To report my colleague to management for unprofessional behaviour ?

[SunConure]

So there have been redundancies in our department and also redeployments to lower grades. It’s been a stressful process but I recently found out I have kept my job. Unfortunately the person doing a similar job at the same grade has not kept hers. Perhaps naively, I tried to help her in various ways, we even discussed a job share. Now I find out from various colleagues that, on more than one occasion, she is going around telling all and sundry that I did not deserve to get the job as “she doesn’t know anything about
science” and “her research is not aligned to what the department wants” and “she shouldn’t even be in our team”. It’s making other colleagues uncomfortable to have to listen to this and one or two asked her to stop. AIBU to report her to management and ask them to deal with it? I could ignore it but the way she is trying to undermine me makes me think it needs nipping in the bud right now and also that management should know about it so they maybe think twice about redeploying her. She is always nice to my face and she doesn’t yet realise I know about how she’s behaving. I could bring it up with her but I know from experience she will deny,
minimise and pretend it was not as bad as it actually is.

retired manager here. I wouldn't go to HR about hearsay but raising it as "I have been told this" at your 121 is both sensible and reasonable.

In your shoes I would ask one or all of the people she has been badmouthing you to, to go to HR themselves and keep you out of it for now.

I have done this before for someone and the gobby one was moved and then let go at the next reshuffle.

Ask them to do this with no expectation obviously.

She could just argue that she is saying what she thinks. Maybe she could back up her assertions if pushed. Best to leave alone.

I get the impression that OP works in academia in which case HR really will not care.

Ah that changes things. I would definitely have a discussion with management in a how do we resolve this way. Although you could still take the initial suggestion and then when the outcome settles revisit it then. Stops you looking too harsh. I'd be surprised if management hadn't picked up on her embarrassing herself like this

I wouldn't report hearsay.
I also wouldn't get involved in he said she said and would be wary of colleagues who did. If they're uncomfortable they need to report it to management themselves instead of coming to you.

If reporting what she has said is slagging her off, that may have something to do with what she’s said? Think about it… the colleague on the other hand is sharing her personal, very negative opinions about the op, these two are very much not the same. One is bullying, one is responding to bullying.

I am not sure if what she has said counts as personal and you can't really stop people saying they don't think someone knows their job very well etc.

She’s bitter @SunConure , it’s all those sour grapes she’s been munching on. Keep your head down and your mouth shut, let it wash over you. They go low, you go high…not worth a second thought. Hope it all works out well for you.

That is the definition of a personal opinion unless she has facts and evidence. ‘She can’t do her job very well because she has failed to deliver 8 of the last 10 sprints on time’ is facts. ‘She can’t do her job well’ is a personal opinion.

So to put it in the only terms relevant, she doesn't like you or agree with you getting something and you want to tell on her as revenge?

Bullying can take many forms, some of them subtle. Undermining a colleague behind their back is a form of bullying.

The core issue here isn’t “gossip” - it’s reputational harm and a potential ongoing bullying risk, especially if the redundant colleague is redeployed into the same environment. The fact that OP has heard this from multiple trusted sources matters: it suggests a pattern, not a one‑off misunderstanding.

The goal is to protect her reputation, stop any escalation, and ensure management is aware before the redeployed person returns at a lower grade. She should log what she’s heard, speak informally to her line manager, and frame it as a risk to team cohesion and her professional reputation, not as a personal complaint. That keeps it clean, factual, and professional.

“I’ve been made aware from several independent colleagues that X has been making negative comments about me. I haven’t heard anything directly, but I’m concerned this could affect team relationships, especially if X is redeployed here. I wanted to flag it early so you’re aware.”

This shifts the focus away from “personal upset” and toward “workplace functioning”.

What a lot of nonsense.

If the OP's work was not up to scratch she would very likely be the one to be leaving the organisation.

It is unprofessional to criticise a colleague's work when there is no evidence of performance issues and just because someone is bitter about losing their job.

It is unprofessional, immature and frankly unpleasant especially when the OP tried to help that person keep their job with the suggestion of a jobshare.

What I would call an ungrateful, backstabbing colleague who everyone will be glad to see the back of.

@Friendlygingercat thank you this is perfect

@Rubyslipperswitch thank you -
the decision was made fairly on a transparent scoring system based on various KPI’s so there is no question of me not being good at my job. I do the work of two people imo!

@nevernotmaybe she never had any problem with me or my work and we have been out together after work. So no issues with me until I was selected. I would not call it revenge, more trying to nip this in the bud before it gets worse, and protect my professional reputation.

Firstly a personal opinion is not the same thing as a personal remark or criticism. Secondly, she may well be able to back up her comments with facts. Nobody is perfect at their job.

People will know it is just sour grapes. It won't harm OP's reputation so best to let it drop. The colleague is probably going to leave anyway if she has bring redeployed at a lower salary.

Do you work in academia?

Going to management will be difficult as this is all hearsay as she hasn’t said anything directly to you. She is behaving unprofessionally but really it needs to be your colleagues who report her as they have directly experienced her saying things which are inappropriate. Could you speak to them and see if they would consider reporting it ? You could try and speak with her directly but that could just lead to further inappropriate comments.

how much longer before she has served her notice and leaves ? It’s tricky unless she says anything directly to you , but remember management have already made their minds up it is you who is staying. Remain professional and keep away from her until she leaves.

I would definitely raise this. Her conduct is unprofessional and bordering on malicious.

I would raise with your manager, that whilst you understand the situation is stressful for everybody, that doesn’t justify behaving like this at any time and you want it to stop.

She is attempting to damage your reputation presumably to try and alter outcomes, but if she has concerns about decision outcomes, she should be raising that through the proper channels for the circumstances- and appeal etc.

Dont let this wash, she needs to learn this type of behaviour won’t be tolerated at work, and should be detrimental to her rather than you.

What's the point if she is leaving anyway. She isn't going to care.

Who knows what the criteria were. If op has worked there for a long time or is older the redundancy payout may be higher. They might also think she will retire in a couple of years anyway. Who knows.

This sounds very much the time not to be a problem for management.

Proceed with grace and professionalism which will do much more for your career..people made redundant are processing too

Nearly everyone does it though. Your colleagues are doing it when they are talking to you about her. Management don't want to hear this kind of stuff. They'll probably wonder if she has a point.