Being bullied, any advice welcome

[YouKnowStuffingisforLunch]

I'm only on a temp contract (twelve months) with my company. I've been there four months now.

It's a small dept in a big company, just five of us.

At first I thought I was just being a bit sensitive. Lots of whispering (excluding me) and ignoring me when I asked questions. But now they've pretty much started completely ignoring me. My supervisor told me one of them has been complaining about some work i've been doing. She has involved two of the others who (I was informed) have all been complaining about how I am taking on things I shouldn't be.

Sorry for the vagueness.

Supervisor asked to see my work and was pleased with it, she then called in our manager who also said she was happy with what I had done. Supervisor then told me that the complaining about me had been taken to the manager too.

Basically I had been devising a way to simplify the collecting of a set of data. Having done this, and used it on the data (successfully), checked with supervisor it was ok, We were all set to send off an important report.

I decided to double check things before it went (always do) and found that a large proportion of it was wrong. I was irritated that my method clearly wasn't working. Did it the long winded way before I thought to check it against the new way (with me?), saved it, sent it off. Checked my new way... The data in it was right.

I data was a copied over. There is no way it could have been different.

We all have access to these files.

Someone had changed it.

So long story slightly longer (sorry, I'm sure you don't need all the detail) I've been set up.

What do I do? I'm really upset by all of this. I don't want to do anything formal but I don't want to be watching my back constantly.

I have no proof whatsoever because I saved over it before I realised I'd been had.

I'm miserable :(

As to what should happen now. Your managers should ask your input as to how it should be resolved and whether you are happy that it is resolved informally and confidentially.

It is likely that HR will write to you in some form and they may present you with the grievance procedures also, in case you want to make a formal grievance.

They may conduct a formal investigation and their may be training conducted.

I would suggest that if everything is resolved then management meet with you in a couple of weeks and then a month later to check all is ok.

Good luck!

Thanks snuggle :). That's really helpful.

The ringleader in all of this has been noted doing unethical (potentially illegal) things before now (with evidence), so I think they certainly wouldn't see this as beneath her. I imagine they will be on to IT this afternoon to try to find out who has saved over that file and when.

I'm not sure how much info is stored about what we all do and view (a lot I believe).

Glad you are feeling a bit better.
Hope your bully gets caught and fired.

The IT department should be able to access the file and find out when the item was changed and by who if it was saved to a shared drive.

Your options are: password protect it, or email the copy you make to your manager every time and make sure you keep a copy of htat email, the email will timestamp itself so you can prove that after you changed it it was correct...and then check if the changes are made after that on the shared drive.

Does your company use sharepoint? It is great becuase you ahve to check documents in and out and it shows clearly who did what and when.

If you don't then the server manager should be able to check files and who accesses what.

If the person they suspect is already marked out as a troublemaker then they may want to use your issues as a reason to start disciplinary agianst the other person. They will be very helpful if that is the case. People like that are a nightmare for managers, and it is difficult to prove intent.

I don't want anybody to be fired, just want to be left alone to do my job! :)

We don't use share point. That sounds rather good. I might suggest it.

There are very few back ups or anything, it's quite an archaic system.

From now on I will keep a copy of the file on my own computer and keep it up to date. It's the only way to be sure my work is safe.

Hope all ended well with your dilema? I have been at the end of bullying tactics on a couple of occasions in various jobs. Unfortunately there is always one where ever you go, you tend to spot them a mile off with experience.

It all boils down to their insecurity and jealousy at the end of the day. I know that dooesn't help you much as you are in the situation. You are doing the right thing and so what if they get the sack, good!!!!! they only get what they deserve.
xx

Thanks Stevie :). It really is horrible feeling like you're being attacked all the time. My back is sore from all the knives sticking out of it :o

god poor you, that sounds like a nightmare. I hope that they get it sorted and you can just go to work and get on with it without having to worry about all this nonsense.

Thanks Geraldine. It's really bloody miserable to be honest. Tomorrow I'm going to have to face it all again. Wish me luck!

Any more advice will be gratefully received. I do feel knowledge is power at the moment.

Thanks.

Oh good luck YouKnow. I think the best advice is to keep a log of evertying as others have said, and keep your supervisor involved. What a bunch of twats, how dare they make your working day so miserable?? It's utterly pathetic for grown people to act like this.

Hope today was a little better?

Today was MUCH better. I don't know how much of that was me knowing I wasn't as vulnerable to attack, and how much was people actually being nicer. Ring leader is absent so that helps.

Somethings happening with hr tomorrow. I'm not sure what, and I'm not sure how much they will say to the others about what's going on.

I'm a little bit terrified. I don't want this to make things worse. Hopefully it will be a general "what is expected from us all" rather than a "someone here is suffering".

Anyone know which it's likely to be? I did ask that It be kept confidential if possible.

If the conversation does turn to a 'someone is suffering' type of thing, it may well be a good idea to prepare a response, just so you are not caught on the hop. Something like, 'It hasn't been pleasant, but I'm happy to draw a line under this and work well with everyone in the future'.

That's a good idea beryl. I like the drawing a line line :)

I may not get a chance to say it then and there, but i can always say it later on.

"what's done is done, I'd really like to draw a line under this whole thing and start afresh."

Summat like that.

sounds like a plan. good luck and try not to worry, you've not done anything wrong. I'm so glad you had a better day!

Thanks Geraldine :)

Hope it won't be too scary.