About two years ago I left my old job at a sinking organization to take a seemingly better one for more money and trajectory. It was maybe the worst decision I've ever made. When I joined, the office was essentially three people who had been there for a little bit, and four others who had been hired within the past two months. Only one was a boss. I'll spare some of the gory details, but that boss was bad.
Within two months, a mid-level boss was hired. Everyone was ecstatic. The mid-level boss turned out to be just as bad as the high-level boss, if not worse in some ways. He called people idiots in public, yelled at everyone (including the high-level boss), and would literally take his bag and go home when he didn't get his way. After I asked to take vacation, during Christmas week mind you, he reprimanded me saying that I should consider how my vacation would affect the workload of other people in the office. The next day, he took vacation for the entire week.
Best part is he started becoming rather close with the young woman in the office (not worth pics). There were three hour lunches, shopping trips, he would buy her shoes and what not. They would pick each other up from the airport and wait to leave the office together. After the young woman got promoted, people got pissed and spoke to HR. Side note, after this happened the mid-level boss confronted me in the bathroom, like literally waited outside the stall while I took a dump, to ask if I had spoken to HR. The ones who did were put on probation and then fired (two people). Three others and I quit within two months. They've since had three more people quit (new hires after I quit).
Concise epilogue is that the mid-level boss was fired late last year, after the young woman turned on him and, reportedly, is now in line for his old job. He's since completely flipped his s***. He's emailed old colleagues asking them to sign a petition to get his old boss (high-level manager) fired and still sends flowers to the young woman at the office, despite whatever it is she did to him. Oh, he's also married.
Since I quit I've been happily freelancing. A couple of organizations are starting to recruit me. I haven't said no, but I am secretly nervous about re-entering an office. I know this makes me sound like a wuss, but it's true. I want to believe that what I experienced was pretty extreme, but it really messed me up a bit. I just can't shake the thought that so many bad things happened and everyone who could have done anything (high-level boss, HR, VPs, CEO) just sat on their hands while chaos ensued. It just seems like there are so many ways for things to go badly, and so few for things to go correctly.
I know I can't freelance forever. Please say something that will make me feel confident about going back to an office.
Within two months, a mid-level boss was hired. Everyone was ecstatic. The mid-level boss turned out to be just as bad as the high-level boss, if not worse in some ways. He called people idiots in public, yelled at everyone (including the high-level boss), and would literally take his bag and go home when he didn't get his way. After I asked to take vacation, during Christmas week mind you, he reprimanded me saying that I should consider how my vacation would affect the workload of other people in the office. The next day, he took vacation for the entire week.
Best part is he started becoming rather close with the young woman in the office (not worth pics). There were three hour lunches, shopping trips, he would buy her shoes and what not. They would pick each other up from the airport and wait to leave the office together. After the young woman got promoted, people got pissed and spoke to HR. Side note, after this happened the mid-level boss confronted me in the bathroom, like literally waited outside the stall while I took a dump, to ask if I had spoken to HR. The ones who did were put on probation and then fired (two people). Three others and I quit within two months. They've since had three more people quit (new hires after I quit).
Concise epilogue is that the mid-level boss was fired late last year, after the young woman turned on him and, reportedly, is now in line for his old job. He's since completely flipped his s***. He's emailed old colleagues asking them to sign a petition to get his old boss (high-level manager) fired and still sends flowers to the young woman at the office, despite whatever it is she did to him. Oh, he's also married.
Since I quit I've been happily freelancing. A couple of organizations are starting to recruit me. I haven't said no, but I am secretly nervous about re-entering an office. I know this makes me sound like a wuss, but it's true. I want to believe that what I experienced was pretty extreme, but it really messed me up a bit. I just can't shake the thought that so many bad things happened and everyone who could have done anything (high-level boss, HR, VPs, CEO) just sat on their hands while chaos ensued. It just seems like there are so many ways for things to go badly, and so few for things to go correctly.
I know I can't freelance forever. Please say something that will make me feel confident about going back to an office.
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