It’s no secret that not everyone has jobs where all of the employees are really about teamwork. At some jobs, it boils down to integrity and let’s face it everyone doesn’t have the same level. So what do you do if you find yourself in a position where your boss or your co-worker throw you under the bus?
If this has never happened to you count your lucky stars. But for a hard working employee this can be devastating. Sometimes it’s not just about lost opportunities it’s about trust. If you find yourself on the received end of this undermining behavior, there are some things you should do.
- Find out what your company policies are. Your job may not have an evil co-worker or boss clause but if the co-worker or boss was so underhanded that they broke company policy then that is where you keep your attention. You don’t want to go into a tit for tat strategy. Trust me nobody wins. Your best bet is to comply with policy and go from there.
- Find a mental resolve. Often times because we are upset and hurt by the situation, we spend more time focused on the hurt that we can’t do our job effectively. This is wasted energy. I would admonish you to get some time to yourself to process how you feel so you can separate your job from your feelings.
- Act Accordingly: If after you have found out that the policy is straight forward, then you must think of a plan. This is not a plan to rule the world. If you have actual evidence that you can use, its time to gather it. The worst thing you can do is to present information to human resources or your boss’s boss without concrete evidence. When it’s time to present the evidence, be sure to leave the emotion out of it and stick to the facts.
You really have to understand that people are people. This includes bosses and co-workers. Sometimes when you go on a job and you let your guard down you can be burned. That doesn’t mean that you can’t be friendly. It just means that you don’t want to get into anything with your boss or co-workers that will allow you to get too comfortable. If you think your boss isn’t going to protect themselves you are sadly mistaken. You can be in a great working environment and get snubbed quickly.
I have personally been in this situation plenty of times. I had one co-worker fabricate their hours and my boss took their word over mine. It wasn’t until after I left that position that the boss reached out to be to say that he/she apologized. The apologies don’t always come so don’t think this is how it works often. You have to understand people. I try when I work somewhere to be aware of the folks around me. Some can hide and blend in well and have you think they are the a godsend and they are not. If you pay attention often times you can catch the snake in your midst.
