Tattletales in the workplace

[MushyMushy]

Do you have any? What kind is the person -- the direct-telling "he/she did this" or "ha-ha, just joking around" sort of tattler?

How do you deal with the person on a day-to-day basis?

 

[happygirl]

I think it's best to avoid tattletales, If you try to talk to them they are just going to run to the boss.

 

[wdwmom2]

Yes, we have one. Something doesn't go HER way and she runs to the office manager and boo hoo's. And I am talking STUPID issues that I would be embarrassed to take to the "principle's office". Doesn't get her very far though!!! I think her secret Santa needs to buy her a pair of big girl panties for Christmas!!!

 

[Rafiki31]

We have one, it is the boss's wife and it is absurd to me that you can be married to the boss. She should be moved to another unit.

No one wants to talk to her at all, so she eavesdrops.

 

[pearlieq]

I keep good communication with my boss and don't do anything worth tattling about.

What could they have to tattle about?

I came in late/left early? I either clear it with my boss beforehand or apologize and explain right away.

I didn't follow procedures? I either follow the procedures or explain my objections and work to get them changed.

I was gossiping/complaining? I'm very careful about who I'm candid with at work and try to do most of my venting to unrelated parties (family and friends who don't have any connection to my work.)

 

[Wall-E1]

There's nothing you can do to prevent being a victim of a tattletale. Their pathetic, little lives revolve around this singular joy of theirs. No matter how careful you try to be, they are on constant look out to find anything that they could use against you. The best tactic and most effective is avoidance of that person whenever possible. Oh, but don't worry, they will still be watching you. Besides the work place, think about right here on the Disboards. How many times have we opened a thread and someone who has not contributed to the discussion at all just pops on and says something like, "Mods, please close this thread." Just look at the guest messages for the mods. They are full of tattletales turning posters in if they don't like the subject of a thread. It amazes me. These are grown people acting like six year olds. Pertaining to threads, there may be twenty people discussing something and one tattletale feels they have a right to put an end to the whole discussion. Why not just read something else? No, it somehow gives them a sense of power, something they probably don't have in their pathetic, everyday lives. These are just lonely, angry and bitter people. These people are insecure and are easily threatened by other people's intellect and success. So, both at the workplace and on the Disboards, we must coexist with these cancers of society.

 

[bballmom56]

Nope. But it probably helps that there are only 2 of us (although there used to be 3). Our motto is "what happens here, stays here".

 

[MushyMushy]

I keep good communication with my boss and don't do anything worth tattling about.

That's my attitude. But there's a woman where I work who is just sweet as pie, but if anyone makes a mistake or steps over a line, she will "jokingly" point it out to the boss. I guess I don't get that. Worry about yourself and let the boss worry about employees, ya know?

 

[OceanAnnie]

I worked with one. It was pathetic. He was in everyone's business, as deep as he could get. He would small talk with everyone and it devolved into prying, then he and the boss would gossip at his desk. We had a cube farm. They didn't even whisper. Their conversations could be heard all over the office. It was embarrassing to hear how personal they could get. Couldn't escape it. He would tattletale on his co-workers, but I found his gossip much worse.

I didn't get a good vibe from him (or the boss) in the beginning, so I didn't say all that much to him. Needless to say any and all small talk on my behalf would be about the weather or food. It was a dysfunctional office to say the least.

I celebrated when I left that office.

 

[powellrj]

We have one and I use her to the best of my ability. I share what I want the boss to know and keep everything I don't to myself.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I had one of those when I worked housekeeping at Disney's Vero Beach Resort. She would always try to get me in trouble for any unclean areas she found at the start of her shift (Mine ended at 11pm, hers began at 7am and the area we cleaned was unstaffed for 8 hours and yes, guests do make messes in the overnight hours.)


I ignored it while I could and then when I got publicly chastized in front of staff for these so called indiscretions, I elevated it. It did stop for the rest of my time working there.

