Toddson, what a tough situation. In case you have not already started doing this - write down, with time and date, all of her instructions to you. Do this right as she is saying it. Read it back to her, by way of making sure you understand what she is saying.

If all else fails, and you get fired, this sort of documentation will back you up, if you have to appeal to Unemployment.

I'm sorry about the crap work situation, Toddson.

Thanks ... I went out and had some lunch, which helped.

Question - she wants to meet next week to discuss things. A friend has advised me to have someone else present, as a witness. The person who handles HR matters would be appropriate ... but she's in even deeper shit than I am. Our head person, my boss's supervisor, would be appropriate ... but I feel that she's encouraging this.

Would asking for a third party be seen as upping the antagonism? if it's the HR person, what she says would probably be dismissed because of the antagonism already there andif it's the head person, would she back me up?

Any way to have both HR and head person there? If you have to choose, in your shoes, I'd have the head person there, take detailed notes, read everything back to them, and have them both initial and date that they read your notes. I'd prepare for it by writing down all the duties/projects you have on your plate, rating them on priority as you understand it, jot down progress notes for each including estimate of time spent. That way during the course of the meeting, you can ask them for their priorities, and bring up issues such as needing authority on the newsletter.

I don't suppose you can take any perverse enjoyment out of irritating them by not folding and running away screaming?

That's the kind of discussion I'd take a union rep with me for, but I don't know how unions work in the US. Having someone independent there is a good idea, though. I hope it works out OK for you, Toddson.

Andi, I'm not going to fold and run away screaming (at least not long-term ... in the evening, perhaps, or for a lunch break).

I'm afraid that by asking for anyone else in there, it's going to escalate and things will get worse (and, yes, they can get worse). And as I said, the HR person is in worse shape than I am and the head person is the one driving this whole situation.

....can you just secretly record it? Or, better yet (because I think that's illegal), not-secretly record it? (Maybe make them think it's a joke, but get their agreement on 'tape'?)

Ooooh, yeah. Recording... tell them your reason is that you feel you have not been remembering details as carefully as you should, and if recorded you will be able to go back and get precisely what they said so that you can do a better job.

Parasitic flatworms, now in comic form: [link]