should I tell my boss I made a major mistake, quitting a job when a relative is pressing me to stay, and more by Alison Green on July 18, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I tell my boss I made a major mistake? I’ve recently made a pretty big mistake at my workplace. No one knows about this yet, but it’s a mistake that will definitely reveal itself with a few weeks (quite possibly even less). I’ve worked for this company for about 9 months, and have made about 2 other big mistakes like this for the same reason: not double-checking my work. My boss has already had a conversation with me about double-checking my work and about the other mistakes. Through my resources, I have found that this is currently a $500 mistake. (I say currently, because the prices on the products we sell change according to the market.) This is probably the most costly mistake that I have made while working for this company. However, I know for a fact that this is not the worst (or most costly) mistake made within this company. Someone else made a mistake that cost well over $10,000 and was fired shortly after. Others have made mistakes that probably cost even more, but I can’t say for certain on the cost amount. I’ve also tried thinking of ways to fix this, but it’s practically impossible because it’s not on the client’s side, it’s the company’s problem. In short, I gave the clients a more expensive product for the price of a different, cheaper product. Should I tell my boss about this or should I not say anything? Other notes: Within a week I am planning to give my two weeks notice (for other reasons, not the mistakes). So I would be working for another 3 weeks total. Yes, you should tell your boss. First thing on Monday. You look far, far worse if you don’t say something — and as you note, it’s going to come out anyway. It’s much worse professionally to be someone who makes mistakes and doesn’t even realize it or tries to cover them up than to be someone who simply makes mistakes. I get that it sucks to have to have the conversation, but it’s the only way to go (and you’ll likely feel better once you do). 2. Quitting a job when a relative is pressing me to stay I’ve given my current company notice to quit my job, but some problems occurred. I know normally people give two weeks of notice prior to the leaving date, but I’ve given a full month due to (1) the fact that the supervisor is my relative and she introduced me in to the job (my very first one), (2) they’re always short on people, and (3) I’m quitting few weeks before the peak season. All went well until my supervisor (my relative) asked me if I could stay longer to help out for a few more weeks. They actually found another person who will take over my position, but she had already requested time off (like, few moths ago) right after my departure time. This mean that the company will be VERY short on people in during that specific time, and that time period is one of the most critical of the year. I’ve told her before that I’m staying to help until the very last day when my apartment lease is up, yet she counter-offered housing (we’re relatives, after all). Which means that my reason for leaving can be solved, at least for a while for me to help out. I’m actively searching for new jobs in the new city I’m moving to, but haven’t heard back any results yet. I don’t think I should accept the offer because I would need time to go to interviews and land a job ASAP. But I really don’t know how to decline this. What should I do? If you don’t want to stay, don’t be pressured into staying. You can say this: “I appreciate the offer, but I need to move to New City ASAP so that I can focus on finding a job there. But I’ll definitely work through (planned last day).” Then hold firm. 3. I haven’t had my evaluation yet My company policy says that we are supposed to have a yearly review with our managers. I know for a fact that two of the four people who work under my manager have had yearly reviews this year (they mentioned it in passing) and the third person just started in February. I have been working here since March of 2014 and have yet to have a review with my manager. I don’t know if he forgot or if there was a reason, but he’s never even mentioned it. Should I ask about it or just let it go? Is there any reason a typical manager might choose not to do a yearly review for an employee? Laziness, often — reviews take a lot of time and thought. If your manager is doing it for some people but not for you, it could be because he figures things are going fine with you; I would definitely never skip the review of someone who I had concerns about. In any case, do you want a review? If so, then say, “I realized we haven’t done my annual review yet. Could we schedule it?” 4. What does this response to my thank-you note mean? A department manager interviewed me today. I emailed her a thank-you note expressing that it was a pleasure meeting with her. I didn’t expect a response, but to my surprise she immediately responded back with “My pleasure.” How would explain her response? Politeness. I know it’s tempting to try to read into little details when you’re waiting to hear back about a job, but “my pleasure” is a very normal, polite response to a thank-you. That’s really all you should take it as in this case too. 5. I negotiated salary and it worked I just wanted to send you a quick note to say thank you for the posts you have on salary negotiation. I received an offer that I was pretty satisfied with, but I thought I’d take my first crack at negotiating salary after reading some of the posts on Ask a Manager. I modeled what I said off of this post, stopped talking, and was able to get quite a bit more than I was expecting them to offer in return. It was surprisingly easy, and made me realize that my future employer was probably also expecting me to negotiate when they gave me the initial offer. It’s tough to keep that it mind, especially when I just felt grateful to have an offer at all, but I think it’s true. Yay! Congratulations on your new job and all that extra money! You may also like:how can I explain a mistake wasn't mine without looking like a tattletale?our boss cross-examines us over minor mistakesmy employee never apologizes when his mistakes cause extra work for other people { 45 comments }
neverjaunty* July 18, 2015 at 12:27 am OP #2, you are ending a business relationship, not a family relationship. Therefore, your actions should be guided by normal business procedure – and giving a month is very generous. Your relative is trying to use your family relationship to the benefit of her BUSINESS relationship with you. Not cool, and not something you should feel the slightest bit bound to honor.
