need a little support - bad boss day

[drfuzzy]

Have axe.

Will travel.

Just say the word.

LOL, Valkyrie!  Actually, though, if you have any good drugs that I could slip in her coffee . . .       

---

Most of the time your immediate boss in the hierarchy would be an asshole to you if they feel you are too good of an employee that could threaten their position if the superiors noticed. It's pretty hard to deal with

---

 

  unless you find a way to make them think you are totally dependent on them..

I realized that part early on, Magi - you're absolutely right.  This woman LOVES me only when I'm asking for her guidance, and she is securely in teacher mode.  It's a valuable thing to realize when changing jobs is probably not an option.

---

 That is really disgusting, sorry to hear that

My immediate reaction is she has a bad case of jealousy because you're more competent than her.  

---

 

 She's trying to keep you down lest you take her place.

 

---

 Or just to make herself feel better. I've seen this time and again.

Feel free to vent all you want, it's good to get it all out

Although 2.5 out of 5 is a gross under rating, I imagine it wouldn't be enough to fire you over. And clearly she has no case for dismissal; in fact, if you she did so and you made waves, she would come off way worse. She probably knows that.

So I would say your job is probably secure, but it comes down to whether you're prepared to take this shit from her. You know you're ace at the job, so does everyone else most likely. But she has to pretend to be the big dog. Are you wiling to let her live in this fantasy world, let the baby have its bottle and carry on? Or do you want to kick up a stink and get her to recognise just how good you are? Of course, the second option is more likely to lead to her trying to fire you, unfair though that is.

The fact that she's so badly misrepresent you and uses such faulty logic to support her conclusion tells me she already knows how good you are. So I wonder, does this rating have any effect further than it just being her opinion?

That may all be jumping to wild conclusions of course! I'm sure you will be fine, they can't afford to lose you. Replacing you sounds extremely hard.  

---

 

I think you've got it exactly right, Rob. She was furious when the teachers gave me flowers (and didn't bring her any).  She knows that I have more degrees than she does, and we share an office space, so she refused to let me put my diplomas in my office. 

---

 I had/saw quite a few of these in the corporate world. They would rate based on subjective (emotion/fear/mood that day) and not objective work records/accomplishments. Some low balled employees to keep the department budget low (kept evaluation based raises low) so that they looked better.

---

 Sounds like it might be CYA time. Start documenting your work.

---

 Like total records made, total errors made, time to fix errors, .............. Any other objective duties that you can track in your job. Ask if you can start a teacher (or other client) feedback report/rating to include things like accuracy, time service, attitude, understanding/helpful, would they use you again, what could you improve on, ..............  Come up with your own categories that best fit your duties. Make it a scale rating for the most part, they tend to be completed and returned more often.

Does the company give you the opportunity to rate your boss? That might be kind of tricky in a two woman department. When that situation occurred in corporate they instituted a "skip level" rate. The rate did not go to your boss from you, but to her boss or even her bosses boss. That protected the person doing the rating from reprisals and hopefully made the rating more honest.

I think you'll be fine. Don't let this give you a pissy attitude. Could always bake her a batch of chocolate exlax brownies to say thank you.

---

Thanks mh.  I have already started documentation.  Teacher feedback might be very helpful, but only to keep as a last resort. The rating went directly to the head of human resources.  

 Muddle through, Fuzz, muddle through.

 

My own boss in an utter prick.  Sometimes, it's awful to be self-employed.

Boru

Boru, I probably should put that on my tombstone.  I muddle very well.    
A big THANK YOU     and    to everyone who responded and anyone who took the time to read through that ramble.
I was up half the night mulling over the situation.  Your advice was very valuable.  I know what kind of boss I'm dealing with now. I'm going to be very polite and very outwardly subservient, and work my butt off, but she may regret tipping her hand over a six-month evaluation.