Back to the Grind

I tell you, nothing makes you more depressed about work than going to a job that does not make you happy like it used to. During the length of my active weekend, I forgot all about work. Then, 0400 Monday shows up, and I'm ready to hate my job again.

Ok, let's be fair, it's really not my job that I'm hating but the situation I'm in.

It wasn't until the company moved from 35 miles from my home to 50 miles from my home. Add to that daily 50 mile commute that it counts against me if I'm late (aka no leeway whatsoever), there is no option to telework, there is only one route I can take and it's filled with construction with no hope of public transportation, and I have to drive through one of the worst interchanges in one of the highest traffic volume areas in the country. There is saving grace that my father and I can ride in together and share driving duties, but that is not enough to keep me happy about being here.

After the move (which was early December, around the time we caught a stray kitten), the PI department took on a couple new hires. One of them I got along with great (I thought), the other had a habit of arguing with the results of my research when they contradicted hers (the inconsistency is that I'm asking different questions. She's asking about one payment, and I'm concerned with all customers who send payments there). I was told, when I took over these duties more than a year ago, to always go with my research above what they send me.

About a month ago, I get called into the office of my manager with two other MS employees and our supervisor. Apparently "four or five new employees in PI" were complaining about us. They (and I did confirm it was the aforementioned two new hires) went to their department manager and said that I told one of my coworkers about the mistakes they made (let's be honest, they make a lot), who told the other co-worker, who told the two newbies to be careful because they were being watched.
For the record, I never discuss the mistakes that anyone makes with anyone other than their supervisor or the person they dictate to handle such things, as I was instructed to do.

Now, my manager believed us when we said no such thing happened. She said she was sure it was a misunderstanding and left it at that. I am now supposed to send anything that I feel is a mistake to my supervisor, who will judge if it needs to be sent to them. That's not encouraging, but that's a story for another day. Yes, the two who were spreading the slander are still here. Which will bring me to the most recent problem.