Feeling overwhelmed by work--seeking advice

[BefuddledClarity]

** Sorry if it sounds incredibly vague at some points, retracted information for privacy **
Project/group A = Outside my department
Project/group B = My department

Yingwu♂- supervisor above me, tends to underexplain when asking this sup for help.
Laoshi♂- Another supervisor above me, overexplains everything, constantly calls us for "teaching" moments.
Muquan⚧- Boss above supervisors and me, is basically "Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde".



Brief Summary: Working two projects at job, have to be off the phones---the head honchos love the work we've done for project A and want it done SOON. My co-workers are mad at me for being off the phones even though I have approval. They also complained about ever little thing since project, or actually before that---for something I've communicated many times to them to talk to me if they needed me. Said coworkers never do their work, or take several hour lunches/breaks---I do not. Direct supervisors are hard to talk to, some don't listen, or talk condescendingly back to you or plainly give the wrong information.


Ever since I've been working from home, it's been increasingly stressful and I feel a bit overwhelmed sometimes.

Not really sure where to begin, but I work at an IT support type of job for particular product. We get calls from customers, but not a lot compared to the other departments. At my job, I am in two different work groups for two projects. One of the projects is for a department I'm not in(customer service for product), but they asked for volunteers, and I used to work that particular department, so I got the "okay" for that. The other project is for my department specifically(IT), they volunteered me for the project. Both projects are just about compiling training/reference materials for their department for both old and new employees pretty much.

Anyways, I really LOVE working on it! Especially with Group A. The group leader is helpful, provides ideas, and listens intently. Plus, the other people that are working the project are easy to get along with. The work is split up fairly well. Although, the subject material in Project A is something that I don't remember or know much about as it's been awhile since I've been in their department, but I'm relearning. Furthermore, the supervisors who are in Group A are the ones that provide the info anyways, I'm just making it look nice using particular programs online and assembling/designing it.

Now...In Group B it's the opposite. The group leader B is one of my three supervisors---Yingwu. He doesn't help, provide ideas, nor listen really. His favorite word is "no" as in "no, we're not going to do that." For Project B, there's no sense of direction at all. I ended up doing the bulk of the work---because I know quite a bit about our department and had made notes throughout the time I've worked here and asked the developers directly about the...particular product(sorry for the vagueness) many questions and learnt from them.


Our crew was VERY small, it was just Yingwu, and 2 others who...to put it nicely, are not very seasoned in our department. Later on, they added my co-worker buddy, who was a helpful. Though, I still ended up doing the bulk of the work, buddy told me I shouldn't do that and to make the other two do some work and said Yingwu needs to be a leader. We both thought of throwing a monkey wrench in the project but...I decided not to haha. Basically, Yingwu didn't assign sections, he didn't say what needed to be done, he didn't give a deadline. All he said was "get it done quick, we're getting new people. Get it done."

After that, both buddy and I ended up taking the leadership role. Buddy said, okay, "We'll work this, this, and this section" and said to the other crew "You guys can work this, that, and that section". We split off into two groups, Group 1 was buddy and I and group 2 was the other two.

For the group 2, I ended up helping them and providing information so they can compile their part. Whenever we ask Yingwu for assistance on gathering info for training material he basically just says to "get it done" An example would this:

Person B: I don't know what to put for this section, what should I add?
Yingwu: Just describe [topic].
Person B: Okay, but how would i describe it?
Yingwu: Just say what [topic] does.
Person B: ...okay.

I ended up having to provide that info group member. I'd say something like "Over in this part of the section, it will introduce what [topic] is about, when we use [topic], and how to troubleshoot [topic]. We'll need to divide the troubleshooting section to [Part A], [Part B] and [Part C]."

The group members are good at making what they need to once they're given direction. Without direction, they're lost. I took extra initiative and created a planner that divided the sections amongst our crew, added a "goal date" placeholder, assigned sections that they felt they were comfortable with doing, and let them checkmark what they completed and have Yingwu and Muquan do the final review. I did about a little more than half of the project and have them "clean it up"(aesthetics). Buddy and I pretty much are almost done with our sections of the project, it was really easy for us, but we're also veterans. The monkey wrench that we were going to throw...was not doing ANY work at all until Yingwu said to---which he kept neglecting to tell us when to get it done and what to do.
Yingwu told Buddy that "BefuddledClarity wasted time creating that planner instead of just finishing the project B"...Uhm...okay?

Anyways...Outside of the projects, I have had coworkers/supervisors talk behind my back, but this started BEFORE the project and progressed.
The reason it started was--after I took customer call, I would get off the phones for a little bit to fill in customer information, create IT tickets, send long, but important emails, and to ask Buddy for help(he's more of a veteran than me, and both Yingwu and Laoshi are very unhelpful, or I'm helping other people because they don't want to ask management(Laoshi overexplains and talks down on people, Yingwu underexplains and never knows the answer, Muquan...Is new to this department and is busy anyways with meetings), etc---and this is fine because they grant us time to do so. There's different "states" we go in that have different names, but I'll just describe as colors instead.

