Advice about toxic coworkers?

Editing a long rant like post to be much simpler:

How to deal with the following?
1. Coworkers withholding information
2. Coworkers making up stuff, as in new rules or imaginary complaints
3. Coworkers contradicting policy just to make you look dumb for a minute.

We won't even touch the gossip and laziness.

a reply to: Look2theSacredHeart

Let your actions speak louder than the coworkers false words.

Some people are actually scared they are not holding their own and look for ways to improve their image at others expense.

Dont let them run you off. That is what they hope for. Keep up the good fight and do your job well. They will eventually stop, or quit, or get fired.

a reply to: Look2theSacredHeart

Find a new job.

Show them up by ignoring their nonsense and doing a better job.
Own their ass.

originally posted by: Look2theSacredHeart
Editing a long rant like post to be much simpler:

How to deal with the following?
1. Coworkers withholding information
2. Coworkers making up stuff, as in new rules or imaginary complaints
3. Coworkers contradicting policy just to make you look dumb for a minute.

We won't even touch the gossip and laziness.

It sounds like an interesting problem. Maybe a description of the working environment might invite some suggestions from others who have experienced similar problems at work: workspace open or compartmented? indoors or outside? nature of workplace (lab, office, shop, sales, public, private, service)? team or individual assignments? rough number of coworkers? are they in cliques, groups, "old timers" vs "newbies"? Anything of this nature would help your readers recall similar problems from their own experience and perhaps they might share how they coped with similar issues.

Well, I gotta tell you: I'd be very, very careful who you talk to about that, because the person who wrote that... is dangerous.

... And this button-down, Oxford-cloth psycho might just snap, and then stalk from office to office with an Armalite AR-10 carbine gas-powered semi-automatic weapon, pumping round after round into colleagues and co-workers. This might be someone you've known for years. Someone very, very close to you.

... and I used to be such a nice guy.

Or maybe you shouldn't bring me every little piece of trash you happen to pick up.

-Chuck Palahniuk

When it comes to toxic employees? Most of the time it is what their ideal job is getting ruined.

Laziness is the main root cause of toxic employees. They want the easy life. And it never happens that way. And if you make one mistake? They accentuate it and use it to "justify" their means.

I have made several people look bad because I work hard. And now I only hire people who don't have more than 2 years experience in anything and I train them to win.

My only problem is the new kids in the new generations are far worse than I am. Far more thick headed. Far more resilient, far more reluctant, and none of them know how to be perfidiously honest.

Lazyness, and moreso job protection. I face it every day where someone witholds knowledge in order to protect their position.

I rise above by simple daily demonstration that I can do just about everything.

Intimidating likely to say the least. But I earn the respect of those most defensive..

It works for me.

a reply to: smirkley

That is how you do it.

a reply to: Look2theSacredHeart

Don't ever go to work again!

After too much of that # I quit for good. Their behaviour has cost the tax payer rather a lot of cash these last 11 years! It is my revenge. I always have the last laugh, I insist upon it.

To this day I despise the petty mindedness of people in the work environment. They deserve their lives and their fate.

a reply to: Revolution9

Its alright. I despise freeloaders on the system.

But your point does not offend me as I am someone willing to earn what I have and my success is a direct result of the fruits of my labor.

originally posted by: smirkley
a reply to: Revolution9

Its alright. I despise freeloaders on the system.

Kidding of course. But your point does not offend me as I am someone willing to earn what they have and my success is a direct result of the fruits of my labor.

It is frankly none of your business to judge me as it is not your money. Not that I would care if you did.

People always harp on it's my money. No, it is not. It is owned by someone, but not you. Between me and the owner of the money there is an agreement. It is as I said none of your business. It is totally lawful, too, and your judgment already is starting to do my brain in, lol. Hence why it is best that you do not spend 8 hours a day locked in a room with me.

I used to be like you until the bullying started. Once that has happened to you to the degree it happened to me there is no going back. For my mental health's sake I could not do it. They starved me at one time for it until they saw how DEADLY serious I was.

So, wish you a happy day at the office or whatever machine like occupation you are engaged in. Let's look forward to the days when robots do it all and then you can be like me.

Now, if society had been more accepting of someone like me none of this would have happened, but unfortunately it has happened and it was not my doing nor my will.

To this day, as you can see by my post, I still get mighty angry about it all.

Why not try to be nicer to each other at work. Stop picking on fellow employees, support each other instead of back stabbing. Honestly, I would rather be dead than have to face that again and spend forty hours of my life in an environment and with people like this.

Remember folks, bullying costs top dollar.

I agree fully. Bullying does in fact cost everyone.

I think thats the point the op was making.

