Did something a bit silly at work

[Saracopp]

I regularly visit schools for my job. One school had to change premises to a larger school site whilst building works were being undertaken on the original school building.

The support staff of the new building were unpleasant and unfriendly- possibly because they didn’t want to share their building with another school.

Each week for the past nine months or so I’ve experienced unpleasantness with one particular member of staff on the front desk. Things like deliberately keeping me waiting to let me in and out of the building (she would pretend she wasn’t in the office, but I could see her in the reflection of one of the windows, she thought she was out of sight), abrupt manner, unhelpful, not passing on messages, rolling eyes because she has to get out of her chair to press a button to release the door, huffing because my mere presence is an inconvenience etc, you get the picture.

A couple of weeks ago we had a slight altercation, she was scowling as usual as I arrived and I asked her if everything was ok as she seemed quite unhappy to see me. She immediately became defensive and gave me a right mouthful so I calmly told her she maybe should develop some social skills given she was on the front desk 😳

I spoke to the head teacher of ‘my school’ who said she’d deal with it. Miraculously, over the next couple of weeks the doors were unlocked and she was not in the office as I walked passed. Result

Today was my last day as the school are moving back to their original premises after half term and I did something a little immature. In the foyer at the entrance is a photograph of all the school staff and their names, there was no-one around. Without thinking I got out my sharpie and drew a moustache and angry eyebrows on the picture of this person. Under her name I wrote ‘Miss Funsucker’. I did chuckle about it for the rest of the day but now I feel a bit bad and anxious I will get into trouble- it wouldn’t take Sherlock Holmes to work out it was me 😬

should I do nothing or should I do something - if so what? I know it’s a long shot but has anyone else done this?

I mean, I doubt any of it happened but there's no evidence that anyone other than OP was held up by this meanie. Then OP did indeed make a fuss and the response was not acceptable to her so she defaced school property to...show them who's boss? be hilarious? demonstrate that she perhaps isn't fit for her role?

True! It just seems a lot of bother to sign and date someone in and out the whole time, but obviously that's how some schools operate. Once I forgot my lanyard and fob and it was a right rigmarole to get me in, and then of course I couldn't get out again!
I had been there 15 years at that point!

I am disappointed for you that you have not learnt more constructive ways of managing your emotions during your ‘career’. Of course the support staff member not letting you into the building is poor behaviour, and needs addressing professionally. You could not handle it though. Drawing on a moustache on her photo, may explain why you ended up in a freelance role. Emotional regulation is an important part of holding down a professional job, and if someone in my team behaved like this, it would be taken seriously.

I don’t think Michelle Obama would have done this. I admire Michelle Obama.
’When someone goes low, I go high.’
i am sure Donald Trump would have drawn the moustache and posted on social media. Do you admire and identify with the Donald Trump approach to dealing with people?
Perhaps read the book , Becoming’, by Michelle.

In fact,@Saracopp are you Donald Trump ?

Well I thought it was funny. I wouldn't dare do it myself as I'd be scared of getting caught. If she acts like a sour faced funsucker perhaps she shouldn't be too surprised to receive that epithet. The Dali moustache is a bonus. Tee hee. (Must Grow Up.)

It absolutely would be deserved, IMO.

Also: without thinking, you got out your sharpie, defaced a photo and wrote something offensive on it…
Blurting something out without thinking — yes, I can see this happening. Getting a pen out of your bag and taking the time to draw/write on a photo — nope. But perhaps you meant without thinking of the consequences?

I don’t actually believe this is true in any case…

And this is why everyone hates Ofsted inspectors.

@Vintlet are you ok hun? This thread seems to have really upset you

It’s not normal for a professional adult to take petty ‘revenge’.

I have never taken ‘revenge’ on anyone as an adult.

It’s something that silly teenagers do because their frontal lobe hasn’t developed and they don’t know any better.

Most people grow out of this type of behaviour, especially when they’re in a place of work….

are you ok hun

The unintelligent facile riposte of someone who has no decent argument ;-)

Yes. The OP would not last a day in my job.

I’d be wondering if I was getting signs of dementia if I lost my boundaries enough to do something this pathetic.

I’m curious OP, after you had spoken to your head about this woman, the situation appeared to be resolved as you don’t seem to indicate you had any further incidents with this woman. Perhaps she was disciplined as you haven’t said you’ve seen her since. If that was the case, then why wasn’t that enough of a punishment and be the end of it?

But you’d already challenged her on her behaviour and spoken to the Head, resulting in the door being open and her not being in the office for weeks when you’ve passed through, so presumably she’d been censured in some way? Hadn’t you already ‘won’?

X-posted exactly this.

I’m not interested in ‘winning’. I saw an opportunity and took it. It wasn’t premeditated It’s that simple

And then running to MN to report it, breathless for validation. If it’s true, the whole thing makes me cringe.

And for those crying about a pile-on, the OP knew exactly what she was doing when she posted this.

I guess we probably have very different jobs

And this is an example of lack of emotional regulation in a workplace.

Absolutely hilarious, no doubt this woman is like this with others and this will be met with private smiles by other staff thinking she deserved that. In my office we’d have all had a good laugh about it and there might have been a quiet word with you but nothing else.

Yes

Breathless for validation 😂
It’s clear in my op why I posted. I can assure you it’s not for validation from mumsnet

Thank you. A measured and normal response from someone who lives in the real world