“Jealousy is bred in doubts. When those doubts change into certainties, then the passion either ceases or turns absolute madness.”
Absolute madness are the only words to explain the events that occurred in the following story (as true as I can recall). I had been working at this particular facility for some time. I loved my job and became almost like family with the people I worked with and the residents at the facility.
One day along came a woman. Let’s call her Kelly. Kelly was a very young woman. She did not have hardly any working experience. I felt sorry for Kelly because she was struggling at completing assignments. My supervisor asked me to retrain Kelly. So, I started the long process of completely retraining Kelly. I showed her tips and how to do things with precision. The job required complete preciseness, as people’s lives could be lost without every detail being exact. The training was about 2 months long – and then some. I was to report back to my supervisor of Kelly’s progress at the end of the training.
Kelly was not a detail-oriented person. I tried to train her in every way possible, she had chosen the wrong occupation. I explained this to my supervisor. My supervisor asked me to keep training Kelly. I thought this was very odd, as my boss had never put so much time into training people – ever. In this particular occupation, you either have the precision or you do not, there is zero room for errors. People can die if you make a slight error of judgement – or cannot react in a stressful situation.
The training of Kelly continued for several weeks. Kelly never improved. There was a day I went into work and I could feel stress in the air. Have you ever had the feeling you could cut the tension like a knife? That was the feeling at work. I had no idea why, so I ignored it. Chalked it up to everyone having a bad day. Went into the work the entire week, the same feelings were in the air.
Kelly and I were working together the following week. Kelly says to me, “I want your position and I will do whatever it takes to get it.” Shock filled my body from head to toe. She had never spoke to me in such a manner. I pressed the ignore button. The next day Kelly says, “It is not fair that I am so young, and you are fifteen years older than me, but you look better.” I said, “Kelly, I wear a ton of makeup and take a lot of vitamins.” Please note – I did not look better than her at all. Kelly’s perception was way off. Her perception had went into a ditch somewhere on the highway. Kelly continues to say odd things. She says, “Liz, you are lame.” “Liz, I am going to get the hours you have no matter what.” Dare I say mortified?
The feelings of tension in the air never faded. I am older, so I tend to ignore a persons words and assume they are having a bad day. The problem was that I had no clue Kelly was completely manipulating me and my supervisor. Kelly had made many huge errors – some could have been fatal. I knew to go behind Kelly and check her work. I did so every day, all day long. This required much patience.
My supervisor calls me to the office. She tells me that she had heard about all the mistakes I had made. My body and brain was in shock. Kelly had went to my supervisor and told her that all of her errors were my errors. The entire time I was training and working with Kelly, she was telling my supervisor all kinds of made up stories.
The realization at the moment was that Kelly had manipulated me in an awful way. Kelly wanted my position so badly, that she had lied to my supervisor. Wait…here is the kicker. I found out later that evening on Facebook that Kelly’s uncle owned the facility. Dare I say nepotism? The pieces finally came together.
My supervisor spent so much time and resources training Kelly because her uncle owned the facility. Kelly manipulated me into training her, meanwhile bad-mouthing me to my boss.
Who do you think my boss believed? Kelly, whose uncle owned the facility or little old me? I had worked long hours to get the position.
So, just like that…my supervisor handed me my walking papers. Keep in mind my attendance was great. My reviews had the highest score. I was never written up a single time. Kelly had obviously told her uncle multiple lies. Her uncle most likely sent the word down to let me go.
Jealousy is an awful thing. Now I avoid jealousy like the plague by trying to go unnoticed.
Yet again, this makes the point that a lie can be a fact and a fact can be a lie. A person’s perception of events may be biased. The above story is the reason I am so passionate about my earlier post:
Kelly succeeded in taking over my position at the facility. I lost a job that I loved due to jealousy, manipulation and lies. I had no evidence to support the fact that Kelly was lying.
This taught me a great lesson in life – always have evidence. It takes only (1) single false witness against a person to ruin something valuable.
Have you ever had issues with jealousy in the workplace or at school? I would love to read your experiences or thoughts.
