Saturday, September 20, 2008

Diffucult 2 weeks

**Background info**
I work 2 shifts. I work one week early shift (6:30 am until 3:30 pm) and one week late shift (1 pm until I am finished (between 8 and 9 most days)). I have been working this shift since May or June. No problems for me. I just do the work and try to have some fun.
**End of Background info**

Ever had a problem with a co-worker? Yes? What kind of a problem? Bad smells, bad attitude?

What about an EGO problem? My co-worker is 24 and has only been with us since 2nd or 3rd week of June. Then I had my surgery. So I didn't know this girl at all. I know she had her apprenticeship in our company and learned something completely different than Quality Control.

My new co-worker and I got along fine for the first two or three weeks. Then she was trying to move and work at the same time. Stressful, I understand. But, when you come to work, please work and not talk to your mom, husband, whomever, when you are at work.

How exactly do you ask your co-worker to concentrate when she is at work and stop making private phone calls??

I didn't know how to ask/tell her this in German. I was afraid to use the wrong words, or tone and end up with a pissed off 24-year-old co-worker. So, I went to my boss, who is an excellent English speaker and asked his advice. He said he would talk to her. So, he did.

After this little talk with Boss-Man, she completely STOPPED talking to me. For the last 2 WEEKS. Boss talked to her on Wednesday. I drove home on the Friday of that week in tears. I stopped sleeping, eating, everything. I was so stressed out. I told Thomas I didn't want to go back to work on Monday (cause right now, we are working together. Her husband also works in the company and they want to be in the same shift). That is the first time in a year that I had uttered those words.

I LOVE MY JOB. I LOVE THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, I WOULD NEVER, EVER UTTER THESE WORDS.

On Tuesday, I think I had a panic attack. My head was hurting so bad that I thought was a) throwing up or b) passing out. Shaking hands, hard to breath. So I went home, crying again. I woke up at 6 am on Wednesday morning crying. Thomas told me to talk to her and get everything resolved.

Did you know that I HATE confrontation? No, really. I hate rocking the boat. That is the lead-up to this email:
'Mrs. Wedehase,
I request a meeting with you and Mrs. G. in my office at 130 this afternoon.
Thank you,
Mr. Boss-Man.'

FAN-FREEEEEAAAAKING-TASTIC.

*as an extra bonus...Mr. Department Head himself was also sitting in the office* DAMN-IT.

So, my Boss acted Mediator because the Dep't head wasn't really up to speed everything. I had my say, she had hers and then Dep't head (very loosely translated into English):
"Ladies, work together. I know you can. Let us go forward and try to forget. However, I know with women, they have memories like elephants. You remember EVERYTHING. Please find a way to talk each other. I don't want to have this discussion every 3 months with you."

So, I was pissed cause she totally went from one extreme to the other. Total pals, getting along find, then she receives criticism from Boss-Man and she stops talking to me completely.
She was pissed cause I didn't go directly to her to say: 'pay attention when you are at work'. She did see my point, where I had no idea HOW to talk to her when she says nothing.

So, things are better now. Next week we have early shift together, then we only work every third week together. THANK GOD. I need my space.

1 comment:

Julia said...

I hope your next "encounter" with her goes better! Good luck!