Hi there
I'm just looking to get some advice/feedback about a situation I find myself in at my current contract. I'm about to start my third week as a developer and last week things in the office took a turn for the worst.
Essentially one my permanent colleagues has been getting a little jealous since he saw my car one afternoon when I went out to get lunch. It started off with a few what I thought, at the time, were throw away jokes/comments about being paid too much but his general attitude towards me has been in the toilet since then. He takes issue with every bit of code I ask for review, with some fairly ludicrous suggestions that offer little to no improvements over what I've provided. He's essentially flexing his muscle and, what's more, trying to make me look like a tool in front of my manager.
On Friday I asked for a code review at 2pm to be told he was busy. I started some other tasks to fill in the time but really needed to get this work checked in because we were at the end of the current Sprint and at the team meeting the manager made a point of telling me that this stuff all had to be in. Anyway after asking all afternoon he finally decided to come over at 5, (he knows I finish 5.30 and live 3 hours from site), and proceeds to demolish what I've put together. He tries to dress it all up as advice but worse still he sits at my desk, deletes nearly everything I've done to put in his preferred solution. Only he then breaks all of my tests and essentially nothing can be checked in for the end of Sprint. My manager then asks why I'm shelving work and I point out that my tests are no longer valid and, as per his rules, no check-ins can happen without approval or accompanying tests.
The manager went mental and I mean absolutely spare but, despite being told that a perfectly acceptable solution was in place and his senior dev had destroyed the work, he tells me that they're "paying me a lot of f###ing money", more than he's on in fact and that I should have delivered it. No consideration of the intervention of someone else who I feel is clearly trying to undermine me.
Basically it's making me feel sick. I don't know how I can operate in an environment where the senior developer is going out of his way to undermine my work and make me look like an idiot. It wouldn't be so bad if I had other developers to go to for check-in or if I had autonomy but he's the only developer in the office I can ask for review.
I understand the practices of code review, I've done many myself, but I've never done what the senior dev did on Friday. Especially at end of Sprint. Also I have no issue with swearing in the office but I take issue with being sworn at. I conduct myself professionally at all times and I expect the same courtesy to be shown to me. Furthermore, I don't expect my pay to be brought up in front of the other developers, it's never ever been thrown at me before and you'd never say the same thing to a permanent staff member.
It came to light last week that their previous contractor left the week before I arrived and he didn't last a fortnight. Something isn't right in there. But I'm torn on what to do. I'm concerned this is going to spiral into full blown harassment/bullying and there'll be false accusations thrown around that I'm inept or incapable of performing my job. I've never been in this situation before.
Do I..
Has anyone else been in a similar situation with colleagues undermining their position? How did you handle it?
I'm just looking to get some advice/feedback about a situation I find myself in at my current contract. I'm about to start my third week as a developer and last week things in the office took a turn for the worst.
Essentially one my permanent colleagues has been getting a little jealous since he saw my car one afternoon when I went out to get lunch. It started off with a few what I thought, at the time, were throw away jokes/comments about being paid too much but his general attitude towards me has been in the toilet since then. He takes issue with every bit of code I ask for review, with some fairly ludicrous suggestions that offer little to no improvements over what I've provided. He's essentially flexing his muscle and, what's more, trying to make me look like a tool in front of my manager.
On Friday I asked for a code review at 2pm to be told he was busy. I started some other tasks to fill in the time but really needed to get this work checked in because we were at the end of the current Sprint and at the team meeting the manager made a point of telling me that this stuff all had to be in. Anyway after asking all afternoon he finally decided to come over at 5, (he knows I finish 5.30 and live 3 hours from site), and proceeds to demolish what I've put together. He tries to dress it all up as advice but worse still he sits at my desk, deletes nearly everything I've done to put in his preferred solution. Only he then breaks all of my tests and essentially nothing can be checked in for the end of Sprint. My manager then asks why I'm shelving work and I point out that my tests are no longer valid and, as per his rules, no check-ins can happen without approval or accompanying tests.
The manager went mental and I mean absolutely spare but, despite being told that a perfectly acceptable solution was in place and his senior dev had destroyed the work, he tells me that they're "paying me a lot of f###ing money", more than he's on in fact and that I should have delivered it. No consideration of the intervention of someone else who I feel is clearly trying to undermine me.
Basically it's making me feel sick. I don't know how I can operate in an environment where the senior developer is going out of his way to undermine my work and make me look like an idiot. It wouldn't be so bad if I had other developers to go to for check-in or if I had autonomy but he's the only developer in the office I can ask for review.
I understand the practices of code review, I've done many myself, but I've never done what the senior dev did on Friday. Especially at end of Sprint. Also I have no issue with swearing in the office but I take issue with being sworn at. I conduct myself professionally at all times and I expect the same courtesy to be shown to me. Furthermore, I don't expect my pay to be brought up in front of the other developers, it's never ever been thrown at me before and you'd never say the same thing to a permanent staff member.
It came to light last week that their previous contractor left the week before I arrived and he didn't last a fortnight. Something isn't right in there. But I'm torn on what to do. I'm concerned this is going to spiral into full blown harassment/bullying and there'll be false accusations thrown around that I'm inept or incapable of performing my job. I've never been in this situation before.
Do I..
- Say, say nothing, keep invoicing and wait for the inevitable termination
- Address the issue with the manager, even though the senior dev is his best bud and try to explain the situation even though I'm also uncomfortable with the manager after his unwarranted outburst on Friday.
- Walk away with my dignity and tell them I'm not happy taking s##t
Has anyone else been in a similar situation with colleagues undermining their position? How did you handle it?
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