Bullying in the workplace

tipptopper

Thanks to all for your thanks and comments, the sight of the oul bitch is enough to turn a horse from his oats, I can see her ugly mug as I type this message now, god I hate the sight of her !!

gate_keeper

in most places of work - business , bullies can abuse with immunity , most employers are somewhere between impotent and indifferent when it comes to adressing the concerns of the victims of bullying and as for HR

HR is excellent at engaging in various forms of spin , complain and you hear the following cliched soundbites trotted out

personality clash - translation = we think both of you are to blame so we will continue to sit on the fence

people managment = we will talk to the bully but we cant fire them because they might sue us and they deliver for the bottom line which is all we really care about


i was on this possition while working overseas a number of years ago , was twenty and naive , bully was a sectarian bigot , boss was a pushover who was afraid of the ghoul who tormented me night and day , spread maliscious false rumours about me and in the end forced me to resign and leave

my mistake was not running a mile the first day

doolox

I have come across it several times and it has caused my worklife to be a mixed bag when it could have been much better.

Too late in life I was diagnosed with Aspergers at the ripe old age of 52 which is probably the oldest in Ireland.

I was also bullied at school and have experienced it in most places where I spent significant time with people in stressful situations.

I now am self employed and spend only 2 hours a week with any set of people in my work. I do not get to know people sufficiently well to give them ammunition to use against me in a bullying way. My newly acquired self knowledge allows me to see any form of bullying as what it is, of little real significance unless it affects my work or earnings. It can be hard to counteract as you dont want to come across as "awkward" or "sensitive".

Having a multitude of clients means that one bad natured one can be quickly replaced by other better ones over time. I am fortunate that my service is considered good and feedback on it has been generally favourable. Some clients have expressed reservations over my engagement with people but this is part of the Aspergers condition which is more difficult to correct easily. I have found that a lot of these disatisfied clients are also the ones with big quibbles over the fees charged so there you go, people with hidden agendas looking to save a buck by putting you down.........

At this stage I do not think I would go back to fulltime employment with a single employer as this would be giving too much power to one person over my life. Especially prevalent in this situation are small businesses or shops which seem to have more than their fair share of bullies, inappropriately appointed management and dysfunctional people management issues.

Esoteric_

I've been bullied in a job before. Unfortunately, it wasn't 'normal' bullying, it involved physical and sexual aspects to it and went on for well over a year.

It got to the point where I had exhausted every complaint avenue, but as it was being done by someone in a higher position than me, nothing was done.

At this point, I was too afraid to work, but equally afraid to leave my job.

After a very stern talking to from my mother, she convinced me to quit. I set myself a target of three months to find a new job and quit. Unfortunately, a week later I was attacked by a colleague, ended up being signed off sick for months with trauma and depression and put on medication as a result and never went back.

ANYONE who is being bullied in the workplace needs to remember that, while you might need the money, your health and wellbeing is much more important. I compromised my health by staying in a place that was destroying me, don't be as silly as me. If you're being treated badly, complain or leave. Don't just let people away with it.

DeltaWhite

LyndaMcL wrote: »

I've been bullied in a job before. Unfortunately, it wasn't 'normal' bullying, it involved physical and sexual aspects to it and went on for well over a year.

It got to the point where I had exhausted every complaint avenue, but as it was being done by someone in a higher position than me, nothing was done.

At this point, I was too afraid to work, but equally afraid to leave my job.

After a very stern talking to from my mother, she convinced me to quit. I set myself a target of three months to find a new job and quit. Unfortunately, a week later I was attacked by a colleague, ended up being signed off sick for months with trauma and depression and put on medication as a result and never went back.

ANYONE who is being bullied in the workplace needs to remember that, while you might need the money, your health and wellbeing is much more important. I compromised my health by staying in a place that was destroying me, don't be as silly as me. If you're being treated badly, complain or leave. Don't just let people away with it.

:eek: omg that is shocking! You've really opened my eyes to what's going on in my place... I'm always sick at myself for letting this tyrant boss of mine get away with her bullying :mad:

Esoteric_

DeltaWhite wrote: »

:eek: omg that is shocking! You've really opened my eyes to what's going on in my place... I'm always sick at myself for letting this tyrant boss of mine get away with her bullying :mad:

If you have a diary (your post said you do), make sure it's very well documented. Times, dates, people who were around at the time, etc. Anytime something happened to me, I logged it in my phone, so that I'd have the time and date ready to write in my diary when I went home. It's vital.

