I accepted the offer of a permanent role late last year. The role promised career progression and a certain amount of stability that I found lacking in contracting. I was initially considered for a more strategic and slightly senior position but I declined as I prefer to get my hands dirty. That role was filled some 3 months or so after I started by somebody a lot younger than me (I think this might be relevant).
Immediately - and I'm talking days after the other person started - I was subjected to intense scrutiny and I was told by this person that I would be reporting through them, although I do not directly report into them. My work has consistently been found by her to be of an extremely low standard, for the first time in any position I have held in 34 years.
I know that I have been bullied and that my output has been misrepresented at every turn and I feel helpless. 4 members of staff have remarked on the bullying but have said that they are not willing to be witnesses if I raise this with HR, as they are concerned of negative impact. Other members of the organisation have also made comment on the way that they have heard me being addressed, and also do not wish to become involved.
I have found myself to now, through machination and skullduggery, be reporting directly to this other person, and I am frequently instructed to change my work although I know that the changes are incorrect. I have tried many times to discuss the proposed changes but have been over-ruled, only to then take the flack when the errors are noticed - usually in tense meetings with internal stakeholders.
I think the age difference may be relevant as the other person finds issue with almost everything I offer, whether it is my output or general conversation and frequently makes reference to me being old enough to be her mother (true) and that she would find it awful to have a boss so much younger than her.
A conversation was instigated by her yesterday, where she spoke at great length about a mutual agency contact, and made reference to having a conversation with this contact about me in particular. Today I had an informal discussion with her where she stated that she wanted to put me on performance review. Tonight I logged on to a job site to see that the agency contact has listed a job description that matches mine exactly. I live in a rural part of the country, with limited employment opportunities in my field and cannot believe that this is coincidence. AIBU or simply paranoid to think that this person is making active attempts to replace me?