Listed here are three updates from previous letter-writers.
1. Former coworker stole my work and retains contacting me for assist
Thanks a lot for publishing a solution to my query! I appreciated your recommendation, Alison, and the recommendation shared by the commentariat. It was validating to see that others agreed Lulu is, nicely, delulu. I do have a small replace to share!
I ended up simply ignoring Lulu’s emails. I haven’t heard anything from her. However – a coworker instructed me they’d contacted Lulu a couple of system she nonetheless had entry to. It was an exterior instrument that my coworker wanted to take possession of, which required Lulu to take away herself from the account. She did, however solely after being impolite AF and unhelpful to my coworker, ignoring them for weeks as a substitute of simply performing one easy motion.
I did “delicate launch” the problem of stolen IP with my boss (the one who coddled Lulu) by asking if Lulu was working for a direct competitor. She is just not, however my boss did ask why I needed to know, so I instructed them. They didn’t actually react, however that’s in step with the “Lulu can do no mistaken” habits I witnessed for a few years, so I used to be not stunned.
Within the feedback, folks had been incredulous that conferences could be moved at Lulu’s insistence…imagine me, I agree with you! It’s very tough to clarify the chokehold Lulu had on administration. It’s probably the most dysfunctional and irritating vocational expertise I’ve ever had. Think about somebody claiming they want info to do their job, solely they don’t seem to be actually doing that a part of their job, however when anybody provides to HELP with that a part of the job, they throw a tantrum…it was exhausting, however the one one that was ever in the fitting was Lulu. All of us simply did what we may to keep away from the blow-ups.
Lastly: I don’t work there anymore! I noticed that whereas drawback kids like Lulu had been gone, the systemic points and gaslighting that allowed her to be an issue for therefore lengthy weren’t going away anytime quickly. A recruiter contacted me with a fantastic alternative, and I jumped at it. This all occurred proper across the time my query was printed, so I didn’t get to work together with the feedback a lot. Nonetheless, I learn each single certainly one of them and took all the data as a lesson realized ought to I ever encounter one other delulu Lulu!
2. My employer is revoking work-from-home however I reside 300 miles away (#2 on the hyperlink)
The query of whether or not my incapability to adjust to the brand new hybrid requirements would end in me being formally let go, or if I’d need to resign, by no means got here to a head. HR known as me to let me know I used to be being laid off, however as a substitute of invoking the distant work coverage (which I used to be ready to problem), they as a substitute cited the truth that they’d not too long ago (~2 months in the past) employed a further individual in my division and the enterprise couldn’t preserve each of us.
I can’t assist however suppose this was a really apparent try to keep away from me pushing again on the brand new insurance policies that conflicted with the phrases of my hiring, as this new individual’s job and mine didn’t overlap in any respect (e.g. I’m a graphic designer and he or she is a copywriter).
I will even maybe uncharitably, however honestly, say that this individual—let’s name her Susan—could be very dangerous at her job. For the primary publication she contributed to, Susan submitted an article that was so poorly written that I took it to our shared boss and instructed her it was unpublishable. Whereas writing/enhancing was not at the moment throughout the scope of my tasks at work, the article was so incoherent I felt I couldn’t in good conscience not say one thing—particularly as we had been an academic establishment and I felt it mirrored actually badly on us! My boss agreed and re-wrote the article herself. It wasn’t a matter of grammatical errors or something like that; it was a really clear lack of information of easy methods to talk within the written phrase.
A month after I used to be laid off, my boss, true to her phrase, contracted me to do one other publication, and right here’s the catch: along with doing the design work (my job), she additionally needed to rent me to write down the copy as nicely (Susan’s job). I quoted double my freelance fee for the extra work, they usually agreed.
So, for these holding monitor, right here’s the place it stands: they laid me off as a result of they allegedly “couldn’t afford” to maintain on each me and Susan, and now they’re paying me a a lot greater fee than they had been paying earlier than, to do each my job and Susan’s job, whereas additionally nonetheless paying Susan. Make it make sense!
3. I do not know who to offer my resignation to (#5 on the hyperlink)
Thanks for publishing my letter and confirming that I used to be positively overthinking this! (Thanks additionally to Manic Pixie HR Lady for his or her remark recommendation too.)
I gave my resignation to our Chief HR Officer, who managed all the comms throughout their C-suite stage — together with telling my model new supervisor. (Enjoyable reality! After I wrote in, I didn’t have a supervisor, however within the interim they employed somebody who truly ended up beginning the very same day I gave my discover.)
I haven’t left but, however your website continues to supply a wealth of sources as I shut out my discover interval. Thanks once more, Alison!
