Unfair Treatment At Work, Or Is It Just Life?

Design Discussions general design discussion
1

Has any one worked for a boss that gives you a hard time? Here are situations I deal with:

-Comes into the design/art department and goes strait to your desk to oversee what you are doing and half of the time goes and check other designer(s) when you do more work for presentations and get more revenue resulting from your designs?

-Asks you to do Frivolous changes to your work/design/prototypes while sometimes asking the other(s) to do it meanwhile saying “I’m not picking on you” ?

Can you justify this treatment when the boss may have known the other worker(s) before you maybe at a previous company. Is this a case of cronyism/buddyism.

Hey, I know life not fair and we all have bills to pay, but just would like to know if others are experiencing a situation like this.

Should younger workers expect this after working at a company for a few years?

2

dude, you need to quit your job and move on. from your posts it seems like your not having a good time there. First you fall for a chick at work while totally creating a double standard for her regarding relationships. You complain about that to everyone. Now your complaining your boss is on your ass. just leave. bow out gracefully if its not too late.

Also, you should tell your girlfriend about your prior dilemma with your co-worker.

3

Design does attract some big egos that are hard to work with. Par for the course I guess.

I agree with Bbarn though. It sounds like you are ready to move on. I suggest starting to look for a new job while you still can deal with your current one.

Or…if you do like your job enough, and you feel like you have added to the company…talk to your boss. Some of what you describe sounds like your boss might just care about your work and the company. Try to put yourself in their shoes for a minute.

4

Well have you seen a situation were a boss puts more pressure on employee than another. Can that be justified? maybe it can in this case!

But you would think that if the boss cares about the company and good work that he would pressure the ones that aren’t doing thier share of good work. Instead, he makes life easy for them as if he values them more which is confusing when I am the one that comes up with design that sell 70% to 30% compared to others.

5

It may be true that your designs sell, but theres more to working in an office than that.

How you get along with others (co-workers, boss, etc.), your morale, your ability to take criticsm, attitude, are all factors that could bring the boss over to you for a little chat.

In many offices I know there may be a good worker but who is such a pain in the ass that they have let him/her go… especially at a lower-mid level postiion where there are no shortages of good designers who can step in with just as good design with a better fit into the company.

Rather than asking yourself “why me?”, “why am i getting picked on?”, why not look to see what you can do to improve?

if you think the job is salvagble, and would like to continue, I’d suggest that a chat with the boss could help.

Tell him you would like to improve your fit with the company and professional personality and ask him for pointers on where you can start and what things to look at. Coming at it this way as a self-initiated critique to improve, your boss will likely be very happy as such motivation.

If you go in an ask “why are you picking on me?”, get ready to pack you bags…

The boss is there to manage and if he feels that you need extra time and pressure then there is likely a reason. I doubt that he just likes picking on you and im sure he has more important things to do than spend his time making you do “frivoluous” changes.

Look inside first before pointing fingers…especially if you are on the bottom of the totem pole with not enough experience to push back.

Either way, if you do decide to leave, I’d still do the same (chat with your boss, ask yourself what you can do to improve, etc.). More than likely, with your attitude that everyone else is wrong and you are right, you will run into the same thing at any other workplace…

R

6

Some bosses focus or “pick” on one person a lot of times to push that person and make them grow as an employee. I have had bosses that have made me do stuff that is out side my comfort zone just to see how well I do.

Also it sounds like you need to boost your confidence. Take a hard look at the other designers. Are they better than you? Do they have more projects than you? If so than this might be why you boss is focusing on you. Also if this is the case work your ass off to get up to their level.

7

Thanks rkuchinsky & PackageID. Points well taken.

I do think I do not take criticism well and my attitude might reflect bitterness and will argue a point at times but I have to say that some of the actions is justified. The boss pisses every one off. I just have a low tolerance to bull. I know I work hard and some days I do not want to hear unreasonable talk. It just who I am.

As far as getting along with others I particularly stay to myself. I do see myself as an outsider. Don’t get me wronge I do laugh and tell jokes and stuff and have fun, but when it comes to deffending or supporting a view im usually on the other side of support.Most of the others are older and unmarried complaining women. I am not apart of the click that has formed from the “old company”. I have a different work ethic for sure than the ones from the “old company”. I do not worry about my design skills because I produce the most and Im not exagerating.

8

Well it sounds like to me you need to find another job. but I warn you to not have a bad attitude when going to a new job.