Has anyone ever been bullied by their employer?

Question

This seems to be a common thing that is happening lately. I have done some research into the problem and just wondered how consistant it is.

Answer 1

Yes, Chez. There may be labour laws, but bullies are worse than ever.
Charles "That Cheeky Lad"

Answer 2

It (still) happens yes.
They say that putting yourself up as a victim may be the cause of it but, I definatly ain't a walkover, but i still got bullied.

You may hear the phrases: "just messin' around with ya.." "lighten up" "what are you so uptight about" after something happend that made you feel particular uncomfertable at work.... THAT is bullying.

Peer pressure bullying is very common.. "we all do it so.." "It has always been like that so what are YOU complaining about.."

There is more and without careful and fair supervision or workplace procedures this office bullying may go out of hand..

If it happens.. see if there is a procedure in the company where you can report the bully.
What happened when you confronted the bully..? (sometimes that is just not possible, I know)
find another department to work in or ...quit for a new job.

Take control of your own life and its course and don't let a bully/workplace ruin it.

Answer 3

Bullying is one of the most unpleasant things that can happen to you at work but make no mistake it does not just happen between a line manager and an ordinary employee. Bullying can occur between two employees at the same level and is not usualy physical. Working with other people is about showing respect and courtisy to each other and can be racial motivated, genda motivated or simply a matter that the manager or other employee has taken a dislike to you because you have upset them and can lead to your life becoming a misery.
An Uncle of mine was approaching retirement and knew almost everyone in he firm at every level. My uncle had been at the firm for over forty years when a new manager much younger than him about in his mid thirties was put in charge. One day the manager started to bawl out a younger member of staff in front of the whole office and my uncle intervined only to be bawled out himself. From that moment on the manager continuosly undermined my uncle by making him rewrite perfectly good letters , telling him he was to old and that he would be got rid of, Kicking his desk. Calling my uncle into his office and shouting abuse, punching the wall a few feet away from his face (he did most of this in front of witnesses) and so on believe me it got wose. My uncle did not say a word but it nearly drove him to a breakdown. The union got to hear of this and bought the matter to the directors notice. Do you know what they did? I will tell you they promotted the little **** and do you believe he is still carrying out his bullying at a higher level. It seems almost unbelievable but believe me everyword is the truth.

Answer 4

I thought so. He rubbished my mate's appearance too, who was a cute little lass, so I said she ought to run up and bite him, and that he was jealous cos he looks like a potato. I only caught hold of him and gave him a big snog when there were other people around. And I'm a bloke. And you should see how ugly I am! It's bad for business, eg I spoke about a peer with my boss and she said: 'why do you think he's never been promoted?' She was sound, and they were getting good contracts and keeping them.

Answer 5

I work as a security guard for a company of 280 large stores . I ve noticed that they offer new employees limited contract hours of say 12 or 15 hours spread over a week, but when they start give them more , sometimes up to 30hrs,but if they dont give extra hours for free , these extra hours are taken away.....
this way nobody ever complains........
plus your face has got to fit

Answer 6

Yes, my husband is continually being bullied by his employer.
He was hired for inside sales after being out of work for many months. They have now decided they want their inside people to start traveling on sales calls - no increase in pay, use your own car, cell phone, pay up front and get reimbursed for expenses in 30 days. "If you complain, there's the door - many people are out of work and would line up for this job." Fly into Atlanta, rent a car and drive 150 miles for a presentation, get in the car, drive back fly home. 18 hour days. Plus enduring tons of verbal abuse/criticism.

Needless to say, he is job hunting, but until then....

Answer 7

They do because they can. During times of high unemployment employers can get away with treating people like something they scraped off their shoe. They know you need the $$$ and they know you probably couldn't find anything better with the economy the way it is. During times when there are more jobs then people to fill them then it is an employees market and we get treated better.

Answer 8

Yes I have I was given a verbal warning when I came back late from lunch with 4 others! I was the ONLY one! Thats just one example!

Answer 9

One of my site foreman tried it on so we (me and my brother) took all the door handles off in a house we were working in and we locked him in with us it was great he never did it again and we got more money which is what the problem was all about in the first place

Answer 10

Yep. I put up with it, too. Know I couldn't have found a job that I liked elsewhere. Liked the work, not the boss.

Rather happy to be retired now.