can I get fired for this? how bad is it?

[Snowowls]

I work in a company where I enter data manually into a system. I do about 8000-10000 entries per annum (it's about usage of a certain product which is linked to invoice creation). I was informed last week that in the last few months, 3 entries were incorrectly entered (though the have been corrected after the customer complained), all invoices had been corrected. I have been told that is is an unacceptable standard of working and I am having an urgent meeting with my line manager about it next Monday to discuss my poor performance. I have been in my job for 5 years but I worry I will let go. There were innocent mistakes. Not sure how they happened, just human nature. It's the first time in 5 years such a mistake has been flagged to but I am absolutely terrified as I have now a (disciplinary?) meeting about it. Any advice on how to respond? I am not in a union.

So what is the business's process for ensuring 0 errors?

Surely it's not 'let one human do it' - if so, it's their process that has caused the error.

If it really is unacceptable then they need to put checking procedures in place.
Their fault, not yours.

That's an extremely low error percentage in an extremely high volume of data entry! (And I think it sounds like they're being dicks about it.)

However, are they putting pressure on you to achieve such a high volume? Perhaps you could suggest that you check your work more carefully but warn them that it is likely to mean you go slightly slower. Which is more important to them? They can't have it both ways.

Well I think this is completely ridiculous and I'm guessing that you are expected to do too many entries in too short a time

If it was me I would agree it was unacceptable that I was not being given enough time to do a full check at the end of every sheet/day and say that I would now build in an hour for checking at the end of the day.

This of course would mean fewer entries were completed, would they be ok with that?

If not I would ask how many entries were expected and what error margin was acceptable (I'd also want that in writing)

It sounds like yours is one of the jobs going to be taken by AI

Do not resign.

What are your colleagues' error rates like? Do you honestly think your company could hire a replacement for you who would be able to enter 10,000 invoices without a single mistake? When you took the job did you think that you would be able to key in 10,000 invoices and only make three mistakes? Is there anything in the system to stop you making a mistake apart from you?

They may give you a verbal or written warning. If they do, it should vanish from your record in a few months.

It can’t possibly be classed as gross misconduct. It’s data entry, you weren’t drunk driving an ambulance or something!
It isn’t realistic to expect zero errors. No human being can make zero errors. For that matter, no machine can either. So if that’s their policy, they’re setting you all up to fail.

Well if they expect zero errors then they need a second person to double check. It err is human.

Are you perimenopausal or menopausal by any chance?

I know what you mean. There isn't any process/safety valve where I could check that. I always look over it and double check but I put the comma at the wrong place. I don't know how that happened.

It's not forcibly about the percentage. If your error means that someone is charged on their card £10,000 instead of £1,000, that's quite a serious error with potential large repercussions such as being sued.

10,000 entries might be a lot or not depending on your hours and time allowed for each input. Are you given the chance to double check it?

Humans make mistakes - everyone does.

Could you build in a data validation check that would pick up eg comma or decimal point in the wrong place? It might not pick up transposition errors like entering 1543 instead of 1453 but it could pick up 15.43 v 1543.00 if numbers had to be within a tolerance range maybe?

It wouldn’t solve the old errors but could be a good proactive approach to stop similar things in the future

I (and the other data entry folks) must not make mistakes. There is nothing else.

I don't work in excel but in a different system which doesn't allow for such checks. It's pure data entry.

Don't resign, talk to ACAS as suggested above but I would start looking for a new job if you can. It sounds like a very stressful environment with unrealistic targets. They should have systems in place to spot mistakes before they become problematic, because no human being is infallible all the time (and frankly, the tech isn't either)

It's a bit like that error wise. Small mistake but bigger effect but the invoice was corrected in time. Nobody was overcharged.

It is always so sad when posts involving work situations include ‘I am not in a union’. I can’t understand why people do not realise that the protection a union affords is invaluable.
You might be able to join and benefit now, worth a try.

Should the errors have been obvious to you? For example the sum total was 100000 instead of 1000. Is there a way for errors to be made more visible that could be implemented for example if the figure entered isn't between certain parameters it won't accept it or the cell changes colour

I am on a very low wage and struggle massively. I was always in a union but came out a year ago due to struggling with my finances. I am kicking myself now.

