Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get frustrated over pity errors my colleague makes

133 replies

hungrybwcat · 18/09/2024 16:47

I work in a very small team of 2 plus our boss. We all WFH. My colleague is paid a London wage (she mentioned hers without me asking) which is over £10,000 more thank I get.

She makes a lot of silly mistakes. For example she replied to a forwarded email so the recipient of her reply did not include the original sender who had sent to query and needed the answer to which she replied and she wondered why the issue was outstanding. Another example - she does not check her work thoroughly so once (a lot of the times!) something went out with a mistake which was later returned and we had to correct it.

Our boss doesn’t get involved usually so quite often these errors and corrections are made without getting noticed.

However I feel like telling my boss she did this and that and I picked it and rectified it etc. but I don’t. It’s too pity. At the same time I feel disheartened because I get paid much less. For the context I did ask for a pay review based on my performance and my management agreed I am a high performer but the company as a whole only had a certain amount in the pot and none of us got more than inflation.

AIBU to feel like telling my boss my colleague has made a pity error?

OP posts:
Didshejustsaythatoutloud · 23/09/2024 10:01

AmeliaEarache · 18/09/2024 16:50

Starting a thread about petty errors where you misspell ‘petty’ twice is a bit ridiculous, OP

😂

Yellowbananasarebetterthangreen · 23/09/2024 09:57

It would be petty of me to point out your pity errors lol.

timoteigirl · 23/09/2024 09:54

Your colleague may have issues you don't know about like dyslexia. Or they be friends outside work with your boss. I personally would stop correcting those mistakes and leave it. You could also point out to your colleague and cc your boss, but I don't think your boss would do anything.

Newmumburnout · 23/09/2024 09:52

Crunchymum · 18/09/2024 16:49

Oh the irony!

😂😂

ThisPresetIsSelected · 23/09/2024 09:50

From the title I assumed 'pity' was a typo for PITA i.e. Pain in the arse... but 'petty' kind of works, although it sort of implies bitterness or something?!

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 23/09/2024 09:50

I don’t think people are making fun of the OP for her actually mistake. Well I hope not. It’s more the fact that she’s on here going on about someone else making mistakes.

Also and as for “They should both be sacked for that standard of writing”. What about those with dyslexia. People can’t be sacked for a disability.

Pluvia · 23/09/2024 09:48

Another example - she does not check her work thoroughly so once (a lot of the times!) something went out with a mistake

I'm particularly fond of this line.

ClairDeLaLune · 23/09/2024 09:46

AmeliaEarache · 18/09/2024 16:50

Starting a thread about petty errors where you misspell ‘petty’ twice is a bit ridiculous, OP

Not wanting to be pity, but 3 times actually 😂

cheeeesey · 23/09/2024 09:39

So pity 🤣

Rerrin · 23/09/2024 09:39

Retape · 23/09/2024 09:34

I thought this was a new type of error that I'd never heard of, what a let down.

Yes, or where you pretend something was your fault to allow the other person to save face, or something?

Or that this was another post from the poster who sent her friend flowers to fake-apologise for her friend not having wanted to speak to her, which was apparently done out of ‘gallantry’ and to ‘spare blushes’?

TheGrimSqueakersFlea · 23/09/2024 09:38

@NetDesMamans1 what accent makes petty sound like pity? Honestly never heard them sound the same

Jessbow · 23/09/2024 09:37

I'm just laughing

Retape · 23/09/2024 09:34

I thought this was a new type of error that I'd never heard of, what a let down.

Seasmoke · 23/09/2024 09:31

Doggymummar · 18/09/2024 22:20

What is a pity error? Do you mean a sympathy mistake?

That's whatI thought! OP makes so many errors their colleague makes ' pity' errors to not make her feel bad! I thought was a kind but silly thing to do!

NetDesMamans1 · 23/09/2024 09:31

CheeseyOnionPie · 18/09/2024 22:21

Is it only me that assumed English isn’t the OP’s first language?

I'm wondering whether it's to do with a Scottish accent. Then she might always have misheard 'petty' as 'pity'. These responses are harsh.

GoingForALongWalk · 23/09/2024 09:27

AmeliaEarache · 18/09/2024 16:50

Starting a thread about petty errors where you misspell ‘petty’ twice is a bit ridiculous, OP

I made it three times.

The pity/petty weren't the only errors. The whole post was poorly written, especially for a "high performer". If OP's colleague makes more petty errors than she does, I feel sorry for the company.

Pogggle · 23/09/2024 09:23

NothingWrongButTheFire · 23/09/2024 08:51

I clearly am getting cinical in my old age - because I rather suspect the mistake in this post was made on purpose.

But then, I find myself suspcious of a lot these days.

Exactly, and then OP hasn't come back. Perfect example of 'wind them up and watch them go'

MountUnpleasant · 23/09/2024 09:17

I also thought she might've meant pithy. Are "petty errors" a thing? I've never heard that! Definitely never heard "pity errors", though...

Demonhunter · 23/09/2024 09:17

She will get a London wage because she's in London? To be fair, being in the North I wouldn't expect the same wage as a colleague in London.

Maybe you should pity her only getting 10k more being in London?

CoffersFord · 23/09/2024 09:16

What kind of errors? Spilling mistakes?

Noodlehen · 23/09/2024 09:13

I can only assume you’re from NZ and used voice text? 😂

Wannabegreenfingers · 23/09/2024 09:07

This is one of the funniest threads I've read. Your email is littered with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Pot, kettle, black springs to mind.

Twiglets1 · 23/09/2024 08:58

Don't be pity @hungrybwcat

Or even petty - we all make mistakes!

NothingWrongButTheFire · 23/09/2024 08:51

I clearly am getting cinical in my old age - because I rather suspect the mistake in this post was made on purpose.

But then, I find myself suspcious of a lot these days.

Ohnobackagain · 23/09/2024 08:38

@hungrybwcat if your colleague has negotiated herself a better starting wage than you, there’s little point grumbling and no point letting it bother you. If she started after you, maybe HR has revised the salary bands. There are various reasons. Or may e she has more experience in similar roles.

In a small team you need to work together. Why not write a ‘check sheet’ with useful points in, like ‘remember to forward emails with attachments so all info is included’. Or you could suggest/discuss with team changing your Outlook settings so that when replying, attachments are retained (it’s annoying in some setting but maybe necessary in customer support roles). Your boss is more likely to reward you for being helpful and making light-hearted suggestions to improve stuff than for being resentful when we all make mistakes.