Bullied by a subordinate

[Scifi_Tomboy]

Hi there, I apologise for getting straight on with a problem, I did introduce myself - but I have a bullying problem that is worrying me terribly. I work training young people who have no certification from school & we are trying to train them to a European recognised certification which is equivelent to the school certfication but more practical.

There are 3 people working there The Co-ordinator, the assistant Co-ordinator (me) & a part-time receptionist/secretary. I'm almost 48 & it takes a while to get to know me, but when one gets to know me they like me, that's what I'm used to. The receptionist/secretary is a very loud individual, but that was OK, I was nice to her, made tea for her & even gave her anopportunity to assist in classroom teaching - she, on the other hand, has put me down at every opportunity in front of my trainees, I firstly put it down to the fact that she was trying to be funny & it went wrong (reading & listening to the news are not her thing). Yesterday we brought the trainees bowling & I was on Tina's team, she put me down every chance she could get, she was nasty, loud & horrible, when they all left I stayed behind for a few minutes to clear any mess, all the mess was hers, crisp packets etc. I binned them & went upstairs, the boys were having a snowball fight which Myself, Tina & the two female trainees were staying out of, but Tina started to shove me into it (Tina is 5'8" I am 5'2"), Tina is about 170 + pounds, I'm 110 pounds, she kept shoving & shoving, I said nothing as I thought that any right minded person would eventually stop, I eventually had to tell her to stop - my trainees were bewildered at this stage. Then she tried isolation - "come on girls we'll get away from this one", my trainees told her that she was on her own & stayed with me.

I have to work with this 40 something school girl. I am trying to teach my trainees about the workplace i.e. how to cope with bullying etc. & it's going on in front of them, they are clever people & they pick up on everything.

How do I sort her out, we are only three & I really don't want bad feelings.

Any help is welcome.

 

[TAMPA-BAY]

bullying

Its time to take action. First I do understand that confrontations is not our favorite thing to deal with but looks like there is no other choice.

You started off the right way by ofering the olive branch but that other person bit your hands and is out to get you. Dont know why but who realy ever knows why people make us the target of their abuse.

Tell them how you feel and that they are not behaving professionaly. If that doesnt stop then go higher up. Tell the coordinator the situation. You were there a lot longer than the new person. Even if your boss is one of the outgoing type which they probaly are since they are the boss; tell them that you alwayse did your job dispite your personality. Its just the way you are but you still did your job.

Last i understan this is easier said than done. We feel like we are being mean.

 

[Scifi_Tomboy]

Hi There,

Thank you for that, you have been so helpful - the person I work with is very helpful but he has a lot to put up with & I don't want to lay this on him, he possibly has a problem with this woman, but as I'm being paid for 15 hours a week & working 25 hours a week, he doesn't want to lay anything at my door either. This woman is taking advantage of the fact that we are overworked & underpaid. She also wants my job!!! How stupid is that! She can have it.

Kind regards.

 

[Hoth]

A receptionist who's that rude has got to have a negative impact on the business (presumably if she's that way with you, she lets her personality show with other people sometimes too). Anyone who's aware of her probably wants to fire her, but needs more input to do that. Don't think of it as laying a problem on your boss, you'd just be letting him know and possibly freeing him up to do something, not demanding that he do something or else.

 

[Scifi_Tomboy]

Hi There,

Sorry for not replying for a while, but I do all the Christmas cooking & buying (in a house of men), so this is my first time back in the computer.

This particular woman is:

1. Younger than me
2. Larger & Taller than me
3. Likes to sing loudly (out of tune)
4. Walks into classes that I am teaching, shouting all the way
5. Eats all the time (this is compulsive & I feel is a real problem)

She has a problem that I feel sorry for, I don't know what it is, but it manifests itself as an eating disorder in the first place & building oneself up by putting someone else down in the second place, I grew up with a sister with the exact same problem. My mother played right into it, to suit herself, maybe this lady has a similiar mother.

Kind regards.