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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think the way my ex employer treated me was disgusting?

9 replies

RainbowBriteUk · 08/10/2021 07:45

I'm in a much happier place now thank goodness but my time there led to a monumental breakdown and my mental health was awful. I was suicidal.

In a family run organisation with less than 8 employees. Basically I got sent home more than once because I disagreed with the ceo having us come in to work during covid rather than wfh and put our lives at risk. She insisted it was an essential service we provided but it was services that could easily be done by telephone and online. The woman also admitted she was doing this so other similar organisations didn't look poorly upon her organisation. She also decided to increase the number of clients we were seeing at the height of the pandemic. So all this because I dared to disagree.

Once I was working from home, I was left wfh for a month without an invitation to the weekly meeting until the very end. I was literally ignored by her, so isolated by her and my manager (her son) and when I requested access to the server she refused, telling me I didn't need it. She said I wasn't to contact any of the people I worked closely with and I was sent a list of tasks everyday. Not by her or my manager because they ignored me, but by another colleague. Everything that was said in my probation was awful. That I was doing an awful job basically. They passed my probation though on extension!!!

It affected my self esteem massively and I wish I had filed a grievance. The best thing I ever did was to move on. I still feel bitter though that they made me feel like this. I'm always second guessing myself in my current job and my confidence is sometimes really low. My management tram couldn't be more supportive though.

Sometimes I think maybe it was me but was there any need to treat me like this?

OP posts:
ThatsNiiice · 08/10/2021 08:19

You wanted WFH, they gave you WFH and then you complained you were isolated.

Its up to the employers and not the employees whether the work can be done from home. Sounds like its better for all that you've moved on

AlfonsoTheDinosaur · 08/10/2021 08:26

Disagreeing with the CEO about policy when you're on probation is not clever.

You've moved on so let it go.

NailsNeedDoing · 08/10/2021 08:31

When you say you disagreed with the CEO, was it really that simple, or did you create a drama out of your disagreement? It doesn’t sound like what they did was that awful tbh, you wanted to wfh, they let you wfh, even when they didn’t think that was in the best interest of the organisation.

AlexaShutUp · 08/10/2021 08:32

Well, we can't possibly know if you were doing a bad job or not, so it's hard to comment on the probation thing. It seems like they accommodated your wish to wfh even though it was better for the business to have you in the office? Being unable to contact other colleagues sounds hard, but maybe there were reasons for this?

Stoppochoco · 08/10/2021 08:35

You disagreed with the ceo and got sent home 8 times, while you were still on probation?

Avenueofcherryblossom · 08/10/2021 08:37

She also decided to increase the number of clients we were seeing at the height of the pandemic. So all this because I dared to disagree

don’t want to be harsh but I think your thinking has got a bit skewed. You can’t honestly think that a CEO was making decisions about their business specifically to spite you?

girlmom21 · 08/10/2021 08:49

I think you sound like a bit of a nightmare to be honest.

Hardly 'putting your life at risk' if there were 7 other people in the office.

Namenic · 08/10/2021 09:18

It doesn’t sound like a nice working environment. She shouldn’t have treated you like that due to wfh request - you may have health problems or have bubbled with someone with health problems, pregnant or whatever. In those cases, additional risk from being in an office (when not required), would be quite bad.

It also depends on office environment - sharing with 1 other person in room vs sharing with 8 in poorly ventilated space.

Her increasing clients is fine - to grow the business, but expecting everyone to work overtime for this is not fine. Personally I prefer wfh, but I offer my employer flexibility when needed - eg some overtime and out of hours work.

vivainsomnia · 08/10/2021 09:26

She also decided to increase the number of clients we were seeing at the height of the pandemic
If the job involved seeing clients, how could it be done WFH?

Did they have to adjust your role so you could work from home? If so, it might explain why you were no longer involved in some conversations. Sounds like you wanted to run the business to suit you and you only.

Probably for the best to both that you moved on.

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