Resigning due to bullying?

[kathryn d]

When I left my job, July 2010, I wrote my supervisor an email.

It wasn't complaints so much, but how I thought they could improve the department I worked in.
I informed him I not longer had to worry retribution, and could speak my mind.
He replied with a genuine appreciation. We had worked together well.Within a few months, I found out from my former co-workers (who had not idea I wrote that email) of some of the changes I mentioned..which included firing certain people.



Confronting this lunatic will probably have little effect. Resigning will probably have no effect either. In her eyes, you would be insignificant.
Keeping a diary is great.
If you are not really concened about your job, and want to help other co-workers, make it your mission.
Inform the bosses if something is not done, you will contact the proper authorities.

 

[Dazz]

I'm only a casual, so not concerned about any career path or issue getting a reference.....I'm working for my own enjoyment, so I'm not concerned about references or career paths.

Ahhhh, the financially independent "I only come here for my own gratification and amusement.....the company's goals and targets and associated pressures that go along with reaching those - pfft - who cares..." casual employee.

I know them very well. Very dangerous creatures indeed.

Plenty of time on their hands, plenty of attitude, plenty of "I don't care" sprinkled everywhere. Nothing worse for an organisation focussed on its goals than to have to deal with the "I would just like to say......".


Give me a career-focussed, get the job done, company goal orientated supposed 'bully' any day as a valued employee.

I'd accept your resignation form immediately.

 

[wylie]

Ahhhh, the financially independent "I only come here for my own gratification and amusement.....the company's goals and targets and associated pressures that go along with reaching those - pfft - who cares..." casual employee.

Ahhhh... NO!

I know them very well. Very dangerous creatures indeed.

Ahhh... NO again!!

Plenty of time on their hands, plenty of attitude, plenty of "I don't care" sprinkled everywhere. Nothing worse for an organisation focussed on its goals than to have to deal with the "I would just like to say......".

Ahh.... NO yet again!!

Give me a career-focussed, get the job done, company goal orientated supposed 'bully' any day as a valued employee.

I'd accept your resignation form immediately.

You have it completely wrong, again.

The seagull alienates the customers, embarrasses the staff in front of the customers. She is doing a huge disservice to her own employer. I get compliment after compliment. You have it so wrong, it is not even funny.

I have had to endure her (with several customers within hearing distance) stomping about in the store saying "lazy ba$tards, lazy ba$tards" about the staff from the day before who haven't rearranged the bookshelves to her satisfaction. That is the type of boss I am dealing with, luckily only for short bursts every so often.

And you have the gall to jump to the conclusion that I don't care and she does? Pfffft!!!

I work hard, enjoy it, and don't want to resign, but this woman is sabotaging her own organisation with her ranting in front of customers.

You really have no idea about me, my job or this issue. You have jumped to wrong conclusion after wrong conclusion. It is not helpful at all. Luckily there are people who are actually trying to help me, and I'm thankful for that.

Might be best if you just stop replying.

 

[INVSTOR]

I really wouldn't bother writing a letter to them. You're probably a bit shocked by it now, but will laugh about it later. I used to work for an organisation where it was common for employees and their partners to work there. I found it weird at the time that the boss, his exwife (new born baby she'd bring in) and his new girlfriend all worked in the business. Then their was a time when a sales rep's girlfriend (employee) couldn't make it to a work dinner organised for a new years celebration so I was asked to accompany the sales rep and be his partner for the night. Awkward! I declined. And the boss and his girlfriend wanted me to move in with them. There was already two other employees living with them. Declined again. And the boss asked me to drive one of the employees home regularly as he had lost his licence. I agreed, so he gave me a box of chocolates for doing it. Girlfriend wasn't too impressed. I received a promotion after 3 months and got told I was the quickest person to ever get a promotion so I should appreciate it. Turned up for work on first day of promotion, but got sacked the same day. Girlfriend made up I hadn't done all this work that I was suppose to do. It was unfair dismissal, (no documented 3 warnings and other employees were telling me they saw the work I did and it wasn't fair). I was devastated at the time, but glad to escape the craziness. My old boss and his girlfriend had a baby together but I saw him in the Australia richest 100 or 50 list (or something like that) retired, a couple of years ago with another young lady and new baby. Karma!!

 

[pennyk]

I guess my response would depend upon whether she was my "boss", who had another boss, or whether she was the owner of the company.
If she is the owner of the company, there is not a lot of point doing anything...

but if she is your boss, and she has a boss, then I would have a face to face discussion with her supervisor. But I wouldnt do it at the point of resignation, I would do it now (or if you had some documented evidence, that would possibly be better).

I would ask for a meeting with her supervisor, and give an overview of the behaviour that you have observed and how that is affecting the customer service and sales results in the business. Ask for some advice on how you should handle the situation when it occurs. If they dont care, or its just the company culture, then it also lets you know that its probably time to find a different organisation!!

