AIBU?
To think it's unfair that colleagues get away with things and I don't?
workplacewoes · 01/07/2015 18:48
I work in a sales-based job. I am part time and my colleagues are all full time. I meet my sales targets each and every month and very frequently exceed it and meet the sales targets of the full time staff.
In June, however, I had a week off plus a couple of quieter weeks at work and therefore I didn't quite meet my monthly target. I still sold more than many full time colleagues did.
When I got into work today, my boss was in our office (it's open plan) and literally as soon as I set foot into the office he started tearing strips off me for not meeting my target and telling me I had to "sort my shit out" and "buck my fucking ideas up". Obviously this was not a nice way to start my day, and it was very embarrassing as it was in front of all my colleagues.
Fair enough I did not meet my target and I hold my hands up to that. However.....
One of my colleagues has NEVER in two years of working there hit target. I have been there less time than her and it is a running joke, including with our boss that she doesn't hit her target.
Another colleague, who has been there an equal amount of time to me, sold NOTHING in June, at all! This has happened on other months and the boss just chuckles about it.
neither of these got a bollocking, in fact after shouting at me, my boss was then laughing and joking with them.
AIBU to be highly fucked off?
Boss is the company owner BTW
TruJay · 01/07/2015 19:28
Urgh I hate this type of thing. In my old job we had to be ready and on the shop floor 5 minutes before the start of our shift. I always always was, everyone else sauntered down from the staff room upstairs 5-10 mins after shift started and boss never said anything. The one time I was a minute past shift start time I got an earful. Really pissed me off.
He has absolutely no right to talk to you in such a tone or to swear at you, who does he think he is, I'd be having a word with him about that.
In my experience the people that are consistently slack never get pulled up on it as that is how they always perform whereas a high performer who does badly one month is very noticeable. Not fair at all but it seems to be like that.
workplacewoes · 01/07/2015 19:29
I know, he upset me so much with the way in which he said it. I am a thirtysomething woman but just felt like a naughty child and felt like crying.
I tried to deal with the incident as assertively as I could but he wouldn't listen to me or let me get a word in edgeways.
BackforGood · 01/07/2015 20:35
I would not allow anyone to speak to me like that, whatever their position was.
Even if there is a legitimate concern about your output, then it should be dealt with professionally.
Are you a very small firm, and he is the one manager?
If so, then I would walk away until he was ready to speak like a professional. If he sacks you then you sue for unfair dismissal.
If there is an HR Dept., or other managers, then I would go to them and let them know I was not prepared to be spoken to like that, whatever his complaint was (then address the unfairness of the targets seperately).
weeblueberry · 01/07/2015 20:42
How fucking unprofessional. I'm in a sales environment too and would bet next months salary that it's you who's keeping the overall margin afloat and so she's worried that you've not hit your target. I'm lucky enough not to have targeta to meet but surely to god they have to take into consideration if you've had annual leave?! It's just bloody common sense...
workplacewoes · 01/07/2015 20:45
plutonium, was your reply sarcastic? I wasn't meaning to brag about being an over achiever, and I apologise if it looked that way. I was merely trying to explain the background as to why I thought it was all so unfair...
BackforGood, I've not been there two years yet so couldn't sue for unfair dismissal.
Unfortunately with our targets they don't take annual leave into consideration.
flora717 · 02/07/2015 12:52
If you're generally exceeding your targets you could easily get another position. I'd start looking. Sales might be the stereotype pushy boss and nastiness. But it's not necessary when so many employers use beyter incentive schemes and reward good performance.
IKnowRight · 02/07/2015 13:03
Is there anyone you can report your boss to? What he did was highly unprofessional and you'd be well within your rights to raise a grievance against him. Any HR department?
I had a boss like this, with similar stories about being bawled out in the middle of a big open plan office for things that other people got away with. I never reported her, I even took a verbal warning over my performance without appealing, in the hope that if I kept my head down and did everything by the book she'd leave me alone. She didn't. Eventually there were redundancies announced and I ended up losing my job due to the verbal warning I had been (unfairly) given counting against me. I will never be a doormat like that again, and if there's a procedure in place to report behaviour, I would always do so myself and recommend that others do the same.
BarbarianMum · 02/07/2015 13:07
I have never had anyone speak to me like that and wouldn't stand for it, honestly. Even when my first boss had to 'tear a strip off me' (I'd really fucked up) it was done politely and without anger. Never made that mistake again, didn't resent it a bit and ended up working there for another year and left with a good reference.
Start job hunting. Or complain. Or both.
cogitosum · 02/07/2015 14:20
Saying get another job is good in theory but even for good salespeople part time is not easy to find. I sympathise op and he was out of order. It often happens that if you're really good they'll come down harder than people not so good if targets aren't met. Doesn't make it right though.
WhatchaMaCalllit · 02/07/2015 14:28
Could he be trying to use you as an example to the remaining staff who aren't achieving their targets (knowing that you do) and this was a half assed attempt at getting them to pull their socks up. Do they know that you're exceding your targets and matching theirs most months? Perhaps if your colleagues think that you're being picked on, they are closer to the door than you are? Like reverse psychology?
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