Is this insubordination or did I have the right to speak up?
I was going through an incident report at work (I work at a Montessori school) on Monday and noticed that it wasn't documented that the parents were called or otherwise notified. It's my job to follow up with things and bring them forward at our daily meeting.
I told the VP that there wasn't any documentation about notifying parents and the VP snapped at me and said, "I already took care of it so it's none of your concern". I said ok, I wasn't trying to be rude, and she said "Well telling me how to do my job is pretty rude. Stay out of it."
I didn't bring it up any further. Today at afternoon meeting, the VP said, "John Smith's parents weren't notified yesterday about that incident and they're pissed. Isn't it your job to make sure these things are done?"
I said yes ma'am, but you said yesterday that you took care of it. She said, "But at the end of it, the parents weren't notified and now they're pissed. It's your job to follow up and you didn't do your job. I want to know why you didn't do your job."
I said, "I told you at yesterday's afternoon meeting that the documentation about notifying the parents was missing. You said that you took care of it and it was none of my concern. I don't know what you want me to do here because when I said that I wasn't trying to be rude, you told me that I was telling you how to do your job and to stay out of it. I can either follow up, or stay out of it but I can't do both."
She told me to "watch it" and that I needed to check my attitude. The other two teachers were super uncomfortable and I was having a really hard time taking this in stride. I said "With all due respect, you told me you took care of it and to stay out of it. If you need me to follow up on things, then don't tell me to stay out of it and then the next day get upset that I listened to you."
She told me I was being insubordinate and I honestly feel like at this point, I just need to leave this job. This VP constantly messes up and blames it on people who are afraid to speak up.
Was I insubordinate?
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