The only thing you can do is make a complaint, through the proper complaints procedures. If you don't complain, nothing will be done. If you DO complain and nothing is done, it leaves you in an extremely strong position for legal action.

cafecolour

See, I don't know if this qualifies. When I worked in IT, we had a group of co-workers - including the IT manager - who would constantly complain about the incompetence (work wise) of various co-workers outside of the department. And when we got a new 'higher level' manager (above the IT manager), they basically went on a campaign to get her fired saying she didn't know what she was doing.

On the one hand all their complaints were generally accurate (i.e. the new 'higher' manager was a very nice lady but knew nothing about IT or our business in general, and was basically just hired as yes man for the director). And all their complaints were always work-related, never personal. On the other hand, it was incessant. And I had the opinion that everyone has drawbacks, and as long as a co-worker is generally nice and not horrifically incompetent, I was fine with having do a little bit of extra work cause they might not be so computer savvy. Also I liked the new 'higher manager' because she got me a raise when I asked for it. Anyway, it was settled by moving her to a different, more appropriate position.

But in a 'karma's a btch' lesson - we got a new IT Manager shortly, who had a visceral hatred of the top complainer. And that quickly changed her own tune.

Mince Pie

Had the same thing happen to me. Bullied by a fricken 22 year old I was around 36. I ended going off work with panic attacks and stress. I ended up quitting in the end cos I couldn't face going back there.
Still affects me now as I have to try to explain the gap in my CV and why I left the job. What the hell do you say to potential new employer? I left my last job cos I got bullied by a kid and management were too inept to deal with it.

Dodge

My own tale of bullying in the work place was the result of a horrible nasty little cnut who played the passive aggressive card well. For a while

Nice as pie to her superiors, a cnut to the rest. Hard even to describe the kind of stuff she'd come out but stuff like be on the phone herself for half an hour, then criticise others for taking a 2 minute call. As with the tipptopper (who's ace by the way) example, it was all tiny little things that led to a toxic atmosphere in the office. Despite being completely ****e at her job, she'd then complain to higher bosses about me and another girl. One of those "is she for ****ing real?" moments when called into top boss's office.

Luckily our job is unionised and the union suggested we start making notes of all these little comments, remarks etc etc. Best advice I've ever received.

Suddenly instead of throw away "funny" comments, we had a catalogue of sustained passive-aggresive bullyer. She could no longer play the martyr. Needless to say the next time thigns came to a head (when she accused us of not helpingher enough on a project, despite doing our own work and half of her project), we introduced our complete notebook and asked that she be removed from the office.

To be fair to management, she was and the office could return to a somewhat pleasant place to be. She's left since, as word of her ways spread and she could no longer bully her way around the offices

Potatoeman

Canis Lupus wrote: »

I reckon if you go into work, you're ignored, jeered and mocked then your colleagues are probably trying to tell you something.....

You have no trousers on?

Eoin

I've been pretty lucky. I've just had one manager who had zero people skills. She was a complete bitch that nobody liked, but it was a short enough contract so I was able to just concentrate on moving on to a better job. It was in a company where people skills are not taught or really even recognised. I don't like companies where people are promoted to management people based on years of service or your technical knowledge. People might scoff, but people management is a very important skill in its own right.

HR's main job is to protect the company from legal issues. All the other stuff comes second to that. But you can get lucky and work for a company that recognises that having unhappy employees is generally bad for business. So it's in their best interest to make sure that this sort of crap doesn't go on.

Since then I've been really lucky to work for companies where all that sort of carry on is a big no-no, so it tends to be stamped out.

But I've heard horror stories about what goes on in other places. It can't be good when you're dreading work so much that it takes over, and that you can't even enjoy your weekend because you're already thinking about going into work on Monday morning.

If anyone is going through this - hopefully these links might help:

What to do if You Feel You are Being Bullied

Code of Practice Detailing Procedures for Addressing Bullying in the Workplace

Bullying in the workplace

tipptopper wrote:

Since then, general manager asked me if I wanted to make a complaint, he said he can’t stand her and was delighted I put her in her place.

Why did he let her go this long before waiting for someone else to put her in her place - especially if she bullied someone else out of a job?