And I wasnt judging you personally. But your last statement I originally replied to above was really crass in the face of those that have to and need to work. Especially when faced with difficult co workers.

My apologies for upsetting you. That was not my intent. The statement was fair to oppose what you said on equal terms.

No harm. No foul intended.

a reply to: smirkley

Don't worry about it. You have a right to say what you said. Don't feel bad about speaking your mind, I would not wish that upon you.

It is actually a really bad situation. Sorry, this thread has struck a nerve. I don't want it to even be like this. I am bi polar and I want to work. However, people soon work out that something different is going on. They react with fear, hostility, bullying, etc. I kept trying, but after breaking down twice I could not afford to do it again for my own wellbeing's sake.

The OP is so right to raise this subject. Nobody ever listens though. Just same old nothing changes. With any kind of mental health issue you lose your family and friends to one degree or another. They are never quite the same with you afterward. Surely, you know what happens in the work place with anyone vulnerable? The OP has noticed it and I am sure you have, too.

Anyone, anywhere, don't end up like me. I should have pursued a proper channel of defence, but I did not understand even my own condition at the time and did not have a name for it. I would urge people to tackle this right where anything of a bullying nature starts happening. Nip it in the bud if you can. The world is not always on the side of right and bullies can be very intelligent and manipulative.

Whoa. This still all spins me out. Like I said, it is my big SORE point. There is not really much more I can say than it happened to me so often in my working life. I wish people would not be so cruel.

Sorry, to have been a bit angry to begin with, but it is a defence thing. See, I have learned a thing or two about that. Nobody will ever get to treat me that way again. It is much more fulfilling to have a career in one's life. I'll leave it at that.

I've found it's better to be a big fish in a small pond.

I've had more than my share of the sort of behaviour being discussed and I'm the sort of person who just wants to get on with the job for the sake of the company. If the company goes down, everyone goes down.

So best to work for a small place, put in the effort and be an asset. You'll be noticed.

I ended up working for an extremely difficult elderly boss - but there was just that one person to deal with, plus clients and suppliers. However difficult one person can be, they are easier to deal with than several awkward little jealous, back-stabbing bastards.

The boss decided that travelling and days out were a better option than being stuck in the office with me - thank goodness - so I ended up running the company. I only really needed help when someone needed yelling at.

So, there's my advice. Get out of a toxic environment with the best reference you can earn and find a job where you can work hand-in-glove with the boss or higher-ups. Be the best you can be, always ready to learn, and always put the good of the company first.

a reply to: Look2theSacredHeart

I don't know anyone who doesn't hasn't had to deal with these issues generation on generation - what's new at work nothing, you are in a competitive environment with people. You simply learn to deal with it because its normal - not nice granted. Its what separates out people with the skill of being supervisors and managers of staff.

I am going to stick my head above the proverbial parapet then duck down again.

We seem to have bred a lot of 'little princesses with our PC implementations, especially relating to how many people are educated today to think. They believe there are rules out there governing personal thoughts and behaviour in the real world that everyone complies to. Wake up girlies, there are always people out there who don't, never did and are never going to especially in the work place.

No criticism of Look2theSacredHeart personally intended).

'little princesses with our PC implementations,

a reply to: Shiloh7

It is a rotten attitude to take to belittle sensitive people. You are doing it already. Some people don't want to face this bull day after day, week after week, year after year.

So you think bullying is a healthy thing? It is something I hate more than anything else. It says nothing about a person's nature and power except that they are willing to be cruel to others in the work place to achieve their own ends. Is that team work? Nope!

I don't think governments will see it your way either. I think they KNOW how much this # costs and that is why we have this climate of PC. I am not sure PC will do any good either as it comes with its own loop holes and vulnerability to manipulation.

Sad old game. The only way forward for me is to sit it out. There are so many people like me out there. They are people who have been badly hurt by what you call little princess syndrome.

Bullying and Suicide

There is a strong link between bullying and suicide, as suggested by recent bullying-related suicides in the US and other countries. Parents, teachers, and students learn the dangers of bullying and help students who may be at risk of committing suicide.

◾Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it.

That is your little princess syndrome at work. I think a more fitting term would be "serial killer", don't you?

It is a big problem for adult men, but adult men have to keep up the manly thing and not talk about their feelings until they do something stupid.

But that's ok, it is just natural selection at work, no need to worry, just little princess syndrome.

a reply to: Shiloh7

Study: Mental Health Effects Of Bullying Even Worse Than Effects Of Abuse By Adults

Those bullied by peers often suffer even worse long-term mental health outcomes than those maltreated by adults early in life, according to a new study.

Quoting Dr. Wolke, “Being bullied is not a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up; it has serious long-term consequences. It is important for schools, health services and other agencies to work together to reduce bullying and the adverse effects related to it.”