Colleague ignoring phone-calls and emails

[czechout]

Hello all,
Just a quick question - a colleague is currently ignoring phone-calls and emails. By way of background we are recently out of redundancies and a colleague was made redundant in a very unfair manner, I could not take on all their workload (I took on what I could) despite the organisation trying I fought back as already do well beyond contracted hours.
Boss was very unhappy with result (they have to do some of this work) and the team secretary has now clearly been asked not to cooperate with me.
I'm emailing politely, getting no response (working from home). If I call secretary they are refusing to pick up phone. Have been advised by another colleague to keep emailing so there is a record of refusal. Not sure what else to do, not sure there is any point complaining to the boss who is likely behind this.

Any ideas most welcome :)

It sounds like theyre trying to manage you out. Personally I'd start looking for something else but how you address it is up to you. I can't imagine they will be nice to work with from now on though.

Don't leave over this....it is how bullies succeed. Do as earlier poster says & point out how lack of response is impacting on work, cc Boss on email so s/he can't say never made aware, add delivery & read requests to your emails. Keep paper trail. If you otherwise like your job then don't leave over this tool... if it continues, then engage with HR with your big lever arch binder of unreplied to emails...or attempts to set you up (if it comes to it).

@TrainspottingWelsh thank you, yes can understand your point but in our context no-one is required to work from site, most don't but a few who enjoy working from the site have chosen to go in. I have no choice in that I can't but equally they are not required to be there either and there is no increase/decrease in workload either way. If there was I would definitely do what you are suggesting.
@TomorrowIsAnotherDae thank you yes, agree record keeping the only way forward as will be either of the two in the end I think.
Thank you @sanfranfibber context is good
@Okbussitout yes they are you are right but I agree with @SionnachGlic that this is what bullies do and I feel I would be giving them what they want. I know there is a balance to be drawn with personal sanity etc but as our work impacts on very vulnerable people I also feel an obligation not to leave such people in the sole management of those prepared to bully an adult professional (they also bullied former colleague who was made redundant so have form). Those we work to impact are very vulnerable which makes the decision more complicated.

it all sounds incredibly stressful. I echo the others: keep records, make everything scrupulously professional as if anyone in the world might read it and use it against you, keep records, keep records of document changes and meetings. (do you use Teams? I take a screenshot of "participants" just so i know who was there)

prioritise things into A, B and C groups and keep checking with your boss what should be prioritised over something else that you can't finish. I wouldn't mention that it's because you're not getting help unless they specifically ask you in writing.

Also: look for a new job. It's realistically not going to get better, is it?

Thanks @Brefugee we use something similar to teams so yes could do that, thank you.
I sent email this morning asking for a response. Should I continue getting more evidence of lack of cooperation before raising it with Boss? Boss also often ignores emails (since redundancy issue) so would probably need to raise it with a senior eventually but thinking best to get even more evidence first so case is even stronger?

Okay, no response to a request to see a draft of a document before it was published. Instead, secretary sent document to all parties this morning without any response to request to check before being sent out.

This action would be at Boss's request however now thinking to forward Boss emails saying I sent X these emails, received no response and would like to bring this to your attention.
Or should I await more ignored emails?

Ignoring people intentionally can be deemed bullying and harassment. Hope you can get them to see sense without having to point this out to them.

Thanks @peak2021 didn't realise it constituted harassment as well as bullying.
I may leave them to it then for a while so can gather more evidence, hard to know when to call them out on this...

Collect and print out as much as you can of everything. Otherwise if push comes to shove, they might lock you out of the computer system and you won't have any access to evidence at all.

Thanks @endlesswicker will do, I didn't think about that aspect but they are definitely capable.

I would escalate to your line manager in the first instance. If it doesn’t stop, then speak to HR. Sorry you are going through this

So your direct manager is this boss you mention who is involved in / aware about this bullying? If so, I would go above them or to HR, but not yet. First try a couple more emails, very polite. Then yes, definitely escalate and say you are unable to do your job as others aren't responding. This is ridiculous!

Thank you @Lolastarsandstripe and yes @optimistic40 Line Manager has most likely encouraged this. It is ridiculous I agree.
Perhaps a wrong move but I spoke to Line Manager this afternoon and said I'm unable to do my job at the moment properly because of a lack response from secretary, I didn't address LM's lack of responses directly as thought would need to raise that with their LM if continues and they would know I was making a general point also. I said it was good professional conduct that there would be a response within a reasonable period of time. Said I was very concerned as was trying to WFH and asked if they would like me to raise this concern in writing. They said not to and they would be speaking to secretary about this. LM tried to cover by saying secretary was very busy at the moment but I said this is over a period of time now I'm not talking about 1 or 2 incidents. I also said I did not expect immediate responses but at the very least that a missed call was followed up the next day (yes I know I have lowered the bar!) and emails are responded to in reasonable time.
LM's reluctance for me to put it in writing could mean they will try to resolve as I have now spoken up (as reflects badly on them) or they could have something else/worse up their sleeve...either way I hope I have given a chance for both to sort themselves out and there is surely now a sense that this could get serious if it doesn't stop. Whether that has any effect on this behaviour I guess remains to be seen, not holding my breath....

