Bullied out of a job

LegacyUser

I took a new job and within 1 week of working there I was getting bullied. I made several complaints to management which only made the bullying worse (the genius manager told the bully in question that I was lodging a complaint, but never followed on with procedure dispite my insisting that I wanted something done, so the guy continued to make my life hell). I lasted 1 month before I walked out of there in tears, couldn't take it anymore- I contacted HR saying why I was leaving, what I had gone through and how horribly I was treated in the company and that was that.

I'm on JSB now thankfully and feeling up to going back to work again (I've taken a month off since because I really did get a little emotionally damaged by the whole experience). I'm working on my CV and I'm wondering what do I do about putting that workplace on it?

I'm afraid if I put it on my CV prospective employers will want to contact the office for refernces and I'm afraid they'll give me a bad one or say I left because of a bullying complaint and new employers might think I'm a problem causer. But if I leave it off my CV I feel uncomfortable because I feel like I'm lying. I've no shortage of very good references I can use instead one but I'm worried they'd ask for my most recent workplace

Also if I leave it on my CV and I get an interview and they ask why I left I don't want to have to say that I was bullied out of a job, it doesn't sound professional in my opinion.


Does anyone have any advice?

bbam

Just leave it off, no one will know and no stress for yourself... If that's the biggest lie you have to tell then good for you..

As a side do you have written proof of complaints made about bullying?? If you have a decent paper trail and evidence of bullying I'd be having a shot at those jokers in your last job... I'd usually advice folks they haven't a case for CS but if the story goes as you've told and you have evidence/paper trail you could give it a go...

Bullying is awful and management who fail to act on it are a disgrace and need to be brought to account, it really annoys me :mad:

mscoffeejunkie

Hi bullied,
I went through a similar experience just over two years ago and as atrocious as workplace bullying is, sometimes it’s best to just move onto greener pastures and keep them off your CV. I was fortunate enough to have wonderful references from previous employers who always spoke very highly of me so if you have good references too it’s best to just keep them off. I know being in a situation like that is horrible but I can promise you 100% that what goes around always comes back around with nasty people like that. Just a few short months after I was forced to walk out of the job in question due to bullying, the woman causing all the drama was fired... Apparently now she lives in a crappy apartment in Tallaght somewhere. Chin up sweetie, I’m sure you’ll move onto much bigger and brighter thing’s. xXx:)

Ken.

I'm not sure if this would work but you could always go to the manager in the old place and ask for a refrence. Maybe drop a hint you could claim cs but if they play ball all will be ok. I know it seems like blackmail but after what they done you should get something out of it

Anna23

Leave it off. I would love to be able to have the courage to walk out, unfortunately I cant just yet, until I get another job, the amount of bullying I have gone though in the last 8 months in this particular company is unbelievable, and to top things up a customer sent in a complaint, about me because I didn't offer him a 12 month payment plan (procedures). And I am being investigated now, over monitored, and no one even says anything to me about what is going on, they are avoiding contact with me, at all costs, ahhh I have to say, If I could walk out tomorrow I would, and I am seriously thinking in doing so, if the harassment and embarrassment, doesn't stop. I hope it works out for you...;)

mscoffeejunkie

Anna, that sound's exactly like what I used to go through. I feel you because I literally remember having to throw up in the morning before work because I used to feel stressed and "car sick" going in everyday. Anyone going through this though I can guarantee you that nasty, obnoxious people like that always get their comeuppance eventually. Just remember you work to live, not live to work. It's always best just to focus on Saturday coming at the end of the week and all the nice things you'll be doing. My best advice is just to never, ever let them see you crying. Waterproof mascara ;-) x

scientist

Thats horrible, I really feel for you. Had the same experience myself . I lasted 3 years cos i had no choice i have kids and a hubbie with a disability.I put up with it and said nothing. There was a bully culture going on there. Horrible place.I had a girl working with me and she was a jekyl and hyde. Whe no one was there she spoke to me like i was dirt and looked down on me all the time. I hated her. When other people were present she was all over me it was unreal but no one believed me when i told them. I gave up the job last october cos i couldnt take any more. My confidence is in ribbons and i never want to go iinto the workplace again. There was also a horrible clique of girls there.

doolox

It goes to show that anyone going into a new job should try their hardest to find out the potential for bullying etc by finding out as much as they can about the place, politics, policies, pay, rosters, holidays, time keeping and hours required, unpaid overtime etc... all the usual battlegrounds between employers and employees and among employees as well.

