To wonder what kind of workplace I've got in to?

[takeittotjewire]

I've been self employed for the last few years delivering training.

Recently got employed by a small charity which I was really relieved about in these uncertain times.

It's a very small charity, four staff. My role is responsible for fundraising.

Anyway, first team meeting today and it's clear there are longstanding issues with the way the organisation has been run to date.

Staff kept asking how x,y,z issue will be resolved now. Eventually CEO just said "Look, x person (my predecessor now ex member of staff who has gone off to whizzy job elsewhere) fucked us over. Everything that has gone wrong is all their fault"

I'm pretty much those words (they def used the term fucked us over).

Is this a blame culture and should I run for the hills? Ie surely CEO job is to manage staff and if they haven't been performing that's on them? Or is small charity sector like this?

I'm in two minds right now.

Oh dear. Not a great start. I’d be concerned.

But don’t give up yet.

Have you had a chance to talk to the other team members?

Dealbreaker for me would be whether they are delivering on their charitable aims.

I worked for a small charity once. (Five people)

Never again.

Who interviewed you? Was it the CEO and a trustee?

Yes CEO and trustee in the interview

@sparklefarts

I worked for a small charity once. (Five people)

Never again.

Sparkle farts would you mind telling me why?

On paper this is perfect for me (except for the salary which seems really low, but is secure..)

But the meeting today felt weird. Is this the best they've got?

This would be a good example of why I never want to work in a teeny tiny organisation again.

Having a CEO title doesn't mean someone is all that.

@Darker

Oh dear. Not a great start. I’d be concerned.

But don’t give up yet.

Have you had a chance to talk to the other team members?

Dealbreaker for me would be whether they are delivering on their charitable aims.

Don't want to out self, but broadly speaking it's an animal welfare charity and staff concerns were that processes weren't ensuring, well, animal welfare.

My role isn't that specialist if that makes sense as it's fundraising and general training.

But I'm also seeing that my (similarly skilled) predecessor was giving responsibility for some of these skilled welfare roles that they wouldn't have had the expertise or training for.

Unfortunately doesn't sound that uncommon for a small charity. Not that it should be that way, or is everywhere. But in my experience if there are embedded issues it can become demoralising trying to work against them when nothing seems to change. Must say I've never had that shine rubbed off by the first team meeting though!! I agree with you, is this how they are when you're new and they're still trying to make a good impression?

I’d definitely be cautious. Are the other employees all paid, or volunteer? Sometimes with charities there’s too many people with opinions involved in too many different aspects of the charity that they have opinions about but no real skills in, too many mixed reporting lines and general organisational messiness. The usual office politics of large organisations can be magnified in a small setting. I’d give it a chance but if you don’t need the job don’t stay in a poisonous environment.

Don't want to out self, but broadly speaking it's an animal welfare charity and staff concerns were that processes weren't ensuring, well, animal welfare.

My role isn't that specialist if that makes sense as it's fundraising and general training.

But I'm also seeing that my (similarly skilled) predecessor was giving responsibility for some of these skilled welfare roles that they wouldn't have had the expertise or training for.

Oooh, yeah. That would be a big fat nope from me. I would get out now. As you were self-employed before anyway I'm guessing this doesn't have to look like a blip in your work history.

@Starfish5

I’d definitely be cautious. Are the other employees all paid, or volunteer? Sometimes with charities there’s too many people with opinions involved in too many different aspects of the charity that they have opinions about but no real skills in, too many mixed reporting lines and general organisational messiness. The usual office politics of large organisations can be magnified in a small setting. I’d give it a chance but if you don’t need the job don’t stay in a poisonous environment.

Four paid office staff (including me) and an army of volunteers.

Varying degrees of feedback from the volunteers which the CEO generally seems to put in a broad box of 'volunteers are all awkward'.

That I do find strange because I worked in voluntary sector before self employment and volunteers were really valued. I am concerned that here they are perceived as a headache when actually they deliver the core service.

Is this charity basically the CEO's pet project?

Not to drip feed but I also need to think of my mental health.

I've been bullied at work in the past which is partly what drove my self employment, so I was cautious already.

CEO is absolutely lovely to me but I'm conscious that I'm in the whipping boy position if things don't go to plan.

@user1294729492759

Is this charity basically the CEO's pet project?

They didn't found it, if that's what you're asking?

It's been around for decades and they've only been ceo for about 5 years.

I know I won't get outed for posting this on MN by the way as staff are all very right on and they had a sneering conversation about SWERFs and TERFs and how they hang out on Karen places like mumsnet the other day!

Sounds a little like a charity DH worked for some years ago. The CEO used to monitor every piece of incoming and outgoing communication.

The turnover of staff was enormous and years later, many of them were still traumatised. They've closed now!

If it was me in this climate I'd stick with it. Unless you're confident you can find a job with the same benefits, hours, pay etc. If you want to leave once they economy picks up, fair play, but I'd be sitting pretty and being thankful for a steady wage right now if it was me.

Hmm. If you do stay, cover your behind by having a work diary, putting every little thing in writing, especially with regard to adequate training for your new role & any tasks you get offloaded from anyone else.Put any queries re tasks, workload or training requests in writing to your boss also. Clnfiem in writing any decisions they make in meetings or conversations. When I left teaching & worked in investment banking as a PA, I found many PA' s at Director & above level did this, from bitter experience of having seen other people scapegoated for someone elses incompetence.

Maybe they were right? Maybe they were badly let down by your predecessor? Having said that, it was a bit unprofessional to say it in front of you when you’re a newbie.

@Livelovebehappy

Maybe they were right? Maybe they were badly let down by your predecessor? Having said that, it was a bit unprofessional to say it in front of you when you’re a newbie.

It's possible but it wasn't 'them' who was saying that.

It was how the CEO answered any question IYSWIM. The others seemed to have no problem with my predecessor

Sounds very unprofessional. I’d say stick around but clarify your responsibilities so you aren’t lumbered with aspects of the job you weren’t employed to do.

Thanks all.

I'm really conscious that I'm reticent because of past experiences so I'm going to take your advice and monitor things.

Financially we don't rely on this job, the income is a nice to have but not at the expense of feeling happy at work.

Charities and the Third Sector can be a law unto themselves sometimes.
I had a new CEO once who came in and told us she didn’t believe that anyone wants to hurt others or make other people miserable.
It was a DV charity....

Sparkle farts would you mind telling me why?

Very typically the boss was an arsehole. They were a control freak. Also a bully. made me do the cleaning of the office.
Shouted at another member of staff that no they couldn't leave (it was the end of the day) and what did they think they were doing leaving when they (the boss) wanted something else done
Honestly the list goes on and on but it was a full on law onto themselves.

I'd just be wary of small places with no proper HR etc