I hate being told off at work

[Fools Motto]

Particually when its not your fault! (work on a small TB stud with family polo ponies)

And I know I need to ''man up'', but it did bring me to tears.
I was on my own again today and had a long list of jobs to get through. I'd put out 2 yearlings, caught in colt foals, put out colt foals with ponies, swapped more 'double sets' of ponies, making sure I'd washed mud off legs. Fed and hayed 9 mares in paddocks and gave medication (when I caught her) to one. Put out another yearling, caught them all back in again after I'd mucked out, hayed and watered 8 straw boxes. Also was asked to turn out two 2 year olds.
I was very tight for time as my kids broke up from school early, so I texted my boss to say that I haven't emptied the 'large wheel barrow', nor had I mucked out 1 of the 2 year olds. This was basically because I got told by Mr Boss (who briefly called in) not to worry about turning the 2 year olds out but to muck out around them. I did one, the other one was being a madame and I didn't want to end my 3 hour shift covered in a hoof print! (And also running out of time!)
I did everything else, and left. Got a text later saying that I must have been really slow not to manage all the mucking out in my time as apparently it doesn't take long. (nothing said about anything else, just mucking out).
I don't hang about, never take a 'coffee' break and work up a good sweat. I feel saddened that I got called 'slow'.
I did reply with a text saying I was happy to go back in this PM to finish those 2 little jobs, but have had nothing back.
I pride myself on my work and feel so down that I got 'told off'.

Hugs needed. Thank you.

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

Yes, it is very demotivating when you've tried your best and get that kind of outcome. Makes you want to give up trying.

I don't work in the horse industry, but I read that list of jobs and suspect it would have taken me all day. Does that help?

On a practical note, perhaps you could ask the complainer to prioritise jobs so that you get whatever they think is most important done first. However, for now blow a raspberry and enjoy the rest of your day. Eat chocolate.

 

[skydancer]

<<<<<hugs>>>> dont worry about it they probably just made a passing comment and did not mean to hurt your feelings

 

[HeatherAnn]

That's awful. Poor you is your boss normally unreasonable?

 

[Fools Motto]

That's awful. Poor you is your boss normally unreasonable?

Normally she is lovely, and I genuinly believe that she has been under added pressure and very tired with all her family (kids- end of term things) and extra horses added to the stud that she didn't plan on! She was away today getting her car serviced, and I got a vibe it didn't go to well on the purse strings.

But, I can't help thinking, she shouldn't take it out on me. Hoping its a one off.

 

[Jump2It]

heat..kitchen...

 

[HeatherAnn]

@ Jump2it
Yes, it can be stressful working with horses but at the same time, this person is an employee, not a slave. It sounds like they worked their ass off and didn't get a thanks, but rather a criticism. There's no need for snide comments.

 

[AmyMay]

How many hours were you in work for?

 

[Magicmillbrook]

I agree - blow a raspberry - eat and drink some nice things and tommorow it wont seem so bad. We all get told off or not appreciated at some point. If you were regularly being told off and taken for granted I would perhaps raise it with your boss but if this was the first time I would put it down to 'festive stress'.

 

[FionaM12]

heat..kitchen...

Nice attitude.

 

[millitiger]

I don't think anyone can comment without knowing how quickly other staff/previous staff/the boss can do the same chores

Personally I would expect to get all of that work done in your 3 hour shift without anything needing to be missed off, but we don't know how far the fields are from the stables etc etc etc.

Some people's quick is different to others- at one yard I was at, I mucked out 9 boxes in the time another girl took to do 3- she didn't stop for breaks and was always working, just so much slower than everyone else for some reason!

 

[tristar]

ring up one morning and say ' as you think i am so slow, you do the work this morning and see if you can do any better and quicker' then sit down with a coffee and relax, and smile, as they obviously don't appreciate you don't worry about them, chances are they will change their tune double quick.

what she said amounts to intimidation, you do not have to take this from anyone, the fact you are so worried about it says you are a genuine and concerned worker, you are entitled to feel what you feel and deserve better treatment.

