Help... left my terminal unlocked at work...

WaveyDave_2

liney wrote: »

Bully and Harrassment of the "noseyparker" by use of email. More andmore of this type of thing is happening. Employees are being dismissed for slagging of their collegues on Facebook, for example.

Inapropriate use of Email (IT policy)

However, facebook is a public site (albeit with some restriction), whereas email to another colleague is not intended for general viewing. Had the OP not left their terminal open, the colleague would not have read the email.

I personally don't think there is any way this colleague could have happened upon the email accidentally. She/he went looking for it, either by search or by working through the list.

valos_mummy

I think your noseyparker "caring" co-worker will come off worse. If there was a strict no private email use policy then it would be different. But there isn't, and you do have an allowance for personal mail and internet.

It also depends exactly what was said about said person. Along the lines of "ooo what a cow" or "I really don't like her" would be looked upon a bit harsher than if it were a work related thing perhaps, like maybe she was asked to do something but got a*sey about it, or said something out of line and you were making a comment about it to someone else.

I think you'll both probably get pulled up on it, but she'll get told that two wrongs don't make a right. Did anyone else hear her say she was logging you off?

I'd just keep an eagle eye on her in future; she'll most likely be peeed that she got pulled up too, and will be looking for any excuse to get one over on you. Probably might tell collagues what "horrible" things you've said about her to garner sympathy; so make it clear to the boss that after it's sorted the line should be drawn and if she keeps harping on go straight to them.

If she had a problem with you she should have just come to you, that's my opinon, I can't stand underhand and devious tactics whilst pretending to be a helpful friend, very Judith*:mad:





*game on reference.

lleck

What is bullying at work?

Bullying at work is when someone tries to intimidate another worker, often in front of colleagues. It is usually, though not always, done to someone in a less senior position. It is similar to harassment, which is where someone's behaviour is offensive. For example, making sexual comments, or abusing someone's race, religion or sexual orientation.
Examples of bullying behaviour

Bullying includes abuse, physical or verbal violence, humiliation and undermining someone's confidence. You are probably being bullied if, for example, you are:

• constantly picked on
• humiliated in front of colleagues
• regularly unfairly treated
• physically or verbally abused
• blamed for problems caused by others
• always given too much to do, so that you regularly fail in your work
• regularly threatened with the sack
• unfairly passed over for promotion or denied training opportunities

Bullying can be face-to-face, in writing, over the phone or by fax or email.

i don't think anything you have done constitutes "bullying" as you haven't done anything verbally or physically> the email was between you and your colleague and was not meant for anyone elses eyes so that could not be construed as "bullying" if you had sent it to the person in question then that would be bullying.

churchrat

lleck wrote: »

What is bullying at work?


Bullying can be face-to-face, in writing, over the phone or by fax or email.

i don't think anything you have done constitutes "bullying" as you haven't done anything verbally or physically> the email was between you and your colleague and was not meant for anyone elses eyes so that could not be construed as "bullying" if you had sent it to the person in question then that would be bullying.

thats an interesting point. If you talk negativly about co-worker A with other co-workers B and C, but not within A's hearing, is A being bullied? Perhaps bullying may not be the right word, but something detrimental to A is certainly going on.


What do others think?

Zazen999

Bullying isn't anything to do with this.

Until we know the level of the OP's comments; it is impossible to advise.

BitterAndTwisted

Gossip, even malicious gossip is not bullying if the person being gossiped about was unaware of it at the time. Even if whatever was said was repeated to them later, it's still not bullying.


I have a feeling this nasty, lying nosey-parker is going to come off the worst in this.

Pete111

churchrat wrote: »

thats an interesting point. If you talk negativly about co-worker A with other co-workers B and C, but not within A's hearing, is A being bullied? Perhaps bullying may not be the right word, but something detrimental to A is certainly going on.


What do others think?

I think we have all been employees A B and C during our working lives. I think most of us would not think that they were either bullying or being bullied.

People will whinge about each other at work when things do not go their way or they feel frustrated/put out by something that has occured. As long as it does not turn into a concerted campaign, or is for example, racist in nature it's not generally a serious problem.

churchrat

Pete111 wrote: »

I think we have all been employees A B and C during our working lives. I think most of us would not think that they were either bullying or being bullied.

People will whinge about each other at work when things do not go their way or they feel frustrated/put out by something that has occured. As long as it does not turn into a concerted campaign, or is for example, racist in nature it's not generally a serious problem.

I think that I agree with you on that, but if you are the one who has been talked about, and you feel that it has had a detrimental affect upon you, then have you then been "bullied"?

Who decides what amounts to bullying? I know that in my sons school if a child feels that they are being bullied, then they are treated as tho they ARE being bullied. Surely the person who has commited the act/spoken the words should not be the one who decides if it is bullying or not?

loisa

To me, it just seems like the 'nosey parker' must have her suspicions.

Had she had seen people laughing and whispering or overheard things? Was she was being left out of group activities or socials? This would start to feel like 'bullying' pretty quickly whether the intention was there or not. It still doesn't excuse what she did though, I can't think what she was hoping to achieve.

Pete111

churchrat wrote: »

I think that I agree with you on that, but if you are the one who has been talked about, and you feel that it has had a detrimental affect upon you, then have you then been "bullied"?

Who decides what amounts to bullying? I know that in my sons school if a child feels that they are being bullied, then they are treated as tho they ARE being bullied. Surely the person who has commited the act/spoken the words should not be the one who decides if it is bullying or not?

Indeed not - thats why in the OPs example a manager/HR will hear the other parties grievance and take this call. Bullying cases are almost always subjective - each individual case needs to be considered on it's own merits.

Assuming the emails are not OTT I would personally struggle to agree this alone was bullying tho. Whinging in a stupid format (ie written down) yes. Bullying? Probably not.

If however the individual coudl cite other behaviour, ie verbal abuse. cruel 'practical jokes' etc and use this as corroberating evidence it would change things. I still have an issue with the manner in which these emails came to light tho - hence my view that the individual would also need to be disciplined.