Social Skills have too high a premium in the workplace?

I worked in an engineering office for a while - none were proper engineers, they were fitters and glorified maintenance men and it had a 'lad' culture (even though most were in their 50s) and I really didn't fit in - it was all farting, sexism, football and beer. They were all mates of the manager so no matter how useless they were, they survived and got performance pay rises.

They resented anyone competent, smart and eloquent because it made them all look bad. They really hated anyone who noticed they were falsifying data and 'accidentally' cancelling jobs if they might exceed their service requirements (forcing the end-user to reinstate the job which  reset the calendar).

It was interesting to study them like a troop of monkeys. You could see the ring-leaders, the enforcers, the submissives, the up-&-coming new leaders etc.

I noticed it took 3 months before a new-starter began to mimic their language & behaviours to become accepted into the group.

I got shuffled out of that department.

Similar culture in most of my work places, Plastic.  I still never expected it in an autism charity, where people are working with autistic individuals all day long.  I'm feeling resentment from certain staff members because I get on so well with the service users and most of the other staff.  Some people don't like not being top dog - even though I'm not about attaining that position.  I just like to do my job properly.  I think it maybe started when I started complaining about how some staff seemed to be slacking on mandatory responsibilities like paperwork.  Also, I said the cleaning wasn't being done properly - which it wasn't.  Very slap-dash.  But you can't afford to be lax on these kinds of things when clients' lives are at risk because of infection or bad food hygiene.  The other thing, of course, is that I don't play any part in the gossip and the cliques.  Some people just seem to be doing the job because it gives them daily access to their friends.  They ignore clients' needs in favour of constantly playing with their smart phones.  The most useless ones are the ones who seem to get their wishes favoured the most.

After today, I can't see myself going back.  But I dread the thought of going back onto sickness benefits.

I’ve come across this too. If you don’t play the game and do the job, you are seen as a ‘problem’.

I’ve come across this too. If you don’t play the game and do the job, you are seen as a ‘problem’.

And that's what I did, at my supervision.  I brought up a lot of grievances.  Staff always playing with their phones.  Cleaning not being done properly.  Paperwork - which is mandatory - not being completed.  I guess they didn't like being told that they weren't doing their job properly.  But the thing is... if CQC paid a surprise visit and found a dirty kitchen, food improperly wrapped and dated, paperwork incomplete, the place could be closed down and they'd all lose their jobs.

This is a good point. The real asset of ASD employees is that they do things by the book and well. If an department is in trouble, this creates problems.

I think that's because the high risk of you accidentally mentioning all of the fraud, incompetence, manipulation, lying and generally poor service and standards to upper management. You are a HUGE risk to the status quo.