Part of the workplace guilt I experienced came from the company understaffing my department. When we were all present and working our butts off, we could just barely keep our heads above water. So when one of us was absent for chronic illness/bereavement/vacation, there was no backup. I don’t regret taking time off to be with my mom afte…
Part of the workplace guilt I experienced came from the company understaffing my department. When we were all present and working our butts off, we could just barely keep our heads above water. So when one of us was absent for chronic illness/bereavement/vacation, there was no backup. I don’t regret taking time off to be with my mom after my dad died, but I did feel guilty about the chaos my teammates struggled through. But why?! Why was *I* the one feeling bad?? If the company had built in some contingency plans, maybe we all would have felt a little less crummy about the situation and the company would have saved themselves some hassle in the long run (within 18 months, every single person on the team had quit). I definitely think it’s worth exploring how “being a good employee” and “taking ownership of your job” can leave us feeling personal guilt over something that is a systemic problem.
Part of the workplace guilt I experienced came from the company understaffing my department. When we were all present and working our butts off, we could just barely keep our heads above water. So when one of us was absent for chronic illness/bereavement/vacation, there was no backup. I don’t regret taking time off to be with my mom after my dad died, but I did feel guilty about the chaos my teammates struggled through. But why?! Why was *I* the one feeling bad?? If the company had built in some contingency plans, maybe we all would have felt a little less crummy about the situation and the company would have saved themselves some hassle in the long run (within 18 months, every single person on the team had quit). I definitely think it’s worth exploring how “being a good employee” and “taking ownership of your job” can leave us feeling personal guilt over something that is a systemic problem.