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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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To have left him stuck in the cellar?

534 replies

FreddysTash · 02/05/2019 14:13

We have a new starter at work who is a pain in the arse. He’s shadowing me and constantly disappears and is always off exploring rather than doing what he should be doing. This morning we were in the office and he asked me where he should put clinical waste. I told him we put it in the cellar but that we didn’t have time to do it now as we had to go out of office. He said he’d be quick. I said no because it takes ages to get down there, he’d need codes for the lift down there, and two different doors. He grabbed a pen and paper and asked me for the codes. Getting frustrated I wrote down the codes and told him to be really quick and off he goes.

15 minutes later he’s still not back so I check time and decide if he isn’t back by half past I’d do without him. Half past came so I packed up and headed to my car. I’d just set off when I got a frantic phone saying he was stuck in one of the rooms in the cellar. I told him to repeat the code he had and it was right so I said he’d just have to keep trying. I drove off. 5 minutes later he started ringing again. I ignored it. All in all 4 missed calls. I rang him back and he admitted he was in a different room and that’s why the code wasn’t working. I told him I’d be back at lunch. It was 9.45 at the time. He started getting irate saying it stunk down there, it was freezing, pitch black and the wind was hammering on the fire doors. I left him until 11. AIBU as he got stuck because he went where he wasn’t supposed to go?

OP posts:
Thatdilemma · 02/05/2019 16:15

'Squigglesworth

With the additional information that he wasn't actually trapped and could have left, if he was willing to face the music-- I don't think it was such a terrible thing to do'

I'm not even convinced the drip feed wasn't because the OP expected everyone to have a jolly good laugh with her/him about it and when they didn't they've changed the story.

I want to know what pitch black dark, cold cellar allows employees down there , has not only a fire door in the cellar but also a phone signal and which new worker just happens to have the number of other people to get him out Hmm

Qweenbee · 02/05/2019 16:16

Well that'll teach him. It's something that many of us would probably like to do in those exact circumstances, but wouldn't have the guts to carry out.

Anytime · 02/05/2019 16:16

I actually think this was incredibly mean and not at all funny or OK. You owe him a huge apology.

BananasAreTheSourceOfEvil · 02/05/2019 16:16

@Thatdilemma she didnt just give him the codes, she told him to be quick. She explicitly gave him permission.

Drip feed is irrelevant. Assuming its true, and OP hasn't just realised that given the majority of answers here, gloating about being a bully wasn't the best idea she ever had and is trying to save some face.

Still struggling to believe anyone would actually do it in the first place.

Bluntness100 · 02/05/2019 16:17

Well as you positioned it in your op,yes it was fucking appalling to leave someone locked in a cold cellar. And as for the idiots congratulating you, that's what's wrong with society right there.

Your update changes it, if he had numbers and could easily have got himself out, then it was fine, but why did you not say that at first? Wasn't as cool a story to you I suspect?

BarbedBloom · 02/05/2019 16:17

This would be a big deal where I work due to risk of fire or injury and however much of a part he was, you would end up in major trouble. Honestly I think it was very unprofessional actually. If you have an issue with someone's performance and it does sound justified here, you escalate appropriately.

SouthWestmom · 02/05/2019 16:17

Funny how the original op missed out the contacting other people possibility. I suspect op thought this would make classics and is backtracking...

AzraiL · 02/05/2019 16:18

As a manager I cannot wrap my head around this.

You have shown a huge lack of responsibility and judgement.

Your post and update also demonstrate a lack of accountability and leadership skills.

If you worked for me and this was reported you would be 'invited to move on' (aka fired).

Bluntness100 · 02/05/2019 16:20

Yeah it started off, I left him locked in the cellar as i am so important and he's not, and changed to actually anyone could have let him out so I didn't really.

Cool story bro.

