A few blog posts ago, I wrote about workplace bullying and harassment, the repeated intimidation of someone in the workplace by one or more people. At the time, I had been dealing with a bully supervisor, the composite characters in that blog post a blend of the kinds of abuse I’d experienced and witnessed my colleagues tolerating over a five-year period. My part-time job, partially on-site and mostly via telecommuting, was causing me full-time worry and psychological discomfort! It’s been a few months since I left my job, and what a difference distance makes!
I’ve stopped eating my emotional stress, shed twenty pounds, gained more energy, become happier, and freed up mental real estate that had been consumed with expecting the other shoe to drop as the next episode of abuse was only one email away. Don’t get me wrong, I had always pushed back, so I wasn’t a victim. But clearly, I was being victimized. It reached a point where I no longer wanted to fight because the bully would just apply more complex tactics. And management was completely absent in the face of my complaint. I’d lost faith that any action would be taken to protect me and my colleagues from the continuing harassment.
Sometimes, when challenged with workplace bullying we feel we have no choice. We depend on our income, so we stay put and put up. That’s the problem. The bully supervisor knows and uses this to control the situation to their advantage. In my case, no amount of money and freedom in working flexibly and from home were worth the stress. Yes, I had other contracts on the go, so it wasn’t as if all my eggs were in one ‘bastard,’ so to speak. I always left myself options, especially since I’d noticed the dysfunction early on.
If you’re being bullied in the workplace, take action. Mobilize your resources and energies to either change the situation or change your workplace. While it may seem easier said than done, consider your priority: you, and making yourself safe—emotionally, physically, and spiritually. No one deserves to be bullied in carrying out their livelihood. Report abuse and make a plan for your safe exit. Be the change you want to see in your workplace!