To do something at work I've already been bollocked for and received a warning for twice?

[GingerGeorgie]

I've name changed for this but here goes.

For the last 3 weeks I've been doing something at work that hasn't impacted anyone at all and nobody has noticed...until Monday. On Monday a senior manager discovered what I'd been doing and was angry and asked my supervisor to have a word with me. The supervisor had a word and told me not to do it again. I apologised and said I wouldn't even though I don't really have an option but to continue doing it.

However, the very next day (Tuesday, yesterday) I did it again. I didn't expect anyone to notice, as like I said, I've been doing this thing for 3 weeks and nobody's noticed. Well, obviously someone was keeping an eye on me because I got caught and this time I got a proper telling off and a 'record of discussion' is now going on my file.

Now, my AIBU is, I really don't have much choice but to continue doing the thing, at least for the time being, so would it be really that bad to do it again on my next shift which is the weekend, where there will be skeleton staff who won't know I've already been in trouble?

Just to add, many staff members are doing a very, very, similar thing openly but slightly differently which I feel is unfair. And, to clarify, it's not office based; we are an establishment that is supposed to be all about supporting 'the thing' I'm doing.

What is the thing? Is it dangerous or costly or risky or unsafe etc etc more detail

why can’t you stop doing it

Well it depends on what the thing is.
No one can advise but if you've had 2 warnings in a week I wouldn't be pushing my luck.

Are you skiving off early to pick the kids up?

Why are you doing it if its something you've been given warnings for?

Seriously? NO.

The 'skeleton staff' will 100% have been tipped off to make sure you don't do whatever the hell it is you're doing that you've been told twice not to do.

You’ll be fired if you do

When I read it as if OP was letting off nuclear farts it just made the whole post so funny 😄

How much do you need your job or a reference to get another one once you've been fired?

No way to answer without knowing what the 'thing' is. 🫣

YABVU for not just saying what the ‘thing’ is and being all clickbaity.

Doesn’t matter what it is but I am nosey and want to know

You've been told not to do it. If you carry on, things will escalate into warnings and formal disciplinary and potential dismissal.

Well 'the thing' is so outing but it's not dangerous and doesn't include any skiving.

It's also through work that I'm doing it in the first place.

I expect you’ll have to stop doing the thing if you want to keep your job. Might depend on what the thing is, if you’re doing the thing the right way (their way) or if the thing is illegal.

Do you work for a company of contract killers? I mean that’s your choice I suppose, but if the thing is that you’re knocking off your exes instead of the people you’ve been contracted to kill then you should probably stop doing the thing.

What are you doing? Is it rituals in the carpark, sky clad?

Cooking mackerel in the staff microwave?

Ending every sentence with “in accordance with the prophesy”?

If you can't avoid doing it and you need the job probably better to be off sick and not get fired?

Oh ffs

How is anyone meant to give you an objective view on this if we don’t know what it is.

Slaughtering chickens in your office, vaping in the staff room, bringing your kid to work?

You got away with it and it went unnoticed for 3 weeks not 3 years.

So you were caught easily and quickly. Just stop or you'll be sacked.

God this is fascinating! Give me more clues!

Oh that’s now my thing. From now on I am going to end every instruction in my project plans with ‘according to prophecy’. I’m fully on board with this.

You work for a firm that makes fig rolls and you have them for your breakfast every morning to give you a “road through.” But that means a big cistern shattering dump just at opening time. Can you swap to garibaldi?

You would be very foolish to continue doing whatever it is.

cant you give a metaphorical example? . Ie I work for a bike maker and in order to get home and back in time over lunch I ride one of the bikes

If you genuinely have no option to not do it, why on earth did you not raise this with the manager the first time?

"I'm so sorry but I have no choice but to arrive 10 mins late each day as I have to drop the kids to school and our childminder is ill - we are looking for a new one but in the meantime please can we discuss how I can make the time up or that I can work compressed hours etc"

If there is genuinely no option, you will just not be able to do this job, because you aren't capable of fulfilling their needs.

I may as well tell you.

I am hand rearing a baby bird who needs to be fed ideally every hour but when I'm at work I can stretch it to 1.5 hours between feeds. The feeds take literally seconds and I get comfort breaks at work so I've been feeding it then.

I've got nobody to look after it at home. I mean maybe I could ask my son (16) but he normally has plans.