How I Triumphed Over Workplace Bullying and Mobbing – In The Beginning

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Before I go into the story, I want to tell you that very few people ever come out the winner if they’re a victim of bullying in the workplace. I say this because when I worked in the toxic and poisonous environment, I’m about to tell you of, I saw so many people who fell victim.

Droves of innocent workers ended up losing their jobs and some, their careers, because of the evil actions of a clique of psychopaths who were handed power they had no business having.

These employees were the best and the kindest people, and my heart broke for them. It still does when I think back.

In late 2007, I began working for a sanitation company that contracted with *Shady Grove Living Center in Oakley. My supervisor, *Darnell, and my coworkers were the best. Sure, we had our disagreements and our spats. Still, I could never have dreamed of working with a better supervisor and team. And on many occasions, we’d have so much fun together!

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Another great thing was that we didn’t work for the nursing home, only for a separate company contracted with them. So, in reality, no one at the nursing home had any power over us, though they would’ve loved to think they did.

I was already well aware that the site was very toxic, but I always stood back and observed the people and the goings-on around me. And during my first week of employment there, it didn’t take long to figure out who the troublemakers were.

I made sure to avoid the drama queens, the gossips, and the bullies and went on with my business. Another beauty of it was, is there was a long corridor between the actual nursing facility and the sanitation area, so I didn’t have to work with them nor be around them much at all.

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The only time I saw any of them was toward the end of the shift when I’d roll the laundry cart full of clean linens down to the main building to stock the linen closets.

Therefore, for the first year and three months, everything went smoothly, and no one bothered me. I got along with everyone and was seemingly well-liked. That is until I put one snarky CNA in her place for trying to be a wise ass.

This CNA, whom we’ll call, *Candi, had it in her mind that we, who worked in the laundry department, were beneath her and expected us to carry hers and everyone else’s water. Although the CNAs didn’t make any more money than we did, Candi and a few others had no regard for us. We didn’t classify as human to them.

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After I schooled her, Candi got her little feelings hurt. So, she ran and cried to her buddies in the nursing home clique, like a sissy on a schoolyard playground. She couldn’t stand that I’d smart-mouthed her, and “how dare” I talk to her like that. Oh! “The nerve of” me!

And she took the rest of the day off as a stress leave because she was so upset. And I knew why she was so peeved. She was the type who couldn’t handle being told a thing or two by someone deemed inferior.

It’s hilarious when I think of it! But that’s when the bullying began.

I’ll elaborate in part 2.

* Not the real name of the person or entity.

14 thoughts on “How I Triumphed Over Workplace Bullying and Mobbing – In The Beginning”

  2. rts - Facing the Challenges of Mental Health says:
    Reply

    As a teenager I had a part time job at a paint factory. I would be doing what was needed done.
    The worst part was, my dad also worked there too. He kept coming around barking orders at me, he didn’t have that authority. I finally had had enough, spoke to one of the owners. Told him what was going on and said if it happens he will get a paint can across his head. My dad never bothered me there again. However, living under the same roof after that was pure torture.

  3. Park View Project says:
    Reply

    I too have experienced such an environment working for a national charity, which I won’t name. Over a three year period they lost nine very committed and experienced individuals because of one senior management person, who I truly believe was not aware of how tyrannical and, in effect incompetent she was. I managed to stay clear, but only because my nature is to avoid confrontation. But to have witnessed such vile behaviour on those who I worked with was heart breaking, more so because I was unable to do anything about it. Maybe it was self preservation. However, it did come to a head when a new replacement was not going to sit back and take it. To cut a long story short, managed to bring a tribunal where the end result was dismissal. A just reward, but at the expense of peoples livelihoods and personal development.

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