He's nearly as much to blame if he allowed it to continue because he didn't want to have a tough conversation with her.

cherrypie

I was never bullied at work myself but I've seen the affects of it. My partner was bullied by his supervisor and in a bizarre twist the supervisor made a complaint against my partner first (having become aware that my partner was probably about to make a complaint against him). A ridiculous saga ensued where my partners company showed outstanding prejudice. They didn't follow any of their own procedures. This was to be expected really since the supervisor in question would have been on the same level of management as those “investigating” the matters and they all would have socialized. Union was of no use of course.

My partner was suspended while investigations were carried out. Fair enough except it was an inordinate period of time and he was paid only a basic wage so there was a loss of earnings. This also involved my partner having to go for seven or eight meetings to discuss the complaint with management and defend himself basically. It was very accusatory and itself a form of bullying. The supervisor was not suspended or asked to attend even one meeting.

The supervisor, while he was apparently being investigated for bullying my partner, actually emptied my bf’s locker, went through his things, inspected his computer and “found” a software implying private internet use (not permitted).

My boyfriend was suspended for an inordinate period of time but even when he was allowed to return to work (at a different location) the conditions were despicable and the company idiotically began a malicious campaign against him that involved childish tactics like not scheduling him with the basic amount of hours per his contract of employment and messing him around generally, telephoning him an hour into his shift to say it was cancelled and then not paying him for it.

The company eventually found that there was no evidence to support the supervisor’s complaint but found that my partner should be issued with a final written warning for using the internet. My partner appealed and to further prove their stupidity they sent him a letter which actually stated that they had concluded he was the one using the internet because the software was polish (my bf is polish). This was surprising since several people had access and several of them were also polish...and the software was installed when my bf was on suspension and therefore not even on the site.

My bf wanted to just leave but I was having none of it. I made him record and document everything throught-out the whole process. This was over a very long period of time and it was mental torture, This crawls into every aspect of your life and breaks you down. Their goal was to make him walk and they tried everything!

But alas, you see they made a bit of an error. I worked in law firm for several years before I decided to leap into forensic accountancy, still in law I suppose but more the legal support side of things now. Forensic accountancy is a good skill for proving loss of earnings though. I made my partner take a case under the Workplace Health and Safety Act, 1995' for the bullying and harassment as well as under a few other things for the loss of wages etc. and he won his case! He still works at the same firm but he works in a very good location, has set hours, good conditions and nobody has looked sideways at him since. In other words, they were thought a good lesson.

If I were you I’d start gathering evidence. Document everything. Keep notes of dates, what was said, by whom. When you have enough evidence make a complaint. Document any deviation from procedure and if you aren't treated fairly go to a Solicitor and get legal advice. Your employer has a duty to protect you from bullying and harassment in the work place. It's just not on.

omck80

Several years ago I was in a job very happy for a number of years until a new Guy started.

I was the only female working there apart from the office girls. I had to use drills, bench saws and other machinery. Anyway the new Guy started questioning me for working there. He also started taking photos of me while I was working and telling me that as a woman and mother I should more respect for myself and my child and not be doing a "mans" job and be at home like a good mother.

After many months of this I approached the owner who told me not to be moaning.
Needless to say I gave my notice and left.

Six months later he was fired for not being able to do the job and I got a phone call asking me to come back. There was no chance of that. I had already started a new job which I loved.

Nobody should have to deal with any sort of bullying especially now when jobs are so hard to come by.

bb1234567

Canis Lupus wrote: »

So what did you do to help the victim?

Much easier said than done.

bb1234567

tipptopper wrote: »

There is this lass is my place of work who is attempting to bully me. She has previous for this kinda thing, she bullied the guy in the same position before me out of his job, seemingly the chap was ready to take his own life before he walked, such was the **** he had to endure from her.


I’ve taken over from him and was immediately warned by a person I became friendly with when I started what had happened the other guy so I knew the warning signs. I’m in the job 3 years and not a problem until say the last 2 months when I started to notice little jibes.

I’m never late for work ever, in fact I’m nearly always a half an hour early, I like to get settled, have a cup of tea, that sort of thing, but the minute my pc hits 5pm, I’m out of there like a shot.

So over the past 2 months she been sayings things like “oh, his on the runway, stand back and let him out” or “must be time, himself is away” or “leaving already”.. Stupid things I know but that’s how it started with the last guy, little things to start off with to get inside your head, the it gets worse gradually over time.

