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What Every Target of Workplace Bullying Needs to Know
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Workplace Mobbing At A Big Bank

Hi everyone, I wanted to share my current experience of bullying and harassment in the workplace, and hopefully get some advice and support from anyone that can relate. I will try and keep this short.

I started my new job about 5 months ago and feel that I had been targeted within the first 5 days. I work for a big bank in a large corporate office environment. It started off very subtly with coughing. People on my team started coughing around me throughout the day. More and more people seemed to have chronic coughs as time went on. It felt hostile, but I can’t do much about coughing so just got on with it.

Suddenly there was a team change and everyone on my team was moved other than me and 2 others, and the manager (it was a team of about 15). Same thing started happening again. At this point, I thought if it was bullying then it would escalate. Sure enough within a couple of weeks people started making nasty comments within earshot and laughing hysterically - I was being ridiculed. This happens on a daily basis.

Also, I started to notice people walking past me down the corridor were also joining in. Making nasty comments as they passed. Saying things like “we are going to destroy you” or sniggering/sulking when they walk past, insinuating that I should kill myself etc. These are people I have never met before. New starters are also being encouraged to join in. I now have people saying "freak", “f-off”, “piss off” and “leave” within earshot, including my manager.

Now even when I go to the canteen I hear people making derogatory remarks which I'm pretty sure are directed towards me.

I would say that I am a fairly quiet, polite and nice person. I keep to myself most of the time and get on with my work. I have mild to moderate scoliosis and am half Mediterranean, half English. I may be slightly autistic (not diagnosed though). I don't see how I am a freak, pretty sure I don't look odd. This is the worst bullying and harassment I have ever experienced and I am starting to feel the effects. Not sure how much longer I can function.

Does anyone know what's going on here?

How To Deal With Workplace Bullying:
What Every Target of Workplace Bullying Needs to Know

Comments for Workplace Mobbing At A Big Bank

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Totally unacceptable
by: Anonymous

This is totally unacceptable and you need to find the strength to go to your manager or HR and tell them exactly what you said here. Print it out if you are nervous. This is a disgusting state of affairs. It does’nt matter who you work for. No one should be treated like this. Seriously. You need to tell someone there. Not everyone there will be a bully. I’d maybe go straight to HR actually. You have rights. Hang in there and be strong.
Further assistance
by: Anonymous

Every state has a disability protection and advocacy agency. I’m in Indiana, so mine is the The Indiana state disability protection and advocacy (P&A) agency is Indiana Protection & Advocacy Services (IPAS). IPAS is part of the nation's federally-funded P&A system. It provides help to people with disabilities in Indiana to expand and defend their rights, including supporting self-advocacy groups and legal assistance. IPAS is part of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN).
I am sure you can type in the state you live in and type protection & advocacy after that in google and it will give you relevant information. Please contact them, and tell them you are being harassed because of your disability. (MS) I didn’t know about this of this place. I went back to work with a brain injury and was terrorized out of my job. I was too scared to advocate for myself. I went to the EEOC and the lady told me to get a lawyer. I went to a lawyer and he said he would only do it if I had proof of verbal harassment by tape. The ladies who harassed me were minorities so you have to have major proof. It’s not like white women were harassing me. I could say white women were harassing me, and they would be fired the next day. Start carrying around voice recorder. Record them.
Thanks for your comments
by: Anonymous

Thanks for the support.
I am trying to get outside advice about this, and have changed my hours so that i work later to avoid most of it. I live in the UK so it's not the same, but there is disability discrimination that I could persue.
I am genuinely concerned about my safety if I continue to work there. I've had a person make a death threat against me and another threatening to get me arrested and sectioned - both indirectly.
I'm worried someone will make false allegations against me.

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