I had a really bad experience at work today. I've had similar things happen before, but nothing this bad. Today was very busy, and I was constantly on the phone and trying to work in between calls and clients coming in to the office. My boss was in meetings almost all day. Not long after her last meeting, while she was on the phone with someone else, her daughter (who is 15) called. I told her daughter that her mom was on the phone, and her daughter told me to tell my boss that she was at J* Park and her mom could pick her up by the front gate. Also, if her mom wanted to call her she would be swimming so she probably wouldn't answer.
Shortly afterwards, my boss rushed out the door (presumably to pick up her daughter). Right after she left, I realized that I hadn't given her the message, so I called her cell phone right away. However, she didn't pick up the phone, so I left a message and went back to work.
A little while later my boss came whirling back into the office, and I could see that she was angry. I asked her if she had gotten my message and she just snapped, "No." So I left her alone for a minute, and she picked up the office phone and called someone (don't know who) and I could hear her snarling at them about why her daughter wasn't at her dad's house (the daughter's dad) and where was she, etc. As soon as she got off the phone I rushed into her office and gave her the message and explained that I had tried to call and tell her. She snapped at me and said that she must have left her phone in her husband's vehicle. I did tell her where to pick up her daughter, but she said that she wasn't going anywhere until someone called her back.
Shortly afterwards, her daughter called the office again and spoke to her mom. After she got off the phone with her daughter, my boss came out front and spent the next few minutes YELLING, and I mean this in the loudest, most capital-letter way, at me.
Now, I understand that my boss was upset. It would have made me frantic if I went to pick up my child from an ex-husband and could not find her. But by this point she knew where her daughter was, and that everything was fine. I admit that perhaps I should have given her the message before she left, but I did not know that she didn't have her cell phone with her and it wasn't my fault that she didn't have it! She walked out the door, then spun around and threw the door back open and yelled in, "Always tell me when my daughter calls. I don't care if I am meeting with the f
President! Understand?!"
When she started yelling at me, I apologized right away and told her that I didn't know that she didn't have her phone and I was sorry. That did not deter her...
I probably wouldn't have posted this, but about half an hour later, she called the office to yell at me again. She said, and I quote, "If you ever do this again, I am firing you on the spot."
... ? Okay. Her daughter was with her ex-husband, and her ex-husband is a jerk. Not my fault that he spontaneously decided to take her daughter to the park to go swimming. It is not my fault that she did not have her cell phone. I didn't know that she didn't have the phone, or that she was picking up her daughter from her ex-husband, or that they had "special plans." I have been working there for a year and a half, and she has never told me to "always give her any call from her daughter." I tried to give her the message!
So... am I wrong? Do I deserve to be screamed at? Does she have a right to threaten to fire me for this? (I know they can fire you for anything, it's the loudly yelled threat that bothers me) This isn't even work related! I didn't screw up my job, I didn't do anything wrong related to work.
So... What should I do? What should I say to her? I don't know. I have been upset all night. She has yelled at me before, but never like this. She has treated me in a belittling manner for a long time. I just... I guess I needed to vent. If anyone made it through the whole story, I would love some advice.
Thanks.
P.S. I am a web designer, if it matters. I also answer phones, provide tech support for e-mail or web site problems, do technical writing, and basically any other crappy job that no one else would want to do.
Shortly afterwards, my boss rushed out the door (presumably to pick up her daughter). Right after she left, I realized that I hadn't given her the message, so I called her cell phone right away. However, she didn't pick up the phone, so I left a message and went back to work.
A little while later my boss came whirling back into the office, and I could see that she was angry. I asked her if she had gotten my message and she just snapped, "No." So I left her alone for a minute, and she picked up the office phone and called someone (don't know who) and I could hear her snarling at them about why her daughter wasn't at her dad's house (the daughter's dad) and where was she, etc. As soon as she got off the phone I rushed into her office and gave her the message and explained that I had tried to call and tell her. She snapped at me and said that she must have left her phone in her husband's vehicle. I did tell her where to pick up her daughter, but she said that she wasn't going anywhere until someone called her back.
Shortly afterwards, her daughter called the office again and spoke to her mom. After she got off the phone with her daughter, my boss came out front and spent the next few minutes YELLING, and I mean this in the loudest, most capital-letter way, at me.
Now, I understand that my boss was upset. It would have made me frantic if I went to pick up my child from an ex-husband and could not find her. But by this point she knew where her daughter was, and that everything was fine. I admit that perhaps I should have given her the message before she left, but I did not know that she didn't have her cell phone with her and it wasn't my fault that she didn't have it! She walked out the door, then spun around and threw the door back open and yelled in, "Always tell me when my daughter calls. I don't care if I am meeting with the f
When she started yelling at me, I apologized right away and told her that I didn't know that she didn't have her phone and I was sorry. That did not deter her...
I probably wouldn't have posted this, but about half an hour later, she called the office to yell at me again. She said, and I quote, "If you ever do this again, I am firing you on the spot."
... ? Okay. Her daughter was with her ex-husband, and her ex-husband is a jerk. Not my fault that he spontaneously decided to take her daughter to the park to go swimming. It is not my fault that she did not have her cell phone. I didn't know that she didn't have the phone, or that she was picking up her daughter from her ex-husband, or that they had "special plans." I have been working there for a year and a half, and she has never told me to "always give her any call from her daughter." I tried to give her the message!
So... am I wrong? Do I deserve to be screamed at? Does she have a right to threaten to fire me for this? (I know they can fire you for anything, it's the loudly yelled threat that bothers me) This isn't even work related! I didn't screw up my job, I didn't do anything wrong related to work.
So... What should I do? What should I say to her? I don't know. I have been upset all night. She has yelled at me before, but never like this. She has treated me in a belittling manner for a long time. I just... I guess I needed to vent. If anyone made it through the whole story, I would love some advice.
Thanks.
P.S. I am a web designer, if it matters. I also answer phones, provide tech support for e-mail or web site problems, do technical writing, and basically any other crappy job that no one else would want to do.