Workplace bullying at FT

[NormanH]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/20/former-france-telecom-bosses-jailed-over-workplace-bullying

If only the same thing was the case in the UK...

[Alan Zoff]

You have taken the words right out of my mouth, Norman. Complete lack of meaningful top brass accountability in UK.

[PaulT]

In the UK they give them a knighthood

[NickP]

Alan wrote: Complete lack of meaningful top brass accountability in the UK.

Any specific cases in mind Alan?

[idun]

But hasn't this been particularly bad and continued over a long period.

I do think that often this is an odd thing, bullying in the work place, I was bullied when I started work and  I can only wish my bully ill, I can think of many expletives to describe her, and she was from a family of Salvation Army'ists, which has rather put me off them.

And yet, it wasn't as if I was bad at my job, I was, very young,  keen and learning and I did make a few initial mistakes, but when I wasn't, it all got even worse, until at least another year later, a more senior staff member realised what was happening to the then very quiet Idun and more or less put a stop to it.

Still, I know of two friends who have had problems with new staff members in their offices in France. Neither could do the jobs they were employed to do.

One had worked for the company for a quite some time and was on a very big salary, a secretary, but could not use Excel or Word, but she was bilingual which was needed too. And my friend could not get rid of her as they were there on short term contract, for a specific project and was also told that they were bullying when work was not done.

The other made such a hash of things, well just about everything and was making overpayments which the company had trouble recovering. She said that she was being bullied and was depressed, taking the company to the PrudHommes, who kicked her into touch. And eventually after far too long, this particular company did manage to sack her, but what a time.

And that is the problem isn't it. What is that line between being told off all the time if one is not doing a proper job, and actually being bullied.

It hadn't been as if I had not expected to be told and probably told off for those errors I made in my first few weeks. But then things got worse when I knew my job and was doing it well and very efficiently. And that is bullying.