Horrible colleague

[Bodakyellow]

I have been in a new role for just under a month. A team has been put together to work on a project and are hot desking in our office. One particular member of this team is always seated next to me and he is really grating on me as he goes out of his way to make negative comments about my competence in front of my direct line manager and other colleague’s. He has gone as far as to call me useless and unhelpful. Admittedly I have made mistakes as I am new and still learning however, he’s not even part of my team it doesn’t even affect him. Essentially he makes me feel like crap. He is really pally with my line manager, constantly going on fag breaks together and sharing food. I try to ignore him but I feel like he trying to get me fired. AIBU to ask him what his promblem is?

If you're hot desking, can you get in a bit earlier and sit by someone more friendly?

I think you have to stand up for yourself but always be polite. Act as though he's recording you - don't say anything that you could be fired for. He sounds like trouble - hopefully he'll sit somewhere else if he doesn't get a rise out of you.

Thanks but that wouldn't work as it's just the project team that are hot desking. I have my assigned desk and he always sits near me as, he likes to be a close to my line manager as possible. I'm always in early and rolls in at 9.30 and plonks himself at the desk in front of me.

Unbelievable. These remarks are really inappropriate. When he makes them in front of your line manager, did the manager said anything? If he acted as nothing has happened, I would probably start looking for a new job. This is not a healthy environment and the mood is more than weird. I would take it as a warning that something is not right in that office. To be honest, this never happened to me in my life. Don't feel like a crap, it is him who obviously has some problem.

If you've only been there 4 weeks and he is already insulting you and saying you're useless, even though you have nothing to do with him, this would be a red flag about the type of employer, the culture and this person's suitability to work there. If he is friends with the boss, then the maxim "we're known by the friends we keep" comes to mind.

Can you give your boss examples of how this person is being unpleasant to you, to see if he supports you. Depending on his response, it will indicate what type of boss you have!

Did he call you useless or did he describe your work/task/effort as such?