Have you ever dealt with a ”Kelly?”
Quote Source: http://www.finestquotes.com/quote_with-keyword-Jealousy-page-0.htm#ixzz23430gJV3
Quote Author: Francois de La Rochefoucauld
jfox1221
/ August 9, 2012Wow. I can say I’ve never met a Kelly. Mostly because I attempt to avoid businesses that hire their family members. It just seems like stuff like that happens often in family run facilities. The uncle should be counting his blessings that no one has gotten hurt due to Kelly’s negligence. One question– how soon after you got the feeling that K was after your job did you start your job search???
LizEccentric7
/ August 9, 2012@JFox1221 – The thing is this was a huge company. The company has several facilities and employs over a thousand people or more. The company had a rule against hiring family members. That is the reason Kelly kept the information so quiet. However, she posted the information on Facebook. She obviously forgot that everyone looks at Facebook. I actually started my job search immediately after realizing that she had completely stabbed me in the back. I had been so kind to Kelly. I really felt bad for her because she could not get the hang of the job. Not only that, but I have a soft spot for young people.
I had a rough time during my younger years, so I tend to be very “motherly” with people who are younger than myself. I will help them in any way I can so they can be successful. Just so happened that this particular person was “not nice” as my young niece would put it. Kelly – you are not nice!
John
/ August 9, 2012Wow, that is disgusting. Too bad you can’t legally go after this person.
bossymoksie
/ August 9, 2012That’s horrible! How bold of her to tell you to your face. And yes, I’ve known a Kelly or two, but I’ve never loved a job enough to be scared to lose it! What I did do was, if there was a mistake, I would tell my boss, but as though I was talking about my day and how I have to keep correcting this or that or compensate for her laziness or miscounting the change or whatever. To make sure the boss knew. And I would even let a mistake of hers slide through! You former boss gets what they deserve: Kelly! Imagine how your boss felt when they realized how bad Kelly was! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. The jokes on them and Kelly will get hers.
LizEccentric7
/ August 9, 2012@bossymoksie – Thank you. I never thought of how my supervisor has to know by now, that she is not capable of doing the job. I was always there going behind her. I corrected her mistakes for the sake of the patients and not for her. It was impossible for me to let mistakes slide, because it was mistakes such as oxygen tanks being set at the wrong 02 levels. Oxygen set at the wrong level, can cause death. So, every time she walked out of a patient’s room, I walked in behind her to make sure they were alive. I reported every incident. I am required by law to report every single incident. I wrote a full report. However, the reports were ignored, as everyone knew, (but me) that her uncle owned all of the facilities. They are very wealthy. All of my reports were thrown into the trash. I should have made copies – didn’t think about it at the time. I know now to always make copies.
bossymoksie
/ August 10, 2012Wow. Just wow. You are better off not being there if that’s how they are.
Rhonda
/ August 9, 2012Wow Liz…this is a stunningly honest post. And one that is absolutely identifiable. The trouble is…as you have found…they are ‘found’ out too late. For you, for us, too late. But I truly believe, they can only lie and cheat for so long. Little comfort, but perhaps some?
R
LizEccentric7
/ August 10, 2012@Rhonda – I agree, people will reap what they sew. Someday, somehow they will pay their dues.
Rhonda
/ August 10, 2012Intellectually we know this…but I feel for you…it doesn’t make it any easier. Sorry you went through all of it. Sucks Ass!
xo
R
LizEccentric7
/ August 10, 2012@Rhonda – It is an experience that has made me stronger and learn how the real world works, very quickly.
timethief
/ August 9, 2012Yes. I have experienced a Kelly very early on in my working life. I was astounded that “Kelly” manipulated an older and very competent woman right out of her job. I reported Kelly to our supervisor every time I cleaned up behind her but apparently she was able to get our supervisor to believe the mistakes I corrected were not made by her but by the other woman – not true! Little did I know. The supervisor was in love with “Kelly” and he married the boss’s daughter. I was creeped right out when I realized what had happened. I accepted another job elsewhere, and quit that job, without giving notice or requesting a referral. BTW the woman who was manipulated out of the job took legal action for wrongful dismissal. I testified and she won the court case and went on to better job. Some people are poisonous people and some work environments are poisoned by nepotism.