*******

At my last job, I was literally perceived as a tattle tale when I had some training difficulties with a person learning my job for my maternity leave. It got so bad that they felt I was the problem and kicked me from my position. She was later fired when it discovered she did indeed was a difficult person who couldn't learn the job. (Her FT time was to sit with me and learn my job but it was like pulling teeth to get her for 3 hours of the 8 hour day. She spent the other 5 hours web surfing, visitng her prior department and who knows what else. So it was a slap in the face when I was blamed as the problem.)

My complaints were indeed legitimate issues and were later instrumental in getting her fired. For example, one day--miss "this is so hard to do" pops in for one of our training lessons on some procedure. 5 minutes in, she says she has to leave in 10 minutes to drop off artwork for the employee art contest. Okay--given the lenght of time needed to explain the procedure and knowing her learning style, there was no point in starting and I excused her to go drop it off. She was gone for 2 solid hours for something that should have taken no more than 30 minutes. That's just one example of what I endured on a daily basis.

 

[DISNEY1975]

I was accused of being the department *******

My hours are 8 - 4. I had a coworker, who did not get along with me, who worked 9 - 5. Apparently, he was leaving early every day. The big boss (my boss' boss) told him and my boss that Ive been complaining about him leaving early. (Now I know why he hated me!) I guess he didnt have the guts to say anything himself, so blamed it on me. I didnt find this out until my annual review, when my direct manager, in nice words, told me I need to start minding my own business.

Huh???

He told me that I shouldnt be keeping track of when someone is late or leaving early...thats his job.

Huh???

I asked him what in the world he was talking about and he told me that Ive been going to his boss at complaining about "John" leaving 1/2 hour - 15 minutes early a lot.

I looked at my manager straight in the face and said "Dave", I leave at 4:00pm every day. How on earth would I know if "John" left at 4:01pm or 8:00pm? Do you think I have ESP and knew he was leaving early and sat in the parking lot every day after 4:00 to keep track? Think about it!!!

He had a puzzled look on his face and I was so mad, I said "I hope you are thinking about it! Who is here after 4:00 to notice him leaving early? Me, or your boss?"

He said "I guess youre right"


Point is...if you think you have a tattle in your department think about who is blaming someone else. It could be a cover for themselves.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

It's so childish when adults "tattle" on others, but it happens! A teaching assistant in my school district does it shamelessly. She was constantly leaving early and another assitant got sick of being the one who stays and finishes all the prep work so she told the department director. So last week, the other assistant left early, with permission from her boss, because she had come in an hour early for a parent meeting. The tattletale (who now works at a different school) called the boss and left a voicemail saying, "I just drove past Mary's house and her car is there. It's only 2:30 and she's supposed to work until 3:00. Just thought you should know." What a creep! Now she's stalking the woman? Ugh. I guess she figured "you told on me so now I'll tell on you." But the complaint from the first person was valid. The other one was not.

 

[luvsJack]

Our dean's secretary uses tattling to get the attention off herself and what she is doing. For instance, she comes in late every day. Its well known that she will not arrive until around 8:30 almost every day. Some days the dean gets mad about it, especially if he has point blank told her to be on time for some special reason. So, if she is late and knows that when she gets there he will be mad, she goes in saying, "John didn't get such and such done" or "I guess you know that Jane left 45 minutes early yesterday" or something to that effect. Its to get the attention off her and on to someone else. Most of us have learned not to be around when the dean is mad at her because she will especially do it to someone that happens to be standing there.

 

[MushyMushy]

I was accused of being the department *******

-snip-

Point is...if you think you have a tattle in your department think about who is blaming someone else. It could be a cover for themselves.

Your story just had me I can't believe you would be used as a scapegoat like that. Good thing you got it cleared up though!

Our tattler is pretty blatant about it, so there's no mistake. Someone walks in 5 minutes late and she'll wait til the boss walks in the room and jab the late person in the ribs and say, "ohhhhh we're running late today are we??? Here, need a hug?" and then give the person a hug. Or if she sees someone make a mistake, she'll point it out in front of the boss in a helpful and sweet way.

