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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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AIBU to feel pissed off about this work thing?

51 replies

cocktailsatdawn · 06/02/2020 17:57

I work as part of a small team of four within a larger department. Our team is made up of two full-timers and two part-timers. I am one of the full-timers.

Our team keeps getting criticised for an expense we are responsible for being too high. I have worked really hard to ensure that I keep things as efficient as possible, as does the other full-timer.

The part timers just come in and do things in whatever way gets the work done fastest and easiest without worrying about the expenses. When we have our monthly 'team' meetings, the part-timers are rarely there, so when the manager rants on about the expenses getting out of control etc, they are not there to hear it.

Myself and the other full-timer have tried to get across that the problems are due to the part timers not taking the expenses into account, but the response of the manager, is that we are a no blame department, so he doesn't want to get into the business of assigning blame to individuals. He has also started to prefix the expenses telling off speeches with "I don't want to hear people getting defensive about how its not their fault..."

I feel that I am spending more and more of my working time correcting the work done by the part-timers on my days off, but its still not enough to rectify the impact made on the expenses.

AIBU to be feeling increasingly pissed off about all this? I have tried to suggest that it might be nice to move the meetings to a day of the week when the part timers are typically in so they can attend our meetings too, but the manager says he can't fit it in any other time.

OP posts:
GinDaddy · 06/02/2020 18:00

Don't critique; instead suggest positive ways to either

• increase accountability in the part timers

• increase risk-taking in the full timers so that everyone gets the work done faster and everyone incurs the same costs

You can't really have it both ways; criticising someone for spending who is performing well.. unless costs are the highest metric of performance? Then it isn't going to land particularly well

rvby · 06/02/2020 18:16

YABU to take it as seriously as you do, but I understand it's easy to get caught up in it.

Start a dashboard/report that shows spend per person. Position it as a cost reduction target dashboard. Send it round to everyone via email and ask for their suggestions on how to reduce the costs shown.

Collate the suggestions, and submit the report to all team members each week as a pre read before the meeting. Copy everyone incl boss and include the suggestions, as tips for how to reduce spend per person.

Then, in the meeting, let your boss rant each week. When "no blame" comes up, say "I get you, it's very important that we don't start blaming. I'm glad we have this opportunity to take accountability personally for reducing this spend. Luckily we've prepared our own tips on reducing spend, per the email yesterday. Being able to see spend on an individual level will really help each of us take personal accountability for this. It's going to be great" etc. etc.

Rinse and repeat every week.
Keep sending out the report and tips before each meeting.

This helps you start using new language around "accountability" instead of "blame", and also is great arse-covering material for if your boss tries to sack you or otherwise cause trouble for you.

Remember it is also ok to put on a serious face and absolutely agree with your boss and empathize deeply with your boss and say you are working ever so hard to reduce these costs and OMG he is just so right, etc. etc., and then walk out of the meeting and never think about it ever again.

It's just a job. It doesn't really matter. Don't let it affect you

rvby · 06/02/2020 18:18

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rvby · 06/02/2020 18:41

Start a dashboard/report that shows spend per person. Position it as a cost reduction target dashboard. Send it round to everyone via email and ask for their suggestions on how to reduce the costs shown.

Collate the suggestions, and submit the report to all team members each week as a pre read before the meeting. Copy everyone incl boss and include the suggestions, as tips for how to reduce spend per person.

Then, in the meeting, let your boss rant each week. When "no blame" comes up, say "I get you, it's very important that we don't start blaming. I'm glad we have this opportunity to take accountability personally for reducing this spend. Luckily we've prepared our own tips on reducing spend, per the email yesterday. Being able to see spend on an individual level will really help each of us take personal accountability for this. It's going to be great" etc. etc.

Rinse and repeat every week.
Keep sending out the report and tips before each meeting.

This helps you start using new language around "accountability" instead of "blame", and also is great arse-covering material for if your boss tries to sack you or otherwise cause trouble for you.

Remember it is also ok to put on a serious face and absolutely agree with your boss and empathize deeply with your boss and say you are working ever so hard to reduce these costs and OMG he is just so right, etc. etc., and then walk out of the meeting and never think about it ever again.

It's just capitalism. It doesn't really matter. Don't let it affect you

Willow2017 · 06/02/2020 18:48

26!!!😂😂😂
Must be a record this place is in a ridiculous state today.

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