PotatoesDieInHotCars · 02/05/2019 16:22

The thing is the OP left the building without knowing where her trainee was. If he hadn't phoned her she would have driven off not knowing where he was or if he was even safe. In fact she thought he was in one place when he was actually in a different room. All this talk about firedoors is irrelevant because she didn't even know if he was conscious, nevermind near a firedoor. He was MISSING for 30 mins and she just left.

hazell42 · 02/05/2019 16:22

Imagine how that would look if he complained to hr and said you were bullying him. New starter. Initiations etc etc
You should not have let him go in the first place. When he did go you should have rescued him then dealt with him
I think you could be in trouble.
I would complain if you did that to me

Thatdilemma · 02/05/2019 16:27

Exactly Hazell.
He goes to HR and says I asked Freddy if I could move the clinical waste. She said we didn't have time but I really thought it would be good to move it not leave it around so I said I would be quick.
Freddy gave me the codes but I ended up in the wrong room somehow and got stuck.
I rang Freddy and told them so but she left me there till 11.
I didn't have other people's numbers on me and I could only get a signal quickly.

Freddy would be screwed.

floraloctopus · 02/05/2019 16:28

OP gave him the codes and sent him down there. She didn't have to do that, but she did.

OP didn't have to do it and she should not have done it. I hope the workplace know about it and do a disciplinary.

RosaWaiting · 02/05/2019 16:29

Actually the so-called "drip feed" was exactly what I was expecting - that he could have called other people to be let out but didn't.

not saying what OP did was right, but I had a feeling he just didn't want to call anyone else.

Thatdilemma · 02/05/2019 16:30

What it actually sounds like is he was doing her head in, she sent him to move the waste, he got stuck and she thought it would be funny to leave.

poorbuthappy · 02/05/2019 16:33

The thing is even if she'd have gone looking for him right at the start she wouldn't have found him because he was not where he should have been!
He's admitted he was in a room he shouldn't have been it and has already been bollocked for it.

He's a fucking treat!

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 02/05/2019 16:36

I agree, @Thatdilemma. I hope he complains.

FetchezLaVache · 02/05/2019 16:36

I think even before the update, it was fairly obvious that he had other ways of raising the alarm. He had signal, therefore he could have rung the main switchboard and asked to be put through to someone who could have released him, even if he didn't yet have colleagues' mobile numbers.

WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 02/05/2019 16:38

Hahaha

For the first time in my life, EVER, i am absolutely on the Fence here.

As somebody else pointed out, if there was some sort of emergency or something its really not on what you done .

However, he does sound a PITA.

Hard one to call totally.

Acis · 02/05/2019 16:43

Not understanding this one, OP. You didn't leave him stuck in the cellar, it was just that he chose not to get himself out, so it's difficult to understand your heading.

Mumminmum · 02/05/2019 16:50

Someone wrote he could have been lying injured somewhere? Of course, right. When one of my coworkers take a very long toilet break I do wonder if they accidentally fell in (no, I don't. I figure they are on the internet), but for some reason I have never worried they lie injured somewhere. In the future I will send out rescue missions if someone is away more than 15 minutes Grin.

Aimily · 02/05/2019 16:50

It was a bit mean, must admit you made me laugh OP and hopefully he will have learn his lesson.

ButtonMoonLoon · 02/05/2019 16:50

This is even worse.
So you went along with nobody else knowing he was stuck down there? Do you not understand lone working and health and safety procedures.
I hope the DM picks this up and your employer finds out, I really do.

ArabellaDoreenFig · 02/05/2019 16:55

OP the ‘ballsy’ thing to have done here is act like a professional and not give him the codes and permission to go in the first place.

There’s a real sense of gleeful spite from some posters - god forbid that people make mistakes, or are slow learners, or are eager and nervous eh.

I wonder how many of you laughing and saying he got what he deserved consider yourselves good people, the kind of people that support others and hold them up, always there when another person is in need etc. Have a think about the type of person you think you are and the type of person you actually are.

WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 02/05/2019 16:56

I just noticed , on re reading OPs post, that he said the fire door was rattling
Well, not being funny, but could he not have got out that way ?

More I think on it though I am off the fence as it was pretty mean of you really OP. He is also new , and sounds a PITA, but its not very welcoming of you is it ? He could rightfully report you too.