Being singled out and bullied at work

Beepeear

Hello,

I’m 22 have been working in my retail job for just over three years now, when I first started there I felt it was a fun place to work and I enjoyed it, throughout my time there I noticed things started to go downhill, naturally I’m a shy person and don’t like speaking up unless I’m really pushed to the limit which I’m getting close to now.

A few months back I was promoted to a supervisor position, although I felt extremely rushed through my training because the store I moved to needed the positions filled, but I was excited and jumped at the opportunity. The first month or so was fine it was just like normal, lately however, I am finding myself being singled out and picked on for my standards of work.

I am expected to do everything to a perfect standard, whereas other staff members in my position and other do a worse job than me and don’t get anything said to them, I believe this to be down to the fact that they are friends outside of work and I am just a work colleague. I get spoke about behind my back and people accuse me of doing things and all team up together so it’s multiple people against one. I put in effort to make sure I do stuff correctly and I could do 100 things correct but miss out on 1 thing and I’d get critiqued over and over about that one thing I forgot, it’s like they expect me to be perfect but anyone else can get away with leaving the store a mess, leaving things unorganised but if I dared to do that I’d be in for a meeting.

I get accused of coming in earlier so I can just sit around and not do my job which is not true at all, I find myself worrying about going into work the next day because I’m concerned about what they may have a problem with next. I am not a lazy worker I put a hard graft in when I’m there and I feel it’s just neglected and it’s effecting me now, I’m questioning whether I’d ever be good enough for another employer and If I’m good enough for my job here.

I’m not sure what to do, if I speak to my manager they will more than likely tell the assistant who will then tell her friends (my work colleagues) and I feel I will get singled out even more for speaking out.

I need some advice guys, I want to leave but my confidence is shattered at this point I feel like no matter how hard I work or how hard I try I will always come up short.

TELLIT01

You do need to speak to your manager, and make it clear to them from the outset that you want to speak to them in confidence. At least then if anything you said does start to spread you will know where it came from.
That said, if you are in a supervisory role you need to supervise those who are your direct reports. If those working for you leave the place in a mess it is down to you to address the problem.
There is actually a lot to be said in favour of keeping work colleagues as just that and not being too matey with them. Not everybody is willing to differentiate between your role at work as supervisor, and 'being their mate' outside.
You obviously have the ability or you wouldn't have been promoted in the first place. If you feel your future lies elsewhere work on getting a CV together and act on it. You are young, don't allow others to make your life miserable, to something about it.

Beepeear

Thanks for your reply I do make sure that when I am letting them know, but it feels like I’m just being ignored. I will speak to my manager, I have no doubt I will have something said to me tomorrow about something or the other so I will bring it up then. I do see myself elsewhere in the future, my desire to work there anymore has been killed off by this fiasco, I have been looking st other jobs and need to break out of that comfort feeling of my current job, thank you once again

BrassicWoman

Hello, this sounds like a tough place to be!



would you be happier not being a supervisor? If so, that is worth a conversation.


Is there someone they think does the job brilliantly? Could you ask if they can coach you?

20aday

I know how you feel OP, I'm interested in working towards management in my job, and whilst I know it isn't easy, there are some who feel the need to focus on the small mistake, rather than the effort you've put in.

I'm not condoning any such behaviour, because it is very demoralising at times, but because you're 'one up' on the ladder I suspect they are focusing more on you, than the others, because you're in a more senior position?

At the end of the day you have shown you are more than capable, otherwise you wouldn't have progressed, and that's something you should be proud of.

Does your company have any policies surrounding confidentiality? If you speak to your manager, for advice, and you feel it might be fed back to others, then I'd be concerned as to why they feel the 'need' to broadcast private conversations that don't actually concern certain people?

lincroft1710

Who is actually "bullying" you? Is it your immediate line manager?