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What can I do with my Hostile Work Environment?

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nuttie

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
-CA


​
Hi there,
I am currently in a very severe hostile work environment, and I was wondering what can be done about my situation? (I am planning to visit HR soon, but not sure if anything can be resolved at all due to the absence of physical evidence)
I will try to list out some of the things that happened to me.


1.I have been insulted with my English.
-I responded saying "I don't understand" (out of a confusion, not a lack of understanding the English) then he/she smirked and responded with "why, is it the language?")
*he/she has the same nationality as I do if that makes the case any different.


2.I have been insulted about my family situation.
-While the he/she was scolding me about something, he/she has related my work behavior to my divorced parents issue. he/she said "you are like that because you were raised without a mother" (I cannot pin point out what she was scolding me about initially, because he/she was yelling, crying, jumping from one topic to another that I don't know about.)
*when he/she says something that crosses a line like above, he/she speaks in my first language hence other people cannot understand even if they get to hear what's going on.


3.I am constantly being bullied and put under a toxic situation.
-I have been scolded/yelled for something that I did not do, which still continued even after it was explained that I am not responsible for it.
-constantly being told that all my works are terrible. (my reasons for not knowing untaught tasks are not acceptable)
-Before the review (this person is not the reviewer, my boss does the review), he/she kept on saying I will have a horrible result and he/she made a joke out of it in front of my coworker. (I actually got a great result on my review with a raise)
-I am being treated unfairly. When my coworker and I are both in problematic situation, I would be called for the issue, whereas my coworker gets an encouragement.
-been called multiple times to come by his/her office on a same day just to hear the same thing that has been already addressed multiple times on that day, even though nothing has happened. (ex: "you better do right, because I am fxxking done with your sxxi ")


4.He/She tells around with false information
-After He/she and I have a moment of reasoning, he/she tells around of what happened, but twicks the story that favors her, which is likely to affect my reputation. (He/she is entitled to his/her opinion, perhaps that person really thinks that's why happened, but it's not at all from my end)


5.He/she has scolded me with a lie.
-I have been scolded and been told that my coworkers complains about me. I asked one of my coworkers, and that coworker swore that never happened.
*I cannot guarantee but I can only believe what my coworker has told me.


6.been told to pick his/her child up.
-been told to pick his/her child up couple times from school.


There are more to it than these above, but at work I feel like I am treated as a stress reliever, and knowing that he/she talks about me behind my back with false information & constantly telling me there is no point of having me because my works are terrible are affecting my performance and my mental health. His/her excuse is that it's a "tough love".

Please advise what could be done.
Thank you
 


cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
The term, hostile work environment, has a very specific meaning in employment law. It does not just mean that people are nasty to you; there are specific requirements that must be met before, legally, you are considered to be in an HWE. Whether you have LEGAL recourse or not - i.e., recourse through the legal system - depends on whether you are in an HWE as defined by law, or just work for/with a lot of jerks.

Most of what you have described does not define an HWE; however, you did say one thing that says to me that you might - not do, MIGHT - have a legal HWE. So with no prompting from the peanut gallery (I want to hear what the OP has to say without any clues being dropped) if you had to guess, why do you think that your co-workers/managers treat you and talk to you the way you do?
 

nuttie

Junior Member
The term, hostile work environment, has a very specific meaning in employment law. It does not just mean that people are nasty to you; there are specific requirements that must be met before, legally, you are considered to be in an HWE. Whether you have LEGAL recourse or not - i.e., recourse through the legal system - depends on whether you are in an HWE as defined by law, or just work for/with a lot of jerks.

Most of what you have described does not define an HWE; however, you did say one thing that says to me that you might - not do, MIGHT - have a legal HWE. So with no prompting from the peanut gallery (I want to hear what the OP has to say without any clues being dropped) if you had to guess, why do you think that your co-workers/managers treat you and talk to you the way you do?
Hey there
Thanks for the reply.

It's actually one person that is treating me such way. As for why I think he/she is treating me such way, I do not know why.

I tried to figure out, but was not able to. My coworker agrees with me that i am being treated unfairly but neither my coworker knows why.

One thing that I "assume" is that I dont like causing any trouble at work or be part of trouble. So I dont really react with the same behavior as he/she does, nor I fight back. I do reason when it's necessary so I am assuming that I am an easy target. (So to speak)

*Edit: I was once told by my coworker that my supervisor talked bad about me for how I type messages when We use chat system. For example, me saying "will do" or "understood" offended my supervisor because he/she thinks that I am showing some kind of rebelious expression by giving a short and clear response without ~, emoji, etc.
I think he/she is insecured of something that I do not know. It's only my assumption based off what i heard.

It is kinda depressing to hear that my condition does not fall under HWE, which puts me in a situation where I cant do anything but to quit the job i like.
 
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commentator

Senior Member
Is this person your supervisor? In any case, do not let this one person deprive you of your employment before you attempt to solve the problem by discussing it with HR, letting this person's superiors know there is a problem. Be positive. Emphasize that you like your job and you want to keep the job, that you are doing the job to the best of your ability. Do the job to the very best of your ability. Try your best to ignore what your co workers say. This person is obviously aggravating you because they see that it bothers you and they are enjoying it. Also, have a thick skin about insults to you personally. Also, before you quit the job, be looking when you are not working for something to replace this job with before you quit.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
It's less that there is nothing you can do and more that there is nothing the law can do. The law does not require that people treat you civilly.

Unfortunately, the reason you postulate is not one that would turn this into an HWE. And if it were, you'd probably have at least a sense of it.

But you're not *necessarily* out of options. The law is not going to take a stand here but that doesn't mean management can't. If you haven't been to HR yet, it's time to do so. Or your immediate supervisor, if the person causing the problem does not hold that position. Since you're not being treated illegally, the company doesn't have to do anything, but that doesn't mean they won't. It's at least worth trying, before quitting.
 

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