Artemesia* July 18, 2015 at 1:56 am Starting a new life in a new city is a marvelous great moment in your life — don’t let a selfish relative act as an anchor around your neck. Alison’s suggested wording is perfect. don’t explain beyond that — that only makes it uglier all around and keeps drawing you in. As you found when you mentioned your lease was up, an excuse is just a negotiating bid — your lease is up and suddenly it is ‘oh you can stay in our guest room’ when you are tactfully saying ‘I need to be tone and searching for my job in the new city.’ Never JADE — justify, argue, defend, explain — make your position clear and then stop talking. if pushed just blandly repeat it, ‘I’m happy to work until August 4th but then I will be leaving for New York’ rinse and repeat as necessary — but don’t add justifications or explanations — just off you go.
jmkenrick* July 18, 2015 at 1:18 am OP #1 – That sucks. The feeling of having screwed up again – especially when you *know* better – is so frustrating. I think we can all sympathize, and it’s understandable that you’re dreading this conversation. I’m sure your boss can sympathize. But you will feel so SO much better if you speak up. Different roles require different strengths and when you give notice, you can be straightforward about why this may not have been right for you. This is an opportunity to leave a good impression and get a good reference, even if this role wasn’t the right fit for you.
Sherm* July 18, 2015 at 1:37 am +1. At a former job, a coworker made a mistake that didn’t cost a lot, but it delayed some projects (which might be worse, since time is money, lots of it!) She told everyone what she had done. The boss wasn’t mad, and she was commended for her integrity.
dragonzflame* July 18, 2015 at 1:41 am Quite. What if this mistake rears its head right around the same time someone is calling them for a reference? Wouldn’t you rather be able to have them tell a prospective employer that you’re someone who acknowledges their mistakes and takes responsibility for them?
A Dispatcher* July 18, 2015 at 2:11 am Yep, I can’t even imagine that reference. “Oh Jane, you mean the one who cut and run right after she made a costly mistake without telling us, leaving us to piece together the problem and clean up after her mess? Yes, I’m sure she’d make a *lovely* addition to your team…” LW, mistakes happen! Own up to it. You will feel better and the outcome likely won’t be as bad as you’re imagining. We all tend to build things up in our head to be worse than they actually are. And you are actually very lucky that you already did have plans to put in notice, this way if it is just as bad as you think, at least you already were planning on leaving. However, particularly because you are leaving, it becomes even more important to fess up. To others who didn’t know you were already planning on putting in notice, it may look like you quit simply to avoid the repercussions of your mistake, which is not a good look, and earns you the reference above…
jmkenrick* July 18, 2015 at 2:15 pm Exactly! Pretty much this is OP#1’s opportunity to set herself up for a reference that is: “Oh, this role wasn’t the right fit for her, so she transitioned out within a year, but during that time she was friendly and communicative.” And OP#1, this is one of Alison’s soapbox’s, but even if you don’t list this boss as a reference, they could still be contacted. Heck, I’ve never been anyone’s manager, and I’ve had friends of friends reach out to me because they saw I was connected on LinkedIn to someone applying for a role at their company….And I live in a big city, with a lot of jobs. You want the impression you leave to be solid.
