Workplace Hostility

There's a lot in the news about cyber-bullying and schoolyard bullying but no one talks about how it happens in the workplace. Mostly because such acts are supposed to be illegal. Even more so because it's not supposed to be started or tacitly approved by someone in a management position. I endured it as long as I could and now am looking for another place of employment.

When I was diagnosed with PTSD I went through all the appropriate channels to have my job protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act that protects employees. It promises that when your doctor clears you to come back to work you will still have your job. You aren't paid the entire time you're on leave and that's the biggest drawback while on leave. It also doesn't protect you from people who think it is okay to make comments or constantly belittle you in front of your co-workers and patients when you do return.

I was on FMLA leave for 12 weeks last summer and then came back to work only to be diagnosed with kidney stones 6 weeks later. This screwed up my health and the doctor wouldn't let me go to work for a period of time. My manager took me off the schedule as was appropriate with the understanding that when the doctor released me to come back to work I would have a job.

Cut to December when I had a PTSD relapse after passing a kidney stone. I was told I had been taken off the schedule until I was cleared to come back to work. Normal routine at this point for me. I was cleared to come back to work and every email, phone call, and text I sent to my manager was ignored and never responded to. This resulted in my working Christmas Day only the entire month of December. I was completely unaware that my manager had put me on the schedule and that I was listed as a no call, no show for two weeks in December which went against hospital policy. I also had every single absence listed as an occurrence rather than the block of absences for each illness listed as a single incident--which also went against hospital policy.

I finally get everything straightened out with management only to have charge nurses and other co-workers think it is okay to make comments regarding my time and attendance regardless of what actually happened. When I discussed it with management I was threatened behind closed doors even after requesting a member of HR to be present during the meeting; that request was ignored. The other manager who sat in on the meeting told me she would have fired me when I went on leave for PTSD. I explained that due to management's error I was being harassed by other co-workers leading to my working in a hostile environment where I felt very uncomfortable. This to went ignored.

The final straw was my manager turning the shift scheduling for those in my position over to a peer in my position without directly informing any of us himself that this delegation was taking place. I had paid and registered for a course to certify as an EKG Technician that was held on Tuesdays and Thursdays and was unable to work those 2 days out of 7 in a week. The peer who was put over scheduling my shifts ignored this need because he informed me he "preferred not to work on Tuesdays and Thursdays so (he) scheduled me for those days." The money I had already spent and my educational and career advancements were ignored because someone didn't like me.

I resigned my position at the hospital effective immediately.

Nothing I had done to get satisfaction or get myself out of the situation was acknowledged. I filed a complaint with HR; I told my manager about the hostile work environment; I kept my head down and did my job and it still didn't matter. The damage to my reputation had been done and the continued bullying was tacitly approved by a manager who did nothing to acknowledge his own culpability in my schedule being screwed up. When I resigned, my manager even promised me 2 weeks severance pay to compensate for what had happened--I have the saved text to prove it. I received a check for $192.68 total.

The worst part is all of this treatment is supposed to be illegal. But what can you do? If no one else will stand up for you for fear of being treated the same way they see you treated? If no retaliation policies are ignored how do you stand up for yourself?

It's heartbreaking and demoralizing to know that every time you trust someone they lie to you. I'm trying not to take it personally but it is difficult and extremely depressing. Praying someone calls me back with a job interview while I work in a local nursing home.