I’ve really messed up at work

[ohbuggera]

I’ve name changed for this and I’m deliberately leaving it vague to avoid being outing.

I have worked in my public sector job for just over a year. I’ve bedded in and worked between multiple different departments in that time.

I’ve recently been given what is essentially control of the smallest department. I’ve been doing this for a few weeks and it’s not really a full time job. I can work at it for one day a week and it would be done. I feel I could work in at least one more department and still be fine.

I’ve raised this to my manager who completely agrees with me and raised it to our big manager.

The big manager is fuming. My concern is that if jobs were to be cut mine would be the first to go because of how small my role is. I’ve heard her talking all morning, in earshot of me, pretty unhappy that I’ve raised this. She’s agreed to meet with me but now im terrified.

AIBU to think raising this wasn’t actually an issue?!

Is the big manager by any chance related to your predecessor?
People who hate efficiency are everywhere -but especially in local government and (in my experience) the established side of the charity sector. You go in thinking it's all about public good, but everyone who's been there for years is just there for petty power play.

OP I am wondering about your ability to accurately read the situation. You've posted that your manager is fuming but haven't given a comprehensive reason as to why. Then when people in the thread have been confused, you've said people are being willfully obtuse. You come across as someone who may take things very literally, and not be as attuned to the complexities of interpersonal dynamics. I'm going to guess there is more to this than has been presented here.

Also, just because you thrive with multiple plates spinning, doesn't mean others do. It may have very well been a full role for the previous worker, if they needed something long term sustainable and not at risk of burn out. I wonder how young or old you are.

This is valid if you assume that civil servants are fully aligned to the public's best interest. But I'm not sure that's true.

If someone notices that people have, until now, only been working at 20% capacity, that doesn't reflect well on a manager.

Additionally, senior public sector workers seem to mostly want to increase their headcount. Someone pointing out that the headcount is too high is the opposite of their goals.