This is in front of other people in the office, I’m lucky enough I have my own office, she and 5 others are in an open plan just off mine, so when I step out of my office, it’s then she starts. Loves to be heard, tries to get everyone to have a little skit at my expense.


Things came to a head last week, I was going to Manchester for a meeting so didn’t need to arrive in the office till 10am, had it cleared with the MD so everything was fine. Walked in to the office to the following:


Her; (jokingly but serious if you know what I mean) what time do you call this coming in to work, why haven’t you rang in?? she starts to laugh, looking at everyone for a reaction.

So, after all her snide comments this was my chance to put her in her place I’m thinking once and for all.

ME: Beth, the day I have to answer to you in this office will be my last, I don’t answer to you, you’re not my boss, keep your nose in your own business and out of mine ok?

By now the silence was deafening, I could feel everyone’s eyes burning a hole in the back of my head, general manager included.

So I keep going now I’m on a role;

Beth for the past 2 months or so I’ve listened to your snide comments, I believe you are known for this type of conduct in the past, you bullied the last guy out of his job but I can tell you this much, you won’t bully me. So passing snide remarks about what time I leave at and trying to get a laugh from the others at my expense can stop right now, if I hear 1 more snide remark, I’ll be reporting it in writing to the MD, is that clear..


She was as red as beetroot at this stage, her mouth ready to hit the floor, she actually couldn’t speak so I walked to my office and closed the door.
Since then, general manager asked me if I wanted to make a complaint, he said he can’t stand her and was delighted I put her in her place.


Needless to say there has been no more snide remarks and is as nice as pie. Bullies of course are cowards when you stand up to them, they **** themselves when they are brought to task. They are weak pathetic people who try to pick on people they think are weaker than them to boost their own ego.


Stand up to these ****ers, don’t let them walk on top of you. Life is too short to let a c.u.n.t bring you down to their pathetic level.

Thank you if you are still reading this long post, it felt good reliving that day

That was just too perfect, props to you:) Well handled.

westendgirlie

But what can you do when the perpetrator is the MD and sadly, leaving isn't a financial option?

Myself and another colleague have both cried after calls from the MD. Both of us have inherited work from employees who have left. We never received any increase in pay, just the extra workload. Neither of us claimed we could do these jobs but we are berated all the same for not doing them properly.

The role I have inherited requires manual handling training but I don't want the training as I don't want that part of the job!

Keeping an account of the events has been mentioned to me before. After reading your experiences, it may be time for that diary.

Merch

omck80 wrote: »

Several years ago I was in a job very happy for a number of years until a new Guy started.

I was the only female working there apart from the office girls. I had to use drills, bench saws and other machinery. Anyway the new Guy started questioning me for working there. He also started taking photos of me while I was working and telling me that as a woman and mother I should more respect for myself and my child and not be doing a "mans" job and be at home like a good mother.

After many months of this I approached the owner who told me not to be moaning.
Needless to say I gave my notice and left.

Six months later he was fired for not being able to do the job and I got a phone call asking me to come back. There was no chance of that. I had already started a new job which I loved.

Nobody should have to deal with any sort of bullying especially now when jobs are so hard to come by.

that and few things here sound like constructive dismissal

username345

kerry4sam wrote: »

I have been the victim of bullying in one particular place of work, even in very recent times, eventhough I am a grown adult!

I realise that some people don't fully understand bullying, in all its forms, and may believe that what they are doing is harmless and not doing any harm. Sure, ain't it all a laugh at the end of the day eh?!

In one particular place of work I have been abused verbally, ignored, insulted, intimidated, undermined and belittled. That may not, by some to mean anything but over a period of nearly 2-years now, eventhough I am in a job that I thoroughly enjoy and wanted to be in since I was a child, it is just gone beyond a joke!

Yes there are Procedures and Protocols in place, but when even the senior and superior staff are also involved in some of the above, and more then tolerate and accept the above due to very close relationships they have with the people involved, those procedures and protocols mean little to nothing.

If you have been subjected to any of the above, never mind all of the above, and maybe even more/worse, then you would have a very good idea of how that feels. Having been subjected to the above over a prolonged period is just no fun!

