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Should I talk to a lawyer?
Hello I’m posting for the first time here. I’ve been part time for 18 years at a two year college. I’m considered staff my boss has promised and told me every year at my so called evaluation. In which he just tells me I’m to emotional and I need to own up to my mistakes. The mistakes he reminds me of are due to other coworkers not getting the info to me on time or just not telling me and I’m left with being the one at fault. My boss would tell me that he will submit to HR for me to be full time only if I add on to my duties. I did this for 13 years. I find out that all the extra work I’ve been doing he put under the “work as needed”. Section . Now I’ve watched 4 male student employees get hired in without an interview and without my boss posting the position and with in 4 years or less they are now full time!
Now there is a new full time employee she started working on call 2 years ago to work along side our multimedia person. Which is who I get my projects from he never came to me for help on any of his projects. She is full time once again never posted never mentioned to the office staff. Just one day she started doing t projects I do I only found out was when I turned in my graphics for that project I get an email stating she already did it
Ok I’m rambling on I need someone to help get my confidence back and help me I’m not sure how to look for a job anymore. I know a lot of many things. I trained myself in AV technology to live video production to digital signage.
Help!
JR
This sounds toxic & biased. Is it time to move on Jeanne?
I agree very toxic every time I think about having to go into work I get angry and stressed. I’ve blocked everyone in my office on all my social networks. The first thing my manager asked me is why he can’t see my Facebook posts anymore.
ugh, sounds like a toxic workplace. I understand you may not want to move right now, but you can start the process. Dipping a toe into the job market can buoy your spirits and help you change your mindset. You have options! While you remain in your current role, I'm thinking 2 suggestions:
1) change nothing since you've been at it for so long and have not gotten joy. Seek your joy elsewhere and start looking for an out.
-OR -
2) try getting more specific timeframes from those people who you continue to wait on. When they name it, leave the ball in their court until then. Update your manager on this. It could be seen as either progress or a bottleneck depending on their POV. Then it is on your manager to help you be successful by either removing the barrier by backing you up or by accepting your update and then you sit tight together until the prescribed time to follow up with the other party.
IMO--The role of a manager is to help you (and their own team) be successful by removing barriers. Also, gaslighting sucks.
Thanks for the advice I’m trying this out now and some tiny improvements with my manager he remembers to include me in emails now!
Than you for sharing. No I’m not in a union. No one will back me up in the department. What type of things do I need to gather? I have emails and copies of projects I use to do and now someone else is doing it. As for the others getting prompted it was never officially announced. For instance one male part time tech he just 40 hours a week for two years then all of a sudden he was going into HR to fill out the paper work for full time. I don’t a web site nor do I have a portfolio I was so busy trying to increase my knowledge of AV technician and live video production that I never got around to doing that. I learned as i went. That’s why I feel so confused. My boss never talks to me anymore when he does it’s always telling to stop being creative and stop waiting till the last minute. My conference is in the shit hole and I can’t shake all the negativity in that office. What if I do go outside a find a new job will it be the same? I’m 57 and now I’m competing with young full of energy kids. How do I over come that?
Goodness! You definitely need to talk to someone. I'm guessing there is no employee's union that exists or you are a part of? What about the complaints structure within the institution and what about their employment policies?
One thing I would advise is that you need to have all your evidence gathered and organised. Will other colleagues support you and back you up?
As far as looking for a job is concerned, the word is talk to your network or grow your network if you don't have one.
All your skills and knowledge will be displayed in your work - do you have a personal website where you could showcase it? Or do you have an offline/physical portfolio? I am always envious of creative types who can literally show their skills and not have to prove their worth by being wordsmiths that their competition!