Wakeen's Teapots Ltd.* July 18, 2015 at 7:38 am A $500 mistake, in our world, on a Monday is just another Monday. The nature of our business means we’re prepared to take mistakes in stride, as long as the mistake doesn’t cause serious problems for the customer. And as long as: 1) the particular mistake isn’t part of a repeat pattern on an employee’s part (please make NEW mistakes :) ) 2) the mistake isn’t hidden but is brought to light literally as soon as possible I think is this is true for most businesses, although the impact of the actual dollar amount is going to vary ($50/$500/$5000 mean different things in different worlds).
Beancounter in Texas* July 18, 2015 at 10:31 am It will also help if you go to your boss with a solution. Since you’ve already determined there’s no way to correct the mistake (short of risking the client relationship by asking them to cough up more money), go to your boss with a solution on how you can avoid this in the future. Maybe it means having someone else look over your work for a while. Find a fail-safe that keeps you on the tightrope of accuracy. IMO, this shows that you’re trying to learn from your mistakes and prevent them from happening again. And be sure to show your boss how terrible you feel about it. If/when you give your notice, you can say that the job is apparently not a good fit (even though it’s not the real reason) and your boss may have the maturity to see your professionalism and maturity. Good luck.
littlemoose* July 18, 2015 at 11:10 am +1. Figure out how you can avoid this going forward. Your boss will likely take the news better if you say “I made this mistake and here’s how I plan to keep it from happening again.” You mentioned not double-checking your work – perhaps you could have someone else look it over before it goes out the door, or even set it aside and look at it again yourself after you’ve done something else for a couple of hours.
fposte* July 18, 2015 at 11:13 am For an employee who’s staying, I’d agree, but she’s only going to be there for another three weeks. I think the focus is leaving on an honorable note rather than improving in the future.
simonthegrey* July 18, 2015 at 4:01 pm Except she does want to correct this pattern for future jobs, so being more conscientious is still a good thing.
steve g* July 18, 2015 at 11:38 am +1 and I know 500 dollars doesn’t sound like a lot but I used to work at a place that custom-engraved sheets of expensive metal and 500 was a big order + a few hours for engraving, so I get why they would be nervous!
Techfool* July 18, 2015 at 2:41 am If many people are making mistakes I’d be wanting to know why. Counter-intuitive systems? Unrealstic workload? Training? Distracting environment? However, the OP is not the person to launch that investigation and must now just fess up, with an assurance on what they’ll do to improve. I learned quite quickly in my career to check everything twice. Just factor it in as part of the time it takes to do something. As for multi-tasking, forget that. You wouldn’t want your dentist, surgeon or pilot multi-tasking.
Stranger than fiction* July 18, 2015 at 2:13 pm I’m wonderimg the same thing. this sounds like a data entry mistake but in my experience usually order entry systems already have the part numbers/products matched up with the correct pricing. So if this is common because the system requires a lot of manual entry, I wouldn’t beat myself up over it. Agree fessing up shows integrity even if the boss will be grumbly about it, you’ll feel better afterwards and have clear conscience going into your new job
Noah* July 18, 2015 at 3:50 am #3 – As a manager, I really hate doing annual evaluations. They are time consuming, and I dislike our standard, corporate format provided by HR. The only time I do them without prompting is when I want to give someone a raise outside of the normal cycle and need to written justification to make it happen. Not something I’m proud of, and I’m trying to get better. I try to balance it out with a weekly, scheduled one-on-one meeting with each employee to discuss their work and provide timely feedback. In a perfect world I would do both, consistently, but I feel like the weekly meeting is more important.
