I feel like I am kind of being called out publicly for a mistake I made. Should I bring this up with my superiors or is it no big deal?

Question

This is my first job and I'm just about a month in. My workplace uses an app for staff to communicate with each other, and on this app a group chat has been made including myself and everyone in my department. A staff member who I believe is a manager (?) (I am yet to meet them) attached a pdf showing where I have filled out some paperwork incorrectly. They asked that everyone reply to their message outlining what is wrong with how it has been filled out, not naming me directly but my portion of the paperwork is evidently what is incorrect about it. I would like to point out that there is nowhere to refer to on how this type of paperwork is to be filled out, and I have previously only been shown once or twice how to do it amongst many other new things to remember. At the time at which I filled this paperwork out, it was one of the first times working a shift alone and so it was also the first time doing paperwork without having anyone around to ask who would know how it is to be done correctly.

This group chat includes people who have been working there for much longer, who obviously will know what part of the paperwork is wrong. Myself and two other members of staff all joined this department at around the same time. I find it unnecessary that this person asked everyone to point out what was wrong about it, instead of only new staff as a learning opportunity (although I think I would still feel uncomfortable with this situation). I don't see why they couldn't have contacted only me directly.

Advice much appreciated.

Answer 1

I would keep a note of it, but wait.

A Single instance should be dealt with in isolation, but if it happens multiple times - then yes, public shaming is very unprofessional.

Answer 2

I feel like I am kind of being called out publicly for a mistake I made.

If you know you made a mistake and know how to correct it, the first thing you should do is to publicly reply and state that on line X you did Y when you should have done Z. This will look much better in the eyes of everyone than just remaining silent and letting yet another person publicly point out your mistake.

If you are unsure if it was you, or still don't know the correct procedure, I would reach out to whoever originally showed you ( or someone that knows how to do it ) asking them to explain it again and making sure that you take detailed notes for yourself. Make sure that you learn the procedure correctly to avoid repeating the same mistakes again.

Either way, you can approach the person who called you out publicly and let them know that their public display of someone else's mistakes without first giving that an opportunity to correct them is counterproductive and unprofessional and ask them to please address their concerns with your work privately in the future. If they continue with this behavior I would let your manager know and see what they say.

Answer 3

Don't worry too much about how you are perceived for this. It was one instance, you're new, nobody likes paperwork, and most people are going to recognize that this indirect way of giving feedback in front of everyone is bad style (or at best a misguided attempt at a learning opportunity).

This is especially true if you react graciously. If you already know your errors, point them out yourself and thank whoever taught you after that first shift alone. If you don't, thank whoever gave feedback. Ask where you can find information on how to fill out this (and other?) paperwork correctly, or who can show you how to do so. Show that you are willing to learn from mistakes, regardless of whether you are truly to blame for them or not.

You can even use this as an opportunity to make life easier for future newcomers. Clearly the information was not available when you needed it - maybe it should be part of the introduction every newcomer gets. Maybe there should be an info sheet wherever you get the paperwork that explains some terms or gives examples. Just make sure you don't look as if you're only trying to make excuses.

But should you bring up this incident with your supervisor or anyone else?

If you knew this person, you could just drop by and mention it without giving the incident too much weight. Since you don't I recommend to let it lie for now unless they do something like that again. Don't make more of it than it was, and definitely don't act the same way they did. If you bring it up with your supervisor, do it only in the context of avoiding such mistakes in the future (e.g. how to make sure that you know how to fill out the necessary paperwork before you are left alone with it).

Answer 4

In such situations, it is important to remain calm and respond with gratitude for the feedback, even if it seems that it was not given in the most appropriate way.

Every new employee has the right to make more mistakes than those who have been working for a longer time. It is important to focus on how we can improve our situation. In this case, it is worth asking for specific help or clarification to avoid similar mistakes in the future. If there are no clear guidelines or training materials, it is worth reporting it to the supervisor or team leader to help improve the system and minimize similar situations in the future.

It is important to learn from such situations and use them as opportunities for learning and development. Certainly, if you propose creating instructions on how to fill out such a document and what the whole process looks like (after filling), it will be appreciated by superiors and other people who process these documents. For the next new employees, it will be a great relief and will reduce their stress at the beginning of work