My Personal Experiences In The Workplace Due To Bullying

by Lisa
(Walpole, Mass, USA)

I was sitting in the cafeteria in the workplace when suddenly this guy started yelling at me. He and his other friends were also laughing at me. He also made inappropriate sexual comments in reference to sexual harassment. I found him to be verbally abusive while tuning him out completely. There was a coworker sitting with me at the table. She overheard his derogatory remarks while telling him to shut up. She asked him to repeat what he has just said to me. Her response was that is sick. This coworker was helpful and stuck up for me during this incident. I remember saying to her Thank You. The best strategy for me was to ignore him without giving him any kind of satisfaction.

I was in the lounge when this maintenance guy used to take his breaks. He was nasty and negative to me especially his tone of voice. He was quite insulting to me on a particular day. He said to me did you take your medication? You look fried. I went directly to the manager's office. The assistant did not believe my story. Therefore, I told him to go and ask the other employees who are already in the lounge. They did confirm what had just happened to me. The maintenance guy came over to me later on apologizing for his actions. I did not wish to talk to him ever again. The best strategy for me was reporting him for emotional abuse because I was able to discuss this situation.

I was in another lounge while retrieving my lunch from the refrigerator. I put my lunch down on the table when this male employee started making terrible comments about my personal appearance. My initial reaction was to block him out and not reply back. The lady who works as a manager at the front end told him off while being supportive. These employees were laughing at his statements. Needless to say, I refused to stay in the lounge during lunch because of these bullies. I left the lounge immediately. I was looking for a member of management to talk to but they were not in their offices. I went to eat lunch in my car during wintertime. The lady that spoke up on my behalf eventually told the managers what had transpired. The managers were in the lounge on a daily basis when it was lunchtime. I was glad to see that the managers were in the lounge while I was taking my scheduled lunch.

My advice is to seek out a supervisor who empathizes with victims of bullying. They can also provide a sense of intervention between the perpetrator and the victim. The worst thing is to remain quiet while internalizing these events. You must receive help from a family member, coworker, and mental health counselor. There has to be open communication among these parties wishing to resolve the hurtful feelings and words that result in heartaches.