Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Are all workplaces bitchy/toxic?

38 replies

mummabear1967 · 06/09/2020 20:00

I’m going through a lot at work with one nasty coworker in particular.

Constant bitchiness, backstabbing and patronisation - it is verging on bullying.

I just feel worn out with it. I am looking for other jobs. Am I being naive in thinking there will be some places that aren’t so toxic?

OP posts:
Mashingthecompost · 07/09/2020 10:37

I don't like to say this, but in my experience, there's always one who decides they don't like the new girl, and it's always been a woman in my personal experience. To balance this, I've always worked in places with a lot of female staff. The structure of the workplace makes a big difference to how much influence they get to have.

Horsemad · 07/09/2020 10:41

@ForeverAshamed - I think most work places have one, unfortunately. 😡

eaglejulesk · 07/09/2020 10:50

There's one employee at my last place who is known as the Smiling Assassin. Always wants to know every little detail about people's lives and will stab them in the back without a second thought. The trouble she's caused is unbelievable, yet the management love her.

There are a lot of those, and yes - management always love them.Hmm

IncludeWomenInTheSequel · 07/09/2020 10:57

Management don't love them, they are scared to tackle them.

Multiplying2020 · 07/09/2020 16:44

The people where I work are generally pretty good (although we've had the occasional shocker). Approx 50/50 male to female split, very stressful NHS lab, but we generally support each other. I've never known places full of science graduates/post-grads be very bitchy though, although I might just be lucky.

Makegoodchoices · 07/09/2020 16:50

The bitchy one left our place a couple of years ago and it’s been so lovely since! Not many people wrote in her card. I’d be so sad if we acquired another one as the atmosphere has been delightful.

Fleamaker123 · 07/09/2020 16:58

@IncludeWomenInTheSequel
Management don't love them, they are scared to tackle them.

100% correct there. That's why the idiots get promoted.

ForeverAshamed · 07/09/2020 17:44

Absolutely agree. Management enable them by the refusal to deal with them because of fear. Then the good people leave in droves because they feel unappreciated while the toxic people thrive.

ForeverAshamed · 07/09/2020 17:44

And the management wonder why Hmm

IncludeWomenInTheSequel · 07/09/2020 17:47

They also tend to be highly manipulative so can make others believe they're the victim, when the opposite is true.

mbosnz · 07/09/2020 18:24

My last workplace, quite honestly, traumatised me. It took all my confidence, any sense of professional self worth.

I had one bitch of a boss, and her nasty little princess, and any chance to put the boot in, they did. The guys I worked with, they saw it, and they tried to shield me from it, but that's pretty hard when those two . . . well, they were in charge, and had the upper hand.

My last day there, another woman with reasonable seniority, came from another department, to ask something of my dearly beloved boss, who was in a tetch, and unusually, vented her spleen on someone outside the department, instead of keeping it in the family so to speak.

There was no point complaining to management or HR, because she was the cutesy, flirty golden girl.

This woman from the other department was rendered speechless, as she watched the boss flounce off to an ego-stroking lunch. Then she said, 'my God, what a fucking bitch'. Rather loudly. Other people from other departments around, lifted their heads, sensing ti. I very happily said, 'Thank you L, I'm really glad to hear I'm not the only one that sees it, and thinks so'.

IncludeWomenInTheSequel · 08/09/2020 09:19

I hear you @mbosnz

I genuinely think I have some level of PTSD from some of the experiences at my last workplace.

BlusteryShowers · 08/09/2020 09:36

I worked in an office for ten years, with more or less the same staff and it was like a second family. I would say 99% of the time we got on great, understood and trusted eachother, very generous with help, really friendly. But my god, if there was ever a falling out the atmosphere was horrendous and it could go on for weeks.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page