Work problems

[Deleted User]

Has anyone experienced discrimination at work? Sometimes it’s subtle and sometimes it’s more obvious. It’s very stressful. 

Zoffiel

I'll put my HR hat on first @Rose18 . Discrimination, bullying and harrasment in your workplace are illegal. Regardless of who you work for in Australia, the National Employment Standards, which underpin all awards and agreements, state that you have the right to a safe workplace and that there must be mechanisms for you to voice concerns or make complaints without fear of recrimination.

Sadly, for all too many people, all that is a bucket of bureacratic mothering statements that are of absolutely no help at all.

Where you work, how far up the food chain you are and your union status can make a big difference when it comes to what you can do, as does the exact  nature of the offense. My best advice is to see if your organisation has  workplace behaviour/code of conduct/EEO/antidiscrimination policies and if they do, what the process is to make a complaint. That lets you know what you should be able to do. Half the time the people you are meant to report to are the perps. Not helpful.

Before you do anything, start taking notes, copies of emails, records of conversations, the whole shebang. Saying that other people make you miserable won't cut it. You have to able to say who, what, when and where. If you are in a union, contact them, but they will have to have precise details to be able to help you.

None of this stuff is easy to manage, particularly indirect discrimination such as exclusion. Its all about you being able to produce good evidence if you can't trust management to sort it out. People can be such shits.

lrb_03

I'm sorry that's been your experience, @Rose18. I 've been incredibly lucky, & well supported in my workplaces since my diagnosis. Nearly 3 years on, I've just started a new job this week. Time will tell if my luck continues. I haven't outright said that I've had cancer, but it's fairly obvious that something has gone on, as I have lymphoedema and wear a compression sleeve & glove.

Is there any way that you could broach the subject with a manager, or someone in HR? Does your workplace have a policy on bullying? And do you have access to an Employee Assistance Program, (EAP) to access a counsellor to help with some strategies? 

Take care

[Deleted User]

Thanks @Zoffiel, and @Irb_03  that’s great advice. A lot of it is indirect. When I raise an issue there’s a patronising “stress isn’t good for you” approach. Some of the bullying starts with the boss. 

Zoffiel

Who is 'they'? That's not something to discuss here, but this is no time to be vague. Consider what an outside investigator would want to know. When did this start, who said that when, why is your office not up to standard, have you been given any warnings or are you on a performance management plan. Write it all down. Go home and email it to yourself from your own email address (that is the absolute best way to keep records, you never lose them ,they are dated and you can access them from anywhere)

Mira

I have, its not cancer related though. Do you have any alternatives if you leave Rose?  I agree with Zoffiel, keep records of anything that happens.  I've been lucky in that the owner of the business I work for wants me there, but my managers are a different story I think. 

[Deleted User]

I’ve thought about leaving, but it’s hard when you are not as young and have had cancer. I’m just worried about saying too much about my workplace. I typed before, but deleted it. I’ve been made to move about many times.  One of my managers keeps making false complaints about me which his boss acknowledges are bullying. A senior manager said they had asked everyone if I was doing a bad job and no one had any complaints. I was given no notice to move my things out of my office. During chemo one of my workmates told my manager I wasn’t coping when I asked for some flexibility about my work for one hour out of one day. 

Zoffiel

Right. If you have two layers of management above you, you are not working in a corner store. If one of those levels is uncomfortable about what is happening, it is a sure sign that things are not right. Document, document, document. Hunker in there and hang on. We cancer folk can be good at that. If you go, take the shithead with you  

[Deleted User]

Thanks @Zoffiel, your support has helped me feel less alone. x

Zoffiel

That is why we are all here. Xxx

Sister

@zoffiel is the HR expert here but I agree with everything she has said.  Documentation is your best defence - who, what, when.  Concise and up-to-date.  Email works because it is time-stamped.