I work in a warehouse, and this older guy keeps trying to wind me up all the time, and I tried getting back at him to leave me alone because of wounded pride, I’ve reported him 3 times, even had a grievance procedure against him, and for a while, it was ok, because we worked apart, but he has a reputation of trying to wind people up, and they’ve moved him back to a job where I work with him regularly. I complained to my manager about the situation, and he said that they’re aware of what he’s like, but essentially I’d have to just put up with it, and honorably dislike each other.
So I’ve complained, tried to ignore him, tried doing it back to him and nothing seems to work. I’ve already started looking for a new job.
He always drives past smirking or smiling, and I know he is trying to get a rise out of me, but I don’t know how to ignore it, or over come this so it doesn’t bother me, what should I do?
Well, I would not have a problem making him quit but since you have not done anything but the soft, legal, good person way, to try to make a bad person quit doing something & the company won’t help. You have no solution besides leaving that you can take IMO.
Its stupid, but he keeps singing an offensive rhyme to annoy me, and reporting me for not doing work, embarrassing me in front of others, it’s alot of little things which have accumulated, there is alot of tit for tat between us. I know I should rise above it, but I’ve tried ignoring it and it makes no difference, even being around him makes me very angry.
It could be argued that “singing an offensive rhyme” is creating a hostile work environment. Please bring this to the attention of your HR department as there are laws against this.
He threatened me after I kept driving slowly to annoy him, so I put a grievance in against him.
The thing is, is that I’m trapped in this cycle, I want to rise above it, but it seems impossible and it’s very hard for me to hide my annoyance at his attempts to get at me, so I get frustrated at that and him winding me up. So I think my only option is to try and do it to him even though I don’t want too.
If you’re driving slowly to annoy him, then you’re fucking with him as much as he’s fucking with you. First rule of having a job: do your job.
Put yourself in your manager’s position: You complain about Bluto saying annoying stuff, and Bluto complains that you’re doing your job slowly on purpose, making it harder/slower for Bluto to get his work done. If I’m your manager, I’m going to be way more irritated with you than with Bluto.
Does putting in a grievance mean the HR department was involved, and not your direct report manager? If HR didn’t resolve it to your satisfaction, you have the right to escalate, either over HR, or to the state. I hope you’re documenting everything.
On the level of the guy you’re stuck working with, my reaction would be to point and laugh every time I see him. But, I’m a girl, so dynamics are a lot different. I’m also a sharp tongued grumpy girl, so people don’t mess with me.
I agree with Telemark, this is just someone being annoying, and you being just as annoying in return. Sounds like both of you have some growing up to do. The thing is, you can only control yourself, so do your job as well as you can, and ignore him except where you have to interact due to the job.
Cripes, you make it sound like a playground not a place of business.
I would apologize for my lack of sympathy but, nah, ain’t gonna. Just be glad it’s only a co-worker and not your boss. If you want to read some real workplace horror stories, check out the Workplace Griping thread here. That might put your little issue into perspective. (Warning: 165 pages, over 8000 posts.)
I understand where you’re coming from, but it’s hard for me to hide my anger at him, as for the grievance thing, I escalated it to the HR department where we had a mediation, I even had a witness to him threatening me and the best they did was to ‘keep it professional’ the HR guys even had a meeting with him to emphasize leaving me alone, and yet he still tried to get one over me. He eventually got moved to another department because he didn’t want to work near me, and now because one of the head managers is annoyed with him complaining all the time, they’ve moved him back to where I work, so it looks like it’s happening all over again.
How can you ignore someone who’s being vindictive to you?
I don’t want to sound trite but you do it by ignoring him.
Do your job and get on with your day. Guy’s an arsehole, fuck him and just get on with whatever it is you should be doing. You don’t want him to win do you? Sounds like the boss knows all about him and for whatever reason doesn’t really give a bollocks. You reacting will only put your position in question.
You have to not let him get to you so much. As for how, that’s a skill you develop. It will take some practice. It all sounds like fairly trivial stuff that he is doing , and it’s actually not your problem, or something you have to worry about. It’s just how he gets through his day. (That’s the way I would choose to think about it)
Your pride (that you mentioned before) is sucking you into this. You want to prove something, win the confrontation. You already know this ends in frustration and misery for you, so don’t continue to let a knee-jerk reaction run your life.
But does he grab your wrists and make you smack your own face while taunting you with a chant of “why are you hitting yourself?”
Since tattling didn’t work, you’re going to have to tell him that you are rubber and he is glue, plus every time he insults you, tell him the joke’s on him because it’s Opposite Day.
First, stop stooping to his level. He’s a professional asshole, you’re an armature. You’re not going to win in that arena.
Realize, the more emotional you get, the bigger his hard on grows. Stop reacting to his bull shit. Not only that, be polite to the guy. Always, no matter how rude he is. Just chuckle and tell him to have a nice day.
