Created a bad situation for myself at work

Emmzi

isn't this the same company that tried to give you a retrospective clawback? What happened with that?

KiKi

OP, I used to recruit and manage grads on schemes, and twelve years ago I did a two year scheme myself.

My best advice is this: if you can't change him, and if you truly can't pick up work, and if you can't be moved or taken on another project from somewhere else, then you just accept that sometimes in life there will be jobs where this happens. It's only a placement; it will end.

If there is a real risk that this will mean you won't pass your accountancy qualification as a result of not getting the right experience, you must raise this with your Grad Scheme Manager ASAP (not anyone in your department, you've already tried that). It's in the organisation's best interests that you pass.

KiKi

m0t

We didn't challanfe the clawback in the end, one of the trainees took advice and was told their wording was illegal. When I sat and thought about it I didn't really care because the only way I will leave is if they push me.

They did give me my small pay rise for passing my exams that they initially tried to take away. I really do enjoy all the work I have been doing up until now and I am extremely grateful to them for firstly employing me and secondly spending so much money training me.

In theory there's only 6.5 months left of the placement and I should qualify shortly after that if my experience is up to scratch.

We sat down yesterday and I tried to have a discussion with him about the amount of work I had. Unfortunately it didn't get anywhere because he said I couldn't have anything else to do until I finished my list of stuff, which consists entirely of items that can only be carried out in the 5 day month end period. One of his colleagues overheard and said he'd have a discussion with him.

Emmzi

Well, I guess I'd be doing as much online learning and study in company time as I could then in prep for exams.. might as well ace them.

smileylondongal

Actually, this is a really good idea - if there is no work or at least until month end, then the very least they can afford you is revision or CPD time.

Another idea perhaps not relevant to you but I thought I'd offer it - are you part of any study groups or professional groups? This can also count sometimes as CPD toward any gaps you might find you have. It might also give you some ideas as to what you might be able to do to turn around any current gaps in your situation.

m0t

Thought I would update this thread with some things that have occurred in the last month or so. Nothing has improved at work but on the plus side I am currently on one day a week at college, I am also checking available jobs in the organisation daily to see if I can take up a position elsewhere.

My boss attempted to take an interest in my personal life a few weeks ago so I mentioned that my girlfriend was studying Japanese, his response to this was to do an 'impression' of a Japanese person, and yes he did the eye thing.

He got to talking about my predecessor (not a graduate) and said he couldn't understand why he kept asking him to try new processes to improve effeciency, he told me he didn't need to listen to him because he out ranked him and the guy should just have done what he was told. He has the same response to me when I try things to improve efficiency, simple things such as making full use of excel formulas instead of manually working things out line by line. He has no desire to increase efficiency because he receives no reward for saving money, financial or otherwise.

He forgets everything, we can have a conversation where he asks me to do something and then 20 minutes later he will have forgotten he asked and be surprised (and annoyed) that its been done. This also extends to him claiming he has told me things that he hasnt, or changing the way he wants something done and not telling me. He has made several major cockups recently and blamed me because he couldn't remember making revisions to documents himself, so has decided it must have been me. He also repeats himself in meetings and forgets what people tell him, so will ask the same question 3 or 4 times. The last few I've attended had people hiding behind bits of paper to laugh at the absurdity of it.

He is also rude to everyone all of the time, every comment he makes is openly very aggressive and he cannot work as part of team. Everything his peers ask him to do results in 'I don't want to', I even heard him tell his boss he couldn't be bothered to do something she asked that was very important and time critical.

Coming back to the point about me not having enough work to do, it seems as though none of our team have anything to do. I observed one of my colleagues staring at the same sheet on excel for 2 days, my boss then admitted we were a bit light on the work front, and that is with one person being on holiday. Its got so bad that he has had us checking that excel formulas have been adding up properly to give us something to do.

I realise that this has now turned into something of a bash your boss post, but I am at the point where I dread coming in in the morning. I tried taking additional responsibilities outside of my team but my boss refused to OK it, and other teams didn't want to take the risk of him getting involved and screwing their work up. People I have never met have been commiserating me when they find out who I am working for, it is the most bizarre thing I have ever encountered.

They can't move me anywhere else because there are no available placements but they have agreed to take this one out of the rotation, so it looks like I will be stuck here until March or such time as a suitable job appears elsewhere.

Milkshock

try and get involved in the office politics, take sides, they are probably trying to ignore and marginalise you on purpose. does everyone else in the office feel like you about the boss?