I May Be Heading For A Work Crisis

[total-recoil]

I'm actually a bit worried at this time as I just have this strong feeling something is wrong at work. I recently started a factory job (to hopefully make some extra money for Christmas) and I guess I was feeling it wasn't going so bad. My time keeping has been spot on and I worked hard. It isn't really the best place to work as it's one of those very regimented, cheap labour factories but at least it's clean and the people seemed O.K. in general.
I mentioned in a former post how a few days ago I got sent home and I posted about this. Well, it's happened again along with other odd things. Last Sunday I was working and had about an hour or so left till the end of my shift. I suddenly noticed a three managers standing in a small group watching me, pointing and talking. Of course, I was working at the time but had this strange feeling there was a problem. Then, two minutes later another guy approaches and says I'm being sent home. I asked what the problem was and if everything was O.K. and the guy said they'd phone me later on. So, I left. Well, since then I've had no phone call and I'm actually wondering if something is going on. Another reason I feel something isn't right is I was put on a different job to what everybody else has been doing so have been sort of segregated. Yet, my work performance on former jobs has been reasonable compared with other workers. When I was packing, for example, I tend to be a bit slow so I tried to speed myself up to the same level as everybody else and sometimes seemed to be either as quick or even a touch quicker.
You know this has happened so many times before, I really am beginning to think I may get ditched. The problem is those people who know me well enough to be frank have often told me I do stand out as different and lots and lots of people assumed I was into drugs. At work I really can't help spacing or zoning out if it's an automatic, robotic job and also some of my other symptoms are hard to mask. The big difference now is I know I have aspergers whereas in the past I never figured out why these situations were ongoing.
Sooo, the question is anyone have any thoughts on how best to handle this? I mean, it may be the case I'm jumping the gun and reading more than there is into the situation but, by the same token, my intuition tells me there could be issues at stake. Like how come I got sent home abruptly and why do I appear to be being excluded at work?
I should add there is a degree of anger building up as well. The truth is I've had so many similar situations happen in the past, maybe I'm hung up on what can go wrong next. P.S. I recently read there has been concern as to how people react to aspies at work as seemingly this has created issues in the past so I guess I need to take it step at a time and see how it plays out.

 

[total-recoil]

I'm actually a bit worried at this time as I just have this strong feeling something is wrong at work. I recently started a factory job (to hopefully make some extra money for Christmas) and I guess I was feeling it wasn't going so bad. My time keeping has been spot on and I worked hard. It isn't really the best place to work as it's one of those very regimented, cheap labour factories but at least it's clean and the people seemed O.K. in general.
I mentioned in a former post how a few days ago I got sent home and I posted about this. Well, it's happened again along with other odd things. Last Sunday I was working and had about an hour or so left till the end of my shift. I suddenly noticed a three managers standing in a small group watching me, pointing and talking. Of course, I was working at the time but had this strange feeling there was a problem. Then, two minutes later another guy approaches and says I'm being sent home. I asked what the problem was and if everything was O.K. and the guy said they'd phone me later on. So, I left. Well, since then I've had no phone call and I'm actually wondering if something is going on. Another reason I feel something isn't right is I was put on a different job to what everybody else has been doing so have been sort of segregated. Yet, my work performance on former jobs has been reasonable compared with other workers. When I was packing, for example, I tend to be a bit slow so I tried to speed myself up to the same level as everybody else and sometimes seemed to be either as quick or even a touch quicker.
You know this has happened so many times before, I really am beginning to think I may get ditched. The problem is those people who know me well enough to be frank have often told me I do stand out as different and lots and lots of people assumed I was into drugs. At work I really can't help spacing or zoning out if it's an automatic, robotic job and also some of my other symptoms are hard to mask. The big difference now is I know I have aspergers whereas in the past I never figured out why these situations were ongoing.
Sooo, the question is anyone have any thoughts on how best to handle this? I mean, it may be the case I'm jumping the gun and reading more than there is into the situation but, by the same token, my intuition tells me there could be issues at stake. Like how come I got sent home abruptly and why do I appear to be being excluded at work?
I should add there is a degree of anger building up as well. The truth is I've had so many similar situations happen in the past, maybe I'm hung up on what can go wrong next. P.S. I recently read there has been concern as to how people react to aspies at work as seemingly this has created issues in the past so I guess I need to take it step at a time and see how it plays out.

