I need to vent about a situation at work and get suggestions on what to do and AIBU appears to attract more traffic.
I've worked in the same department for the last six years. In last two, our entire management team has changed. The team has continued to grow and things had been going well.
For reasons i'm not quite sure, one of the newer members of the department has taken a disliking to me. We're at the same level in terms of seniority, report to the same manager, and whilst our paths cross in our roles, we do fundamentally different jobs.
Things started really well between us but there have been several mildly irritating incidences in the last couple of months albeit nothing major. I've been wracking my brain to try work out what caused the shift in their behaviour towards me but can't for the life of me work it out. It's worth mentioning that complaints by others have been made about the way that this individual behaves towards, and speaks to others but all have been rebutted and defended by our line manager because 'this persons job is stressful and they have things going on in their personal life'. Both can apply to pretty much anyone in our department, the work we do is difficult but I don't think that's a valid excuse.
I'll admit that at first, i thought i was being paranoid but two weeks ago, another colleague forwarded me something that evidences very clearly, that this person is trying hard to undermine my ability and that i'm not imagining it.
I don't want to out myself but the situation is made worse by the fact that the content of what i've been shown is factually incorrect and that is very easy to evidence. My line manager had first sight of what i've been forwarded but hadn't mentioned anything to me. Presumably because they realised it wasn't true and on that basis decided that they didn't need to address the matter with me. From what i've seen, my manager has done absolutely nothing to correct this situation or defend me. It actually looks like the reason for not doing those things is to avoid conflict for themselves.
I've now made my manager aware that I have this evidence in my possession but instead of offering me any support or assurance, has become annoyed and is trying to deflect by saying that the colleague who provided me with this information is is in the wrong and is trying to cause conflict. That may all be true, but that really isn't the point.
I don't want to leave. The job pays well, I'm respected within the business for being good at what I do, and i enjoyed it there until all of this. It's made me feel absolutely rubbish. If i raise the issue with the individual directly, It will get worse for me, and i'll more than likely be painted as the problem.
The obvious answer would be to raise a grievance but our HR department is useless. In the last 6 years i've seen people raise grievances and it's never gone well for them, they've all left soon after.
As I see it, and as hard as it might be, my only options are to either Ignore this behaviour, start keeping a diary (i'm not even sure what i'd do with this information) or accept that this isn't the place for me anymore and leave? None of these options will be easy for me but as i've never experienced anything like this in my life, I really don't know what to do for the best.