I work as a contractor, taking roles in companies that are having serious quality problems. 

Having worked for several companies in many industries, I have gotten pretty good at finding out why problems occur and how to fix them.

This one company is having major issues with deliveries to their main customer. Every month, they are sent a list of missing parts. The company has to make a load of spares and then airfreight them across the globe to get them delivered in time.

The company is sure that their supplier is making it up but can’t prove it. 

My first step is the packing area, I am introduced to a hate-filled, haggard woman that initially refuses to look at me. I’m told she is the person that packs everything and of course could make no mistakes. 

Me: “Hi, my name is [My Name]. I’ve been asked to help out with [Customer].”

The woman ignores me.

Me: “Perhaps you could help me understand what might be the issue?”

Woman: “Well, they’re making it up, aren’t they!”

Me: “Okay. Do we have any paperwork that proves what we packed?”

Woman: “Oh, I knew this would happen. What has it been, five minutes? And you are blaming me?”

Me: “I didn’t say anything about blame.”

Woman: “No, I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”

And she refuses to speak to me. I catch up with the owner. He is as limp as wet lettuce and makes some stupid excuse not to deal with her. He asks me to try again tomorrow. So I do.

Me: “Good morning! Can we chat?”

Woman: “I suppose.”

Me: “So, we need to prove that the customer is losing these parts.”

Woman: “I don’t see what the fuss is about. They cost pennies to make.”

Me: “And hundreds of pounds to replace and ship, every month. I was told that because of these complaints, the company is barely making any money.”

Woman: “I don’t see what that has to do with me!”

I spent a month trying to work through the problems, being ignored by staff, and trying to wet nurse the directors. I eventually found a foolproof, quick, and cheap solution to fix the problem. However, the directors were too scared to implement it, in case it inconvenienced the staff.

I told the company they were wasting their money hiring me if they would not implement my solutions and respectfully ended my contract early.

They call me from time to time to come back in and help. I decline.

I work for the local council. Due to the current health crisis, we have had to close the office and work from home. This means helping the contact centre. It’s not difficult as we did more or less the same job face to face. The only difference is we help with applications (Blue Badge for disabled residents, Bus Pass applications, Council Benefit applications, etc.).

After the second lockdown, we ran a limited service from the local library. This was to try and be as “normal” as possible. But to adhere to social distancing, we had to book appointments instead of a walk-in service. As soon as the third lockdown hit, the library closed. So that customers wouldn’t lose their appointments, we instead worked overtime and weekends to help customers with applications over the phone. That’s something we can’t normally do due to needing photographs, documents, etc., but we’re trying our best to provide the service even though it is much more limited.

I decide to do a bit of overtime to help with these appointments. My manager sends me three tasks to complete during my one-hour overtime: two that will take around fifteen minutes each and one that will take around half an hour. Therefore, I will finish at 6:00 pm. My manager sends me two of the tasks and keeps referring to the third. However, he has not sent it to me. I keep asking for it to be sent to me as I do not have it, but she keeps implying that I have deleted the email. At 5:00 pm, my manager is showing as “offline,” so any emails or messages I send will not be picked up straight away. I complete the two applications which take around forty-five minutes and then pick up some emails for the remaining time.

I log on the next morning and the first thing I see is an email from my manager containing the last task. 

Manager: “This was in my drafts.”

It was sent at 6:18 pm. No apology. I was also suffering from a flu — tested negative for the health crisis illness, thankfully — and had informed my manager of this. There was no sympathy at all. I decided not to do any more overtime.

Back in 2018, I worked in a really well-known English shop that sold soaps. I was a Christmas seasonal employee and did not stick around when Christmas ended.

I was grateful because our manager was incredibly vindictive and loved to play favourites. He even bullied me in front of clients and coworkers because of my disability, claiming it had cost him two days of work — one was my free day, which he chose. But this wasn’t even the pettiest thing he did.

The pettiest thing was overheard while I was down in the small warehouse.

A bunch of us workers were clocking out already. One, [Coworker #1], had to take a train and needed to leave fast, so she just took her things, wrote down her hours, and ran for it. A coworker, who was still on her working time, was in the middle of putting some things in a box and, as it was a very small warehouse, [Coworker #1] apologized and jumped over her. When she was already on the stairs, [Manager] stopped her.

Manager: “Why aren’t you helping your coworker? She is down there in the ground and you just go and jump over her. That is terribly disrespectful and I cannot believe you would do that!”

