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Dealing with a workplace bully legally AFTER quitting?

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This is a case of classic workplace bullying. I work in a rather small office-based division of a company, where there are only 5 of us, including me. My supervisor is manipulative, two-faced, hypocritical, and automatically points the finger at me if something is wrong. If the other woman in my department makes a similar mistake to mine, she is not scrutinized AT ALL. I however, will get a 10-minute lecture for a typo or forgetting to initial something. Stupid, irrelevant mistakes that can be easily fixed and doesn't effect anything or anyone in the end. She will pretend she is nice to everyone else, but treats me like I'm a pebble in her shoe. Whenever I ask her a question, she will answer it in a tone that is demeaning and makes me feel stupid for asking. When I get lectures, she will do it loud enough so that EVERYONE can hear it, which is humiliating. After working there for a year, I was due for a pay raise. Instead, she wrote some false and exaggerated information on my annual revue, and cheated me out of my well-deserved pay raise (which I REALLY needed, I'm too broke to even start a 401k). I can only take what assignments she gives me, which have been very easy ones for the last eight months. THEN, she proceeded to complain in my review that I do not take challenging jobs.

She also enforces company rules like her job requires her to, but turns around and breaks them. For example, taking personal calls on her cell phone, surfing the internet, dress code violations (business casual, but you can see her bra), gossiping for long periods of time, etc.

Basically, she is set out to either make me quit, or get me fired. Either way, I already quit before I got fired for the bull-s**t she fabricates. My last day is in two days, and I have a 5-page letter listing to human resources and the president of the company as to why she should be fired and why they need to instate "no tolerance bullying" policy.

Not only has all this caused me to have behavioral problems, I have had to seek counseling to convince me that all of this isn't my fault, and my therapist says that I need bi-polar or stress medication because I have tried to commit suicide about three times ever since she was promoted to a supervisor position.

I have another witness to testify in my favor and physical documentation to prove everything I claimed in my letter. I guess my question is, what are the chances of me having a case in court, and what are my rights? I know that bullying is not illegal, but economic harassment is, and this situation fits into both. Should I sue the company or her? I really need some advice here!

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  1. I normally say that the work world is tough, and people need to deal with that.. but there ARE laws relating to hostile work environment, and I agree it sure would seem to qualify here. Is there a labor dept in your town? I'd go that way, instead of law suit, since that is what they are designed to deal with.  


  2. I would go for broke and sue the whole bloody lot.  In Australia workplace bullying is against the law, whether or not the company has an anti-bullying policy in place makes no difference whatsover.  It's the law and if it's broken, that's it.

    I assume you are from the USA and I don't know whether it is outlawed there as well.  I'd seek the advice of a lawyer regardless.  I'm sorry you had to endure that, bullying is a horrible thing to deal with and I hope you get back on your feet ASAP.  

  3. You should've reported her when this began. Now get a letter from your doctor, stating you're leaving your job due to stress. This will help your case. Contact the EEOC and tell them what's going on. No one should be treated this way. You have a good case against her. It's good someone else know what's been happening at work. After talking with an Attorney, you will know your rights. I wouldnot let her get away with what she's done. Good Luck

    I would like to know how you made out with this.

  4. Elevate your problem to the President of the company so that appropriate action will be taken against you superior.

  5. you waited too long for advice as you already turned in your notice and it was accepted.....you should have gone to HR long ago and expressed your unhappiness with the situation and requested a tranfer to another department........as far a legal action etc etc, chances of anything coming out of that are slim to none.

    so either you're a mouse or a lion........take the letter to Human Resources tomorrow........not after you quit tomorrow........

    as far as company polices ae concerned neither you or the bully has any right to break them....just because she does, doesn't make it right for you..........

    take the letter to HR tomorrow.......what the worse that can happen?

    doing it on the way out or after you're gone is chicken and worthless.

    TOMORROW........

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