Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How to deal with unfolding work nightmare

104 replies

Burger223344 · 09/10/2021 13:38

I’ve fucked up and my boss kind of knows.

The full extent and impact of the problems will only become clear to clients week by week over the next 4 weeks and then each week until Christmas

I’ve basically got some numbers wrong and many people have acted on that information and soon they will find out

The knowledge of what I’ve done, what is going to happen and how people will feel let down and unhappy is killing me inside - I can’t sleep, can’t eat, feel sick and panicky all the time. I can’t carry on like this for the next 6 weeks (I think people will see the full extent by then)

What can I do? How do I get this under control? I just want to run away. Please help!

OP posts:
TheAverageUser · 09/10/2021 14:03

I'd be upfront with it straight away. Take responsibility and offer to mitigate any fallout, if that's possible at all.

People make mistakes but you cannot sit back and let people find out over the next few weeks.

Egghead68 · 09/10/2021 14:03

We all make mistakes.

Come completely clean and work with your manager to fo everything you can to put things right.

FlamesEmbersAshes · 09/10/2021 14:03

You have to come clean. It’s unfortunate but your clients will respond much better to honesty. It’s the only thing you can do to attempt to salvage the situation. Keeping quiet demonstrates a lack of integrity that does you no favours.

saturdaywoe · 09/10/2021 14:05

Are you Boris Johnson?

bedroomnc · 09/10/2021 14:06

We all make mistakes, big or small, we're humans.

Be as open and honest as possible. Everyone knows it's possible to make a mistake, there's something in everyone where you think 'I could totally have made the same mistake'

If you don't say anything it makes it all worse and people will probably be annoyed.

Shylo · 09/10/2021 14:09

My whole career has been based around the fact that people make mistakes, and I mean everything from little mistakes to full on multi million pound, litigation filled fuck ups

What I can tell you is that in every single situation flagging mistakes up early so that they can be managed carefully is the way to go; nothing has ever been made better by burying the news and letting it drip out at the last minute

Be brave, talk to your boss on Monday and tackle it head on. I know it’s hard But I promise you once you’ve put your hand up and people are helping address the problem you WILL feel better

89redballoons · 09/10/2021 14:10

Tell your manager. Helping you manage this is their responsibility - that's why they're your manager. If the figures were that important then it would have been good to get a second pair of eyes on them before they went out.

Not saying you shouldn't take responsibility, but if you can see this as a failure of your team rather than a personal failure of your own, that might help you stop panicking and start to come up with a plan to take things forward.

Everyone makes mistakes, but your clients will be less angry and upset if they find out from you as soon as possible than if they find out themselves and see that you have sat on the information.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 09/10/2021 14:10

Come clean. And when you do, suggest what you're going to do next time to stop it happening again

TatianaBis · 09/10/2021 14:11

@saturdaywoe

Are you Boris Johnson?
My thought exactly.
Whstdoyouthink · 09/10/2021 14:11

People makes mistakes but covering anything up is worse!!

YouTubeAddict · 09/10/2021 14:11

What have you done/not done? Surely it can’t be that bad.

Noodella18 · 09/10/2021 14:13

Take control of the situation, figure out a way to explain what has happened, why and what he implications are. Suggest some options for how to mitigate the damage. Scary, but people will be far more pissed off if you hide it.

Just know that whatever it is, in the grand scheme of things, it really won't be that bad. Try to put it in perspective.

2bazookas · 09/10/2021 14:14

Go to boss, come clean, and hope they come up with a way to minimise the damage before it affects the clients.

darklindor · 09/10/2021 14:16

Not sure what the vote is for. It doesn't make sense.

Dhcfisssifjrsnxfjds · 09/10/2021 14:18

How long have you sat on this? Either way you MUST tell them right now.

Upsielazy · 09/10/2021 14:19

It's hard but the best thing is to be honest with your manager. I've line managed a lot of people in my career, and some have made huge errors (they are human afterall). Those that have been upfront and honest we have worked together to resolve it, the bury the head in the sand ones haven't been thought of as quite so highly. Just say I did this, a mitigation to prevent it happening again is x, and what can I do to help resolve it.

Dhcfisssifjrsnxfjds · 09/10/2021 14:19

If you have no raised it immediately you became aware of it you can expect massive issues but the longer you leave it the worse it will get.

myheartskippedabeat · 09/10/2021 14:22

I used to work for. Retailer and forgot to order the Christmas carrier bags and it was a nightmare but I fessed up and other stores all sent us some

Honesty is your best policy here

Wheresmrpenguin · 09/10/2021 14:22

Agree with others, put a plan in place to show you've considered your mistakes and want to help rectify it. Not owning up will make things worse. Good luck, I'm sure it'll be fine

WorraLiberty · 09/10/2021 14:25

@saturdaywoe

Are you Boris Johnson?
Oh I hope this isn't some pathetic 'totes hilaire' thread 🙄🙄
IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves · 09/10/2021 14:25

You intend to wait for them to find out?

You can't do that. You need to explain exactly what has happened and what you are going to do about it.

Figmentofmyimagination · 09/10/2021 14:28

There are two issues here - the mistake and the failure to own up. You don’t say how long you’ve been in this job but it may be that the mistake is down to inadequate supervision, lack of training, excessive workload, unclear task setting, poor/unclear procedures etc. It may not be the end - especially if you own it, apologise and ask for training etc to make sure it never happens again. However the failure to admit it so that the problem grows is something different. This is incompetence/misconduct/lack of integrity - it signals that you cannot be trusted.

If you don’t own up quickly, you will be fired. If you do own up, at the same time apologising, demonstrating learning and self-awareness, understanding the potential org impact, asking for help etc etc, you might just save your job and come away with some kind of warning etc.

Then start job hunting, as the next round of redundancies is likely to be the end of the line for you.

LostforWords2021 · 09/10/2021 14:29

Own up. It's better that you know and admit than them find out bit by bit.

Someone will know how to resolve it even if it's going to cost the company money/creditability.

We all make mistakes Flowers

NeverDropYourMooncup · 09/10/2021 14:30

Go and see the boss on Monday morning. Tell them you've realised you've made a mistake.

You might get bollocked for it, if it's a serious one, yes, you might get sacked - but being bollocked or sacked is far less stressful than worrying about being found out, bollocked or sacked - and you might be able to sort or at least reduce the damage done if you act immediately.

Otherwise, the odds are that the stress and worry will get to you, you'll go off sick, then they'll discover the mistake and you'll be in no state to cope with anything.

PearLime · 09/10/2021 14:31

Put a meeting in your bosses diary 9am on Monday.

Explain everything.

You can't expect her to be happy but tell her you will do anything you can to correct the error. Then make sure you are seen to be working hard/ long hours/ lunch at desk. Meticulously check everything from now on, even if it means you get less done.

Everyone makes mistakes but it's just going to get worse if you do nothing.

Swipe left for the next trending thread