[Closed] Would You Walk?

this happened to my girlfriend. She took a year and a half of it. She quit two months ago and although she hasn't yet found another job she is much happier. Still, trying to get a job at the moment looks tough.

Its only been a few days, correct? What are the chances he will move on and leave you alone after a while? Slim?

Try clearing the air with your manager first, pick a calm time if possible?

Me, I would have it out with him, you might just find out you are using his favourite coffee cup 😉

If you otherwise like the job I would suggest arranging a meeting with the office mgr and a HR person to air the issues in a formal and documented manner. If nothing comes of that I would have a word with the agency who placed you.

sorry forgot to add, I think most office workers have been in this situation before or have seen it occur, hell it happened to me, I ended up sorting it out myself.

If they think they can get away with it they will.

Good luck btw.

Blimey - sounds like the person who is off might have a good case. I'd be looking as hard as possible for the next job straight away, and talking to the bosses boss about it if you don't mind taking that risk - it sounds like the manager has a real problem and the company should really think about sorting them out / starting some kind of disciplinary process.

As for quitting - that's gotta be between you + the wife really isn't it, you've just got to budget it, see if you'd be okay living on that budget and stuff, and think hard about how you'd be.

Joe

Take the initiative. If there are complaints about your performance, ask for a formal appraisal and develop an action plan from there. Make sure it's known that you're taking any criticisms on board and are prepared to do something about it. If the nit-picking doesn't stop, refer to the action plan and where that addresses the faults. Main thing is to take charge of your own destiny.

Also, I've worked somewhere with a direct manager who was a complete bullying stupid idiot, and I walked in the end, but I had sorted out what I was doing next. It was very satisfying. The company were never going to sort things out, despite something like 4 people leaving out of a team of 5, all directly because of this guy - I was one of the most experienced on the (ten year old) product when I left, and I'd only worked there 9 months or so.

Joe

Personally, I wouldn't walk out, because that would be shooting myself in the foot. I was given some grief at my last employers and I let it slide twice. The third time it happened (I'm talking swaering and abuse from line manager) I wrote to a director, and the sh1t really hit the fan, but it never happened again. Basically, it's bullying, and if you give in they're won and will carry on.
I did leave eventually, but on MY terms.
They've hounded that last person out recently, and think it will work again. You gotta put a stop to it ASAP or it'll be you next.

Sorry for being blunt, it's just the way I was borught up to stand up for myself. By nature I'm a very agreeable person, but I can only go so far before I bite back. 🙂

Stand upto him. Don't let bullies get away with it. Seriously why sohuld this pleb push you out of a job?

You shouldn't be the one to loose your job so either talk to the manager in question, go to their manager if you can or go to HR and ask them. If all else fails then go to the Dr and get yourslef signed off for a while with stress and start looking for another job.

Don't do anything rash like leaving, it could be that the manager is stressed out becuase there is something looming over them from your sick colleague. You never know, they may be leaving sooner than you think...

Good luck

Think I'd be making a formal grievance and looking at walking - then offering the person who's already off a statement in support of their claim.

As Mtbfix says, but before you arrange a meeting with HR & manager you need to keep a diary of the dailly abuse. This way you can bring exact details up in the meeting and put the manager on the spot, otherwise it could come down to hear-say and your word against his.

It's a small company with 15 employees and one boss. The last person made a formal grievance and was out within 2 weeks.

surely the boss must realize by now he has a problem. it.s happened to me twice before, the first time i was young and let him get away with it for along time untill i walked and left him in the sh@t. the second time i was older and wiser and stopped it immediatly by confronting him infront of his peers..he was always fine after that. if people think they can walk all over you they will,its human nature.

shooterman - keep us posted and let us know what you do?

I bet their bark is worse than their bite 😉

Some good advice on here. I would go formal as suggested - formal written appraisal stuff. If the manager won't do this then ever time they nit pick ask? " what would you like me to do here" and " can I have that is writing please"

If it is really getting to you walk tho - no job and nothing is worth your mental health - however get as much documented as you can.

Join a union now.

Write a diary of all incidents

Speak to ACAS

it's a temporary job, presumably through an agency. How does the management of employees, and their rights differ (if at all)?

Vinneyeh

Less than a years service then no recourse to tribunal unless its discrimination of some sort.

there now is no legal difference between a temp and full time following recent EC guidance IIRC

Is the boss the same person as the office manager?
If so, then you just have to risk being fired & ask them to document everything.

If not, talk to the boss.
Or just point out that they have the legal problems because of the nit-picking etc, and that if you have documented the problems *ie take notes) then their case will look worse in court

I read the Op and my first thought was "I don't remember posting that!". You're not the only one to go through this. My situation is different in that I work for a huge employer with Hr departments and more proceedures that you could shake a poo covered stick at.