 

[Miss L Toe]

ring up one morning and say ' as you think i am so slow, you do the work this morning and see if you can do any better and quicker' then sit down with a coffee and relax, and smile, as they obviously don't appreciate you don't worry about them, chances are they will change their tune double quick.

what she said amounts to intimidation, you do not have to take this from anyone, the fact you are so worried about it says you are a genuine and concerned worker, you are entitled to feel what you feel and deserve better treatment.

I think you will be looking for a new job, if you do this, esp if you text it, I would explain you want to see her, tell her you were upset and if she feels the job is not for you, you will look elsewhere. Its difficult working in a small family business.

 

[stencilface]

I think tbh, its a case of both of you feeling pushed for time and being stressed with kids/christmas etc. I would just let it go and be really nice when you see her next. If she didn't mean to say anything nasty, she'll just think you're being friendly - and if she did mean to be a cow, then she feel like a right prat when you're nice back and doing everything as fast as possible.

Easier to let things slide at christmas, everyone is feeling a pressure from somewhere a lot of the time. Its friday, kick back, open a bottle of wine and forget about it - it christmas!

 

[TicTac]

I'm afraid you're not alone! Only recently left horse industry after 2 years working for a ' small ' stud with 60 horses including 15 liveries! The liveries alone took up enough of your time with all their demands never mind the stud's horses.

If you feel this was a one off comment then take it on the chin, move on and forget, but if you think this sort of comment may become habit then I would suggest looking elsewhere for employment. Not easy I know.

More often than not a day with horses very rarely goes to schedule and it's day's like that, that ' employers' sometimes dont grasp!

 

[majors]

has others have said if you think this is going to become a pattern speak up calmly. You obviously care about your work to be upset in the first place. There may be many unemployed but getting good staff in any field is difficult. Take a deep breath, and think I deserve respect not sarcastic putdowns.

 

[Persephone]

Maybe it was an ironic joke on her part? Texts can so easily be misconstrued.

 

[Fools Motto]

Sat down and nodded off!!

Feeling better about it now. I KNOW I'm good and reliable and care for each and every horse.
I am also sure that it was a one off, if anyone could do what I did this morning in a quicker time to be able to muck out 1 more and empty a wheel barrow at the end, I like to see it!
I found the thign that took the longest was trapcing (sp??) through the mud in the fields with bundles of hay to take them out of the mud. Like walking 3 steps forward and 1 back all the time! Oh and the water - I had the boxes furthest away from the tap.

Onwards and upwards. (I had 3 hours to do the jobs, on clay soil, and had a few minor delays in catching 2! - The fields are not THAT close by either)

 

[jaysh]

a bit of a cop out texting it to you in the first place, should have had the manners to say it to you in person if she had a problem. I think if it happens again, tell her you arent happy receiving "complaint" via text message and if she wants to discuss anything with you best done in person.

 

[Fools Motto]

Maybe it was an ironic joke on her part? Texts can so easily be misconstrued.

Personally I hate texts, I DO think they can be so misjudged. I don't like using them, but I felt I had to let her know what I hadn't done, so it wasn't a shock when she came back this PM.

 

[zoelouisem]

I must admit if i employed somebody as a groom and i came back and theyd left one of my 2 year olds in cos the didnt fancy putting up with it been a madam i would have the hump tbh. Im not saying you didnt work hard but would expect horses that were left in left with clean bedding ect. Was there anybody else there?? Or has it been left on its own pooh all day?

 

[JollyTall]

Poor you, I totally agree that small family yards can be a nightmare. One of my ex-bosses 'fired' me by text at a similar place. I had been sick (and worse) 12 times in the night and had no sleep/was empty of food and couldn't drink any water etc (horrible bug). I phoned the girl I was supposed to be working with to see if she would mind doing the morning by herself and she said it was fine, then left my boss a voicemail explaining to her that I just couldn't come in. I then got a text from her saying I was too 'unreliable' and that I was fired. I needed the job so I literally had to phone her and beg her to not fire me, it was so degrading. Then she said she only would keep me on if I came in to work. So I did the half an hour drive, got to the yard did half an hours work, threw up again and passed out. THEN and only then did she let me go home!

