ljinoz

I didn't mean for it to come across that I was excusing my actions and using the bullying as a defence - I am ashamed I reacted at all and wish I'd just walked out and it really is out of character for me. I've been replaying all of the different possible outcomes in my head however 2 years of being screamed at, criticised for things I haven't done, etc has really worn me down and to be sworn at, have rude comments directed at me and screamed at within 10 minutes of entering the office first thing in the morning caused me to lose it and I wasn't thinking rationally at all. I was tired and it was already taking all of my strength to go in work. I had already made the decision to leave about a month ago and have secured a new job and was in the process of working my notice which makes it even harder to deal with because I was about to get out of there with a good reference etc. Thanks Paul - I'm lucky that I've never come across bullying in the workplace before this. Hopefully I won't ever again but I agree it is probably more of a female thing and lots of girls I know have experienced similar things. For whatever reason I had 2 female employees (one above me one below me) both go after me and a boss who turned a blind eye to it. I think the visa made me feel in a weak position and where I usually would have stood up for myself I was scared about losing my job and having already suffered through some of the bullying didn't want it to be for nothing. I've obviously learnt the hard way that its better to speak up in case things do come to a head like they have done.

Thanks Melza, I'm in a better place today and have decided to draw a line under it all and look forward as best I can and try and stop blaming myself. I feel incredibly let down by my boss that he has allowed this to happen but I'm sure it happens in lots of companies and in the future I need to make sure I stand up for myself and get out as soon as I see signs of anything similar. Unfortunately because of my visa I had to stay put for so long and there is still a chance it may be cancelled but I will let the visa cancellations unit investigate and make a decision.

Thanks, I really do want to complain to Fair Work but have been suggested it might provoke my old employer into doing something. Because I threw the hole punch I did do something wrong and I'm so annoyed that I didn't just walk out and/or tell my boss I wasn't going in for the rest of the week because I didn't feel well. I feel like my reaction is now the only thing being investigated and the fact I've been subject to over 2 years of workplace bullying and had just entered the office and already had both of them jump on me is being ignored. This job would have given me a really good reference too for future jobs and I can't even use them now.

Unfortunately I only have the one email of her apologising for being a bitch. No witnesses either, its a 4 person office so it is my boss and the 2 bullies. I think there is an element of xenophobia as I have been subject to degrading comments from both of them about overseas workers. I'm not really sure what the issues with me have been, I always thought I was a non-offensive person. I'm quiet, get on with my work, and am quite an open friendly person. I'm worried about proving things because its 2 people against 1 and other than a diary I've been keeping and Doctor's appointments I have no proof.

I'm on a 187 visa but have spoken to immigration and am going to leave it to them to investigate. Yes I had been complaining for some time about conditions and because my boss did nothing I took the decision to leave. I did not feel like he backed me up when I was having problems and the lady who swore at me actually seemed to play on it and take sides which worsened the conflict. My health was also suffering and I was not coping. I have actually secured a new job and was in the process of working my notice. I am now concerned that the woman who swore at me is going to contact my new employer as I live in a small place and she is vindictive enough. I would like to complain to fair work as feel like there should be consequences but I have already been warned against it as it might provoke them into contacting my new employer. Can this even happen?

I finally snapped. I've been subject to workplace bullying pretty much since I started and finally snapped and walked out today. I've had 2 members of staff take it upon themselves to gang up and bully me for a long time now. I came in today and sat down at my desk and ignored one of the staff members who has been bullying me. She then followed me to my desk and repeatedly got in my face saying "hello" "hello" "hello" and waving at me. I told her to leave me alone and that she has already put me through enough. This staff member likes to play the victim so she ran off crying after I said that. The other staff member who is actually supposed to be my superior then ran off after her and came back in and started yelling at me and swearing and being abusive towards me and I just lost it. I told her not to speak to me like that and she told me "she would speak to me however the f*ck she wanted" and I told her she has subject me to enough. She then yelled out "omg do you think I give a f*ck about all of that" and started screaming at me to get the f*ck out. I then threw something at the wall which I am very much embarrassed about and I know its unacceptable but I just felt like I had to do something in the moment. Now I am the one at home feeling like I never want to get out of bed and she is safe and happy at work. I have never in my life been spoken to like that by somebody, never mind at work, and it was like she had been waiting for a reason to unload on me. I have never done anything to her, I have taken her looking me up and down, swearing at me, throwing things at me, telling me my work is wrong when its right, giving me an unreasonable workload ... the list goes on and on for over 2 years and this is how it ends with me looking like the bad person because I reacted and nothing I can do.

Thanks for the further advice. My main concern is that if I approach management about this she will either say she hasn't done anything or accuse me of being too sensitive. I don't even know if I have any concrete evidence as its just her yelling at me and its always her mannerisms and tone of voice rather than what she actually says (most of the time anyway). My partner has told me to take some sick leave. I have just ignored her today, I know I should probably have been a bigger person and greeted her and tried to put yesterday behind me but I just can't bring myself to do it. I was listening to how she speaks to the other staff member too and its similar. We were talking about something and she yelled at her from her office to get her a form (no please or thank you when she brought the form to her either). I want to go to the doctors, I want to stand up for myself and I want to report her but I'm just too scared to initiate this and for the consequences it may bring.