O.K. update is I do have a normal shift tomorrow as have been contacted since I posted. Maybe I am being a bit touchy or paranoid and should try and relax a bit more. Could be they figured I just seemed tired and let me go home early.

 

[Pella]

I don't know if you have disclosed that you have asperger's or not, if it were me I would probably do so, it would be better than people thinking i was on drugs, but I can see where disclosing would be scary especially with the negative ideas about asperger's that NTs have. Also, they may think you should have told them before you were hired, but being you work in a factory and not with customers I wouldn't think it should be a problem if you are able to do the job. And even working in retail I was pretty good with customers most of the time, because I understood that it was part of my job, but being all accomadating to co workers when they make no effort to accomodate me shouldn't be part of my job unless I work for human resources or something like that. Otherwise, I would say ask for a meeting, with a supervisor and say that if there is something wrong that you need to know what it is specifically, because you are committed to working hard and doing a good job, and if there is a way that you can do your job better you need to know. If the problem is social I don't think they should be able to fire you unless you are being violent or threatening people. It sounds like it really may just be a misunderstanding, that they are perhaps misinterpreting something in your behavior or attitude, and if they are reasonable people asking for an explanation and then clarifying in light of their response should help, I would think so anyway. People are going to misinterpret our intentions and behavior sometimes, but that doesn't mean we can't do a good job.

 

[total-recoil]

I don't know if you have disclosed that you have asperger's or not, if it were me I would probably do so, it would be better than people thinking i was on drugs, but I can see where disclosing would be scary especially with the negative ideas about asperger's that NTs have. Also, they may think you should have told them before you were hired, but being you work in a factory and not with customers I wouldn't think it should be a problem if you are able to do the job. And even working in retail I was pretty good with customers most of the time, because I understood that it was part of my job, but being all accomadating to co workers when they make no effort to accomodate me shouldn't be part of my job unless I work for human resources or something like that. Otherwise, I would say ask for a meeting, with a supervisor and say that if there is something wrong that you need to know what it is specifically, because you are committed to working hard and doing a good job, and if there is a way that you can do your job better you need to know. If the problem is social I don't think they should be able to fire you unless you are being violent or threatening people. It sounds like it really may just be a misunderstanding, that they are perhaps misinterpreting something in your behavior or attitude, and if they are reasonable people asking for an explanation and then clarifying in light of their response should help, I would think so anyway. People are going to misinterpret our intentions and behavior sometimes, but that doesn't mean we can't do a good job.

I don't have official diagnosis so haven't disclosed it. I have had bad experiences in the past and I think maybe I get touchy if something feels not right. It does appear that the fact I know I have aspergers is helping me to hang on and stay cool in this case and so I know I need to just make sure I turn up for my shift on time tomorrow and do the best I can. The zoning out does tend to be problem for me is I really do seem to disconnect at some points (usually later in the day). Hard to say if I've been noticed. People who know me well do say they noticed things very quickly and there was a feeling I was into drugs and spaced out. It can make life very stressful at times as my aspergers sometimes stands out a lot.
Still, so far I'm still hanging on so just need to make sure I keep on being on time and maybe try to space out less if I can (maybe try and sleep more)

 

[Soup]

Maybe they've observed something positive: if you've been working as good if not better or faster, they may be watching that to see if it is consistent. If so, they may be looking at you for a possible promotion.

 

[Spinning Compass]

Unfortunately it's hard not to be paranoid--I would be too under the circumstances. I am assuming that there is no one in human resources/personnel or even health that you can talk to? Are you in a union?

The sad thing is that all too often companies will play games like this and from what I've heard from friends who have worked in factories there is even more of this BS going on in a factory with very little you can do about it. Confronting does little good as all they will do is deny it and try to make you look even worse. In my company the usual practice is to first verbally warn the employee, then written warnings, then suspension before firing. USUALLY. Not always. We just let a person go in my department who was performing subpar. Officially the story is that her position was eliminated.

If they do call you in for a drug/alcohol test, I would cooperate. I am assuming that you are not using drugs and that if you do drink you drink responsibly. The problem with not having a diagnosis is that you cannot use it in your defense.