LizEccentric7
/ August 10, 2012@Timethief – oh my, I did not know there were so many “Kelly’s” in the work place. Like you, I learned not to trust people. A person now has to earn my trust and respect. I am sorry that happened to you. Women can be extremely competitive in the work place. Sometimes, they can be over-competitive to the point to where they are willing to hurt others to obtain their goals. I put morality before my goals. I refuse to be immoral to reach a professional milestone.
Invisible Mikey
/ August 10, 2012I’ve had a number of “Kellys” crop up over the years. The highest percentage of them was in the entertainment industry, where there’s one in every company, then in retail. The lowest number have been in healthcare, simply because in the facilities where I work clinical employees can’t train other employees. Everyone has to already have a license of their own, and you can’t bs the licensing exams. State inspectors visit annually to check your competence. They are insulated from nepotism. However, the boss’ daughter has held several unlicensed positions like janitorial and laundry, and medical records. At times when she messed up on filing, I just had the boss go look for his own records. Because I didn’t file, he knew who messed up.
I’m sorry you got played by this woman. I expect it was a good lesson for you in what to watch out for at work, and there are so many opportunities in care-giving you can usually find a less dysfunctional place. Eventually it does backfire on the Kellys. They try to play someone who can play back, or who has even more clout and credential with the boss than they do, or (unfortunately) a patient is harmed and there’s an investigation. A number of times I had to play the long game, and give the Kellys enough rope to hang themselves.
LizEccentric7
/ August 10, 2012@Mikey – Unfortunately, this position did require a license. That is why I was so shocked. It is not common for that to happen, as you stated with a license. My state requires a license even for basic care. I believe it is one of the few states that requires such a license.
I loved this particular position because it was 5 minutes from my home. It was also (3) 12 hour shifts. The hall I was stationed at was patients that were in physical therapy, and soon to be released. The pay was the same as my office job. I guess the pay was higher due to assisting with range of motion exercises.
I still get angry when I think of how I was so easily manipulated. My parents did a great job of raising me to spot such people. However, this “Kelly” I never saw coming.
mystudentstruggles
/ August 10, 2012Someone who doesn’t listen to an employee who has never taken a wrong step over a newbie trainee who’s only redeeming feature is her uncle doesn’t deserve someone like you. It’s made even worse because people’s lives were at stake. I hope they find out the truth about Kelly and get rid of her soon.
LizEccentric7
/ August 10, 2012Well, I guess it would have worked out if my reports had gone straight to my supervisor. I was working a different shift than my supervisor, so the person I had to give the reports to was throwing them away. I thought my supervisor was receiving them all along. The people I care for become like my family. Needless to say, each time she almost hurt a person, I would give her a mouth full. Most of the things were just common sense such as:
Bed rails up
Bed not high if a fall risk
If a person has a broken hip – proper transfer and care
Not having the Smartphone in a room and texting during work
Not cursing in front of patients
Keeping an eye on people that require postoperative care
These are things any person in healthcare knows to do, automatically. Perhaps even people that have never worked in the healthcare field.
mystudentstruggles
/ August 10, 2012Yeah, they sound like common sense to me. If she doesn’t care she shouldn’t choose that career.
LizEccentric7
/ August 10, 2012@mystudentstruggles – my guess is her uncle made her go to work there because he owned the facility. I actually feel sorry for her. There may be bad things going on in her life that I do not know about. I have found this is the case when people are being rude, hateful or manipulative…or she just may be a sociopath.
mystudentstruggles
/ August 11, 2012I suppose, but being rude is different to causing someone to loose their job. There was no real reason for it, even if she wanted to ‘prove’ herself to her family it could’ve been done on her own merit if she tried
I know what you mean though, but that doesn’t make it right or give her an excuse
LizEccentric7
/ August 11, 2012@mystudentstruggles – I don’t know if you read my earlier post “boob racism,” but it explains that most people where I live are not kind. Most of the people who live here are, what word can I use…
They are “cut-throat.” I have seen people do whatever it takes to obtain professional goals in this area.
