealing with it that was wrong. You're not their mother.

How exactly did you 'lose it?'

OP I feel for you, there is nothing more frustrating and resentment-building than having to pick up for workshy passengers who do nothing and seem to get away with it.

I suggest that you get in front of this situation by requesting a meeting with mnagement/HR on your first day back and set out the entire situation from your perspective. Take your supportive colleague with you as support.

Make sure you take specific documented examples of their laziness and poor behaviour. Speak in terms of facts, not feelings.

You sound like you are a valued employee and if you take the lead and conduct this meeting well, I have no doubt that management will see where you are coming from

‘Assertively’ could be viewed as being harsh to be honest and the fact that you used ‘lost it’ AFTER being harsh says you need to start making peace with the things irritating you op, it’s not your fight, why are you that invested?

Give them no feedback and stop tidying up the office. Keep a log of what isn’t been done. When stuff isn’t ready for a deadline tell your manager that x isn’t ready as you had no input from whoever for their part of the work.

Managing each other doesn’t involve “losing it though”

I was thinking the exact same. She’s not actually said how she lost it or how she raised these issues with her colleagues.

It seems management want you all to be “ peers” and manage each other - but then when this happens the accept complaints about how “peers” are dealing with situations

they can’t have it both ways - management need to manage

put in a complaint about lack of work, lack of team participation

ask management if there is a reason that part of the team are unable to participate in work?

I loathed the communal kitchen in my last job before I retired. Several departments used it, and would leave their dishes and cups unwashed in the sink. Work surfaces weren’t cleaned etc. I stopped having hot drinks in the office, just had water in my drawer.

The staff room where we could eat lunch was also often disgusting, stinking of fish leftovers that one staff member would regularly bring in to microwave. I took my home made lunch outside on dry days. Management would occasionally send out a message that all staff should clear up after themselves, but some just ignored it. Very frustrating for those of us who do take personal responsibility. It might seem petty, but it’s not a nice working environment. You have my sympathy OP.

Interesting that you are not respoding to those challenging your actions

Also make sure you have all the info for the formal complaints. They complained about x - I mentioned x because they hadn’t done y. Etc. get every issue cataloged

The sounds like bad management and you’re getting angry at the wrong people.

Take in your own cup, wash up your own cup and keep it in your drawer, if they’re not cleaning up the kitchen don’t do it for them, leave it until management pick up on it.

If handovers aren’t done start copying in management.

Is there anything they are doing?

That’s a leap. It really depends on the level of issues, anything petty I’d expect people to resolve on their own, and it is good to foster relationships if teams can resolve issues together.

however if it is non performance, then yes this needs to be supervisory.

on saying that it sounds like the op and her colleague decided to show the new folks who was boss, and the op has went over the top .

At the start of a project have clear remits from individuals, documented in an email.

If you have to pick up work because something isn’t completed once, it’s ok, but by the sounds of it there would be a clear trend of targets not being met. At this point whilst agreed on the “adults” point, management have a job to do.

Don’t compromise your work ethic, but document the slack.

It seems like the managers here are trying to get away without having to manage. Tell them you have attempted to resolve yourselves but the colleagues have not responded and you need them to step in. It is their job and they are being lazy

I agree with WillowTit, you need to raise the concerns with management and get them documented. If you have had a "pulling up" because your frustrations have boiled over you are seen or feel you are the guilty party, management has a responsibility to listen to concerns. Tell them you just want to do your job to the best of your ability but are being held back, they will have HR processes in place to look after staff.