AGDBullying - Case History #1
Australian NSW Government Public Service case history, 50's male and 30's female partner
In 2000 my partner and I accepted an invitation from the Business Services Advisor (BSA), to transfer from a city to a country centre of the Attorney General's Department of New South Wales. Between us we had 15 years experience plus I had personally trained eleven officers for RSB (Reporting Services Branch) and transcribed the RSB Manual for the Branch. One year later I was bullied out of my job (5/10/01).
The serial bully likes to play people off against each other (Bully OnLine) On 11/9/00 we began at our new centre. We were assigned seats, later discovering the supervisor had told staff the BSA had said "They're troublemakers, especially him, so place them where they can be watched". "He's just a moron", "She's an idiot" were common expressions used by this supervisor who asked if I was interested in the grade 2 position because she "hated" the acting 2IC (second in charge).
Bullies poison the atmosphere and actively poison people's minds against the target (Bully OnLine) On 29/9/00 in a private meeting the supervisor ordered myself and my partner to stay away/not talk to "the two troublemakers" stating they were talkative and disruptive. We found this to be untrue but observed mistreatment and bias against these officers because of this lie.
One of the officers targeted by the supervisor had "WORK SUCKS" as her screensaver. I suggested she change it to something she "wanted", rather than "didn't want". She did so and her house then sold so she could quit the centre. She left to do exactly the same job interstate. Two years on she still loves her "new" job, has been promoted, and remains scathing of the perpetrators of her mistreatment. Another officer threatened to quit if she was not transferred. She'd been incapacitated, officially on "light duties" for a year under this supervisor. She said "They (the typist & friend) made morning teas intolerable". Finally transferred to another centre she returned to "full duties" writing "It's so nice to work where you're not vilified for your mistakes". Other ex staff also complained of "the poisonous atmosphere".
Staff appeared intimidated by the typist and complained she "listened in while pretending to work". I suggested if staff were doing nothing wrong then there was no reason for concern. However, on 22/11/00 the supervisor reprimanded me for one hour based on the typist's lies/exaggerations (e.g. You shouted, you talked for an hour, you bombarded her, etc). The supervisor said "I'm a very, very good judge of character. I'd believe her over you. I've known her for years. We think alike. The office is in turmoil since you arrived, We've never worked with a man before", etc. I tried to relay staff complaints of the typist's phone abuse (daily long distance calls, numerous local calls made and received) the supervisor said "I don't know anything about that". My complaints of the typist's listening in, putdowns and criticism of staff were dismissed with "She doesn't mean anything by it".
This had been posted on the notice board at the centre: "Officers are reminded that the Code of Conduct provides generally that you should not use work time or the Department's staff resources for private purposes without the specific permission of your supervisor. One particular exception is brought to your attention. An officer may use the telephone for private calls, if they are local, short and infrequent... and it does not interfere with their own or other's work. Examples of abuse of this rule will be dealt with by supervisors. You are also reminded that officers have a duty to report all instances of suspected corrupt conduct. Report the matter to your immediate supervisor or to the Director General..." Despite the notice, they typist's long distance calls continued, plus numerous local calls made and received, plus personal mobile phone use. At a staff mediation this was defended with "It's not corruption unless it involves thousands of dollars." The Code of Conduct reference was removed from the notice board and phone abuse continued.
Other staff complaints: The supervisor spends most of each day reading transcript. Errors located are used to target staff. Once the 2IC marked over 30 errors on one page of a transcript I'd produced. Staff meetings only dealt with matters pre-agreed by the supervisor, typist and/or 2IC addressing mistakes of targetted staff, hiding real staff complaints and making the centre look good.
In December, three months after arriving, my partner and I notified the centre, copy to the BSA, stating our allegiance to the Department's Code of Conduct and anti-corruption policies. The supervisor told staff to ignore it on advice from the BSA.
On 15/1/01 my partner reported to the supervisor the typist had falsified her time sheet during the supervisor's absence. The next day the typist ordered her to a private meeting where the supervisor was waiting. The typist then bullied her until she was unable to talk or respond. This eventually led to a stress breakdown.
