I think I'm being harassed how to tell??

[missingu]

Ive been at my job for 10+ years. It's a long story.

 

After being casual for 8 years I became full time.my boss asked me to do another Role in inventory so I said yes.

I have never done any kind of inventory in my life until then. So I made a lot of mistakes a long the way and let's just say they weren't very understanding or nice about it.

 

Anyway things escalated. The person I was filling in for wasn't very nice, she was bullying me non stop. Keep in mind she is quite rude and there have been many complaints made about her. It got to the stage that if I made a mistake she would be in the car park waiting for me to get to work to tell me off.

 

Anyway I got to the point I didn't want to do it anymore so I quit that role and went back to my job, and ever since my boss has been singling me out. First off there was a new process I had to learn and the first day I did it I got it wrong. So she took me off that job knowing it's something I enjoy.

 

Secondly, she dragged me into the office to tell me I made too many errors. Just me. She proceeded to tell me she doesn't know what to do with me, and threatened my job. She also has said that only my orders are to be double checked by my coworkers. Anyone else who made a mistake just gets told to be more careful.

 

I can't help but feel I'm being singled out. What should I do??

[SycamoreCircle]

I would say look for another job. I know that's not pleasant but sometimes if the vibe is not working, it's best to just cut your losses.

 

I imagine you made a mistake, were mistreated, that mistreatment compounded your sense of inadequacy which led to more mistakes, which led to more belittling, and on and on and on.

 

These people expect a different sense of tenacity, I suspect.

[La.Primavera]

I agree with the above poster about considering cutting your losses and moving on but first I think you should consider some ways of fixing the situation.

 

Firstly if you feel strongly that this treatment is unwarranted and out of line then stand up for yourself! Don't put up with it. Once they sense weakness they tend to pick at you more.

 

If someone ever waits for you outside the office you are completely within your right to say you are outside of work and that this is not the time or place to discuss such matters. Let them know how inappropriate their behavior is and threaten to report them for harassment if they ever do it again. In fact I would still report it anyway.

 

In regards to your boss, it sounds like they lost faith in you since you left the position to go back to the old one which is why they are so focused on your performance. Did you explain the fact that you felt harassed by the other employee? Your boss might have more compassion for you and ease off a bit. If there are genuine concerns over your work then perhaps you need to ask for some advice or help. Transparency in these matters can really benefit you.

 

All the best.

[pink_sugar]

I would say look for another job. I know that's not pleasant but sometimes if the vibe is not working, it's best to just cut your losses.

 

I imagine you made a mistake, were mistreated, that mistreatment compounded your sense of inadequacy which led to more mistakes, which led to more belittling, and on and on and on.

 

These people expect a different sense of tenacity, I suspect.

 

I agree with this. Sounds like a crappy working environment. I have worked in similar ones. My first one was a larger company, so I took a harassment issue up to HR. (Which, if your company is large enough, you should have done too regarding the issue you experienced with the first girl)

 

I also worked for a guy who harassed my coworkers once I quit about every little mistake and threatened to fire them many times as is happening to you right now. He eventually did fire them. However, that was a small company so there was no higher ups to talk to. Really the option was to quit.

 

If you do have the option, do go to HR about what you're experiencing and then start looking for another job asap. Sounds like a toxic environment.

[d0nnivain]

Harassment is a legal term of art having to do with discrimination based on one's membership in a protected class (race, gender, religion, orientation etc). You are not being harassed.

 

 

You may be being singled out. Your boss is not thrilled about your work effort & the results. Whether those criticisms are genuine or deserved is not for me to say. You clearly feel persecuted by them. Before you are put on a performance improvement plan or worse fired you need to take affirmative steps to improve your own situation. That means, going to the boss & asking for greater instruction which you might not get or actively looking for other work before you get fired. This job is not a good fit for you. While a good manager works to elevate employees, sometimes nothing can be done and the employer is not legally obligated to make it easy for you to do your job. You are being paid to make the company money. If you can't do that, they have no use for you.

[Trishern]

I think you mean bullied, more than harassed actually.

 

 

You probably can't prove others are making mistakes like you are and are being treated differently.

 

 

The way you are being spoken to is wrong. Work is not about being shouted at or told off and they are being unprofessional in this regard.

 

 

Nobody should wait in the car park for you to say you made an error. That is what I call intimidation and you should have spoken to HR about this. That was unacceptable.

 

 

The managers are not dealing with this properly. They need to train you properly in new areas and not just expect you to be able to do a new task.

 

 

I would not like to work with such bullies but for now, concentrate and try to double check before you finalise your work.

 

 

I agree that you should look for a job where people speak respectfully.

 

 

Mrs. Trishern

[applej4]

I know of a situation where someone got fired for waiting in the parking lot for a co-worker, and speaking to her in a threatening manner (accusing co-worker of flirting with her husband). OP, sounds like you're in a very unpleasant situation. Hard to tell what's behind all the hostility. Even if there is an HR dept, the others will stick together. It all sounds very "cliquey". Since your supervisor is unreasonable I would not expect things to change any time soon. Good luck finding another job.

[pink_sugar]

Harassment is a legal term of art having to do with discrimination based on one's membership in a protected class (race, gender, religion, orientation etc). You are not being harassed.

