Feeling victimized in my job and don't want to go in......Help!

sarah7610

I will try and keep this as short as possible.

I've worked in a supermarket on the same dept for nearly 5 years and for the most, enjoyed what I do and who I work with. A few months ago a colleague joined us from another dept, everything was fine until a few weeks ago when she started complaining about myself and another colleague (who has the same name as me), on a weekly basis. So, every week Myself and my colleague are dragged into the office and informed about the complaint which is that we are not pulling our weight and are just standing around talking. (This is rubbish). She also calls us to other colleagues. Every time something is said it always involves us both. We even had a complaint about us both once, when I was on holiday!!!
However, my manager and supervisor have said they have no problem with us and that we always finish the jobs we are given.
Over the weeks we have got extremely fed up with this weekly routine and have approached our manager twice and asked him to put a stop to it but he has failed to do this and has admitted he's failed. He also said that he thinks me and my colleague would not have to put up with this so much if we didn't have the same name?!
I feel like I am being victimized because of my name and I don't want to go into work as I feel I am being constantly watched. If I was to pick my nose my manager would probably know about it by the end of the day.
I don't know what to do but I do know that I will probably be calling in sick on my next shift as I can't face going in.

Any serious advice welcome

Please help

Thanks, Sarah

mountainofdebt

Sorry but I fail to see what the relevance is of the fact that you and your colleague both have the same name ? Does this new colleage not like people with your name?

Personally I would be getting HR involved - are you in a Union?

DCFC79

Dont giver this person a reason to be such an !!! towards you, do your work and go home(which you do as it is). Apart from the "pulling our weight and are just standing around talking" rumours, what else is said ?

VfM4meplse

It sounds like your manager is sick of this individual but incapable of dealing with her. Shame on them, you're the one who's suffering here.

sarah7610

That's pretty much it. I know it sounds petty but when it happens every week it gets very wearing.She has also said that she is classed as being above us in work even though she is not! To make matters worse she tries to talk to us as if everything is fine. We went out on a staff do the other week and she was there. At the end of the night she was calling one of the young lads gay, a pervert, mentally ill etc, behind his back. She has also been accused of bullying in the past but they resolved that by moving the woman who was being bullied!!!
If this was to happen to me elsewhere I would have gripped her by now as I am not soft but when you are in work you can't do that.
It is so frustrating.

ohreally

Googlewhacker wrote: »

If all her complaints are unfounded then go in and make a grievance about her constant complaints.

Indeed. Prosecute a grievance against the colleague and the manager.

Sambucus_Nigra

Don't let her push you out!

Go in, both of you put a grievance in against her and your manager for not managing her properly and countless unfounded complaints and the resulting meetings.

Both of you need to formulate a strategy.

If called over, do not go as you are doing your work. Refer her to the manager.

I can't in any way shape or form understand this issue of you both having the same name being a problem. Can't you do a 'Mel B and Mel C' thang to distinguish yourselves?

The two of you need to work together to rise above it. What other things does she do that people can give you ideas of how to manage it?

Personally, in every interaction, I'd refer her to the manager as she really should not be your problem. If you and the other gal do the same, she will soon get bored or moved elsewhere as they seem unable to get rid of her.

Evilm

sarah7610 wrote: »

We went out on a staff do the other week and she was there. At the end of the night she was calling one of the young lads gay, a pervert, mentally ill etc, behind his back. .

I would get as many people as you can to report this to management.

Hopefully if more than a couple of people report it they can't just brush it aside.

Sambucus_Nigra

Evilm wrote: »

I would get as many people as you can to report this to management.

Hopefully if more than a couple of people report it they can't just brush it aside.

I'm sure they can, they seem unable to manage this individual.

sarah7610

I have phoned my manager this morning and told him I am putting in a grievance. I have already done the letter from a template I found on the net and it will be handed in tomorrow when I start my shift. The other colleague with the same name has been in the office today with the manager and the personel manager and she text me saying it was ok. Not sure what that means but she is phoning me when she finishes her shift. Thanks to everyone who has replied to my thread, as it is you that made me decide to put in the grievance. I'll just have to see what happens next.
Thanks again Sarah

By the way, the same name thing has got really annoying and we have complained about that aswell. My boss would refer to us as one person, ie Sarahs not Sarah and Sarah. He assumed that we see each other all the time out of work, (we don't see each other at all). If he wanted me to do overtime he would ask the other Sarah if I would do it and vise versa. If one of us was late he would ask the other where I or she was. We get refered to as twins, gruesome twosome, other half......you get the drift but it spread around the store and now everyone does it even though we only work twice a week on the same shift.

Sambucus_Nigra

I agree - both of you need to refer your manager back to the correct Sarah if they keep on. I'd perhaps say 'er, you do know we are two different people don't you? You need to ask her, not me'.