The vehemence with which a person denies the existence of the serial bully is directly proportional to the congruence of the person's behaviour with that of the serial bully (Bully OnLine)
On 6/2/01 the BSA arrived and interviewed staff beginning with my partner. The typist was not in her usual seat but now seated next to the BSA, listening in. My partner was intimidated and expressed fear at this. I was seated further away and heard the BSA say "Just ignore it". My partner complained of the bullying and subsequent fear of coming to work. The BSA told her to "move on". When the BSA changed seats to interview other staff the typist followed. The BSA returned to interview me and the typist again changed seats to listen in. I ignored this and complained about morale and atmosphere, etc. The BSA said "You're just a sound Reporter". I showed documents to her. She said "This is much worse than what they have on you. Can you sit on this till I return to the centre".
The next morning I again picked my partner up off the toilet floor, a continuing pattern of collapses, dry retching and convulsions over months because of the work abuse. I had insomnia and once woke up screaming. We'd withstood conditions because we thought they'd improve with the BSA's involvement. I reported the "Musical Chairs" incident to the Director General. I expressed fears my partner would become incapacitated like the officer on "light duties". I said I trusted the BSA to resolve matters when apprised of all the facts.
On 12/3/01 hearing the typist swearing on the phone I requested the 2IC, copy to the BSA, discourage such behaviour (swearing, denigrating staff, etc.) in the office if morale was to improve. On 15/3/01 the 2IC stated "Any morale problem began with your arrival at the centre". I referred her and the BSA to the WORK SUCKS situation extant prior to my/our arrival at the centre.
On 20/3/01 the BSA again visited resulting in 'Points of Agreement" posted on the office walls to assist staff work towards improving the office situation. The typist was unable to agree, saying, "People should mind their own business."
On 31/5/01 I complained when the 2IC told staff (loudly) "This writing is so bad it must be a bloke's", (referring to transcript of a (lady) colleague/friend of ours from a city centre). Later the supervisor took me aside and said "There have been complaints from the ladies that you smell. It's really, really bad. It's so bad it's not just in the office but the whole floor smells. I shouldn't have to tell you these things, it's your partner's duty", etc. When I queried staff individually only the 2IC claimed there was a problem and admitted telling the supervisor.
At a staff meeting on 13/6/01 my partner (who was absent) requested more time in court as she'd only had 7 days in the previous seven weeks. This received zero support. Comments included the typist's "I don't have any problem typing for weeks", "Judges prefer the same monitor" (2IC), "Staff prefer to do the whole sitting", etc. As Chairperson, I complained about this and the fact the minutes (yet again) did not reflect what actually occurred at the meeting.
In environments where bullying is entrenched, it's regarded as "normal" behaviour" (Bully OnLine) `Bully squad' family members are frequently in the office (usually weekly, often daily), contrary to regulations. On 2/7/01 I reported that on the supervisor's day off we'd seen we'd seen her daughter with a key, use the coded entry to access the building and use office equipment. The next day the supervisor called a staff meeting (unminuted), tore the BSA's guidelines off the wall and said "It's none of your business what my daughter does in the office". The typist bragged she watched the computer screens of myself and another officer to monitor our activities. Via email the BSA assured me she'd discussed the security issue with the supervisor, yet following this the daughter continued to use office equipment. The supervisor said the BSA had said it was was okay for her daughter to use a computer because "it was for TAFE".
On 4/7/01 I observed the typist making notes each time I left my seat and returned to it. I saw no point in complaining about this or the daily slamming of the printer drawer against the side of my workstation and other harrassment/exclusion behaviour.
