What to Do When You Make an Error at Work
Everyone, as they say, makes errors. In many cases, you may either rectify your mistake or just forget about it and go on. Making a mistake at work, on the other hand, is a far more severe matter. It may be disastrous for your employer. It may, for example, jeopardise a client relationship, result in a legal issue, or put people’s health or safety in jeopardy. You will bear the brunt of the consequences. It’s possible that just fixing your mistake and moving on isn’t an option. When you make a mistake at work, what you do next may make or break your career.
Accept Responsibility for Your Error
Notify your employer as soon as you see anything isn’t quite right. The only exception is if you make a little mistake that will not impact anybody or if you can correct it before it causes harm. Otherwise, don’t attempt to conceal your error. If you do so, you may come off as a liar, and others may accuse you of covering up. Being honest about it will show professionalism, which is a quality that most employers value.
Make a plan to correct the error and present it to your boss.
You’ll need to plan out a strategy for correcting your error and submit it to your employer. You should be able to come up with anything before approaching her, but don’t waste time if you can’t. Assuage her fears by assuring her that you are working on a solution.
Then, after you’ve figured out what you need to accomplish, deliver it to your audience. Make it very clear what you believe you should do and what you anticipate to happen as a consequence. Tell your employer how long it will take to execute the plan and what the expenses will be. Make sure you have a “Plan B” in case “Plan A” is shot down by your employer. While it’s never a good idea to make a mistake, don’t pass up the chance to show off your problem-solving abilities.
Don’t Point Your Fingers at Others
There’s a high possibility that other individuals were also involved in the mistake in a team-oriented workplace. People are usually happy to accept credit for their accomplishments, but they are hesitant to take responsibility for their errors. If possible, have everyone approach your supervisor at the same time to inform her that something is wrong.
Unfortunately, you may not be able to do this. There will be those who will claim, “It’s not my fault.” Pointing fingers at others, even if they share blame for the error, will not assist you. Finally, each individual should be held responsible for his or her own acts.
Apologise, but don’t be too hard on yourself.
There’s a distinction to be made between accepting responsibility and berating oneself. Admit your mistake but don’t punish yourself for it, particularly if it happened in front of others. If you continually keep bringing up your mistake, it will become ingrained in people’s thoughts.
You want your employer to concentrate on what you did after you made the mistake, not on the fact that it occurred at all. But be cautious about blowing your own horn. Not only will bragging about how you repaired things to draw attention to your initial error, but it may also create suspicions that you manufactured a mistake in order to rescue the day.
If at all possible, rectify the error on your own time.
If you are not eligible for overtime pay, arrive early, stay late, and spend your lunch hour at your desk for as long as it takes to rectify your error. If you’re a non-exempt employee, this won’t be feasible since your employer will have to pay you overtime—1 1/2 times your normal hourly wage—for each hour you work above 40 each week. You don’t want to cause him any more problems by causing him to break that rule. If you need to work longer hours, get permission from your employer.
