Dealing with new colleagues

lynsayjane

Morning all,

Bit of background, I was made redundant in March and after 6 weeks garden leave began a position at a new company. It's the same kind of role I've done for 7 years so have good knowledge and experience, different system but I've picked it up easy enough.

The problem I have is I work beside four other girls doing the same/similar work. Two are early 20's, one is late 50's and one is around my age (early 3's).
I'm in my 7th week here and their welcome has become colder and colder over that time. My manager is on annual leave this week but informed me on Friday that it had been noticed by her and others that I wasn't being included in the group.
Nothing specific has happened that would cause them to be unfriendly, I've shown an interest in them all and what they have going on, I've brought in home bakes, acted friendly, said morning, smiled.....
There is a girl in another department who from day 1 has made it clear she dislikes me for no other reason then we are very different people (she's like TOWIE's poor relation). I've still tried being friendly etc with her. The girls in my team are friendly with her so I'm unsure if this is the root of the problem.

I appreciate that I can't be universally liked especially given that almost the only thing we have in common is a workplace but I feel like I'm in the school playground with a bunch of kids.
I've also been informed that this isn't the first time they've treated someone like this and a previous staff member left claiming workplace bullying and isolation caused by these same people.

I guess my question is how would you handle this? I'm trying to keep my head down and continue doing my work well (my boss is very happy with how I'm doing with the actual work), but it gets very demoralising to sit in a room for 9 hours a day being ignored.

TIA
LJ

bluenoseam

Sounds like the boss has seen this story before but it also sounds like they're not particularly happy about it - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, particularly if it's costing him good staff. I know it's hardly ideal but for the time being keep your head down & get on with work, when your boss returns from leave just tell them that you're feeling uncomfortable & it could do with being sorted. If what you've said is true there's a fair chance they know what's going on and this confirms their suspicions, which then allows them to deal with the problem.

lynsayjane

Thanks for the reply. No she's not happy about it, apparently the first situation happened when she was starting.
My initial thought was not to do anything 'official' about it, in my head that would just get people's backs up. It's not like you can force people to be friendly but at the same time if it carries on I'll only end up unhappy and wanting to find a new job.
I'll speak with my boss when she comes back and ask what she proposes.

itchyextremist

I have a similar situation at my work. A colleague of mine just doesn't speak to me most of the time. Because of the fact that it's JUST me and him, in can be very tricky to complete tasks when teamwork is required.


I think keeping your head down and just completing the work your assigned is the way to go.

mustang121

I hate to sound sexist, but I feel that females are incredibly two faced and clicky with one another. They are like pack animals who hate or are afraid of new comers.


Although I am aware of exceptions. I once worked in an office of males aged 40-50ish and they were incredibly bi8thy towards one another.


Having a good working atmosphere is important to morale and productivity. High School "clickiness" should have been left at school. It sounds like your manager needs to arrange some team meals out to help break the ice.

sparkermarketing

work hard, get promoted, become their manager, fire them.

lynsayjane

sparkermarketing wrote: »

work hard, get promoted, become their manager, fire them.

Genius plan :rotfl:

swingaloo

If it were me I think I would take the bull by the horns and when they are all together simply ask if there is a problem and how I could rectify it.


A sort of 'Look girls, Im feeling really uncomfortable as there seems to be a bit of an atmosphere, I haven't felt really welcome since I started and its not a nice working environment. If I have done something to upset anyone then I would like to know, if not is there something I should be doing which I am not.


It may make then think or it may do no good at all but at least you will have done your best before management need to step in.

[Deleted User]

Modern Britain

Just keep your head down, most places work in silence, look forward to payday

I once found it was a manager stirring and making more of it so perhaps there is more going on - talk to them when the manager isn't around? it got interesting apologising for a situation that had been engineered

Chin up xx

lynsayjane

Deleted%20User wrote: »

Modern Britain

Just keep your head down, most places work in silence, look forward to payday

I once found it was a manager stirring and making more of it so perhaps there is more going on - talk to them when the manager isn't around? it got interesting apologising for a situation that had been engineered

Chin up xx

The manager is on annual leave this week and there's certainly very little in the way of friendliness.
I was at Tesco at lunch and bought cookies, I'll try to buy their friendship with sugar

Money_maker

If you can befriend just one of them, you may be able to find out whats going on with the rest. BTW, agree with Mustang in #5, lots of all female groups are very two faced and clicky.