Stores items (eg. stationery, furniture or computer disks)must not be used for a purpose which is unrelated to the work of the Department (Code of Conduct) On 12/7/01 the BSA returned with Graeme S (Business Services Manager). Instead of addressing chronic complaints he emphasised his friendship with the 2IC then imposed the Tuckman's Psychology Model on the group. One person unafraid to speak when he asked for staff's "fears" was the typist. She said she feared coming to work, etc. These were the same complaints - still unhandled - voiced by my partner when the typist listened in on 6/2/01. At that time my partner was told to "move on" by the BSA. Now instead of telling the typist to "move on" the BSM blamed the typist's "fears" on me, shouting "What can you do about it", disallowing anything except an answer to the question. He also said "You can't change people", "It's okay to take stationery home because I do it" and excused telephone abuse as a good way to increase flexitime. Staff were provided with written material stating that backstabbing is normal office behaviour.
On 16/7/01 I formally withdrew my report to the DG, copy to BSA and BSM, about the typist listening in to the BSA's interviews with staff on 6/2/01. However, the bully squad now used the BSM's "model" to engage in further bullying. Graeme had stated he was happy to return to the centre and assist so when on 26/7/01 the 2IC abused me (for something I'd said only to the supervisor), I requested his assistance. The 2IC's bullying became worse. On another occasion she, with the typist, approached me shouting, "I don't like you but I'll work with you", etc. ignoring my attempts at discussion or reply. They'd waited till my partner left the office but she returned sooner than they expected. Shocked by the attack she was too afraid to interfere and started crying in the office.
On 1/8/01 further abuse of myself from the 2IC led to my partner leaving in tears, crying all the way home, incapacitated and crying for a week with a stress breakdown. I again reported this to Graeme (BSM). Further repercussions followed.
With my partner off "sick" and no-one else in the office, the typist abused me with "You're just scum, lowest of the low", etc for some minutes. When the supervisor returned I complained. The supervisor excused the typist's abuse saying "We learned at the meeting with Graeme it's okay for staff to express their feelings". I telephoned my partner for support as I felt unable to continue working. This latest abuse severely affected her requiring another week off sick and the doctor insisting on a Workers Compensation claim (which she again refused). I told the supervisor I felt bad because of the abuse and had to leave the office. When I returned the next working day the supervisor said "We looked everywhere for you because we didn't know where you'd gone". Later the supervisor's notes of what the typist said claimed I was the one who'd made the abusive remarks.
Somebody must have decided I had a personal problem with the supervisor because on 11/9/01 I was asked to attend a CJC (AGD's Community Justice Centre) mediation between myself and the supervisor with two mediators. During the mediation the male mediator said to me, "Who gave you the tin star?", "Are you feeling god-like now?", "I have executive experience and can assure you it's not okay to let staff talk to each other", and "You must defer to your supervisor", etc.
On 5/10/01 the supervisor announced a staff mediation. The typist mouthed "F*ck you" at me across the room. Seven staff were present plus a mediator but no-one witnessed this abuse. The meeting was entirely further bullying with the typist threatening legal action if I said bad things about her and "I hate you and I'll never talk to you again". She then bullied another officer to tears saying "You talked to him", voicing an "Exclusion" policy against me. I didn't mention the "F*ck you" because I thought no-one would believe it. I asked why she'd called me "Scum", etc. Forgetting the lie they'd manufactured (that I said it) someone said "You must have provoked her", and "How could anyone have a problem with this dear, sweet woman, she's so nice."
I was unable to return to work following this "mediation" abuse. On 13/12/01 GIO accepted liability for my Workers Compensation claim for "Anxiety & depression due to ongoing harrassment and aggression in work environment". Three months later liability was discontinued when their psychiatrist diagnosed "no obvious permanent damage." My entitlements ran out but on my doctor's recommendation I continue to submit WC claims. I continued to walk to work with my partner. I say "watch your back" and walk home alone, unable to return to work for fear of further abuse.
"What else is bullying? Being isolated and separated from colleagues, excluded from what's going on, marginalised, overruled, ignored, sidelined, frozen out, sent to Coventry" (Bully OnLine). My partner tells her own story in case history #2. In 2003 the typist stopped slamming the door in her face but hasn't spoken to her for 18 months.
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