Oooh... I would definitely follow that with an email though, to have it in writing. "Thank you for the chat today about the issues we are having with "secretary's" lack of responses to my emails and calls over a sustained period. I look forward to the more timely responses going forward and appreciate your help with this matter" ?

If it was a phone chat I would definitely want a record. And then print it off.

Your line manager doesn't want it in writing as there will be a paper trail that you could use if this escalates. If its brought up at a later date can deny it/brush it off as a "busy period".

I've worked with these sorts of people, and its not going to get better. You either report and document and try to get your line manager moved/removed, or you move yourself.

This incident may stop (it may not), but something else will replace it.

@optimistic40

Oooh... I would definitely follow that with an email though, to have it in writing. "Thank you for the chat today about the issues we are having with "secretary's" lack of responses to my emails and calls over a sustained period. I look forward to the more timely responses going forward and appreciate your help with this matter" ?

If it was a phone chat I would definitely want a record. And then print it off.

Definitely do this, that way they can't pretend the call didn't happen or things were said if it continues or worsens...

@optimistic40

Oooh... I would definitely follow that with an email though, to have it in writing. "Thank you for the chat today about the issues we are having with "secretary's" lack of responses to my emails and calls over a sustained period. I look forward to the more timely responses going forward and appreciate your help with this matter" ?

If it was a phone chat I would definitely want a record. And then print it off.

1000000% you need to do this, otherwise I suspect you will have a case of he said she said on your hands, where LM denies having such a conversation with you at all.

100% follow up the call with an email confirming what you discussed.

You were right to make it less of a complaint about someone and about the processes. But it really does need to be in writing. Because if you want to escalate things later, they'll ask how you got on with your complaints to your LM.

Good luck

Spreadsheet to record every email and phone call arranged by date, along with outcome column (outcome - no response).

Not to share with others necessarily but for your own benefit. This could very well turn nasty, you are being forced out of a role and this could be classed as constructive dismissal. If you ever want to go to tribunal this record will be valuable evidence.

Something faux innocent might work...

Dear X
Could you please confirm receipt of this email? I have contacted you X times since X date and received no response. I just want to make sure my emails are getting through or do we have an IT problem here?
Many thanks

CC various people in, ones who will tear her a new one..

Or contact various superiors "is X having a problem with emails? I haven't received a response from her since X, just checking if you have managed to contact her?"

Thank you all for advice.
This morning things came to a head and I told my Manager I felt I was being bullied by her. She went ballistic and immediately took her phone to her Line Manager saying she didn't understand how I could be saying this.
The phone-call was in response to an email which she didn't have the guts to respond to in writing.
Some have told me not to call her out on bullying but I felt pushed into a corner and when she asked me why I had not said anything in a meeting with her about a certain work matter being pushed onto me following a recent redundancy, I responded by saying I felt bullied, that's why. As such I held a dignified silence. I also said I had made everything clear in terms of what I could take on in a previous meeting.
Senior Manager said it would be better if we discussed this in person upon my return as I am currently shielding. I agreed to that but think I now need to write to him saying following our conversation in which I mentioned unfavorable treatment from X, I look forward to discussing this in person. I probably won't use the word 'bullied' in writing...yet.

There is no way back now is there?! I guess it was always heading this way so I just need to crack on.

Ducks in a row - collate your date-time-stamped evidence in a spreadsheet as pp recommended above.
You need to make sure you have how-when-why in terms of all examples of perceived bullying/making your job impossible and I would be sending it documented in advance of any conversation face-to-face later down the line. Back up/screenshot everything you need to - print it all out too so you have a hard copy/make sure you know who your HR rep/union rep is for future tribunal.
Buckle up for a bumpy ride

@czechout

There is no way back now is there?! I guess it was always heading this way so I just need to crack on.

You’re right. There’s no going back so your best bet is to get job hunting. Even if a miracle occurs and they admit to bullying you, you won’t want to continue working there.

Jump before you’re pushed, and feel smug that you leaving is just going to increase all their workloads more!

Thank you both - yes will start getting everything prepared