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I have really f**ked up at work, lost my company thousands of dollars

posted 2 years ago by [deleted]
29 replies | jump to latest

I'm an estimator. It's usually simple stuff: your lights are blown out, your roof is broken or your drains are screwed, here's what my company will charge your company to fix it. Mundane but necessary.

One of my ex-colleagues handed over a sketchy job to install some cosmetic enhancements. I costed it up and hoped to God they wouldn't accept. They did.

It has been a disaster - materials are incorrect, wrong size or grade, or just flat out wrong. Our warehouse is now full of unusable, bulky, and very expensive equipment which there is no use for.

The customer is appalled and our team is humiliated. It has cost the company at least ten thousand dollars. I've been summoned to a meeting on Monday morning to discuss 'my performance'.

What do I say? There's no way to know what the client wanted without measuring the assets myself. I explained several times loudly during the costing process this would be an unbelievable fuckup.

Also my boss is a walking 7ft gorilla who likes to shout a lot and demand results. How do I save my career? Or do I just walk away now?

[–] rootvegetables (1899) 2 years ago

Tell your 7ft gorilla ogre of a boss to go f**k his mother.
He sounds like a real a-hole.

[none]

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I want to keep my job, not insult my way out of it

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78562) 2 years ago

Sorry to hear it, best of luck on Monday and sympathies for having your weekend ruined with anxiety. Work stress is awful.

Just calmly explain that you warned the involved parties things looked a bit dicey. Unless you screw up frequently you should get off the hook. Everybody messes up once in awhile, it’s not like you did it on purpose.

You have a desirable skill if things should go south at the meeting. Best wishes👍

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

Thank you for your recommendations. I've actively tried to make money for this company, it's been in my best interest. I explained so many times this was a terrible proposal. Now we're here, we are really in it. Mr. Gorilla got his family into the top positions. At least I saved.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78562) 2 years ago

Your boss sounds like a jerk.
If he gets fresh on Monday make other plans. Keep it polite but You’ve got skills other places could use.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

was this a residential project?

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

NPO

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

i thought you hated this job?

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

Who did you tell during the process that it would be a disaster? One of your superiors at the company?

Sounds like you were put in a position to fail.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I explained several times this would be an appalling operation to all management. Instead of being taken seriously, my concerns were dismissed. It became a running joke. Now there's this.

It's not like companies are flawless. People are people. We cannot expect omnipotence from leadership. But this was a whole bunch of trash. If they gave be unrestricted access, total disclosure then I would have arrived to the manufacturer with the correct specifications. Instead I got told to keep my head down and keep lazy. Now they're out for retribution.

[–] DoctorThirteen (15308) 2 years ago

'I explained several times this would be an appalling operation to all management.'

Did you make a written record of each of these occasions, days/dates/times/places/persons present, who exactly you spoke to, what exactly was said? I was taught many years ago to do this, and treat it as a 'paper umbrella' for when the **** hits the fan.

[–] parkerbot (10724) 2 years ago

Own up to any mistakes you made and go from there.

If you blame others, I imagine your boss will think less of you.

If you can't understand or acknowledge what you did wrong, if you did anything wrong, then you're a liability for the future and should be punted.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

You think my boss got to where they were by being a monk? They're high half the time, and drunk all the time. Also they're related to the previous boss who still retains a 51% stake. I can't tell who is real here anymore than you are real here.

[–] Sandman3 (1454) 2 years ago

I feel for you and am here to help. Here a the winning lottery numbers. Play them and then tell your boss to F off.

7-19-27-31-48- (53)

[–] BillHicksFan (10716) 2 years ago

Man, that's a fucked up situation. I'm guessing there are other companies who could use your skills, especially in such a transient work force.

[–] Mattc164 (619) 2 years ago

You make this place sound like a shitty place. I don’t understand why you stay in the company?
Maybe go out and find work elsewhere.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I want to build a background in this and work my way to project management, can't keep quitting after 6 months (covid didn't help)

[–] majaplaya (922) 2 years ago

This doesn't sound like your fault at all. For the meeting, remain calm and point out each of the occasions on which you warned your supervisor of the danger of proceeding without accurate information. You also may want to consult an attorney who specializes in employment law. Good luck to you.

[–] Otter (24464) 2 years ago

I think every company that charges according to estimates has problems like this occasionally. Like, I was taking a class at a local college, and the lecturer started telling us about the construction of the college, how nobody realized that the site was largely solid bedrock, and that building the campus according to plan required truckloads of dynamite to blast through the rock instead of bringing in a few bulldozers to move the dirt around. Apparently the company that bid for the construction of the campus lost a HUGE amount of money on the job.

So it's entirely possible that the people who run your firm know that these things happen, and while they feel they have to make a stink when it happens, they will forgive the occasional mistake. Especially if you can provide your boss and your boss's boss proof that you had noted the potential problems before the fact. I mean they're still going to be upset about the money lost, but if they have any sense then you'll get a bit more credit than the guy who says that nobody could have seen those problems coming. So good luck!

[–] Bloodshot77 (14247) 2 years ago

Do it like they do in prison. Find the biggest guy and take him out. Oh and look for a job this weekend, because it sounds like you might get fired.

Signed, million man.