This is the reason I have been applying for jobs out of state. One state south of mine. I live close to a fairly big city and people do whatever they can to try to work for the fortune 500′s in the city.
They don’t care who they have to step on, or sleep with to get ahead.
mystudentstruggles
/ August 11, 2012I wouldn’t survive, I’m too nice
lol
LizEccentric7
/ August 11, 2012@mystudentstruggles – ok, I got a little ticked of that guy who made the rude comment on your post. If you would like to delete my comment – I will not be offended.
That was a negative and rude comment he made to you. You do not have to put up with such people.
Sorry…He was not trying to help you. He was trying to make himself look smart. There is a difference.
Mila
/ August 10, 2012Well, I was ‘friends’ with a Kelly some years ago. We went to school together. She was a jealous, manipulative, and disgusting person, but I approached her because she was always alone, and I thought it wasn’t fair we weren’t giving her a chance.
.
Things didn’t go as planned for me. She used me to get to the rest of my friends, and badmouthed me with everyone, not making distinctions between my friends and best friends. Of course, those who really knew me didn’t pay attention to her. But many others in our classroom did.
After two years passed, I was in the position she started at, and she was now friends with everyone.
But I’m kind of stubborn, so I figured out that it wasn’t that appealing to go and make things good with people who believed such stupid lies without even confirming with me. So I lived through it
After we graduated, it was like nothing ever happened, as I met new people and made new friends.
She tries to contact me every once in a while, and I usually tell her to f- off ^^.
So, maybe looking at it from this point of view is a little more positive?
LizEccentric7
/ August 10, 2012@Mila – Your experience sounds worse than mine. Yours went on for years. I cannot believe she tries to contact you. That girl has some guts. I had many of these issues during high school.
I thought after high school people would not behave in such a manner. Mila, it is surprising to me how much the workplace can be like high school.
There are cliques at work, gossip, bullying all in the workplace as an adult. It is like high school all over again. Not all employers, but some.
I hope to find a mature work environment and soon. I have been looking for so long. I just can’t seem to find a good fit in this area. I may have to look for work in a city that is very far away. Thank you for sharing your experience Mila.
I know many teens struggle with your same experience.
Mila
/ August 10, 2012They do. But most kids are afraid of speaking up against it. It’s like being afraid of the mass, of the rejection. I’ve been rejected in school for some time, but am no longer afraid of it. I’ve learned that the best way to approach an issue like this, that relies on lies and subtle comments, is the direct way. Once people see you won’t take any bullshit from them, they start to understand how little that all means to you, and they start caring about it less and less.
Of course, it’s not that simple. It’s just the way I’ve been dealing with these situations ever since then. Yes, I’ve made some enemies. But I was able to stick to my true friends, and my values, and I think that’s more important than what someone who doesn’t really know me thinks about me.
About your problem, I wish you best of luck! I’m sure that people will behave according to their age, if they see people doing the same (just like gossiping, but the other way around). I’m sure you’ll find something suitable, and fun.
Best of wishes!
LizEccentric7
/ August 10, 2012@Mila – your comment above would make a wonderful post for your blog! Jealousy is an awful thing. Your peers must be jealous of you about clothing, looks, intelligence…something, that’s why they are leaving you out. Just make sure you never allow yourself to believe their gossip. Keep in mind that you are not whatever negative words they speak. Negative words have a huge impact on self-esteem. Don’t let your self-worth be measured by any other persons expectations or words. (more unwanted advice) Sorry, it’s a habit.
Mila
/ August 11, 2012Haha, you may be right. I may use that idea in the near future.
And don’t worry, I have true friends now, and keep away from poisonous people like that.
A piece of advice is always welcomed, by the way.
Again, good luck!
LizEccentric7
/ August 11, 2012@Mila – It only takes one nice person to help another feel good about themselves. I am glad you have a few good friends. It makes a world of difference.