Elizabeth West* July 18, 2015 at 11:20 am I hate the whole thing. I’m not a manager, but I’m sure I would hate it if I had to give them too. Mine is on Tuesday and I’m DREADING it. Not because I think it will suck, but I just really really hate them.
Melissa* July 18, 2015 at 6:01 pm When I managed a team of 10 I haaaated doing evaluations. I mean, my team was awesome and I had mostly positive things to say about all of them, but it was just such a long drawn-out process and our system expected long narratives for each of several categories. I also had to get a couple of signatures – from the employee but I think also from my boss, too. We had biweekly one-on-one meetings and they definitely helped because the RAs knew what was coming when performance dialogue time came around, but it was still a process!
NYC Weez* July 18, 2015 at 5:44 am OP#1: When you tell your manager about the mistake, the best thing that you can do is identify steps that will either reduce the impact of the mistake or prevent it from happening again in the future. I just found out that I ordered the wrong part for a project and there’s not enough time to replace it. It was a simple typo on my end, so there isn’t anything I can change process wise to fix it. So I went to the manager and after confessing my error, I said “our options are that we can do X, Y or Z”. I brought details for each of the options. He appreciated that I had worked out options to address the issue, and we resolved the problem quickly and amicably. Another time I measured a teapot incorrectly so that a whole production run of teapot lids were useless. That was a $10,000 error at least, and all we could do was throw them out and start again! In that case, the root cause was not having a second confirmation of dimensions, so we now include the teapot designers when we are drafting the specs, to be a second set of eyes. I obviously have plenty of experience with making mistakes–luckily I’m not a brain surgeon lol! I’ve found that people not only appreciate honesty, but they want to feel that you are helping address the mistake and taking steps to prevent future ones. Good luck!
Elizabeth West* July 18, 2015 at 11:21 am That’s a good suggestion. Even if the OP is leaving, if the mistakes are coming from something the company can change in future, it might be worth showing that she thought about possible solutions.
MeToo* July 18, 2015 at 7:04 am #5- I also just negotiated salary for the first time ever, using the same script! (Shocking since I hire people for a living, but this was the first time I had the confidence to do so). Honestly, my “final offer” salary is tiny bit lower than I’d like, but they are offering a sign-on bonus to make up the difference and benefits are amazing – and it’s still 25% more than I currently make, in a city with higher COL and at a company I don’t enjoy. Did I mention I’ve been job searching remotely, too? Now we just need to find my husband a job…. Congratulations!
Lizh* July 18, 2015 at 7:47 am #1. Fess up. You never go wrong by doing the right thing. You made a mistake. What can you learn from it? And if this is something you have had pointed out to you before, you have a chance to be much more aware of it in your new position, and make more of an effort to avoid them. That said, I have made plenty myself. I try to use them as a learning experience. Integrity and ethics go a long way in the workplace.
Not the Droid You are Looking For* July 20, 2015 at 10:56 am “Integrity and ethics go a long way in the workplace.” I had to let an employee go once because hey made a mistake and “hid it.” I tried advocating *extensively* for this employee, showing their track record, explaining that they were young/new to the workforce, but it didn’t matter. No one could look past the fact that they had lied, and had two months including weekly one-on-one meetings were this could have been brought forward. The employee probably would have been written up (not a PIP, just a note in their file), but it was recoverable.
Cruciatus* July 18, 2015 at 10:14 am Way to go #5! My workplace is so dysfunctional about raises. I asked my boss in January about one. He would give me $50 an hour if he could (I make $10–after 4 years working here). Not that I’d ever make that much–realistically we’re looking at a dollar or two raise–but he likes me a lot is my point and knows all the admins are underpaid.) Anyway, unfortunately he doesn’t have final say, he can just recommend it and he said he would bring it up with the provost, but he’d have to do it slowly over a period of time during his weekly management meetings. Like he’d throw my name out there occasionally with positive news then eventually he’d suggest I get a raise. I can’t ask him if I’m getting a raise because he probably doesn’t know yet. 7 months later. However, after a full 2 week pay period in July we (mostly) all get our “merit raises” (21 cents for me this year!) and only then (next Friday) will I see if I also got an actual raise. And I don’t think he was blowing me off with his plan. The problem is the provost could give you everything you want one day and then take it all back again. So his plan was actually smart. But the problem is there has to be a plan at all! And this is one major reason I need out of this place!