Green = taking inbound calls
Red=Documenting notes of call; off phones
Blue=Talking to management
Orange=working on a project

Anyways, I used to use red status after calls, so I can finish notating and not get thrown off what I'm doing but...Then both Yingwu and Lashi said "no, don't do that, that affects our call stats, go to blue status for now on. So I was like...Okay then, going blue then. I used to let my co-workers know about if I will go on such status and to message me if they need me. Instead...A couple of coworkers were complaining behind my back, and even the supervisors were talking about me. Muquan, for some reason, really likes Buddy, so they tell him EVERYTHING. About how they don't want Laoshi as a sup and would prefer Buddy to take his place. Then talking about how other co-workers etc. Buddy said "hey, they're talking about your status, just want to give you a heads-up to be careful because they're starting to talk". That made me extremely LIVID that they NEVER talked to me about being in the blue status for so long and were "talking" about it. Then finally, I have a 1v1 with Muquan, who sent out an email to everyone about phone statuses and being on time, etc.


Before the 1v1, Muquan sent message to me that was something like "First off, you need to stop being in blue status and use red status like you're supposed to, it shouldn't take you that long to do what you need to". I explained how Yingwu and Laoshi told me too and what I was doing while on that status, then Muquan gave a snarky reply of something along the lines of "That's funny, I'm pretty sure I talked to them about that." So...I sent Muquan a screenshot showing proof that Yingwu said it (Laoshi never types, always calls for EVERY.LITTLE.THING.). Muquan then deflects by saying "Well that's old, they know now" so...I don't say anything really but "okay". Then Muquan basically states "I made this email BECAUSE of you, because others kept complaining about the status you were in." This made me irritated when Muquan said that. I explained I ALWAYS let coworkers know about status change, and requested that they  COMMUNICATE with me about it, but instead they went directly to the supervisors, who discussed it amongst themselves for weeks, talked to my co-worker BUDDY about ME to HIM, THEN the supervisors decided to tell me.

Ever since then, I've had a couple of co-workers make snide comments to me like "Aren't we supposed to stay off red status as much as possible?". Then one of them...right after I got off my break said in GROUP chat "Bet she would stay an extra 7mins on purpose by checking the volume of calls first" then said person claims that it was "not about anyone in chat". Said person, who I'll call "Pinocchio"  is notorious for talking about me to supervisors and lying...Caught him in a lie because he admitted he told someone else he "made up that excuse" . Anyways, only reason I know Pinocchio talks about me is because Yingwu TOLD ME with comments like "yeah, pinnochio is getting finicky right now, can you go back to green status?".

Almost everyone there frustrates me everyday. I'm in orange status everyday now, based on important project A, due to the head honchos being well involved. The co-workers seem grumpier with me based on it too...

And really it's just two people complaining---that I'm aware of---Pinocchio and Negative Nancy(not actual name). Nancy always makes sly comments about me and other people...

Also...What really confuses me is that Muquan can be SUPER snappy for a bit, then goes back to being "nice". Muquan REALLY doesn't like Laoshi though, and it shows....Muquan is the new head boss of our department and didn't get to pick who they wanted as leadership below them. Not sure what Muquan's thoughts are on Yingwu. Basically, they said that they gave Yingwu the project to...handle...Sounded like a test based on what Buddy said...Yingwu used to be one of us, but ever since he got promoted, he's just...different.

***Also yes, technically, I was using the status in the incorrect way. Our call volume is VERY low, so...I didn't think much of it. When I was in the CS department, calls were back to back, and they wouldn't let us use red status AT ALL we just had many drafts that we had to finish at the end of the day. Muquan SPECIFICALLY said, "you can use it for whatever reasonable amount of time". NONE of my supervisors are EVER specific on that that means.


Questions:

1. How do you deal with difficult co-workers/management?

2. Are you still at the same job or did you leave?

3. If you left, did you quit cold turkey with nothing lined up or did you have something lined up?

4. If you're still at the same job, how do you cope? Do you plan on leaving or do you love your job?


Kinda tempted to quit cold turkey, but I can't. I have a family now...

[footprint]

Hi there,

I would definitely try to have a new job lined up before quitting, especially these days where economies are not doing well. If there are multiple bad actors at a job, however, then it's often not worth the effort you'd have to take to "convince" others of your good work and the badmouthing others are doing. Sometimes, it's best just to leave. Since you like working with Group A, is there any supervisor you could speak with and explain that you work well with that group and are highly productive with them? It seems as if there are aspects of your job that you like, and people with whom you like to work, so if there's any chance you can salvage that part of the job, it could be worth trying.

Good luck,
footprint

[BefuddledClarity]

Hey there!

Currently, I've been looking on-and-off for a new job. This current type of job is easy, but it takes a toll dealing with unruly customers AND coworkers. I only really like maybe 2 people in my department. The rest I feel neutral and the two + the supervisors mentioned earlier I feel negative feelings.

In regards to the project----I love both of the projects (mostly Project B for subject Material and project A for the atmosphere) but...I wish I could focus solely on it and not the regular daily job role, they stack extra work because supposedly I'm "so good at it"...still...there's others who can do it because I need to get these projects done. As much as I like them, I'm slowly starting to burn out a bit.

I tend to JADE too much and I need to stop that.

Since you reminded me about job searching, I'm going to go ahead and apply for a couple more jobs tomorrow!

I need out to breath.

Thanks for reading, I know the original post is rather scattered and all over the place. My mood was really bogged down. I'll rewrite it later so it's less...uh..whiny ha