Staff member intimidating other staff and myself

[claire10]

Hello
I Have been intimidated and have been under a physically threatening behavior by another staff member and my Childcare centre.
I have not under any circumstance initiated this behavior and have avoided her and her tempers at all costs.
There are other people who have problems with this woman but none have stood up and asked for Action against her. I am now taking a stand and I am shaking in my boots !! ( i wont involve others )
I have spoken to the room leader who is her friend I have then spoken to the director who listened to me and the room leader and as yet to speak the bully.
I have written the incident on paper, ready for the meeting.
What I would like to know is >>>>> If the centre management decide to ignore or go very slow on a positive out come ? what can I do ? who supports me within the company ?

This incident is does not comply with our code of ethics and is unlawful. and yet I feel that it will be me who will suffer in the long run and be made to feel so uncomfortable that I will have to leave.

So if anyone has any advice or expeirenced this them selves I would love to hear from you
Thankyou

[Lorina]

Hi Maggie,

First of all, Welcome to our forum. I noticed that this is your first post.

I am very sorry to hear about your situation! To be honest one thing about working in this industry is that unfortunately we have to deal with bitchiness like this which makes our working environment uncomfortable and puts more stress on us.

Glad to hear that you are standing up for yourself, you should that’s for sure…

Now with the incident that you wrote down, make sure you provide specific detailed examples that you can refer back to. Make sure you mention the scenarios that have taken place and details of the events that are unethical and unacceptable. This way the management can understand what is exactly happening rather than hearing some vague complaints.

The problem with vague complaints is that it could be taken as a personal misunderstanding or a conflict between personalities.

Once you have had the meeting and addressed the issues, the management will normally listen to both sides of the story and take relevant actions.

After the complaint, normally a written formal warning is given to the staff at fault and a formal review is setup a week or so later to determine if further action needs to be taken. Depending on centre policy and procedures, a staff member only requires 3 written warnings before their job is in jeopardy. But I have rarely seen problems going to that extent. Most of the issues are resolved within the first warnings since no one wants to lose their job.

It is a good idea for other staff members to also come forward to address their problems that they are having with this particular staff member, especially when the room leader is her friend which can often cause an issue between the facts.

If you do find that these issues haven’t been resolved by centre management you can always refer your complaint to some unions or people who deal with disputes and problems at work. However this is only a last resort and shouldn’t be used unless absolutely necessary. If it does come to this stage, let me know and I will find out more info on this for you but like I said it’s a last resort.

In most cases the centre management will try to resolve the problem once you have addressed the situation in the right way. End of the day the centre wants to make sure all staff are happy and any conflicts are resolved in an amicable manner. So what you are doing is right and I applaud your courage to come forward to do the right thing.

In the meantime make sure that you continue your everyday work duties and try not to let this come on the way of your professional duties.

My advice to you is try and keep your cool and do your job right so you are considered as an asset to the centre and a member of staff that they don’t want to lose. Also be ready to receive any criticism or complaints that might be addressed against you as well…just remember no-one is perfect and sometimes we just need to hear what we are doing wrong in order for us to realize it. If it does happen try and take it as feedback rather than a personal attack. Once you have this set of mind you will be able to handle any tough situation they throw at you…

Let us know how you go,

Try and have a good day at work tomorrow,

Cheers ,
L.A

[fchaudari76]

Only advice I have is if you speak to the Director or have any meetings .... have everything in writing... keep the original and give them a photocopy ... eg. as per our discussion where we discussed X Y Z ...I have had to many instances where I have not had things in writing and it has worked against me now i get everything (so if she says something 2 u get that in writing too) in writing and put everything in writing myself

[babayaga]

I am sorry to hear about your terrible experience with an aggressive co-worker. Bullying in any workplace is never to be tolerated and management has the responsibility to protect all its employees.
My thought is for the children in your care - how does this sort of tension affect them?

[Angellhart]

If you are still around these forums I would love to know what centre you are at (from another ACT member)

There are bullies everywhere I have one in my centre who always plays the victim and nothing is ever done about her. Im always made to feel in the wrong and if I complain they pretty much say its my attitude that is the problem. Hello of course I have an attitude to someone being a bully!

[Miss_Annette]

Hey,
If things dont get sorted - or didn't. i'd speak to my union rep. they're always there for support

[babayaga]

When I find myself in a difficult situation with someone, I remind myself that you cannot change how another person behaves but you can control how you respond to them.
Be strong, value your self and be determined and clear about documenting this bullying.
Each of us deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
Sending you a hug.