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What Every Target of Workplace Bullying Needs to Know
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Beauty School Bully

by Kristen
(Ohio)

I am a cosmetology student in an adult program. Heck, I'm almost 30 years old! My story starts with a client. A women in my class had a regular client. One day she was absent and I worked on the client... After that, the client decided to stay with me. She always requested me. The original student who worked on this client, we'll call her Denise, was angry about this. From that moment on Denise has spread terrible rumors about me and continues to go out of her way to make my life miserable.

She now erases my clients from the appointment books. Denise is very sneaky and tricks people into thinking she is innocent. One day I went into the parking lot and discovered someone had written an obcenity on my car with eyeliner. A few weeks ago she claimed that someone stole her blue nail file. She marched around like a child and insisted on going through everyone's things. I happen to own a blue nail file (which she saw me using earlier that day on a client). Even though mine did not match the description she had given everyone for the missing file, she insinuated that I had stolen hers. Now her little groupies treat me like a theif.

School is very stressful and there is a lot of tension, gossip, and dirty looks. I can't believe this is happening to me as an adult. This week Denise has moved on and is now targeting a different classmate. The school will do nothing about this.

Comments for Beauty School Bully

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Bullied Out of a Sales Job
by: Anonymous

Sounds to me like Denise has more than just a little gossip problem, I would go to my supervisor and insist that she do something about this, you could always transfer to a different beauty academy, I know our city has several. That's what I would do, because I have been in the same situation as a sales person.

It seems in this day and age alot of people are very unkind and like to make others look bad, if they can't have their own way.

I would also document everything dates, times, what she is said, and if you stay there try to make friends with someone who like you knows what she is doing, but like I said if it were me, I would transfer to a different beauty school as soon as possible, she sounds like she has some kind of a mental disorder to me.

Best of Luck!
Isn't It Amazing?
by: Solange

Aren't you amazed at how childish people can be? Not only that, but that they don't recognize it. I read a book recently called the Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome. Part of the reason the story of Jekyll and Hyde strikes a chord with people is because there is truth in it. Jekyll walls off a part of himself--the part he doesn't like. It becomes Hyde. The funny thing is that although Jekyll recognizes Hyde as part of himself, he takes no responsibility for what Hyde does. Your bully acts like a child, then takes no responsibility for what she does. Because she seems to have no fault, people believe her insanity. Its a hall of twisted mirrors with everyone looking into one is thinking that it someone else doing the dirty stuff. Its really only themselves they see in the mirror. It never makes them feel better either. Mad world, huh?
i am a manicurist...
by: susan

Hi, i just have to comment on this. I have been a manicurist for 27 years. If you are good at what you do, then this situation will come up again and again. When you work in a salon, the best thing you can do to avoid trouble is not to do other people's clients if you can at all avoid it. Ask the client to return to their other operator and explain that it causes too much strife and trouble for you. This has happened to me. I know this may sound like you are giving in to bullies - but believe me - this happens in every salon and the only way to keep peace is not to take on other people's clients. Also - this is very important - there are clients out there who actually enjoy changing operators in the same salon so as to make trouble. They like the drama and fuss made over them.

As to the bullying - once it starts - it is hard to stop. Finish your school as fast as you can and get in a good salon - i have worked in many and sadly in most - there is drama, competition and jealously and sabotage. Look for operators who will appreciate your skills and stick with them. Be loyal to the good ones. Don't do clients that belong to bullies or otherwise insecure operators. If you have to do someone's client because they are sick or on vacation, or whatever, then do them once and return them right away to that operator. Refuse those clients' requests for you if you want to work in peace in that salon. This is so important to getting along in a salon. Sorry if it sounds chicken, but people go berserk, even almost violent, if they think you are better at hair or nails than they are. They cannot handle it and if they are of the bully personality - then they will make life hell.

Be goood at what you do and your own clients will bring you so many more that you will not have time to accomodate someone else's client anyway. Good luck to you. Stay strong and talented. Stick with the good and kind operators.
wow
by: Anonymous

im glad im not the only this has happened to me too. im going crazy. reading this makes me feel better. but the school hates because of invented rumors.
In a similar boat
by: Anonymous

I don't know what to do, I used to be blended in well with the girls I go to beauty school with, but now there is outrageous rumors and smirks about me, I keep hearing to keep my head high but it is so hard. I felt like I was a strong person, I'm almost 28 years old and I can't believe how cruel these other women and girl can be! Any suggestions? I don't know how to get through this!!
Silly girls
by: Anonymous

I am going thru this my self. I would get up every morning to do what I had to do and be so happy I finished my day . But now the girls hate me and everybody wants to attack me because I told them to keep your voices down and know there's tension in school. I told the front office and until now they haven't address anything . It's silly how people want to act like they were in high school
Bullying here too.
by: Anonymous

I'm currently in Cosmo school and its been hell these past two weeks for me. Girls will always be jealous of one another but when they take it up a notch is when something needs to be done. I'm actually in the process of speaking with my director about it. All I told a student was to stop spraying potpourri so close to me and I got so much backlash. You piss off one person and 5 people end up hating. Its a part of beauty school and you just have to either toughen it out, transfer out or within.
I can relate
by: Anonymous

I too am being bullied at beauty school. I am almost 50, a wife, mother of 2, grandmother, business owner and horse rescuer. Now going into it I had some reservations but being a massage therapist, I thought offering facials to my clients would not only be nice but would also increase revenue. I never dreamed that I would run into a psychopath with narcissistic personality disorder who would make my life a living hell! Not only has she ripped apart every student there, including her so called friends, but she manipulated them and blamed me for saying the things that she said. The school said they KNOW she is the center of all of the drama (this time and the previous 3 incidents that did not involve me but did involve her). She is a liar and bully and master manipulator who turns the tables and makes herself look like the victim. They did nothing to help me and everything to help her. It's so annoying and I am debating going to the state to report this. Of course AFTER I have my license.

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