Rachel's Story
I have been both witness to and victim of workplace bullying. My director has drastic mood swings; on any given day, one has no idea if she will manically laugh or look for someone to target.
I have witnessed her drive an employee to be fired. She systematically continued to find things wrong with everything this person did until this person became so nervous that she could not function any longer and began to make real mistakes. Once that happened, the director petitioned HR to have this person terminated.
The crime was asking what it took to qualify for the director's position. It was a question that was asked because our company has a strong policy of promoting within and guiding staff upward. This person only wanted to know what the qualifications were for future reference. However, asking appeared to threaten the director in some way.
I made the unfortunate mistake of asking HR about a position that opened up in another office. Word got back to the director, who started a campaign of attack that lasted for two weeks until someone higher intervened. She found errors in everything I did, though I did the equivalent of two full time jobs with a workload much higher than corporate recommends.
The director divides staff on a regular basis. If you are a favorite (which changes depending on any perceived sin you might have committed), you are safe. But if you are not, the director tells someone something out of context or outright lies in order to pit staff against you. She picks targets and makes their work lives so miserable that they quit, end up having stress related medical problems, or begin to make mistakes and get fired.
Currently, the director makes changes to her newest victim's work schedule that do not make sense and in fact make it more difficult to complete this person's job. The director accuses this person of spending too much time "socializing" with other co-workers — when his job requires communication with these staff members. She accuses them of meeting behind closed doors, even though some conversations require privacy. Even though this person always completes his work on time and accurately, she deemed his "socializing" a detriment on his work evaluation. Before I left for vacation, this individual considered handing in his resignation, as he can no longer take it. He has been rushed to the ER with chest pains, and his doctor suggests that he obtain other employment. I am afraid of what I will find when I return to work from vacation.
The sickest, saddest part of this whole thing? This is not a bank or a factory. This is a human service organization.