Workplace Bullying and Harassment

by Missy
(Indiana)

I did start working for a retail store in 2007. I do have a hearing loss disability. I was a good employee and had no complaints about my job performance from the management. A new girl started working there around 2009. She is very young adult. She ended up being a temporary coordinator around 2010 and got the permanent coordinator job in 2011. She just got a rude immature attitude and thought she was better than me. She used to yelled and criticized me when I make a mistakes sometimes. She never yelled at the other co-workers who made mistakes too. I was feeling that she shows me no respect

She used to complain about my job performances to the boss when I was doing my job right. The boss used to yell me and tell me that I need to show some respect. The boss always had told me that I've got a positive attitude before the new girl started working there. I was confused in why she was telling me that I got a bad attitude. I don't cuss or treat other people like crap. I am just a good person who just wants some respect at the workplace.

I started to realize that this young girl was trying to suck up to the boss and make me look like a bad person cause she didn't like me. I was told that I talk too loud. My hearing loss can be hard for me sometimes cause I don't realize that I am yelling. I was feeling that they didn't care about my feelings and did not show any compassion. Some people just don't understand what it like to have a hearing loss disability. I have to deal with it everyday. I was dealing with stress and burnout in the workplace. I got tired of kissing their butt cause they keep knocking me down when I tried to do the right thing. They just wasn't satisfied and want more from me.

I was just too stressed out and ended up quitting after working there almost 4 years. My other co-workers did like me and said that I was a good employee and team player. This young girl seemed to think that I was lazy in her opinions and just showed me no respect. I used to ask her if she had any problems with me and she would say "no." Then why did she keep knocking me down and show me no respect if she had no problems with me?

I did wonder if this was a racial issue cause I am black and she is white. I also wonder if this was cause she didn't understand me as a person with a hearing loss disability. Everyone has told me that I was dealing with a bully who was getting a thrill in making fun of me. She cussed at me on Facebook about three weeks ago in front of other people on another person's page. I haven't talked to her since I did quit a year ago. I did find it very disrespectful and told her that she needed to grow up and show some respect.