Coworker #1: “Well, I already clocked out and I have to catch a train to my hometown. I have no obligation to help, and she didn’t need it.”

Manager: “But you are her coworker and as such should be more empathetic. We need team players; we are a family. I don’t care that you are running late for your train. You have to help your fellow mates.”

Coworker #1: “Again, [Coworker #2] didn’t need help, and I. Have. A. Train. To take. Can I leave already?”

Manager: “No, no. You don’t get it. You are being terribly disrespectful and I am super disappointed in you. I did not expect you to do such things.”

Coworker #1: “But I am—”

[Manager] cut [Coworker #1] off in the middle of her sentence.

Manager: “No, no, go catch the train now.”

[Coworker #1] tried to say something else, but [Manager] kept cutting her off and telling her, sarcastically, to leave already because she had a train to catch and, obviously, it was way more important.

[Coworker #1] left, huffing and stomping, rightfully fed up with [Manager].

Then, [Manager] went to the table where one of the administrative employees was and started chatting with her.

Manager: “You know, next year, when she asks me for holiday leave, I’m just gonna give her whatever day I want. And if she can’t see her family, tough luck. She shouldn’t be such a b****.”

So much for empathy and family, huh?

I want to buy a $150 gift for a friend from a popular handmade craft site.

Me: “Hi, I’m looking at [gift]. I’d like to send it to my friend in another state but I don’t see a gifting option.”

Seller: “Hi! No problem, just fill out your billing info and send me a message when you’ve ordered, and I’ll make a note that it goes to your friend.”

Me: “Okay, thanks!”

I do as she asks and she provides tracking info when the gift ships. Two weeks after I order, a package arrives at my door. It is the present intended for my friend. I check the tracking and see that the gift is on its way to my friend’s house.

Me: “Hey, I’m sorry, I’m confused. I asked for [gift] to be sent to my friend but… I’m looking at it.”

Seller: “No, I sent it to [Friend’s address]. You should have the tracking info.”

Me: “Right, I do. But I have the gift here.”

I send a picture of the gift beside the box with my shipping address. Two days pass before she responds.

Seller: “I must have sent it to you by mistake. You can send it to your friend and I’ll refund your shipping charges.”

Me: “I’m still confused. How can I be tracking the package going to [Friend] in [State] but still be looking at it right now?”

Three days pass.

Seller: “You must be tracking the wrong package.”

Me: “Okay…”

Another week passes and my friend calls to tell me he does have the gift. Now very confused, I contact the seller again.

Me: “So, you did ship [gift] to [State] because it just arrived.”

Seller: “Oh, maybe [Someone ELse] sent one by mistake.”

Me: “Who?”

Two days pass.

Seller: “A friend of mine. Sometimes she helps me when I get backed up.”

Me: “Oh. Okay, then. I’ll just send this back tomorrow. Do you need tracking info?”

Seller: “Sorry, you’re outside the fourteen-day return policy. I’ll have to charge you for the second [gift].”

Me: “I ordered one. You sent two. How is that my fault?”

Seller: “You have two. You pay for two, or I’ll get [Website] involved.”

Me: “Okay.”

We each emailed [Website] and waited. During the wait, the seller continuously sent messages saying I should have shipped it back as soon as I realized what had happened and it was my fault. In the end, the website sided with her because I was outside the fourteen days and I had to fork over another $150. If she hadn’t taken so long to reply, I would have been within the fourteen days and could have saved myself the money. I still have the gift because I couldn’t just throw it away after spending all that money on it, but now I hate looking at it.

Many years ago, my first job was in a factory. I was only eighteen on an apprenticeship and very nervous and meek. Unfortunately, my boss was working his way up the ladder and spent all his time on courses and brown-nosing, without supporting his team.

I was shoved into the night shift, alone for most of the night. I struggled from day one, my sleep was everywhere, I didn’t have anyone to train me, and I hated it. I made several requests to swap shifts and put many of them in emails. My boss basically told me to get on with it.

After several months, I was still struggling. I was losing weight and tired all the time. I would often fall asleep on my breaks.

One quiet shift, I slumped back and heard a dreadful noise; I had knocked into a door of an electrical cabinet that was propped open, one that apparently controlled a lot of the automation. It had an issue with the safety interlock and closing it would forcibly shut down everything.

We lost five hours of production that night.

Despite the safety aspect of the cabinet, it was my emails that saved me from disciplinary action. Better yet, I was transferred to the day shift the next week.