 

[FionaM12]

I then got a text from her saying I was too 'unreliable' and that I was fired. I needed the job so I literally had to phone her and beg her to not fire me, it was so degrading. Then she said she only would keep me on if I came in to work. So I did the half an hour drive, got to the yard did half an hours work, threw up again and passed out. THEN and only then did she let me go home!

Honestly, I had hoped this sort of attitude on yards was a thing of the past. In my day (1970s) there was an appalling culture of intolerance towards anyone ill or injured. Along with yard bullying, you were supposed to take this sort of attitude on the chin and never be ill. You were seen as "feeble" if you showed any sign of weakness.

The comment earlier which said "*heat* *kitchen*" reminded me of the bad old days.

French and Saunders used to do sketches of wonderful characters, two horsey women who used to react by saying "stuff and nonsense!" to anyone suffering a heart attack, amputation etc.

 

[mulledwhine]

Jump2it.... That was really unfair.

She has worked really hard, and done more than a days work in the time allowing.

OP... Maybe the context was lost in the text!!! At least I hope so xxx

 

[MiCsarah]

The person i work for is very much like that. She reckons she can do her horses twice as fast as me. Thats fine, it annoys me when she says it as I work my little arse off and dont go slowly.Just put it behinf you and move on is my advice

 

[Archina]

Know this experience. I worked for a small private yard who done BSJA and had to do a ridiculous amount of work in a day aswell as cleaning up after their spoilt brat of a son who thought it was beneath him to even groom his own horse or clean up after it! I stuck it out for 2 months and accidently took the tack room keys home one night (they had a spare set). Got a phonecall from the yard owner giving me a *******ing over the phone because he had to go back to the house (which btw is right next to the yard) to get the spare set so he could ride. I apologised and offered to drive down and drop them off, which i done for him then to tell me i was fired and wasnt getting my months wages!! Luckily i still had the keys in my pocket while he told me and i told him he wasnt getting his keys back untill i got my wages. He became really aggressive so i locked myself in my car and phoned my friend in tears, she told me to phone the police and said she was on her way down with her dad. Lets just say once my friend and her dad arrived he changed his tune and gave me my wages!

 

[skint1]

My daughter worked at a place where often one member of staff was expected to turn out and muck out 20 horses on their own. She was only a kid, paid a pittance and she worked her bum off to get it all done but it always took longer than she thought.

If I were you I would just turn up the next day and see how it goes.

 

[Fools Motto]

I must admit if i employed somebody as a groom and i came back and theyd left one of my 2 year olds in cos the didnt fancy putting up with it been a madam i would have the hump tbh. Im not saying you didnt work hard but would expect horses that were left in left with clean bedding ect. Was there anybody else there?? Or has it been left on its own pooh all day?

OK, just to clear this one up, I got told by Mr Boss to leave them in and muck out around her. She was a tad wound up as some of the ponies were messing about in the only field opposite, and not knowing if she did 'tying up' I didn't want to risk getting hurt while she was loose, nor the fact that she might jump the wheel barrow. I work p/t and some of the horses come and go I don't really get to know them. Thought I was being safe. She was hayed and watered and had been on the horse walker earlier.

 

[Fools Motto]

heat..kitchen...

Needed to quote this. Had been ignoring it. TBH, I don't really get what this really means, but perhaps have an idea.
Just seems such a pointless thing to say. I can rise above it, so don't you worry.

 

[Bikerchickone]

Needed to quote this. Had been ignoring it. TBH, I don't really get what this really means, but perhaps have an idea.
Just seems such a pointless thing to say. I can rise above it, so don't you worry.

Agree with you there. Was a mean thing to say! See how things go next time you're at work, if they don't change ask for a quiet word to explain how you feel about what happened. Always good to say how something made you feel rather than say "you're mean" because it can't be taken as being accusatory or rude!

Hope it works out for you, and considering all that you'd done in such a short time I'm pretty sure my YO would love to have you work there! Sometimes all she gets is 10 horses turned out and 4 stables mucked out in that time!