Conflict in the Workplace

CakeBaker

Hello - I'd be grateful of some advice.
The bottom line is that I have issues with my new(ish) work colleague. They keep making mistakes - lots of them ! I know we all make mistakes and I don't expect there to be none - but these are frequent and repeated. I have made several complaints to our boss and we have had a few meetings, but still the mistakes keep coming. To be honest, I think my boss needs to be a lot tougher, but I can't see that happening. There is no higher line of management for me to go to.
So I suppose the question I'm asking is - is it time for me to leave ? I don't want to - I used to love my job, but not anymore.
Secondly - the new colleague is very loud. We work in a very small office (usually only 4 people) they shout all their business and phone conversations and it drives me to distraction! .....It is time for me to leave - isn't it ??

Undervalued

CakeBaker wrote: »

Hello - I'd be grateful of some advice.
The bottom line is that I have issues with my new(ish) work colleague. They keep making mistakes - lots of them ! I know we all make mistakes and I don't expect there to be none - but these are frequent and repeated. I have made several complaints to our boss and we have had a few meetings, but still the mistakes keep coming. To be honest, I think my boss needs to be a lot tougher, but I can't see that happening. There is no higher line of management for me to go to.
So I suppose the question I'm asking is - is it time for me to leave ? I don't want to - I used to love my job, but not anymore.
Secondly - the new colleague is very loud. We work in a very small office (usually only 4 people) they shout all their business and phone conversations and it drives me to distraction! .....It is time for me to leave - isn't it ??

Only if you can be sure of easily getting an equivalent or better job and feel fairly certain that you won't run into a similar or worse situation!

Nobody reading this can possible say whether you have an unsolvable problem or are being over sensitive. What would you advise a friend to do if they came to you with a similar issue?

Lots of work situations can be irritating but different people will cope (or not cope) in different ways.

bugslet

As a boss I'd hate someone to come and say what I'm going to advise you to say, which is - go to your boss and say that you have reached the point of leaving a job you enjoy because you can't deal with 1. the level of noise and 2. the repeated mistakes.

If you did that to me ( after thinking 'oh bother'), I'd evaluate wether your complaint was justified. If it wasn't, then I'd sit you down and say you are making a mountain out of a molehill. If I thought you were right, I'd be saying to you, right, I'll have a more forceful conversation with the new person and explain that they need to 1. remember that other people are in the office so can they tone it down a bit and 2. check why they feel their performance is not improving. And if they don't buck up, they will have to find other employment.

ReadingTim

If this person keeps on making mistakes, you'd hope management would eventually do something, especially if it costs the company money. Ideally, you'd hope that person would realise that perhaps they're not suited to that job, and leave of their own accord - this being the ideal solution as it's actually quite hard to get rid of someone once they're out of their probationary period for just being a bit rubbish: you have to give them ample warnings, offer remedial training etc, and they can always play the 'learning difficulties'/discrimination card.

With regard to annoying personal habits, that's something you get everywhere, and there's no guarantee you won't have similarly irritating colleagues in a new job.

With respect to leaving: leave if you want to, but realise it's your personal choice - I can't see anything in your situation which implies you're being "driven to it" or "forced to..."

cr1mson

Could this person be loud because they are nervous and this is also leading to them making mistakes as well? Can you help them to make less mistakes? Are they the same mistakes repeated or different ones? This could be an opportunity to add another string to your bow ie developing other members of staff

ReadingTim

cr1mson wrote: »

Could this person be loud because they are nervous and this is also leading to them making mistakes as well? Can you help them to make less mistakes? Are they the same mistakes repeated or different ones? This could be an opportunity to add another string to your bow ie developing other members of staff

I suspect that if this person is so irritating and useless that it's causing the OP to consider looking for another job, then they aren't going to want to spend a moment more in their company than they have to.

They'd probably only want another string in their bow if they were planning to shoot said cause of their problems...

CakeBaker

Thanks for your responses - all of which are helpful.
The person involved was my line manager - I have been to our boss several times because of the errors and as a result my job title was revised and I was moved 'sideways' so that they were not senior to me.
The mistakes have been noted and training has been given on several occasions, but the same mistakes are still being repeated. The last discussion was whether they were competent, but my boss was reluctant to take that approach. I have just returned from annual leave to find the same mistakes have been repeated whilst I was away.
I am not a very forceful person, but surely this is beyond and 'informal meeting'. I keep being told I can raise a grievance, but in an office of four, it's not going to be very pleasant!

BorisThomson

Do the mistakes directly affect you, for instance are they holding up your part in a process? If so, explain to your boss how your work is being affected and ask for suggestions as to how to remedy the situation. Put the issue back to them to solve.

How long has the colleague been there?

Hedgehog99

I've been in the position where everything was fine until the new person started. They were completely incompetent, but for some reason the boss thought they were great.

When you have an incompetent boss like that, you're doomed.

Give your management one more chance to "get it" about this new colleague, then if they still don't back you, they obviously value the newbie more than you and your long-standing reliability. Says it all, doesn't it.

[Deleted User]

I think it is down to the colleagues boss to get to grips with this and start by having a conversation with the individual.

I am not sure why this person was your boss and is now your colleague, were they demoted ? If they have been demoted / sidelined it may be a motivational issue.

Either way if a newish colleague kept making mistakes my first thought would be the quality of training and support afterwards.

Another big thing is that the more you worry about mistakes the more they happen. Have you offered help and support rather than just complain to the boss.

Your situation wouldnt make me leave a job I enjoyed but from what you have described there so far it doesnt sound a very well run place for either you or your colleague.

gettingtheresometime

It does sound as if you're giving a ' it's either him or me' ultimatum.


Depends on whether you want to run the risk of the company saying ok bye then.