Hello John!

First thing--stop the presses! Google search the terms "workplace
bullying" follow all the links and educate yourself as to what you're
dealing with and who and what you are probably up against. After
you've done that, please post again and let me know if what you
discovered sounds like it fits your situation. If so, I may be able
to assist you further with specific advice and support.

Take care,
Becky W.

--- In emotionalabuse@yahoogroups.com, johndowh <no_reply@y...> wrote:
> I work as a network technician for county government.
>
> Initially I was very happy with my job. I got along very well with
> my coworkers and supervisors, happily did my job, and felt no
qualms
> about going the extra mile for the customer.
>
> Around 8 months ago a new department coordinator was hired, and
> fairly quickly things started to change.
>
> Suddenly closed-door meetings became the norm with the management
> staff. Some minor changes would happen, like a security door code
> being changed, or a doorbell being installed, with no notification
to
> the employees.
>
> Decisions about projects suddenly were not solicited; it went from
an
> environment where our input as knowledgeable employees was welcome,
> to one where management decides without soliciting input.
>
> Personally I really dislike the new coordinator. This person has
> weak people skills and quite honestly I think he makes our
department
> as a whole look bad. Other staff in other departments have quietly
> expressed dissatisfaction or surprise at the way the guy seems to
> shrug off their concerns, not politely but rather arrogantly.
>
> More and more often our group of employees (two subdivisions of the
> department, one working on networking, the other programming)
> commiserate about not being informed about stuff happening. I made
> what I now consider to be some mistakes in sending emails to my
> supervisor and subdivision to ask why a certain policy had been
> implemented, why a particular decision had been made, etc.
>
> My intent was to get information, but I have to admit that my tone
> was not altogether positive; I got somewhat reactionary and anyone
in
> our department could probably tell that I seemed to be putting a
chip
> on my shoulder.
>
> Finally I've been written up for an email which I sent to the
entire
> staff. My intention was to ask a question about something some of
my
> buddies and I were discussing related to some new communications
> hardware the bureau was thinking of purchasing. Unfortunately the
> way I worded it I hinted at things going on in the department which
I
> thought were negatively impacting it, and the coordinator chose to
> interpret this in the worst light.
>
> The coordinator, who incidentally doesn't seem to like me because I
> ask a lot of questions, referred to several instances in the past
> where I had been verbally counseled about writing email messages to
> the staff. Further there were several previous email messages not
> directly related to this message I sent to the entire staff of the
> organization, but instead which portray me as one who asks a lot of
> questions. Ultimately I was reprimanded for discussing policy and
> procedure outside the department.
>
> My gripes are that the question I asked of the whole staff was one
> which, bottom line, was intended to solicit answers about an issue
> which is not policy, not procedure, merely an idea about how to
> implement new technology specific to our organization but not to
any
> person nor department in particular.
>
> Basically I feel the coordinator is using this as an excuse to
bundle
> stuff into my personnel file which doesn't relate to the text of
the
> reprimand. But the stuff will be documented as ammo for the future
I
> guess if I am not very careful.
>
> I'm already very pissed off at myself for letting my emotions get
out
> of hand. I should've been much more careful with what I said, and
> should never have said what I did in email since it's come back
with
> a vengeance to bite me in the ass.
>
> Any advice would be very much appreciated. For what it's worth I
> already document meetings I'm called into with supervisors or the
> coordinator, suggestions I've made, etc. I'm not afraid at this
> point that I will get fired, but I think this person would not
> hesitate to work towards that. I realize that I blew a hole in
> myself by sending this most recent email in the first place...