How did they phase the request to have a meeting? I don't think it's unreasonable for them to wonder why you have started making mistakes after so many years of mistake free work. Maybe it's not as negative as it sounds . I hope not.
Might the email about the meeting have standard wording that makes it sound worse than it is?

This is terrible advice. Under no circumstances should the OP leave until there has been a full and frank conversation about how and why the errors occurred - and just as importantly, about understanding how to avoid such errors occurring in the future.

After 5 years the OP has a number of employment rights and would be ill-advised to give these up by resigning.

No, they are not obvious to me as I don't deal with the invoices as such. I have no visibility of the total sum otherwise it would be easy to see. It's a different department that deals with that.

Zero per cent rate for mistakes! That is utterly unrealistic, you are not a robot, and even computers make mistakes. I am really sorry you are going through this, sounds like an awful place to work.

Ok, my takecwould be to really think about root cause for the error. Whilst it was “human” error, if you’ve had 3 more recently and none before is there a reason for the change? Really ask why, then why, and why again..drill down to how mistakes could have been possible

then you need to look at “fool proofing”. What is sometimes reffferred to as poke yoke. (Japanese lean terminology). It is completely unrealistic to expect humans not to make errors, so as a company you need to engineer your ways of working to prevent errors. If You do the analysis of how it was possible to make the errors, it should then yield up fool proofing changes.

so an example, a need for 2nd person verification if data is that critical, or to change the visual appearance the entry screen to make worng digit entry more difficult (eg spacing, forcing decimal points etc). Or it might be you need breaks and therefore role needs to be split between 2 people in a job reorganisation so you’re not concentrating for long periods. Or even how the data can be entered automatically so you’re not concentrating are just verifying and confirming. All these things cost money, so it needs be be balanced with the costs of those errors.
do the analysis therefore on cost of those errors - is it customer perception or actual lost revenue?

I would go into the meeting then armed with this- a clear suggestion of how to stop errors in future. It gives them a clear understanding you have taken this seriously, you aren’t denying but are identifying weaknesses in system and how to prevent.

I would also calculate my level of errors, how many errors per 100 transactions and % level of accuracy. They’re asking for 100% which is frankly, for humans, unacheivable. We are all flawed by being human. But if your rate overall is in 99% plus range you are in a good position to point out that to expect 100% is flawed and ways of working need to be changed.

And here is a paper you could use if it comes to disciplinary hearing..ts bonkers and unrealistic to expect a human to work like a machine
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563211000707

OP don't resign. Whilst obviously everyone wants a 0% error rate, it is human to err. Your rate is really low in the great scheme of things.

Do you work at a screen? Does your employer give you free eye checks? I think if data entry is needed, you should be getting at least subsidised tests.

DD1 who is a PhD student had a summer internship doing data entry for a company. They paid for her to have an eye test and gave her a voucher towards glasses or contact lenses. As she has worn glasses since the age of 2, she opted to try lenses at their expense. DD2 started her first graduate job in the autumn. Her company not only paid for a normal eye test at the SpecSavers across the road, they also paid extra for a test to determine how she perceived different colours as that is an inherent part of the job. They also gave a voucher to the shop towards new glasses if necessary.

It might be worth asking HR if they have such a scheme and then getting your eyes checked. It shows you are being proactive in trying to eliminate mistakes.

Ok, where 100% level of accuracy is important to the business, it is usually good practice to do a 4 eye review (second person) check. Eg entries are printed off and checked/signed off by another. NB it is the signers fault for any errors getting through. The inputter must not be the reviewer.

This obviously takes extra manpower and possibly a system change to create a report to check the batches of invoices to.

If they won’t do this, they have (I’m sure) done a risk assessment of the impact to the business re a certain level of errors against the cost of no errors and decided a certain level is acceptable.

A data entry function with no second person review is always going to have a level (probably low) error.

Your target of 100% error free is an unachievable target (humans make errors) so your set goals need to be challenged- they fail the reasonable test.

absolutely this! They can't just get rid of you especially after 5 years. Employment laws exist for a reason.
Those mistakes are not gross misconduct.
Are you with a union? If not, join one. Also speak to ACAS.