Its always better to do this sort of thing face to face rather than via email/ resignation letters. I guess you run the risk of increasing the level of aggression from her side towards you, or of being sacked etc. But if that is not such a big concern to you, I would go ahead and raise the issues with her superiors.... I'd just do it face to face rather than via any sort of written communication (more because its easier to understand/ communicate that way).

 

[cu@thetop]

I'd accept your resignation form immediately.

I'm suprised you didn't do your DD properly and put them on in the first place

Depends on the nature of the bullying. A private and confidential letter sent to the person responsible will not be defamatory as you are not "publishing" it.

Tell your doctor about it so you have some evidence in case you need to litigate later.

Some workplace bullying I'm aware of entailed assault, sexual assault, destruction of property (theft of items in some cases) ranting screaming and other "namby pamby" activities. Some forumites would just tell you to "man up" but I say go to fair work Australia and "go em" compo. Maurice Blackburn and Hall Payne are 2 firms who do a bit of these sort of claims.

 

[Dazz]

I say go to fair work Australia and "go em" compo. Maurice Blackburn and Hall Payne are 2 firms who do a bit of these sort of claims.

Oh dear - lawyers advising you should start suing. Here we go....

 

[Sheryn]

You are in the perfect position to do something...

Wylie


Best bet is to tell her she is demonstrating frequent inconsistent behaviour on a daily basis and hand her a list of common behaviours in point form.

Suggest she seeks an urgent appointment with a mental health specialist so her medical condition can be diagnosed & treated.

Hand her a list of her behaviours and let her know it will help the Doctor, then get the hell out of there.

The higher up you go in organisational management the harder it is too manage people with uncontrolled mental problems or difficult personalities as you are discriminating against them.

Best bet is to put the person on their back leg so they mind their behaviours by identifying them.

Eample of a List of behaviours identified by others ( put specific examples down)

• Humilating staff by yelling at them in front of others which is not acceptable in the organisation.
• Embarassing customers.
• Frequently change of moods during the day, happy, angry, cranky, frustrated or high then low.

.


Do not put her name on the list or identify any other staff member as not one staff member will back you up as they are scared and they have financial obligations.


Good luck, life is too short to put up with other people who cannot act appropriately in a workplace.



Regards
Sheryn

 

[wylie]

Thanks Penny, cu@ and particularly Sheryn for providing me with a laugh out loud moment just now reading your post .

Life is indeed too short to put up with this type of behaviour but I'll bide my time and see what transpires. I have detailed what has happened in the past (without dates unfortunately) and will document anything to come (and there will be more to come ). I also realise that whilst everybody feels the same, I would more than likely be unable to get any back up from anyone.

Still chuckling at the thought of her face as I present her with that list... priceless!

 

[lizzie]

I'd do the formal complaint ... it is possible that the bosses are waiting for someone to complain, so that they can take action (if they are aware of her behaviour as you suggested).

As you said - nothing to lose, and thinking of resigning anyhow - so why not?

Out of all the employees - if the woman has the power to fire - you are probably the only person that can make the complaint. All the others are probably to scared as they "need" the income. If you're not doing it for yourself - do it for your co-workers.

Saying something in a resignation letter to the person involved will do nothing - and telling her exactly what you think of her will make no difference. Everyone - even mass murderers - are able to justify their behaviour to themselves, otherwise they wouldn't do it.

 

[wylie]

I'd do the formal complaint ... it is possible that the bosses are waiting for someone to complain, so that they can take action (if they are aware of her behaviour as you suggested).

As you said - nothing to lose, and thinking of resigning anyhow - so why not?

This is how my mind works too Lizzie. EVERYBODY is aware of her behaviour and everybody tip-toes around her. On two occasions her comments have still bothered me overnight and both times I have worked out what I will say in my defence, said it politely without any nastiness (but usually with shaky knees ). Both times she has been rather less rude for the rest of the day. I really think she is typical of bullies and usually gets nobody standing up to her, even politely.

I have also wondered if I complain whether it will open the floodgates.

And I would have nothing to lose.

My only concern was whether or not I could be in any danger of her making some sort of trouble for me if I put my complaint into my resignation letter. But a letter of complaint about some of the treatment she tries to dish out would (I imagine) either be ignored by the powers that be, or might force them to actually deal with her outbursts and terrible people skills.

At home, when I describe her antics from that day, hubby says she sounds like Basil Fawlty, and that is eerily accurate. She fawns over the customers until they have paid, then promptly turns and walks from the counter. I wait until they are ready to leave, meet their eyes and say "thank you" or "see you next time". She has actually chatted me on that and claim I waste time with them after they've paid .

So... I'm either not friendly enough or I'm too friendly, depending on her medication that day. I don't know if she is medicated really, but she is in some sort of therapy, and she SHOULD be medicated .

