Over the Drama

My desk. At whatever office I'm temping at for the day.

So, even though I only worked one day last week, it had the workplace drama of a WHOLE WEEK. Somehow, as a temp, people think it is OK to vent to you about the ins and outs of their office environment. Usually, it comes across as playful banter or necessary venting or even an FYI about who is a hardass (or who to avoid) in the office. It's all well and good. Honestly, I thought I'd seen and heard it all. Until last Friday.

This was the second Friday in a row I worked at this law firm, and, although I noticed some tension between a few of the employees the week before, it was nothing like the shit show of awkward that I experienced last week. Both parties felt like it was appropriate to bitch to me about the other employee in the office (hurried and whispered conversations, of course). Then, I had to secretly transfer phone calls and monitor how long people took on breaks or lunch. And, if that weren't awkward enough, at one point, two of the employees actually started yelling at each other.

Needless to say, I emailed my temp service and let them know about the toxicity of the office. I not only asked not to return, but warned them that it might not be an appropriate work place for any of their temps. Yeah, it was bad. I mean, come ON! I am not your spy! I am not your friend! I'm not even your ally! I am here for one or two days to do a job and do not want to be dragged into your intra-office bullshit. Never again. I am glad to be back at a job where everyone seems cordial and likable. No more dramz pls.