Made a mistake at work and I am FREAKING out

[Schhhteeevie]

I’ve been there 6 months. I had to work out some costs (covering a project inflight over the last 5 years, so before my time) I worked them out (took a couple of months) but basically duplicated one of the costs. We haven’t actually invoiced the customer, but I’ve outlined the costs already in detail and provided the paperwork. They haven’t realised that I’ve almost overcharged them (circa 40k) so I will have to come clean and tell them it’s a mistake. That’s embarrassing.

Worse still, I’ve already let the senior team know that we will be invoicing 160k but actually it’s going to be more like 120k. So, the client AND my colleagues are going to think i’m a complete idiot.

My mistake seems so glaringly obvious to me now. I’m just really spiralling into horrible thoughts.

1. Im going to be fired
2. Im actually quite stupid

3 Best case scenario I don’t get fired but lose the respect of my colleagues

Im really, really anxious about this, how bad is it?

@Cocomarine

I’ve seen people do similar and certainly not been fired.

Phrase it carefully to your manager - not, “OMG I just realised an awful mistake!” but, “I wanted to review everything before finalising, I realised I’d double counted xyz cost.”

This is perfect advice

The client hasn't been invoiced or made payment so that part is barely an issue, they owe you less so they will be happy. Internally, you found and corrected your own mistake, that is a good skill to have and prevents issues becoming external, I don't think you'll be fired! I'd rather have 10 staff who can spot errors and own them than 1 that sends things out to management and clients oblivious.

@Elfonthesofa

Has anybody died as a direct consequence of your actions? Nope? Then it's fine.

Sorry, I have a high threshold of what constitutes a disasterous mistake.

Yes I've recently left working as a doctor to go into a corporate role and this is how I judge mistakes too

I've had to let senior managers know about errors in amounts they have approved before. I have even had to rake back overpayments before. It's really not the end of the world! Apologise but not profusely. You're human, you've been in the role six months, and you spotted the error before it was paid.

I used to work in an area of law and once sent a lawyer to court on the wrong day. Nobody died and nobody used my mistake against me.

@Schhhteeevie make sure to double check your calculations so you don’t miss any other issues!

And let them know it’s better to get it solved before invoicing the wrong amount!

It's definitely best to be honest about the mistake as soon as possible.
People forgive and forget mistakes at work. It's the people who lie and can't take responsibility that no one likes. Trying to pass the blame on to others or make ridiculous excuses.

You'll be ok :) we're only human.

@Summersdreaming

The client hasn't been invoiced or made payment so that part is barely an issue, they owe you less so they will be happy. Internally, you found and corrected your own mistake, that is a good skill to have and prevents issues becoming external, I don't think you'll be fired! I'd rather have 10 staff who can spot errors and own them than 1 that sends things out to management and clients oblivious.

This, completely. Nothing worse than a staff member not taking responsibility, I have someone who reports to me like this, does my head in.

Apologise with integrity as someone said and move on from it. Owning your mistake and learning from it, that's the main thing.

And everyone makes mistakes of some sort or another on occasion. Don't beat yourself up afterwards.

It would be a mistake if you invoice them like that. It wouldn't be a mistake if you go back and correct it now and no, you won't look like an idiot for doing so and it will show that you are being thorough.

@FlowerFlour

Everyone makes mistakes. If you handle this well, with integrity and honesty, your bosses will actually have more respect for you.

Try not to spiral into anxiety! Just explain tomorrow in a factual way (no begging for mercy!), tell them how you're going to fix it, reissue the paperwork and then draw a line under it.

This. Everyone makes mistakes, how they deal with them is key. Having the ability to spot the mistake, highlight it and sort it out is a good work skill.

You've spotted it, it's good.
Important to work out how theiatake happened and come up with workable suggestions for preventing similar in future.

Years ago I worked in a small company producing a thing on behalf of VeryBigCo, and the rule was that ANY email to VeryBigCo had to be read and approved by a suitable second person before being sent.
Saved our blushes a couple of times.

*the mistake

You can see I don't gety stuff checked now ;)

I've worked with many companies over the years that attempt to double (or triple) charge on every invoice, it's very much on us to to check that the calcs are correct which makes me think your mistakes probably aren't that obvious

As PP have said the customers will be impressed you've owned up and happy to pay less then expected, don't worry too much especially if the invoice hasn't even been sent yet!

In my opinion, it's better to find out now before the invoice goes to the client rather than have to invoice them and then refund them or have to cancel the existing invoice or credit that invoice and then have to create a whole new invoice all out in the view of the client.

Catch it now and clean up the mistake before the client knows and you still look professional to the client.

I was a CFO / Head of Finance in my former life and there is no way this is a sackable offence or even close to it. At worst there may be some careful double-checking of your work until confidence is restored.

Come clean immediately to work and to client. Admit it's an accounting error and apologise for misleading them.

That is the adult, professional, responsible thing to do and will be recognised as such.

FGS do it FAST before someone else notices, which is far more likely to get you sacked.

Take a step back.

The other way round would be much worse OP!

Imagine having to say you had undercharged the client by 40k !!!!!!

I would have expected someone more superior to pick it up to be honest that's a substantial difference.
I wouldn't worry you are fairly new to the company and it's not like the client has to pay more.

Everyone makes mistakes don't worry.

We have a saying where I work ‘no one died’ (I’m a project manager). Mistakes happen, people way more snr than you will have made far greater mistakes.

All you can do is cop to it, correct it, apologise and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Are you in the UK? If so, you can’t be fired just like that, unless it’s gross misconduct which this isn’t. So get that worry out of your head. No one will think you’re stupid either, they’ll think you’re human 🙂

Everybody makes mistakes. Things happen.
Just own up. TBH, considering the budget will be lower, the customer won't mind.

To me this is just a straight forward error. Easily made.. compared to a mistake I made nearly 25 years ago this is nothing.. absolutely nothing. Just explain factually and put it right.

It's bad and you should have double/triple checked figures but it's a mistake and everyone makes them. Own up now so it can be corrected.

As long as you don't make these mistakes often (rarely) it should be fine.

Yes I've recently left working as a doctor to go into a corporate role and this is how I judge mistakes too

Sadly not the case in the legal world. You may not get sacked at the time, but they'll find a way to sack you later.

But I agree with the approach pps have suggested here - reviewing the invoice to double check all was correct but now realise double counting so actual amount to the client less blah.

It's certainly not a sackable offence and not after you've been there 6 months.

Stay calm. Blame a spreadsheet formula error.
Style it out. You’ll be grand.