Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Toxic colleague

4 replies

Nusuy · 21/11/2023 18:24

A colleague I work with is toxic. 2 years ago she tried to manipulate the manager and said I need to do tasks from her job. He fell for it and it was a constant battle. I didn't do the tasks and ignored them. I spoke out and my supervisor tried to and was told no. It only got resolved when we had a restructure and the team split and even then she tried again to pass her work to me and my supervisor said no as we are not in the same team now.

There is a job going in her team and a few weeks ago she asked me to apply. I have far more years of knowledge and experience but she would be my line manager. Recently I had to report her to her line manager for breaking the companies procedures. She was not updating the system with essential data which is needed and costly in the long run too if the data is missing. She had been shown how to do this and was told by another person to stop cutting corners. I had no choice to report her as it was either complacency or a training issue and chose to ignore doing properly as she was told before. She has been doing the job for 7 months so had enough time to do something so basic. I could not have told her again abiut not doing the task correcrly as she would ignore what I said or get mad as she is very volatile.

Last week there was no room in the canteen so I sat on her table as I know all the people. They all gave me the silent treatment. I suspect she worked out I reported her as her line manager has said she has since trained her. Since then they have all acknowledged and spoke to me when she was not around. She is still ignoring me.

A few weeks ago she has said to my line manager in front of me she will be poaching me. Why on earth would I want to work for someone who cuts corners, has no pride in their work, disrespected me by trying to pass on their work, gives the silent treatment when she is wrong and has less experience than me? I know if I worked for her I would be unhappy as she would just keep passing me her work and expect me to cover her when she is on holiday. She has very little knowledge on this department so would keep picking my brains.

My current team treat me with far more respect and value me.

How do you deal with toxic people like this at work?

OP posts:
NeverDropYourMooncup · 21/11/2023 18:32

Generally, by being smoothly evasive whenever possible and then polite and professional when forced to engage.

She's probably worked out that you haven't applied for the role because you don't want it by now.

Occasionally, you'll get caught out and have to smile with a 'Oh, no, I'm very happy where I am' or have a quiet word with your manager whilst maintaining an outwardly pleasant exterior, but it's not worth getting wound up about.

Allwelcone · 21/11/2023 21:43

Weather it with a smile, don't let it get to me, think of my paycheck, make sure the other parts of my my life are as good as possible, look for another job of none of the above work .
Easier said than done but hey.

Nusuy · 24/11/2023 18:49

I had a lucky escape. She rang my supervisor this week very angrily asking him who in our team told her manager she wasn't doing her job properly. He denied knowing what happened. What a nutjob.

OP posts:
DCIDecember · 24/11/2023 18:53

To be honest I’m struggling to understand your organisational structure here. Is she more senior than you are? Is your supervisor your line manager?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page