Replies to 'Workplace Bullies'

Let me tellyou-the healthcare industry is the absolute worst field I have ever been in.  Between government intervention into every litle thing we do, right up to coworkers.  Every day it  is a war zone.  I work at a hospital that is smack dab in the middle of the ghetto-shootings, robberies, you name it.  It has come into the hospital, and permeated every aspect of our work day.  Now if that is not stressful enough, my employer is constantly harrassing me to do more andmake more money at any cost.  We have a middle boss who sits on her ass all day long-whenever our work has to be "graded" by her-she doesn't do it-and guess what?  If something doesn't get done because of that wench, we get another process we have to follow plus an ass chewing for something that was not even my or my coworkers fault.  So I have decided to leave this field-and let me tell you I will never go back.  I have been doing my job since 1989, I havemore experience and knowledge than that wench, and because of her I have no chance to get promoted.  On top of it all, she is a nasty backstabber and uses her authority to bully-and the main boss won't address it so the hell with both of them.  Only problem is, I am so far in debt anything I take will be a pay cutthat I cannot afford.  I would like to believe there is justice, but I know damn well there isn't.
Oh-and even the doctors are getting into it-down to padding their pockets and forgetting patient care.
Well, you all get the point.  I won't say anymore.  I will not step foot in a doctors office unless I am on my death bed-I have zero respect for any of them.  I feel bad for all of us-the system is a complete joke.
I plan to go to school for something completely different, but my spirit is so beaten, I doubt I will be able to finish.  I just wish I could get a million dollars, get a place on an island, and have the whole working world leave me the hell alone.

 Your note sounds like I could have written it.  I worked for Disability office for 5 years, it had lots  of problems, but I was able to let most of it roll off my back. Then decided to go to a  department in a medical university with a great salary increase and to learn more, I thought.  All I learned was how vicious coworkers could be!  At first the supervisor liked me, then she turned on me when I asked for training on the many computer programs they used (she said, "You don't need training--you're a secretary, aren't you? Just do it!" The administrative assistant was also being so surly and sarcastic that the doctors were even complaining about her. Then  started the supervisor & A.A. started making up complaints about me that never happened. I couldn't eat, sleep, or relax, got very depressed, lost 20 lbs in the last month, I was just sick that I'd gotten myself into that hornet's nest. They backed me into a corner, so to speak,and one Friday, they told me to quit or they'd fire me.  I quit but managed to get unemployment because the unemployment office had this same complaint from many other people who tried to get jobs there, said that the turnover was especially high in the department I'd been in. I wasn't alone, but that doesn't make it right.  I've worked for over 30 years and always did a good job and was basically liked and trusted everywhere I worked until then.  I'm afraid to put them on my resume.

Now it's "deja vu all over again."  I took a big salary cut to work where I am now, because I thought it was better--hah! Am working for a private doctor who very loudly will proclaim (tin front of all my coworkers, patients, pharmaceutical representatives, etc.,  that I spend all my time surfing the web or am on the phone too much and use his business line for expensive long-distance calls--NONE of which is true!   Been there a year and the promised raises never came (the doctor "can't afford" to give any raises, but his wife got him a brand new Corvette for his birthday recently!)  And last week one of my co workers who had been in an accident some time ago and her husband has driven her to work ever since--well, recently she started driving herself to work and she has a Handicapped tag on her truck - has a hip injury and got the tag  legitimately, followed all the rules, and now parks in one of the handicapped spaces--well, our doctor boss found out and  told her at least THREE times last week that she's not handicapped and didn't need that handicapped tag and that she should be "socially responsible" and give it up and stop taking up parking spaces that the "truly handicapped" people need more than she does.  The 3rd time he told her, it was in front of EVERYONE while we were having a birthday celebration for her!  I could not believe the rudeness in his humiliating her like that.  Over the years, I very rarely have ever wanted to walk out on  the job, but this just about sent me over the top. I thought doctors are supposed to HEAL people, not emotionally shred them to ribbons so they can't function--it's HIS team, and he's tearing us down!  How are we supposed to do our best for him?  What can you do when you work in a small office and it's HIS office, everything has to go HIS way, and he's not going to change, so all you can do is look for another job (but they don't want you to take time off).  And I'm afraid I won't get a good reference now that I've been there a year and he seems to get worse every day. After all these years as a good employee, I've had two bad jobs in a row.  How to deal with this in my next interview?   I agree with you, I thought healthcare was the place to be, but now I think it's the place to avoid.  I'll be afraid to make any doctors' appointments after this, if other offices are like this one.