Gentle One* July 18, 2015 at 10:31 am OP #1–please do confess as soon as possible. I’ve made mistakes, some rather costly ones, and while going to my manager about it is as scary as anything, it is so very important to admit it as soon as you discover it. I have even had to ask for a few minutes during the meeting to compose myself while talking with the manager (because I have a really strong tendency to cry with guilt and remorse), it has always been so much better. If I can think of ways to fix or mitigate the mistake, or ways to make sure I don’t do it again, while on my way to the meeting, I will offer what I can think of in the meeting. If I’m too upset to present solutions on the spot, I tell my manager just that, but that I will be back very soon with ideas. (I need to process thoughts before I’m comfortable speaking.) And then I do follow up. So far, all has been well received, even though I have received acknowledgement that the mistake is a rather big one. No one (well except one time many years ago) has yelled at me, and my managers have all acted grateful that I admitted the mistake and brought ideas on how I can avoid them in the future. Yes, it is hard to admit I’m not perfect; it is scary and the stuff of which nightmares and sleep deprivation are made, but what a feeling of relief after the meeting. (I admit, sometimes I do go off to myself and have a little non-public cry after, mostly from relief.)
BeenThere* July 18, 2015 at 1:24 pm Yes, I remember my first mistake confessional. I promptly burst into tears, I think I was more afraid of being fired than anything else. I could not stop ccrying for the life of me until my manager said I wasn’t going to lose my job. Those words were magical.
Mimmy* July 18, 2015 at 10:33 am #1 – Integrity is very rare these days. Your boss will definitely appreciate your honesty and could bode well when it comes time for giving a reference (unless you already have a new job lined up?). #2 – “They actually found another person who will take over my position, but she had already requested time off (like, few moths ago) right after my departure time.” This part jumped out at me. Some may disagree, but I don’t think it’s always wise to allow a new employee to take time off so soon after starting, in this case after the OP leaves. This is particularly true with small companies, which this sounds like is the case here. Believe me, I can absolutely relate to feeling like it’s wrong to leave an employer or group in the lurch when in a pinch, but people have reminded me time and time again that it is NOT my problem. Do not let your supervisor try to pressure you–relative or not, standing your ground about you leaving when intended puts her on notice that she needs to better manage her resources (aka, personnel).
Kita* July 18, 2015 at 1:01 pm I actually interpreted this as they’re moving a current employee into OP’s role. “She already requested time off… a few months ago.”
Elizabeth West* July 18, 2015 at 11:24 am #2–OP, it is not your responsibility to cover their shortfall. You have a definite date when you have to leave because your lease is up. As someone else pointed out, this is a business situation, not a personal one. Hold fast and stick to your plan. Stay calm and professional when speaking to your relative about this, same as you would any other manager. Don’t let her try to guilt you into anything.
Writer in trouble* July 18, 2015 at 1:03 pm #1 – Okay, I posted something similar in the open forum yesterday and I literally thought Alison had copied my question over when I saw your headline. I pretty much had a complete nervous breakdown yesterday over a huge mistake I made with my freelancing job. My mistake too was not my first one by far. An hour into work I told my normal day job I was dealing with a personal problem and left, which is something I have never done before. I have literally made myself sick over this with the stress and the guilt. Anywho. I hear you, is what I’m trying to say. We all make mistakes. We are human. Try not to be too hard on yourself. But yeah, especially if this error is going to come out anyway, you absolutely have to bring it up now. This is going to suck, but you have to do it. Have a legitimate plan in place to offer them, that you have really thought out, in terms of how you will ensure this doesn’t happen again.