If there is any duty or requirement that you feel uncomfortable doing get help with it as quickly as possible before it becomes an issue.

Keep records of everything and insist on written ( traceable ) records for every decision and every assessment of you that is made by others. Big companies are better than small companies at this.

Be in a position to move in 6-8 weeks if there is trouble going on. Find out how the job became vacant and if there is a history of repeated refills on a job you should be wary. I know of at least two jobs in my area of expertise that are coming up every 3 to 6 months on the jobs websites...I wonder WHY...................

I would go as far as to say that the job-hunt should never be over in the current climate, every worker out there should be constantly looking for alternative positions and be very public about it. If they are any good at their job such tendancies and knowledge of the jobs marketplace will keep their bosses vigilant and on their toes to retain good workers and stamp out bullying in the workplace . If the boss happens to be the bully then you are better off without the job in the first place as it can never get better until his superiors get rid of him or his shareholders sack him or he goes bankrupt.

People with low skills tend to be very replaceable and tend to be bullied more than people with a lot of skills or organisational knowledge in a workforce. Get as many scarce and valuable skills in your field as you can. Make as many allies and helpers and defenders as you can as high up in the workforce as you can. Bullies are cowards, if they see you hanging around with the boss of all bosses or someone high up they tend to be more respectful.......

Keep control of all you can control, timekeeping, absenteeism, work rates, attention to detail and communication are all major battlefields in the workplace and should be kept as good as you can keep them. Don't give your enemies any more ammunition than you can help by slipping up in those areas.

Always attend work socials as if at work, sober and civil and keep the romance etc for non-work nights and people.

the_syco

Most past employers (IT) only saw 6 months as work experience: anything below it wasn't worth mentioning.

Thus, I'd say leave the month off the CV.

Rhys Essien

Why a person would go in to work and take pleasure out of making life misery for another worker,I will never know?
If it ever happens again OP and I hope it wont,tell these people "that there are councillors there for the problems they have,although theirs may be beyond treatable".And just leave it at that.:D

krd

Anna23 wrote: »

Leave it off. I would love to be able to have the courage to walk out, unfortunately I cant just yet, until I get another job, the amount of bullying I have gone though in the last 8 months in this particular company is unbelievable, and to top things up a customer sent in a complaint, about me because I didn't offer him a 12 month payment plan (procedures). And I am being investigated now, over monitored, and no one even says anything to me about what is going on, they are avoiding contact with me, at all costs, ahhh I have to say, If I could walk out tomorrow I would, and I am seriously thinking in doing so, if the harassment and embarrassment, doesn't stop. I hope it works out for you...;)

It sounds like you're being "managed out". Someone doesn't like you and wants to get rid of you. It's sounds like you're working in a callcentre. (usually customer complaints are ignored - unless a manager wants to nail an agent - then the word will have been sent out to make a meal of any complaint about you.)

The avoiding contact is because people know you've been marked out and don't want the same mark on them - or they're actively part of the bullying (they may have been promised a little promotion if they help give you the push).

This is common practice. It's very easy to fire someone in Ireland for no good reason. Managers feel they have to do it the sneaky way with as much bullying and suffering as possible - It's their Irishness.

Over monitoring: In a call centre I worked in. They had shifts of people monitoring the calls of a single agent full time for weeks, in an effort to gather enough "evidence" to sack them.

Go to your HR - kick up a stink. Accuse them of trying to manage you out. By the sound of it they intend to sack you anyhow. You might be able to slow them down.

Bullies are not cowards - they're just scummy people.

Get away from call centres. They're run by scuzz bags.

mscoffeejunkie

Thanks’ @ KRD, I didn’t want to say but I thought it might perhaps be an Irish thing... I grew up London and South America so most of my work experience has been in the UK. When I got my first job here (My partners Irish) after months of being reduced to tears, picking up and paying for my bosses dry cleaning and being deliberately left out of “trips to the pub” etc I was told over the phone that unfortunately there were no hours for me and seeing as it would waste my time to keep me on for two days a week they had to let me go... But that’s it ok because they’d give me a good reference.... Needless to say they lied and deliberately gave me bad references so that I couldn’t get another job. I’ve been a homemaker ever since and personally lack the confidence in myself to go back into an Irish Workplace....