I'm trying to stay out of her eyesight personally. She has tried calling out "mistakes" on my part, but thankfully they weren't actually mistakes but changes in procedure that apply to my job and not hers. Sorry, but I did get a little bit of a kick out of that. It's not that I haven't made mistakes, but I'll be the first to go to the boss and let her know and tell her my plans to correct it or to ask advice on how to fix it. I don't play those games.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I was reading this thread thinking how lucky I was, then I had a nice little incident today:

My new para started today. I got called into the principal's office during plan time to ask why I had told a student "shut up." I was completely flabbergasted because I would never say that and have never said that. I couldn't even think of what I might have said that sounds like "shut up." Thankfully the principal acknowledged that she has never heard me talk like that to my students and we figured it was just a misheard statement on her part. Of course, the principal never told me who it was that said, but she did make a comment about it after school. She seems really nice and good with the kids, but now I'm edge that I have to tiptoe around my classroom. Not the best way to make a first impression.

 

[nutterbutter2010]

My office is very small, so I don't really have that problem, but in DHs office, the owners seriously have SPYS. They have their "favorites" and they tell them to find out info about other employees. Thankfully DH is smart enough to know who they are, and he stays away from them. His work place is very hard - the owners are very nasty horrible people. I feel bad for him having to work there, but with his economy, and the amount they pay him, hes kind of stuck for now.

 

[MushyMushy]

I was reading this thread thinking how lucky I was, then I had a nice little incident today:

My new para started today. I got called into the principal's office during plan time to ask why I had told a student "shut up." I was completely flabbergasted because I would never say that and have never said that. I couldn't even think of what I might have said that sounds like "shut up." Thankfully the principal acknowledged that she has never heard me talk like that to my students and we figured it was just a misheard statement on her part. Of course, the principal never told me who it was that said, but she did make a comment about it after school. She seems really nice and good with the kids, but now I'm edge that I have to tiptoe around my classroom. Not the best way to make a first impression.

Wow! You've got to wonder why on earth she would come in and say that! I would probably be a little paranoid too.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I was reading this thread thinking how lucky I was, then I had a nice little incident today:

My new para started today. I got called into the principal's office during plan time to ask why I had told a student "shut up." I was completely flabbergasted because I would never say that and have never said that. I couldn't even think of what I might have said that sounds like "shut up." Thankfully the principal acknowledged that she has never heard me talk like that to my students and we figured it was just a misheard statement on her part. Of course, the principal never told me who it was that said, but she did make a comment about it after school. She seems really nice and good with the kids, but now I'm edge that I have to tiptoe around my classroom. Not the best way to make a first impression.

You have had rotten luck with para's. Two in a row?! Was this para a transfer from another school as well? IIRC the first one was a transfer with problems. Could it be this para has a similar history?

 

[agnes!]

I was reading this thread thinking how lucky I was, then I had a nice little incident today:

My new para started today. I got called into the principal's office during plan time to ask why I had told a student "shut up." I was completely flabbergasted because I would never say that and have never said that. I couldn't even think of what I might have said that sounds like "shut up." Thankfully the principal acknowledged that she has never heard me talk like that to my students and we figured it was just a misheard statement on her part. Of course, the principal never told me who it was that said, but she did make a comment about it after school. She seems really nice and good with the kids, but now I'm edge that I have to tiptoe around my classroom. Not the best way to make a first impression.

I'm a little perturbed that your principal would right away take someone else's word as the gospel truth... Did she ask how the new para was working out and if everything was going ok or were the first words out of her mouth "I heard that you said "shut up" to a student."
I'm a little puzzled - who made a comment after school about it...the new para? What exactly was said?

Sheesh, if *I* were the new kid on the block and it was my first day on the job, the only reason I would run off to the principal rather than my immediate superior (she couldn't just ask you "I'm sorry, what did you just say?") is if someone were in danger. Hey, maybe the new para actually cares about the kids (at least, more so than your previous one ...).

agnes!