Have you ever gone in to work and be ignored for hours on end, and hear your work-colleagues jeer and mock and insult you and your work position? Have you any idea even of how that would even feel like? Have you ever been verbally abused by work colleagues and have that behaviour deemed acceptable, because you're in a junior position and they have a problem with your position being there?

If you are currently doing any of the above to anyone, would you please just think again, possibly stop your antics, think about the effects it will be having on that person. Please?!

I am posting in here to gain as varied a response as possible, but mainly to highlight the issue of Bullying in the Workplace! I am seeing little to no point in speaking to any more superiors when some, even with years and years of work under their belts tolerate this behaviour and see it as okay, no bother, so long as their very close personal relationships remain in tact!

What would you do in this situation?
Just walk away and pitch it all to hell, allowing them to actually undermine there very core in allowing this continue to others;or fight this in the hope of preventing another from going through the same.

If you have been subjected to any form of bullying and would like to comment or share your own experiences, by all means do so

If you don't and would like to ask me anything on the subject, then within reason I would like to answer. I may not be in a position to answer all questions in full, but I will do my best anyway.

Bullying in the workplace in 2012 should not be tolerated by anyone, but it is! I can say for certain that it is! I've experienced all of the above over the last nearly 2-years each time I went in to that particular place of work. Should bullying in the workplace be tolerated? Anyone care to answer? Is all or any of the above acceptable behaviour does anyone feel?

(I have another job and don't experience any of the above btw)

Man up. If "workplace bullying" is high on your priorities list, you must lead a very sheltered life. As you stated, you are an adult. Act as such please. Bullying is easy enough to ignore. I just stonewall/outright ignore and treat with utter contempt anybody I percieve to be below me. I suggest you do the same.

You may think you have a problem. I suggest you walk around a long term hospital sometime. Those people have problems. Your problem is imaginary. A social construct. Sorry.

kerry4sam

username345 wrote: »

Man up and move on. If "workplace bullying" is high on your priorities list, you must lead a very sheltered life. As you stated, you are an adult. Act as such please. Bullying is easy enough to ignore. I just stonewall/outright ignore anybody I percieve to be an idiot. I suggest you do the same.

You may think you have a problem. I suggest you walk around a long term hospital sometime. Those people have problems. Your problem is imaginary. A social construct. Sorry.

No, no you're grand for saying this. You're saying what I am thinking. I'd prefer to tackle this head on and see who actually cares in this place about what I said in my opening post considering the job. I also would like for others to not have to go through this. I've been going through this for near on 2-years now, so the worse is over for me, but I don't want others who will join in the coming months or even others who are in there even a fraction as long as I have in this junior position to have to experience the same.

I've a few options open for me and I am looking into all of them now including just how important their procedures and protocols actually are when it comes to the crunch.

Thanks also for your input.

username345

kerry4sam wrote: »

No, no you're grand for saying this. You're saying what I am thinking. I'd prefer to tackle this head on and see who actually cares in this place about what I said in my opening post considering the job. I also would like for others to not have to go through this. I've been going through this for near on 2-years now, so the worse is over for me, but I don't want others who will join in the coming months or even others who are in there even a fraction as long as I have in this junior position to have to experience the same.

I've a few options open for me and I am looking into all of them now including just how important their procedures and protocols actually are when it comes to the crunch.

Thanks also for your input.

I am not trying to put you down for no reason. I am just being honest. Honesty is the only way. Never hide your real opinions or save face, it just leads to worse problems. I have spent many nights worrying over stuff like this too, until I just woke up one day and realised most problems are simply a social construct. Not being rude, just realistic. People like to make problems for themselves, I still do. Real problems you have no control over whatsoever.

Best of luck anyway.

kerry4sam

username345 wrote: »

I am not trying to put you down for no reason. I am just being honest. Honesty is the only way. Never hide your real opinions or save face, it just leads to worse problems. I have spent many nights worrying over stuff like this too, until I just woke up one day and realised most problems are simply a social construct. Not being rude, just realistic.

Best of luck anyway.

Honesty has always worked for me too. Thanks for this input. It's about time that bullying in this workplace gets it's just notice. I am going to highlight it and see if those protocols they dish out are worthless in value. Especially since it's not an isolated incident. Thanks again.

batata

burger king cork happens all the time

kerry4sam

Just a word of Thanks to everyone who has posted in this thread and have shared their own experiences. I honestly appreciate it & I hope that sharing has helped in some way and seeing what others are going through also made you realise you're not isolated in the incidents either. It is more common-place than some may have previously thought.

