Work ethics

[Merlion@ 0]

i am in graduate school and work 20 hrs per week for my professor/adviser.

we work with distressed kids who are in need of counseling.

over the summer my boss has been away and the whole place turned into a party. my fellow coworkers are loud and there are no longer any boundaries maintained between things that need be kept private and things that one discusses at work. today i t but she is also guilty of the above behavior and told my manger that i find what has been happening lately inappropriate. my manager is a fellow student - a senior student. me when i told her this she approached me saying that i looked stressed out for the past 3 days - and i was stressed out but not because of this but because of a miscommunication that happened at work.

i find that all this partying is inappropriate - i do not know if i am biased since i tend to stay a lot by myself or if this really shouldn't be done. i do not know if it's my values standing in the way, i just think it's inappropriate since we have families coming in and out with kids - even if is not too busy- it does not look good.

i have a week of vacation coming up and i worry that i already look as a scapegoat to my manager who admitted she was loud and not always appropriate herself - it seemed she worried the big boss will find out but i told her i won't say anything - even this other student who comes in less often asked me if it is always loud like that. i worry about the consequences now that i told her and also, i want to let the boss know but without offending anyone...or perhaps i should continue to do my work and keep quiet.

any advice as to what i should do? when is it okay to bring such issues back with the boss and when is it not? am i too sensitive? i would appreciate any opinions from people who are familiar with the system here. thank you.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

I am sorry you are having a tough time at work. There is a saying here, when the cat's away, the mice will play - meaning when the big boss is gone, the workers slack off and do as little as possible. It is almost expected.

Now, it is a bit more bloated in a school setting because a lot of students don't take campus jobs as seriously as they should, the think they are students first and workers second.

Are you being too sensitive? I don't know because I don't know the extent of the 'partying'. But if you are uncomfortable with it I would just keep to yourself and not let yourself get involved in this. Your boss will come back and it will be obvious who did work and who didn't - especially if other students are coming in and complaining about the noise. I would not bring anything up to your boss unless asked, if asked simply tell the truth.

Hang in until your boss gets back and things will get better after that. Good luck!