When will the work attacks ever end? alonewith2: Is it really me? Last time, I knew it wasn't. And that all turned out for the best, if you all remember. So why is it all happening again?
There are 5 of us in the department now. R - who is a full-time clerk and who has been there the longest. L - who is a part-time coder. T - who is a part time clerk. And A - who is a per diem clerk. We all report to the President of the hospital now that we have no manager.
It was decided that R and I would take on most of the old boss’ responsibilities since we were the two full time employees. However, the majority of the duties were gobbled up by R. I didn't really care. I have more than enough work to keep me occupied, plus she has T and A to help her with her job duties.
But, it's become apparent over the last few months that R has bitten off more than she can chew. She is totally stressed out and making major mistakes because she has too much on her plate to handle. L told R the other day that R needed to delegate some of the work to T and A because it was getting too much and that, frankly, her mistakes were starting to get irritating. Of course, R took that conversation and rearranged it and started to tell everyone that L doesn't think that T and A are doing enough work and that L must be after their hours in hopes of getting a full time position. (This is what R always does. She only listens to half the conversation then takes what she wants from it and builds it into something that sounds better for the rumor mill).
When I heard R telling T and A supposedly what L said, I corrected her. I told her the conversation wasn't about T and A and that it was about HER screwing up because she's not delegating the work to the two people who were hired to help her. Of course that just pissed her off, but she told me that I was wrong and kept relaying the made-up story to whoever would listen.
Then this past week happened. We decided back in January to hold the ER physicians accountable for their dictation the same way we do the inpatient physicians. This had never been done before, and I was the biggest pusher for this policy change. I was even the one who decided that the ER physicians would only have 4 days to complete their dictation instead of the 30 days that the inpatient physicians get. When it was being decided on how this would be done, I stated that I already make lists for each of the ER physicians every week so I could just give those lists to R who has the ability to suspend them. She would only have to look at my lists and make the suspension/warning letters based on them. It would save her time since she wouldn't have to do any of the research to get the lists which is very time-consuming. (No sense in having us both do it, right?)
Re: When will the work attacks ever end? alonewith2: *continued*
We agreed to that approach, and it was working out fine...until this week. None of the ER physicians were behind on their dictation so I didn't give R any lists....and I told her that. However, she made her own lists and sent those lists and letters out. So we've had a bunch of pissed off doctors calling this week. Of course, all of them ask for me since I'm usually the one that sends them their lists and deal with them. After the second doctor, I started sending the calls to R. I told her that she could handle the doctors since she's the one who sent out the lists.
The President of the hospital called me Wednesday because the doctor that R had talked to wasn't satisfied with what she had said so he took it to the President. She wanted to do a conference call. I told her I didn't make the lists that it was R who had made the lists. So I put R on the phone. I did put the conversation on speakerphone so that I could hear the conversation. After the conversation, R started throwing a fit that she didn’t have time to make sure the lists were accurate. She said it shouldn’t be her responsibility and that she wasn’t going to do it. I kept trying to tell her that is why I volunteered to provide her with the lists, but she wouldn’t listen to me. She kept going on and on saying she wasn’t going to do it. So finally, I told her that if she wasn’t going to take the time to double check the lists she sends out, then the doctors have every right to call her up and bitch at her, and that she would deserve every minute of it.
I called in sick Thursday. I did go in Friday. Only to be greeted with an email that R sent out to the hospital President (and she CCd everyone in the department, too). In the email, she stated that I was trying to change the way we did the ER physician’s lists, and that I was making her job harder than it should be. And that my only desire was to get the authority to suspend the ER physicians for myself. And she ended it by stating that I said if she wouldn’t listen to me, then she deserved to get yelled at.
I responded to the email, first with a conversation with her. I asked her why she felt the need to spread lies. She said that everything she wrote was true. And went on to say that all I do is try to cause problems. That first I caused problems with our old boss, and now, I’m causing problems with her. Since that conversation was going nowhere, I replied to the email. I wrote that I had no idea why R felt the need to write an email or what R’s problem was. The only thing I did was offer a way to make her job easier. There was no reason two of us should do the same work (because I still have to make my lists regardless if she uses them or not). I also wrote how she refused to take the time to double check her lists and didn’t think it was her responsibility to do so, and that’s when I said if she didn’t then she deserved to get yelled at.
Anyway, I left after that. I’m sick and didn’t really feel up to getting in any more arguments over stupid petty crap. I guess there’s a meeting Monday. It should be quite fun, if I do say so myself. It seems R is going to try to use my past “track record” of my situation with our old boss against me…which is what I’ve always feared would happen and is why I have told the President numerous times that I refuse to participate in any of the squabbles going on in the department. Hopefully, she’ll remember that I said that and will know that I’ve pretty much kept my mouth shut. Usually it’s R who runs her mouth….not me.
But is it really me? I just sit at my computer and do my work all day. When someone has a problem, they come to me and ask for suggestions. I give them. But that’s all they are…suggestions, opinions…etc. I am not the boss. If they don’t like my suggestions, they don’t have to take them. R, however, seems to think my word is gospel. I know that sounds a little high and mighty of myself, but it’s true. If I say something, she starts going around saying, “Well, B says this is the way it should be done….” I don’t want to be the boss. I just want to go to work everyday and do my work and then go home. Is that too much to ask?
Re: When will the work attacks ever end? brokenbaby: I don't think it's you snb. I think R is a dramatist, and she can't live with things going smoothly for whatever reason. It is more fun for her to be stressed and stir sh!t up.
You do your job and you do it well. If the president doesn't remember what you said, remind them. You don't deserve this crap.
~BB
Re: When will the work attacks ever end? alonewith2: Thanks, BB. I'm hoping it isn't me. I get the feeling that she wants to be the boss of the department and if she gets rid of me...she'll have it. What she doesn't realize is that 1) I have no desire to be the boss at this point in time. I'm not too high on myself to realize that I lack some of the education and skills to run the department. 2) Her mistakes she's been making aren't going to look too good if being the boss is really her motive behind all this.
I've been through enough drama dealing with this job. I really don't want to be caught up in more. And it hurts considering I always thought of her as a close friend.
Re: When will the work attacks ever end? alonewith2: Eric, I understand exactly what you are saying. The problem is the President is already going to be upset that she was dragged into this. When there were complaints made about L, it was taken to her and she had us all sit down and sign a contract stating we would keep our conflicts within the department and handle them ourselves. She doesn't really want to be bothered with any type of conflict we are having unless it relates to a physican or if it's with any of the actual work we are doing.
She wasn't at the hospital Friday or I would have gone to see her then. The meeting Monday is first thing in the morning....so, I won't be able to talk to her beforehand. I already know that if given enough time, R will talk herself into a hole. I'm already counting on that. I will just sit there and let her. The only things I'm going to say is basically what you've already suggested. 1) I only offer suggestions; she doesn't have to take them. 2) I was only trying to make her job easier. 3) I'm perfectly happy with the job duties I presently have.
Of course, if I'm asked specific questions, I will not lie. I will keep it to facts, admit to anything I did say or do, but I will not "put down" R in any way. She'll do enough bashing for the both of us, I'm sure.
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