I don't like the people I work for

[OpenShop]

I enjoy my job, I'm not on a lot (£17,000 for x 3 days a week.) I also like the colleagues in my Team who are frontline workers. I support them with queries & they are really easy to talk to, and very friendly and appreciative. They're dealing with people who need help all the time and they're genuinely sincere and lovely people. No problem there.

But as time goes on I'm realising how much I dislike the Seniors in this organisation. There seems to be an elitist, supercilious attitude that pervades management here. There seem to be two distinct groups of people - the frontline workers and management, (including Senior Management.) If I approach them for information I just get blanked, or a rude, curt reply. No pleasantries. I enquired about a secondment after one senior manager had sent out an email to me and the other colleagues in my equivalent roles across the areas we cover suggesting that people who were interested contact her for further queries about the role. Nothing in reply. No contact. No response at all. That's just plain rude?!? I'm not precious, I can take rejection. But I dislike blatant snubbing.

People seem to be earmarked for jobs if they're "in the club" and jobs that are advertised are taken down before time by senior managers if they decide who they want to employ, which is often an internal candidate. If you're not in the club, you're most definitely out of it.

Luckily I don't get too involved in all the politics but I have heard seniors speak very disparagingly about lower-skilled, lower paid workers and the culture here seems to be all about how much they can get out of you for their own gain. There's a lot of formality and bureaucracy going on, and I would actually go as far as to say some Senior Managers come across as bullies.

And yet the people who are on the frontline are really genuinely nice. There's definitely a very established hierarchy going on, which in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing but I'm not sure I like the undercurrent of elitism. It seems to be the biggest case of "if your face fits" that I've ever experienced.

Anyone else come across this before? Did you stick it out if you enjoyed your job? Did you eventually move? I'm finding the culture here quite depressing TBH.

Is it the NHS or a school environment by any chance?
Our school is like this so can sympathize! I am lucky that I'm not in work much for it to bother me but some of the staff are very much as you describe and I feel for the ones that have to work there every day.

Do you work for a charity?

No I don't work for a charity. It's just such a shame that the culture seems so elitist here. "Only speak if you're spoken to" type attitude.

Nhs?

No, not NHS either. But now that others have offered other possibilities of workplaces maybe this type of behaviour is more entrenched in various organisations and professions that I initially thought. Maybe it's not unusual after all

The 'hierarchy ' in schools is incredible. Well our one anyway!
I feel many offices do become ' micro climates' and things become very petty or political.
It has got worse.

I worked at a university definitely like this horrible atmosphere never again!
When I worked for nhs it wasn’t like this at all definitely one team whether you were clinically trained or admin, business support it had much better vibe.

Sounds like the police too, it was just like that when I worked there.

Does it affect you on a day to day basis? If it does and you really don't like it then perhaps look for a move because nothing you have said indicates you have a case against them so I am not sure you could change this.

@the80sweregreat

It's almost like in some organisations, as soon as staff get promoted to managerial level this gives them carte blanche to undergo a personality change overnight. One of the very good workers in our Team was promoted to Senior Manager level and honestly, no-one recognised him a month later. But it's a predictable pattern of behaviour where I work. I'm wondering whether to leave but as I said, I quite like my job at the moment and it doesn't sound as though all other workplaces are free of it judging by these responses so far!

Surprises me that it's the same in a school environment. You would have thought staff would treat each other with respect/kindness/consideration. But perhaps that's me just being naïve.

Power goes to peoples heads! My dh worked for a car manufacturer for decades and the many bods ' above him' were mostly vile! Not all of them , but it was a thing that the minute they were promoted they thought they really were 'mini gods! ' made me laugh but then I don't judge people by whatever job they do. The more unpleasant they were the higher they went!

I've been in this position. I think firstly it depends on whether this senior management culture is the norm for your industry, sometimes the devil you know is better. Secondly, how easy would it be for you to move to another / better job. I stuck it out for quite a long while because the pros (for me this was hours, location, flexibility) outweighed the cons (awful management) and then when I no longer needed the pros so much I jumped ship.

I have worked for over 30 yrs in commercial and now sch environments and its always been like this.

In saying that promotions, especially to management, will change a person depending on their new levels of responsibility. If they have to monitor staff, improve output, discipline people etc. The stress of what can be expected of them is difficult for some to handle.

"Surprises me that it's the same in a school environment. You would have thought staff would treat each other with respect/kindness/consideration".

Oh lordy, i have found it worse than commercial. Teachers are great... it's the heads PA you need to watch out for! Thats where the real nastiness power lies! It's a bit like Henry the viii's groom of the stool... take care of the kings arse and the kingdom is yours!

I have worked for the NHS, various local authority departments, Social Services, education sector and various charities over a number of years and it was the same in all of them.

I found investment banking like that. I left teaching, no idea what to do , so temped as a PA. Being regarded as a brainless sheep who could be treated like dirt did not sit well with me. Neither did the amoral back stabbing. Especially when my tact, diplomacy & schmoozing ability ( honed on ' tricky' posh parents) got my various bosses out of a lot & I mean a lot, of sticky situations. I stuck it for ten years then retrained. I was a bloody good PA tho.

I'm not on a lot (£17,000 for x 3 days a week.)
Actually - that IS a lot of money for working part time.......

Oh dear my workplace is like that... I wonder if we are in the same building. !
Never worked anywhere where people are so cold, closed and devoid of interest in those not inside the circle.

I used to work in a School and by the time I left, things were definitely as you describe, OP.

Is it a local council by any chance? The personality transplant for people who are thick skinned and confident enough to get a management post rings very true.

@Starseed2021i assumed 17k was annual full time salary... So in reality she earns 0.6 of that

If your face doesn't fit where I work ( or you can get away with not having much to do with the 'management' ) then it can be very miserable.
Power crazy the lot of them.