I would prefer not to have to be there after sending in such a letter, so I'll just wait and see what unfolds. Luckily my husband is a good filter and he reads anything important I write (and vice versa) so he would not let anything unprofessional slip through.

I'll ponder a bit more before doing anything rash.

 

[pennyk]

And I would have nothing to lose.

But a letter of complaint about some of the treatment she tries to dish out would (I imagine) either be ignored by the powers that be, or might force them to actually deal with her outbursts and terrible people skills.

I would prefer not to have to be there after sending in such a letter, so I'll just wait and see what unfolds. Luckily my husband is a good filter and he reads anything important I write (and vice versa) so he would not let anything unprofessional slip through.

I dont think you run any risk, unless you put the letter in a public forum. I'm sure that if you have your hubby review it, it will be fine.

Like Lizzie, I think you are in a unique position to be able to support your co-workers, and the business overall. If you do make the complaint, (and dont get sacked!!), then I would also stay around afterwards, again to support the workers that are left behind, and try to improve how things are operating.

 

[redwing]

This is not property related, but I'm hoping someone might know the answer.

I made quite a long post, but the question really boils down to this.

If someone resigns from a position and attaches a letter explaining the reason is because of bullying from a boss, and outlines a few instances, could this lead to any trouble for the person resigning?

It's an OSH issue, you could speak to your state Workplace Health & Safety body for guidance, the diary suggested above would assist.

Employers have a duty of care for you while you're at work, an employer that allows bullying to occur in the workplace is not meeting this responsibility.

Speaking to your Workplace Health & Safety body (WORKCOVER, QLD?) will certainly give you more information and point you in the right direction with the best way to progress.

 

[evand]

You make it sound like there are only 2 options. Either bullying bosses or navel gazing, do nothing employees. Now that's crazy.

Kept us all in line and got the job done, rather than sitting around navel gazing and talking about how we were all feeling. What a crock. It wasn't as if it was going to be the other way around.

Wylie, you should do what's right and what will happen, will happen.

 

[kathryn d]

Where I worked there were 3 shifts. Occassionally we were shifted around, and this particular time I had to work the least favorite (on overtime). The bosses were fine, but the shift leader could be a nightmare. This particular shift leader liked to embarress people infront of co-workers.
I am a very nonconfronting person, usually. This time she aimed her snide attack at me, in front of the other shift workers. I looked at her, gave her back a snide remark. That was the last time she ever did it. It seems if you stand up to her, she backed down.

As another poster stated,
"I'd do the formal complaint ... it is possible that the bosses are waiting for someone to complain, so that they can take action (if they are aware of her behaviour as you suggested)."

We tell this to our tenants and/ or their neighbours all the time. If you don't make a formal written complaint, either to us or the police, there is nothing we can do.

If possible, stick around and help the other co-workers, should you decide to proceed further.Otherwise you may just make it worse, if nothing is done.

 

[Piston Broke]

I have had to endure her.

Codswallop!
You can leave any time you like.
Stop the pity party and leave.

You post generics and the complain "we don't get it", but maybe you just like the drama.

 

[wylie]

Codswallop!
You can leave any time you like.
Stop the pity party and leave.

You post generics and the complain "we don't get it", but maybe you just like the drama.

LOL. You seem to be more excited than I am .

I'm asking for advice, not pity. If you cannot glean that, then you have a problem.

If I didn't enjoy my job and/or if I had to deal with her daily, I would have resigned long ago.

Get over yourself. If you cannot or will not help, don't bother posting.

You might also notice my initial post was very simple, no histrionics, no detail, just a very simple question about my legal position should I put in a complaint.

Any further detail I have provided has been in response to those who have been most helpful, and to clarify things to help others to understand. If you cannot work that out, that is your problem. Your initial response attacked me, you piggybacked onto Dazz's attack and made totally incorrect assumptions, and now you are on your little bandwagon again. Luckily most who have posted helpful replies understand my position.

But, gee I'm really enjoying your drama...

 

[jerky]

I doubt that the bullying is that serious if you are still just thinking what to do, but consider that some around you may not have the courage or ability to speak up against your psycho boss. Do you remember that case in Melbourne (think her name was Brodie?) she couldnt stand up to bullying colleagues and ended up committing suicide. I wouldnt like to be in the situation where it could be prevented and then not put something to the people in charge there...

but the bullying is probably not that serious....

 

[Token Funder]

Sitting in the airport lounge listening to the guy across from me in conversation with an employee.

In 10 mins. the conversation moved from a "how's it going" to "you're lucky I'm on the other side of the country or I would punch you in the mouth."

The bar hasn't even been open that long.......

 

[weg]

I think half of the problem now is not being able to sack problem people for fear of being sued.

Talking to these people about their behaviour often doesn't work either, so they end up staying and good staff leave.

Managers usually know these people are creating problems and don't like it, but feel powerless to do too much, so turn a blind eye (until they have something concrete to work with that is).