QualityControlFreak* July 18, 2015 at 1:06 pm OP #1, I am trying to help solve this exact problem with a person on one of my teams. I encourage you to talk to your boss, but before you do, maybe spend some time thinking about why this particular issue keeps occurring. In our situation, we started by identifying the issue (not double-checking the work). The first thing we did was some very informal training; i.e., “place the source documentation side by side with this report printed from the system and check to see that the information entered matches.” We went through the process together. Still not happening. When asked, the person said they just “knew” they had entered the information. Only, they hadn’t. So we added that as a step to the procedure. We made changes to the system to make it easier to use. The boss told us all to “check each other’s work.” Which was shorthand for “everyone check Prunella’s work.” Very frustrating. I do believe my teammate is not a good fit for the job, but with the assumption that they’re not going anywhere, I’m trying desperately to come up with a way to fix this issue. What factors might be contributing to the problem? Is the workload unmanageable? Are you rushed for time and pressured to get the product out on an unrealistic schedule? You’ll be leaving in a few weeks, which may solve the problem on your end, but if you spend a little time thinking about why this keeps happening and share those thoughts with your boss, you could be helping them solve a larger problem within their organization, which can only reflect well on you. (Plus, I’d really like to know the answers, for selfish reasons.) Good luck in your new position!
TootsNYC* July 18, 2015 at 2:24 pm OP#1, I’d suggest you do this sort of deep thinking (not just process– maybe stuff like, “Do I resent the task, and so that’s why I do it crappily? Do I feel bad about myself when I discover that I’ve made a mistake?”) for your own personal growth. Make this screw-up work for you! Do the hard mental and emotional work that will mean you learn something about this, and that you get better. You’ve been deliberately taking risks: “I’ve worked for this company for about 9 months, and have made about 2 other big mistakes like this for the same reason: not double-checking my work. Why is that? Dig down, figure it out. For YOUR sake. You feel awful now; there’s all this dread. Make that work for you–you never want to be here again, emotionally, right? Let that motivate you–or better yet, let the desire for confidence motivate you. The way to feel confident is to do the work. (In this case, the mental work of dissecting yourself and your work habits to figure this out.) This is TOTALLY under your control. You can. I’ll give you a personal example of how valuable this process can be. I used to put off booking freelancers for crunch times. It was a problem–I ended up w/ substandard people because I didn’t have people to choose from. So I tried to figure out, Why was I doing this? The answer was: I was procrastinating on this issue because I wasn’t sure what the right course was. Sometimes it was because I didn’t know which freelancer to choose. Other times it was because I wasn’t sure that I knew which days I’d need help, or how many people, or whether I had the budget. Here’s where that realization was powerful: Once I knew WHY I was procrastinating, I could fix it! I know the BASE reason is that I’m not certain; I’m not confident which is the right decision. But that let me figure out exactly what SPECIFIC was making me uncertain, and I could nail THAT down. I could go to my boss and say, “I want to know if we’re going to need people this night; or, I need a commitment from you that either (a) you’ll roll with it if I decide to NOT book anyone; or (b) you won’t bust my chops if I spend the money to book someone and we end up not needing them.” When I realized that it was budget uncertainly, I created a tool that let me better estimate my numbers; and now I can go tweak it with worst-case scenarios, etc., so I can be sure I’m not going to end up spending money I’ll wish I had later. If I can suss out that the thing I’m hesitating over is knowing which freelancer to hire, I can go get more information about them somewhere, or give myself time to sit down and analyze the evidence I have about their work. It’s hugely valuable to know this about myself. But you have to DO THE WORK of sitting down and honestly evaluating yourself. You can’t lie to yourself or make excuses to yourself. But, you also won’t get anywhere with this exercise if you’re too hard on yourself. Be like a detective with your brain and emotions. Don’t scold yourself. Good luck!
Windchime* July 19, 2015 at 1:34 pm This is why I procrastinate, too: uncertainty. I’m not sure exactly what data I need, so I put off getting it. Or I’m unsure how to go about a task, so I leave it till the end. At home, it has to do with housekeeping: I’m not sure where to put things, so I leave clutter lying about (should I shred it? Toss it? Will I need this coupon book from Costco later?). Thanks for this post. I am going to save it.