Madam_X

username345 wrote: »

Man up. If "workplace bullying" is high on your priorities list, you must lead a very sheltered life. As you stated, you are an adult. Act as such please. Bullying is easy enough to ignore. I just stonewall/outright ignore and treat with utter contempt anybody I percieve to be below me. I suggest you do the same.

You may think you have a problem. I suggest you walk around a long term hospital sometime. Those people have problems. Your problem is imaginary. A social construct. Sorry.

Kerry4Sam you're a very patient person for being so tolerant of the above sh1t.

Bullying exists - and a person who says man up, ignore it herpa derpa... is possibly a bully themselves.

username345

kerry4sam wrote: »

Honesty has always worked for me too. Thanks for this input. It's about time that bullying in this workplace gets it's just notice. I am going to highlight it and see if those protocols they dish out are worthless in value. Especially since it's not an isolated incident. Thanks again.

I can agree. It's still a "problem", but it's not a "problem":cool: I suggest you ignore any kangaroo courts your employer may use, and ignore company policy. You need to "get through" this individual yourself. Either that or intimidate them within the boundries of the law.

**** with their heads without insulting them. I embarrased former co workers by intentional deciet and manipulation and never got stick. You need to do this word of mouth. A quiet word with em when nobody else around. Scare them. Give them a very cold stare every single day, and treat them like infants.

Roisy7

username345 wrote: »

I can agree. It's still a "problem", but it's not a "problem":cool: I suggest you ignore any kangaroo courts your employer may use, and ignore company policy. You need to "get through" this individual yourself. Either that or intimidate them within the boundries of the law.

**** with their heads without insulting them. I embarrased former co workers by intentional deciet and manipulation and never got stick. You need to do this word of mouth. A quiet word with em when nobody else around. Scare them. Give them a very cold stare every single day, and treat them like infants.

Sounds like bullying tbh.

I've never been bullied in the workplace so far. But my mum was over 20 years ago in the UK, a real systematic campaign that still affects her all this time later. Union ended up getting involved (it was a public sector job) and the bullies got separated. She also got unfairly dismissed from a job here. I went in and gave the bitch a little bit of hell for it.

Tbh if I ever saw those witches that did that to her I wouldn't be long lifting them out of it. No-one has the right to be intimidated. We can't all be as strong as username345 and words and actions ****ing hurt.

Like I said, never been bullied in work, but have been bullied in college and school. Believe me it exists. I think one positive out of my mother's experience is that I won't tolerate anyone treating me like crap at work. It's the one area of my life I'm capable of standing up for myself.

Interestingly my dad told me recently he was bullied at work years ago. He lost his temper and punched the guy in the pub one day and that was the end of it. Not that I'm advocating that solution

jessiejam

username345 wrote: »

I can agree. It's still a "problem", but it's not a "problem":cool: I suggest you ignore any kangaroo courts your employer may use, and ignore company policy. You need to "get through" this individual yourself. Either that or intimidate them within the boundries of the law.

**** with their heads without insulting them. I embarrased former co workers by intentional deciet and manipulation and never got stick. You need to do this word of mouth. A quiet word with em when nobody else around. Scare them. Give them a very cold stare every single day, and treat them like infants.

Is this not bullying

lounakin

kerry4sam wrote: »

In one particular place of work I have been abused verbally, ignored, insulted, intimidated, undermined and belittled. That may not, by some to mean anything but over a period of nearly 2-years now, eventhough I am in a job that I thoroughly enjoy and wanted to be in since I was a child, it is just gone beyond a joke!

Sounds like we work in the same place!

username345

Roisy7 wrote: »

Sounds like bullying tbh.
No-one has the right to be intimidated.

Not if the action is physically uncalled for. Like Newton's Third Law, every action has an opposite and equal reaction. It's okay to intimidate somebody who intimidates you within legal parameters. Otherwise, No.

username345

jessiejam wrote: »

Is this not bullying

Possibly. I have bad news for you though. The company does not give a **** about you. Their bottom line is profit to their shareholders, everything else is basically a charade. If this individual has any clout in the company, you will lose, even if you are right. Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands. Within the law of course, unless exceptions apply.