To quit my job over this woman?

[wrongrabbithole]

Ok so it’s not personal to me as I’ve seen her do it to others but wow …

This woman will escalate every single tiny thing we do that she doesn’t like. If I use a font size she doesn’t like she escalates it to my manager, I’ve seen her make my colleague cry with frustration.

I have to submit my work to her as part of risk management and even my manager has admitted she’s now just looking for anything to escalate.

it’s draining. I’m tired. This woman is protected and been there a long time. Numerous others have quit before her.

I’m at the point where I’m going to sleep and waking up with anxiety.

im sorry you are being so affected by such a pedantic,petty colleague.
You have some option here but what is crucial is that you remain calm and professional at all times.
Firstly document every incident ,then express your concerns to your manager, raise a grievance if it isn't resolved. Or quietly look for another job and leave this behind.

This.

I'd delight in doing anything to piss her off. Id search google for things to do that are just about but hardly noticeable.

I wouldn't take any notice of the feedback, I wouldnt take it personally. Id try my hardest to crack her and get myself made redundant or something.

Protected; they can deal with her shit then.

🤣🤣🤣

You can do one of two things.

1. Accept it. Really, why does it matter if you need to change the font size? Maybe you could view this as a learning opportunity?

2. Challenge it - but you will need robust documented evidence.

You know what she says is bullsshit.
You know she does it to everyone.
WHY are you letting her petty nonsense get to you? Get a stock phrase to reply to her nitpicking and then ignore.
Look for another job if you want but don’t leave yourself out of employment because of her.

Can you afford to quit? I've found that when you don't need a job for financial reasons, or can survive without it, that you're less likely to put up with nonsense like this - and weirdly once they know this, they are far less likely to play these games with you. Can you front her out?

My issue is she’s always going to be there. It’s at best boring and at worst impacting my mental health.

Yes I shrug it off as it’s not personal. Others have left because of her, I’ve seen others be reduced to tears by it. She’s already been reported for bullying (not by me).

To go through this every day fills me with dread. I’ve worked with shitty people before, but not generally those that make it their mission to sabotage anyone in the role below.

I think you should ask for her to put all of her feedback in writing in an email so you can refer back to it.
Every time.

Keep a paper trail

Why is she always going to be there? Is she one of the owners? Or is it because not enough people have complained about her conduct?

Report again for bullying and copy in everyone you can think of above her - this is shit and I hate it! See if you can get the people who have left to submit a letter saying why they left now they are safely in other jobs.

Is what she’s pointing out as wrong really wrong or does she just not like it? If it’s the latter I’d see it as a challenge but I am that petty tbh.
“Really Shirley, you don’t like comic sans?”
I once had a boss who would make us all go round the table listing what we were going to be doing that day before going out on shift so that he could approve it. It was such a pointless waste of time because so much of our job was unpredictable. I’d make shit up in those meetings all the time. Gave me a lot of satisfaction.
Also, if she points out something as ‘wrong’ who redoes it? If it’s her then let her crack on with tripling her workload.

She sounds awful, but I do think it’s possible to insulate yourself from work stuff by taking all emotion out of it and always assuming best intention. Who is her manager, are they aware of the way she is coming across?

Are you deviating from some policy document or style guide, or is it just her opinion that a different font size would be nicer?

If you're deviating from what you should be doing, even if it seems petty, I would comply and talk to your manager about getting petty/inconsequential aspects of those standards removed (but also, set up templates that default to the right standards).

If it's just her opinion I'd go with something along the lines of @Random321 suggestion. Especially if she's asked you to use a different font size one week compared to the next.

If it's just her opinion oshe's trying to force on you, wouldn't care she was copying others on the email with the criticism, it's not you she's making look bad.

But another job is still the best way to deal with a job where a company won't manage someone who treats others poorly. I wouldn't just quit without another job to go to over something like this, though. It's frustrating but hardly worth being poorer over.

Report her yourself and speak to acas to help you start a formal grievance against your company for constructive dismissal and tell your manager that you will not let this drop

Can you refuse to deal with her directly and ask for everything to go through your manager and her manager?

As well as logging everything and raising a grievance, I would also work out how much time this is wasting then suggest that you write a style reference and a series of formatted documents/emails.

If you have a note of what she's pulled you up on you could even use AI to build something for you.

Perhaps speak to your manager about it improving efficiency. Whilst a job isn't worth your MH I would do that before leaving as a new job maybe no better.

I fucking love this. Adults standing up for themselves.

Life’s too short.. I’ve been in this position and it’s exhausting.. the grass is greener 100%

I’m thinking the same. I don’t know want to go to HR or raise a grievance- she been through a HR profess for bullying and she’s still here, people have left because of her and again she’s still there.

Just a draining process when I know the outcome. And there’s no way around me not working with her.

No more polite emails. Either ignore (because why can't she change it, why the fuck would you email about something quick and easy as a font size change) - or send:

Hi Twat

Here you go.

regards

wrongrabbithole

Do you think she could be ND? I’m not saying that as an excuse for her but more because recognising this as an issue with her, might help you to distance from it and find it less personal or shaming. Also it can make it easier to communicate with people if you recognise their communication style. For example saying to some people “you doing this makes me feel x” has no resonance whereas saying “please stop sending public emails when you feedback on my work. The other people don’t want to see corrections to fonts” may have more impact. Just a thought. Bloody annoying tho!

This. Go mental with font sizes. Play her at her own game, only better. Take the mick but keep a serious face. Start querying tiny little things in your reports and ask which senior manager she thinks it should be escalated to. Tell her a colleague forgot to spellcheck, is this a sackable offence etc.

Is it her job to give feedback on your work?

I do a similar role and yes I give feedback on font styles and sizes in customer-facing materials where there is room for improvement.

Quite often there is something to adjust as nobody else looks at it from an accessibility point of view.

It’s not personal and I don’t feel bad about doing it, it’s literally my job.

You sound utterly drained by this.

Have you spoken to your manager about it outling the stress and anxiety you are experiencing as a direct result of this?

Not a casual conversation but tell your mamger you need help and support so that you can rwmain in the job and before you raise a fornal grievance.

I would be gutted if one of my team felt like this and didn't tell me the full extent of the impact.
I would address it fully with her first, then her manager and then HR. I have done in the past and it's amazing how quickly someone can stop this shit when everyone else has made it very clear it will not be tolerated.

I had a person like this in a previous job, and an older, wiser colleague took me aside and gave me some really good advice - just to state "noted" or to jot down the stupid thing she just said and then move on.

There is a woman like this in my current job, not quite as picky but going out of her way to try and undermine me. I have flagged it with the manager and from here on out if she is really confrontational I just correct her and move on.

I am trying to remember the Let Them theory.