TootsNYC* July 19, 2015 at 2:07 pm Oh yeah: ” I’m not sure where to put things, so I leave clutter lying about (should I shred it? Toss it? Will I need this coupon book from Costco later?)” In my house, all clutter is a decision I have been deferring.
Purple Dragon* July 20, 2015 at 12:05 am “In my house, all clutter is a decision I have been deferring.” I need this embroidered on a cushion ! I never thought about it like this before. Thanks
Elder Dog* July 18, 2015 at 1:20 pm OP#2 You said your relative said she would work out a place for you to stay? You really want to sleep on your relative’s couch for a few weeks? Share a bathroom with her kids? When you could be getting to know your new city a bit before you start your new job? You planned ahead when you chose the date of your last day. She has a planning problem she needs to solve now. I’m sure she will find a way to handle it without your having to stay on longer.
TootsNYC* July 18, 2015 at 2:25 pm Boy is this true! She has a planning problem She’s known you were quitting; she knows they’ll be short handed; she knows that every year this is the very same busy period. She hasn’t recruited other people, over the years, to be willing to come and be part of the solution for this regularly recurring time period?
TootsNYC* July 18, 2015 at 2:05 pm OP#2–I might suggest that the next time this comes up w/ your relative, you say, “Listen, I think it’s important that we separate family things from work things. Your asking me to stay to help you out, including the idea that you’re offering a place to stay, is really a family thing. I want to keep the work stuff as work. So just pretend I’m not a relative. It’s not really fair for you to use family pressure and family ties to pressure me this way.” And walk away.
LookyLou* July 19, 2015 at 9:49 am #1: when making a mistake, it is always best to find the mistake yourself and bring it to people who can fix it! Once I found a mistake that could’ve easily been fixed and I just ignored it because it would’ve made me look like an idiot – well of course my boss found out and it looked even worse on me. Your boss can see it 2 ways if you don’t reveal it asap: 1) You knew about the mistake and hid it. That makes you appear incompetent and dishonest… there is a good chance you will lose your job or never be trusted again. It makes you look like you just don’t care about the company or appreciate the gravity of the situation. Good references will be out of the question. 2) You didn’t know about it and weren’t careful enough to see it… this just makes you look incompetent because not only did you make the mistake but you never once found the mistake on your own (when you should have). Considering your past incident with double checking this would cement their opinion that you are incapable of doing your work without supervision. But if you do go and admit that you made the mistake and outline exactly what happened (without making excuses) you can save yourself… while it will make you feel stupid they will at least see you as an honest employee who is competent enough to realize that you made a mistake.
Anonymous20* July 20, 2015 at 9:29 am I can relate to #2. I have to agree with everyone here, stay true to your plan. I have family who are always telling me I need to say on jobs for various reasons. The biggest issue is you don’t want to disappoint anyone but you have to ultimately do what is best for you and not everyone else.
not telling* July 20, 2015 at 9:48 pm OP #1: To reiterate what has already been said: Yes it is frustrating when we make mistakes especially repeat mistakes. But as others have said, we all make them. Even repeatedly. Even experienced professionals. I recently made a mistake to the tune of about $5k. And not only that, but the mistake was a physical one–36 boxes of the wrong product are sitting in an empty cubicle next to mine until I can find a way to divest the company of them! (and I don’t care if I have to carve them up, melt them down and make christmas ornaments to sell at a local winer carnival, I WILL remedy my mistake!). But owning up to your mistake isn’t just important because it shows integrity. It is important because the first step in improvement is recognizing your weakness (not just being told what it is from your boss but seeing it for yourself). It may seem counterintuitive, but confessing your mistake shows maturity and growth.
Cool Blue* July 21, 2015 at 10:16 am Quick question: who ultimately decides how much salary you are worth? The hiring manager or HR? Or is it a collaborative decision?