Quote From: jade_21I have been reading everyone's experience with workplace bullies and wanted to share my experience.
I am a Master of Laws student (in Australia). I have career ambitions, to not only work as a lawyer, but also in the film industry (I have been accepted into one of the best film schools in the state I live in). As a university student, I am still supporting myself through study working part-time jobs.
About two months ago, I left a job at a well-known sport shoe company. The manager there was a nightmare to work with. When I first started to work with her, she was overly nice to me. After a few months, many of my work mates started to complain to me they were being discriminated against on the basis of personal attributes, such as weight, religious beliefs and intellect. Not wanting to lose my job, I did not say anything.
One morning, I went into work and was pulled outside my the manager for a 'one-on-one' talk. I was lectured to and told I was not doing my job. One of the other workers told her that I was pulling a lousy work performance. I was told that if I didn't improve I would lose my job. I was staggered to believe that this manager, who only told me a week before hand what a good job I was doing, suddenly had turned against me like this. She told me that I would lose my job if I didn't improve. After this talk, when ever i was working with the manager, she would constantly criticise me in front of customers, steal sales away from me and make me stupid and belittle my career choices. On occasions, her son (also employed in the company) would also belittle my career choices, and invade my personal space- which included touching me (he used to try and hug me all the time (which the manager did as well at times), which I found very offensive.
I have placed a big complaint in with the anti-discrimination board and the Australian Government department -workplace heath and safety.
I am now away from that place and have got myself a new job, but I feel like I am not coping well, as I feel like I have to watch my back constantly in front of management. Last week, I had a few stressful days where I was yelled at by angry customers nearly all day. While, the manager got a little rude with me last week, the management at my new job is nowhere near as bad as my last job. Are there any tips that anyone could give me on coping strategies?
Is this message board still current? just skimming through the site and I found this (I'm already in the shared diaries quite often.)
anyway - i went through office bullying a few years ago. - there were four of us, who had gotten on very well with a manager who left; the new manager was not nearly as pleasant and encouraged by a vengeful guy who thought he should have been the new manager. At first she seemed nice but just used everything she learned about us to be hurtful. This lasted over several months and took a huge toll on my health, I completely lost my appetite. I quit because my husband transfered somewhere else. The next place was great but it took me at least a year to realize everything was ok and not flinch if someone I worked for was in a bad mood. So if you start to panic just remember it's a different place and think right away of the good things you've done there so far.
