Good Job is Slate’s advice column on work. Have a workplace problem big or small? Send it to Laura Helmuth and Doree Shafrir here. (It’s anonymous!)
Dear Good Job,
Six years ago, when I was in college, I was diagnosed with OCD. The diagnosis came after a very stressful spiraling during finals. But I got help and I have managing it with medication and therapy since then.
Recently though, I could feel old habits coming back. My OCD presents as perfectionism in work. That has never gone away, but it’s becoming worse and worse lately, with me sometimes staying up all night rewriting reports, sure that I can get them more perfect. I’m working with my psychiatrist and therapist obviously. But I’m worried that the longer it’s taking us to get to a new equilibrium with my medication, that my work is going to realize I’m acting crazy.
So far I don’t think anyone has noticed anything: I’m still getting my projects done, they’re just taking me twice as long as they were before. I’ve not missed any deadlines. It would be a relief, in some ways, to tell them what is going on. But I am terrified that involving my boss or HR would lead to me losing this job. Do you think I should keep this to myself until someone gives me a reason to tell them? (Like, if I do start missing deadlines and they notice?) Or should I tell them now? I can’t really think clearly about this.
—Perfectionist (Derogatory)
Dear Perfectionist (Derogatory),
I want to reach through the computer screen and give you a hug, because I can hear in your letter how stressed out you are about this situation. And while I think you’re right to have this on your radar, I do wonder if your OCD is making you overly obsess over what’s going on at work and how they will respond. (Also, necessary caveat that I am not a doctor, this is not medical advice, et cetera!) Because even though your work is taking you longer than it used to, you still haven’t missed deadlines and you say yourself that no one has noticed. So I’m not sure that telling them now is a great idea, since you are in treatment and you’re waiting for your meds to fully kick in. It’s possible that once they do and you find your equilibrium again, this will be a completely moot point—so that’s why I wouldn’t necessarily suggest telling work immediately.
On the other hand, if you do see that your OCD is starting to affect your work, then I think it might be worth having this conversation with your manager and HR. You are legally protected under the ADA, but you should also consult your employee handbook to see what it says about the way your company handles disabilities. I’m hoping that in the event that you do feel you need to disclose your condition that your workplace handles it with the compassion that you deserve.
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Dear Good Job,
When does micromanaging become genuinely unethical behavior? “Winifred” loves to micromanage my work. She’s taken away responsibilities, accumulated responsibilities I wanted to herself, and doesn’t allow me ownership of my work.
Recently, we were scheduled to meet an external team. I attended, Winifred didn’t. Later, she asked about my plan for the project. She then informed the external partner about “our” thoughts. When I completed some preliminary background work, I expanded on my initial assessment. Winifred shared that work with the external team and changed my content to state that, “We recommend…”
Is she taking credit for my work? Because it certainly feels like it. For what it’s worth, my official position (drafted by Winifred) gives me responsibility to define project scope and format.
I can’t go to HR. Even an anonymous report would point back to me. Talking with Winifred is pointless—she already knows I’m unhappy reporting to her.
—Credit-Stealing Hell
Dear Credit-Stealing Hell,
Ah yes, a tale as old as time: the manager who takes credit for your work. This may be a classic scenario, but that doesn’t make it right. Before I get into what you have the power to do about it, I do want to very gently push back on your characterization of this as “genuinely unethical behavior.” It’s sh*tty behavior, yes, but I worry that in an organizational context, “unethical” has a different bar, and if you start by accusing her of unethical behavior, you might be dismissed because it doesn’t necessarily meet that bar.
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Now to your question of whether she’s taking credit for your work—I think you know the answer here. There’s also the issue of her undermining you by reducing your scope (which SHE defined!). What I also want to push back on is the idea that you can’t do anything about what’s happening, because I think that you can. First, though, you need a paper trail. So you have to document every time she takes credit for your work, undermines you, changes the scope of your role, or does anything else that you feel is inappropriate. If you have a verbal conversation with her about a project, reiterate what was said in an email (something like: “Just to confirm what we discussed, I will be handling the presentation for the meeting on Wednesday”). You can also ask questions over email about why the scope of your role on a project was changed—again, you are creating documentation. There’s no such thing as one too many emails! You can use these to file a formal complaint with HR if and when the time comes.
Finally, I think it’s worth asking yourself if this is a role you see yourself in longterm. If Winifred were not your manager, would you still want to stay at this company? Is there any possibility of changing teams or roles within the company? Because what you’re describing feels like a problem that might not have a great solution, especially if Winifred is liked by her superiors. I might quietly start looking if I were you—and hopefully your next role won’t have a Winifred overseeing it.
—Doree
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