I would like some advice about a coworker who is bullying others in our department. There are rumors that the department manager and this girl are sleeping together, and their behavior certainly indicates that this is the case. In my 4 years at this company there have been several harassment complaints against my boss, but it has only resulted in those individuals getting fired, and no corrective actions have been taken against the him.
I have always remained neutral with department conflicts and focused on my work. I have actually been immune from the bullying mostly because my boss (and many of the other upper management) relies on me heavily to get things done. But just over a year ago, after a sexual harassment complain, my boss asked me to be in charge of a certain group of people in our department so he wouldn't get in trouble anymore.
I have not been given the actual title, authority, or training as a "supervisor". But the people reported directly to me, and I was in charge of their work and overtime schedules. These people look to me as their supervisor, and are now asking me to get involved over the bullying situation. I tried to talk to my boss about the situation, but the situation blew up in my face and the H.R. department actually made the situation worse.
Now I have basically been told that the best thing for me to do is just focus on my work and to not get involved anymore. I have done this for the past few months, but I see the bullying is going on more and more, not at me but at the people who asked me to get involved in the first place. People are afraid for their jobs, they are going home in tears, and I find that my own morale is suffering as well. I am pissed at my boss for allowing this to happen, I am pissed at the girl who thinks she can walk all over people, I am pissed at the H.R. who doesn't know the definition of the word confidentiality, much less how to practice it, and I am pissed at the upper management who looks the other way. |
