I feel like I’m a fairly easy going person at work. I get along with people. I work relatively quietly. I don’t pull stupid office pranks*. I don’t make a mess. I say “good morning” and “have a nice day” when I arrive and leave work. I’m polite. I hold open doors. I say “please” and “thank you”. I apologize if I accidentally interrupt someone, I’m always courteous to my supervisor when I go to him for more work to do. So imagine my surprise when I realize that someone takes advantage of my willingness to be nice and helpful. And imagine how pissed off that could make me, especially when I’m already saddled with redoing a week’s worth of work.

U for Useless User and M for me (or Michelle)

U: Michelle! I need some help and [name of supervisor #1] or [name of supervisor #2 – who’s not really my supervisor, but still counts] said that you could help me.
M: Alright, what is it?
U: [puts paper down onto tape, scribbled numbers] I need you to make me a graph with these figures.
M: … What kind of graph?
U: I just need a graph.
M: … Erm… Okay…

So I did the graphs. Both of them. I should have just done a pie/circle graph of something, instead of a line graph (which is what was actually wanted, but he never specified this). And then after giving him the print out of the graphs, he asked me to email them to him (sure whatever, I did that).

Then I go into my supervisor’s office to talk to him about some of the work I’m doing. I mention doing the graphs for U and then I find out out that he and supervisor #2 never okayed for U to go and ask me to do something. Never, ever, ever. Colour me surprised and slightly livid at the thought that someone did that to me. Granted, it did not take me long at all to do the graphs (at most it was 10 minutes out of my day). Then my supervisor told me that from now on if anyone (besides him, of course) tells me to do something, I should refer them directly to him and have them tell him to tell me to do whatever it is that they want to do. I said okay, I was totally fine with that.

Still pissed off that someone at work used me like that. And it wasn’t as if it was difficult work either, since Excel just automatically generates the graphs anyways. So I don’t see how it was to someone’s advantage to lie to me like that.

Jerkface.

* I have two coworkers, one who has a cubicle in the same room as me and the other one is just always there, who keep on pulling immature office pranks. Most commonly, I get my computer mouse unplugged. Or a piece of tape over the bottom of the mouse so it doesn’t work.

4 Responses

  1. Oh what a prick! Argggh. Taking advantage of you like that, the nerve. It’s a good thing you did approach your supervisor. In that case, being a good worker led you to this conclusion. Thank goodness you didn’t take a long time doing that work.

    A lot of people tick me off when they use me. I don’t mind helping people at all, in general, and often I even offer help. This morning I received an email from someone sweet-talking me into making a layout for them. O_O;

    1. I’m glad it didn’t take me a long time to do the work, but at the same time, the coworker followed up with so many darn emails asking me to sent him the data that I had typed up into the computer (I hadn’t saved it, because he never asked for it). And then asked if I could please retype it into the computer (after I gave him his data back). So annoyed.

  2. Wow that is ridiculous! I hate when people abuse their coworkers like that. There is absolutely no reason for it! I’m sorry, hun!

    1. Ahh, all the better people at work certainly make up for it though! 😉 I did a follow-up entry today about all the nice people at work (I even included my boyfriend, hehehe)

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