Standing up for yourself, the right way

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page 6, The politics of being a woman on the job: Why can't we all just get along?

Many women feel reluctant to come forward with a complaint for fear of termination but truth is, if someone is indeed bullying you, blaming you, and abusing you, it’s likely that she will terminate you anyway. Also, remember that bullies do always back down.

First and foremost, try to approach your boss by sending an email explaining how her actions hurt your performance and company’s bottom line. Be diplomatic but firm and let her know that her abusive behavior hurts everyone in the long run.

Expect that once she receives the email, she will probably retaliate against you— reducing your pay, increasing your workload, verbally reprimanding you on your “bad performance”— are some common incidences of retaliation.

If this happens, you need make a formal complaint to HR and your boss’s direct report. Doing this could be your best defense against termination and here is why:

Indicate in your complaint that your boss is retaliating against you for approaching her about her abusive actions. Being a woman automatically puts you in the protected class so try to make your formal complaint be about getting targeted for being a woman. It doesn’t matter that the bully is another female— if she bullies only females and coddles the male employees, it’s still gender bias. Also, retaliation is illegal so if you let HR know that this is going on, they’ll be very hesitant to discharge you.

Tell your boss’s supervisor or your company HR that you feel physically and mentally injured by the constant abuse. If you have other coworkers experiencing similar abuse, try to come forward together. In all likelihood, your company management will look into the matter pretty quickly if you put your complaint in those terms.

Hopefully, it never has to be carried this far but some workplace issues can’t ever be resolved with a single complaint. But realize that often times, people who do take a stand have a healthier outlook about their career prospects. So given that, do you really want to give up your right to work in healthy environment?

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For more articles on office-related issues, please check out:

• Bosses101: What makes someone a bad boss?
• Five Signs that Your Good Looks are Working Against You
• Five Ways to Battle the Office Backstabber
• The Politics of Facebook Friend Requests from Your Colleagues
• Ten Signs that You Might be a Difficult Employee
• Tips for managing the Millennial Generation
• The Politics of Being Young on the Job: Managing the Kid Boss
• When You're Smarter than the Boss
• Equal Work, Unequal Pay: What to do if You're the Victim of Gender Discrimination
• Knowing When to Speak Up and When Not to

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