Workplace Bullying In A Medical Clinic

by Eren
(ca)

Really need some help! I work at a medical clinic. I am doing work experience at my job, where I volunteer my hours for free and I've been working for 6 weeks now. I went from being in medical records for 2 week's to getting moved to the phones department to schedule appointments.

I'm very new and still learning but I've been doing pretty good as some other coworkers in other department's have mentioned to me and I was told by my trainer before she went on vacation that I was doing great. My boss offered me a per diem job in medical records, I'm just waiting to sign paperwork which is taking time.

But lately I've been clashing with a coworker. This co worker has been with the company for about 4 months or so, is very close with the girls in that dept and she has been difficult towards me and has been stressing me out and I just don't know how to deal with it exactly, so I'm reaching out for some advice on how to deal with such a difficult coworker.

She is very bossy, hot headed and feels the need to act like my supervisor and this behavior started a week and a half ago. Before that she was very nice, helpful, easy to talk. These girls are young and I'm definitely getting treated like the outsider, I get treated as such and I'm close to their age just a few years older.

The girls really don't talk to me now when they do Its with a very firm voice but with each other, they are happy, helpful with each other, they chit chat amongst each other, sometimes very loudly and they ignore some calls or put pts on hold for a long time.

I do remember these girls everyday asking me the same questions, who are you volunteering through? Are you getting paid? Why would you work here? etc. Then they would joke amongst each other (oh, I would never work for free) its a small office and I can hear almost everything they say but I would ignore them.

Two days ago my coworkers had complained about me to my boss stating I have a really bad attitude. I think they don't want me to get the position. My boss stated to me she was surprised and she told me what was said and I was very surprised and as I stated to my boss, I have been nothing but nice to them. I told my boss how these girls have been towards me, with the bad attitude and the lack of help I've been receiving.

I am still learning and it's creating a lot of tension upstairs. My boss simply replied "treat them as if they are your bosses" they just don't know you yet, she then sent me on my way. But I don't think that's right, this isn't ok right?

So I just need to know, is it okay for coworkers who have only been there for a few months, to yell out from her desk (you better have more than 1 phone call on hold) I had a few calls on hold at the time and I was in the middle of one call! This coworker just yells out so everyone can hear but its obvious I'm the only one in the room that this is directed to. The other three girls are her friends.

She has also yelled out while sitting at her desk (you need to pick up more calls!!!) Very loud and has also said to me when I went on my break and I had 5 min left I go to my boss to pick up some paperwork I forgot, as I go back to the office, the bossy coworker stands up and says (where were you? I didn't know where you were?) My response was (oh, I was on break and during that time I went to go meet with our boss) the girl says (you need to tell me where you were!) and then I said (I was with our boss) she said (I don't care you need to tell me so I know where you are) I just went back to my desk and said nothing :(. We all have our assigned schedule with breaks and lunches.

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