Must Leave Job Due To Serial Bully And Lose Unemployment

[Iditarod]

Hi all,

I have a part time on-call job which is causing me ptsd-like symptoms. I don't believe it is full ptsd, but I believe I came real close to having some kind of acute stress breakdown at work last week.

I was experiencing ferocious insomnia, nightmares, muscle aches, difficulty controlling anger, crying, horrid indigestion, and dread, but no hallucinations or flashbacks. I now realize I've had some symptoms for about a year now, but only while working with a particular assistant manager who is a serial bully. When I'm not working I'm pretty much fine.

I've been off for almost a week now, and it's taken me much longer than usual to recuperate from working an 8 day straight shift on graveyards. So I have to leave that job. I haven't given notice yet. I won't have to do that, until they actually give me a new work schedule, which could be in 2 to 3 weeks.

I did formally complain about this serial bully six months ago, and still they have not kept her away from me. I described then how working with her gives me horrible insomnia, and they still subjected me to working under her.

So, since there are no laws against bullying in the workplace, will I lose my unemployment too? Or rather, is there any way I can keep my unemployment?

I do not plan to stick around and let it develop into something much worse.

Thanks,

Iditarod

 

[Iditarod]

Or maybe a possibility would be to change to the swing shift, then I might only have 2 hours a day of contact with her - but I'm not so sure now that I could handle even that.

I had thought of getting a note from the doctor or something, to tell the supervisors to keep her away from me, but then I could be letting myself in for some more rude treatment.

At my company it wouldn't be such a big deal to get someobdy else - we are all like interchangeable parts at each rung of the ladder. It's not like in a company where each person has a specialized task, and only that person can do that job.

I've seen how people easily and quickly mistreat you if you think you have any kind of mental problem. I once had a job, at which I forgot to do something because of having some kind of hypoglycemia incident, and I told my boss, and she treated me like a retard after that.

So what kind of medical professional would I go to get a note to say this serial bully should be kept away from me in order to safeguard my mental and physical health, without the stigma of declaring mental illness? Is there any way that could be worded to leave out the stigma?

 

[Meadowsweet]

I don't know what country you are from Iditarod.

In the UK there are laws against bullying in the workplace. Also, if you visit your GP (general doctor) they do take work related anxiety seriously and will give you a sick note to remain off work.

But the bullying is something that your boss or a union (if you are a member of one) needs to address.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Nobody here can diagnose you. However, in light of what you have said, that you only experience symptoms in this persons presence, you don't have PTSD as PTSD has a significant impact on many aspects of your life, not just in a single isolated setting. I urge you to seek professional help, ESP if your anxiety is so bad that you must quit your job.

 

[Lionheart]

I doubt that you have PTSD, but you have to get a professional diagnosis to know for sure. However, there are other anxiety disorders that you could be suffering from such as acute anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia etc....Still I am not so sure because your anxiety is tied directly to a specific person, and I don't think anxiety in this case is outside the normal range of reaction.

I would urge you to speak to your supervisor/boss or company representative etc. about the bullying. It's not acceptable behavior in the workplace and you have the right to seek relief from it! Use your head to protect yourself (and I don't mean literally) ;) You have a right to be safe, but you have to stand up for that right.

good luck to you,
LH

 

[Iditarod]

hi everyone,

Thanks for your replies. I am in the U.S., where it is not illegal to bully people.

I don't intend to speak to my supervisor/ boss about it because I know that will do nothing, and I already went over his head, and even that did not help me.

I am also not going to risk any further damage to my health by staying there. I've already been suffering some kind of symptoms for a year now. Yes, I did figure it was just some kind of acute stress thing.

I'm just really angry right now. Now that I know that a serial bully can also destroy their business, my feeling is: why not just let her do her thing? Why should I do anything further to try to educate them, especially when they won't want to hear it anyway? And the new people who get yelled at tend to do the smart thing and not come back. There are always plenty of new people. This particular business depends a lot on being able to hire a lot of new people for big events, who then don't get much work because only the "trusted regulars" can get much work.

Perfect situation for a bully to torture the newbies.

I was planning on writing an exit letter to the upper level manager who said he would try to keep her away from people and didn't, but now, I'm planning to "just let things be," but with less than generous intentions about it.

 

[Iditarod]

Ps: and my immediate boss has also started abusing people. At the last assignment, he overheard this poor old guy talking to someone about a competitor, and this immediate boss yelled at him for doing that. Excuse me, we all do that, and many people work for more than one company at a time, since it's all part-time and on-call. I'm always asking people how they like the company they work for.

I read yesterday that a bully can even change the ethos of an entire organization, which I find amazing, yet this seems to be happening.

 

[lil_fighter]

Hi Iditarod,

Just thought I'd revive the thread and ask how your situation worked out? I hope it worked out for the best? :)