 

 

You may be being singled out. Your boss is not thrilled about your work effort & the results. Whether those criticisms are genuine or deserved is not for me to say. You clearly feel persecuted by them. Before you are put on a performance improvement plan or worse fired you need to take affirmative steps to improve your own situation. That means, going to the boss & asking for greater instruction which you might not get or actively looking for other work before you get fired. This job is not a good fit for you. While a good manager works to elevate employees, sometimes nothing can be done and the employer is not legally obligated to make it easy for you to do your job. You are being paid to make the company money. If you can't do that, they have no use for you.

 

In some companies in which the zero tolerance policy is enforced...harassment can be defined as ANY unwanted behaviors or anything that makes you uncomfortable. I think there is some grey area here.

[applej4]

In some companies in which the zero tolerance policy is enforced...harassment can be defined as ANY unwanted behaviors or anything that makes you uncomfortable. I think there is some grey area here.

 

Maybe. Question is would it be worth it to go thru with a formal complaint and continue to work there? To what end? Soulnd like a crappy place to work.

[pink_sugar]

Maybe. Question is would it be worth it to go thru with a formal complaint and continue to work there? To what end? Soulnd like a crappy place to work.

 

It's hard to say. It's likely that it will become known that she tattled, but she could at least get the harassment to stop by going to HR. If she goes this route, she should be beginning her job search as it is likely to burn some bridges, but in the meantime, the workplace will be a bit more bearable.

[Qboro90]

You should have went to your manager or if you felt he wouldn't do anything then go over his head when the person was waiting for you after work to confront you. That is harassment and you had a valid complaint there.

 

Also while I do feel for you in regards to working in an environment like this I also think you may be giving us half the story in regards to your work performance. There has to be a reason why your boss has been moving you around and trying different positions for you. That shows that your work hasn't been up to par to everyone else's. When he moved you out of inventory and you said you made a lot of mistakes but it was your first day doing it. I understand what you are saying but if you were unsure how to do something you should've 1.asked someone who has been working there longer and knows how to do it to show you the correct way. Or 2. When being told what your tasks were by your manager... You write it down step by step. A manager will appreciate you doing what you need to do in order for you to retain the information and get the job done correctly. Nothing drives managers crazier than explaining something... Then having the employee nodd their head and say "uh huh yea I got it".... And then an hour later the employee does it incorrectly and says "well I didn't really understand what I had to do, or I was confused". It's your job to do what's necessary in order to perform at the highest level. He can't hold your hand from 9-5 every day.

[S2B]

Is there a reason you are making the errors/mistakes?

 

What can be done to eliminate errors?

 

Have you suggested they give you more training? Is it something you can change to stay more focused on the tasks you're given?

 

See if you can come up with solutions that will eliminate the errors.

 

If you aren't liking the job, it may be useful to pursue something that suits you better.

[madjac74]

Harassment is a legal term of art having to do with discrimination based on one's membership in a protected class (race, gender, religion, orientation etc). You are not being harassed.

 

No that is not all Harassment is! Grrrr freakin media! Harassment can simply be enduring verbal and physical threats. Being stalked and verbally assualted in the parking garage is harassment. Pissing on your co-workers favorite coffee mug is harassment...neither of which is limited to certain races or religions or genders.

[missingu]

You should have went to your manager or if you felt he wouldn't do anything then go over his head when the person was waiting for you after work to confront you. That is harassment and you had a valid complaint there.

 

Also while I do feel for you in regards to working in an environment like this I also think you may be giving us half the story in regards to your work performance. There has to be a reason why your boss has been moving you around and trying different positions for you. That shows that your work hasn't been up to par to everyone else's. When he moved you out of inventory and you said you made a lot of mistakes but it was your first day doing it. I understand what you are saying but if you were unsure how to do something you should've 1.asked someone who has been working there longer and knows how to do it to show you the correct way. Or 2. When being told what your tasks were by your manager... You write it down step by step. A manager will appreciate you doing what you need to do in order for you to retain the information and get the job done correctly. Nothing drives managers crazier than explaining something... Then having the employee nodd their head and say "uh huh yea I got it".... And then an hour later the employee does it incorrectly and says "well I didn't really understand what I had to do, or I was confused". It's your job to do what's necessary in order to perform at the highest level. He can't hold your hand from 9-5 every day.

 

I agree she shouldn't have to hold anyone's hand everyday but the fact is she is a micromanager. She asked an employee that's been there 25 years get her ok every time he sends an email. She didn't like when I took lunch breaks and I quit the job, she wanted me to still do it. I had no complaints from anyone. I felt I was doing a good job, I wasn't getting any complaints.

 

Especially seeing as I only did the inventory role for 6 months.

[pink_sugar]

I agree she shouldn't have to hold anyone's hand everyday but the fact is she is a micromanager. She asked an employee that's been there 25 years get her ok every time he sends an email. She didn't like when I took lunch breaks and I quit the job, she wanted me to still do it. I had no complaints from anyone. I felt I was doing a good job, I wasn't getting any complaints.

 

Especially seeing as I only did the inventory role for 6 months.

 

Unfortunately, what the OP is experiencing isn't all that unusual. Some manangers just love a power rush that they get from being in charge. As I said before, I worked for a guy who was like this to everyone in the office. He tried to find fault in everything we did and threaten our jobs over it. I was nearly fired once for printing a cooking recipe. I also worked for a large coffee chain once where the managers harassed me. And it was harassment even if it's not discrimination. I was ordered around like a dog and made to scrub drains in the middle of the workday when no one else was. They did not think my performance was up to par, but that is still no excuse to treat someone that way.