Two things that spring to mind though, as said above, keep I diary. Don't make it all neat and factual. Hand write it and make sure you record thoughts and feelings. It actually helps to get it on the page and if the worst happens, it will be worth its weight in gold.

Also, to keep things in your favour, be proactive. Easier said that done in a small company I guess put if you've got a record that you raised the issue, you asked for help, you made suggestions, they'll struggle to be able to get rid of you.

If they do "manage you out", make sure you take the bastard down with you!

I suspect that the "formal" route will end up with you out on your ear - you're temporary and haven't got a leg to stand on.

However, for your own self respect I would discuss with your other half the possibility of you talking to the boss and this happening. Talk to the employment agency you're working for first if there is one, then do it (talk to the boss) anyway. If they boot you out don't take it personally, you'll have stood up and done the right thing. But then move on and try and get something better.

Deffo keep log.
If possible get independent, corroborating evidence.

I'm not sure this is a good idea (probably depends on your personality) but when they find fault you could ask them to 'clarify and expand it, as I really want to improve and how I should have done it' sort of approach. (Keep a diary). My experience is when asked to clarify non existent problems that a silence often results. You might also want to consider this when there are others within earshot but informally - coffee machine tec. Again I stress considering this as it can go bang and may not suit everybody.

Best of luck

Also - did something happen 'last Friday' ..?

Walk. It's a temporary job and life really is too short.

maybe you are sh1t at your job and they manager has a point ?

hth

😉

Stand up to them, record all abuse and get it stopped. This person has already driven one person out, they are now working on you and there is nothing ot say that they won't do it to the next person. Inform your agency about what is happening and hopefully they will refuse to place anyone with this company until the person responsible is sorted out.

I would start ripping the arse out of it. I would also start mirroring the guy when they start to bully you. They shout at you, you shout back, they talk calmly, you do the same. It has worked well for me in the past.

after work, in the car park, behind the bins, own him

Talk to them straight, tell them you find their approach pretty poor.
It's the sort of thing I used to take note of when I managed my own events crew and happily told the boss when I thought his decisions were piss poor and not in company interest.

write it all down, eat his shit...and then **** em in court.
you should be able to buy a couple of nice bikes with the money.

failing that....break out the bombers

There's nothing quite like saying "f*ck it" and just walking out. I did it mid-way through my annual review. Told them I'd make it easy for them, I was resigning with immediate effect and walked out into garden leave 8)

mr chrispy - and exactly what would you sue them for?

Get something else then walk try to ignore it in the meantime, needs must eh.

Why not tell him you've got a letter and ask if he knows why the original postholder's solicitor wants to talk to you?

constructive dismissal.
prove it and he's sitting pretty, just got to make sure he gives the boss enough rope..

mr chrispy - would that be at the tribunal you have no recourse to until you have been there a year?

seriously - I am an ex union rep and I can think of no legal recourse he has. Unfair / constructive dismissal is what you go to a tribunal for and you cant do that until you have been there a year.

Thanks for all the advice.

Spoke to my wife. She feels I would be better off unemployed than ill. I am trying to find work in another part of the country at the moment which will involve me staying away during the week.

The office manager seems to be moving on to someone else at the moment. However, she can turn on you in a heartbeat. Very, very stressful.

I went to see a friend last night who is a doctor. He warned me that prolonged exposure to stress like this can bring on a chemical depression which could be hard to shift. Something to do with constant adrenaline pumping. He also told me he tinks I'm close to burnout.

I have told the wife that I may have to try to get a much lower paid job for a while just to keep my sanity. My problem appears to be that I am "overqualified" for most things.

I am not employed through an agency. I applied for another job here just as my predecessor walked and they asked me to fill in for her. It looks like she won't be back now.

NZ, you must be right. I am crap at my job. I've just managed to fool all the people who have given me references including the one from my last employer saying I would be "an asset to any employer".

"after work, in the car park, behind the bins, own him" lol

If your Boss is a women this explains alot...(waiting from barage of female insults).

If you decide to walk ring her boss and tell them she felt you up

If / when you walk make sure you tell them clearly in writing why you are going.

Sanity is worth more than gold - I have walked from a job that overwhelmed me and I have never felt so good as when i decided to go. I hadn't realised how miserable / stressed I was until I quit and the weight lifted

ChubbyBlokeInLycra - Member

Why not tell him you've got a letter and ask if he knows why the original postholder's solicitor wants to talk to you?

I like that, nice thinking 😉

Reading through all this again I think you're probably right with your decision
🙂

Me, however.... Oh how I wish I was taking over your job! I can be the most bloody minded w4nka imagineable when faced with crap like this. It wouldn't work with me and I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of leaving or getting fired.