I don't feel like I can do. There is only one other co-worker in the office and even though I'm sure she has had her fair share of it too (strangely I think she's been ignoring her for the start of the week and not saying good morning to her) I don't think she would get involved and if I did start confronting the woman she might just walk away. I feel now though like it is going to get too much one day and I'm going to snap and lose my temper or get upset in the office. Also I know this question has been asked on here already but does anybody know for sure if I have to work for the employer for 2 years from the date my visa was granted or just 2 years ... I ask this as I worked for them on a working holiday visa first so have clocked up more time if I include the months before my 187 was granted. I have checked the wording of my visa letter and it says: "Your visa may be cancelled if you do not comply with these obligations to complete the two (2) year contract with the employer."

Well she has reverted back to being a b*tch again. I think I had 4 days in total of her being bearable. By this she still snaps, snatches things, doesn't say please or thank you but at least is leaving me alone. Then this afternoon she had an outburst yelling at me from across the office for a mistake I made and telling me how I had to fix it now. Just to put it into context the mistake didn't cause any loss or damage to the company or her reputation and it was simply the wrong box I checked on a form that she was then checking over anyway because of something I hadn't been told. I tried to be professional and say goodbye when I left the office and she ignored me. I honestly am at breaking point. This job is interfering with my private life so much. I don't really phone in sick but I'm considering it tomorrow as I don't think I can take her talking to me like this anymore.

Thanks everyone for your advice. Things were a little better towards the end of last week and I didn't dread coming into work this morning. I think I'm just going to have to keep as positive as I can and count down the weeks, days and hours.

No different I'm afraid and even if I do have a day where she backs off a bit I know it's only temporary. Her relationship has only just come to an end so I don't think this is the reason although it could be making her worse. I don't even feel like I have the energy for it anymore. I'm going home at Christmas so I am focusing on this at the moment (or trying to). It's also comforting to think that by Christmas 2015 I'll be planning my escape - if I manage to hold out that long. I am also going to try and continue being professional myself as hard as it may feel at the moment.

Thanks for the kind words and support from people. The way I feel today I want to pack up and fly straight back home. I feel physically sick at the thought of going in work tomorrow. The office is so small its so hard to ignore the behaviour and I have to provide PA support to the offending person and have orders yelled at me like I'm a dog. Ever since we have been in Australia its like something has been telling us the country isn't for us and it seems to have pushed us to our limits. Although my partner has quite a few friends here I have very few and am constantly lonely and home sick at the moment. I have never really been a confident person but I can feel my self-esteem is getting lower and lower.

Thanks for the advice Levi. I'm female and I think I do need to man up and just try my best to ignore it, take home my money, and then at the end of the 2 years I am able to leave. Annoying person doesn't have a family no, she has just recently broken up with her on/off boyfriend for good so may be why she is being particularly awful at the moment!

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I do want to stick it out like you decided to Nicola as I know I would regret it if I left and my partner is here on my visa too so it wouldn't just be me it would impact. I'm used to working in offices where everybody is professional and I've certainly never been yelled at before in a job. I've been keeping a diary on and off about the things she has been doing (she goes through phases of being ok and then really bad depending on the week) so as soon as I have something I will go to the boss and I will start to document everything. She is just quite clever in the way its usually body language and manner too rather than her actually swearing at me or anything tangible and its also never when the boss is in earshot. I actually dread it when the boss is on leave or out of the office as that's when she tends to be at her worst. I've been trying to continue being pleasant to her and acting as if her behaviour doesn't bother me too (even though it obviously does) but I'm finding it harder and harder to just take it. Although I'm not very good at being assertive there's no way I would take this if it wasn't for my visa!

Hi there I'm new to the POI forum but having a fairly difficult time so wondered if there was anybody out there with any advice or who had been through something similar. I've been on a 187 visa now for about 6 months and am really not happy in my job. I work in a very small office and am having trouble with the 2nd in command. I was pre-warned by a girl who no longer works for the company that this person tends to have bad mood swings and will pick one person in the office to target when this happens and was told to try to not let it bother me. If I think about it she has been pretty bad since I started with the company but it has always been on and off (she will oscillate between being awful and then being super nice). I have just recently got to a point where I don't think I can take it any longer. This week especially she seems to be constantly irritated by my presence. I've noticed this week she has starting ignoring me when she comes in to the office - usually everyone will say good morning but she has stopped doing this to me and only me. Generally, she will never say please or thanks, snatches and throws paperwork at me and often just yells orders at me from her office in a really unpleasant way. She often gives me tasks to do at the last minute with a timeframe I can't possibly meet, they are often over my lunch break or right towards the end of the day meaning I have no lunch or have to stay back late which I wouldn't really mind if she said please or thank you. Also the work she gives me usually has very little information and when I ask for clarification or more details she snaps at me or rolls her eyes. If I then make a mistake I will get yelled at again. She will sometimes scribble all over my work and/or tell me its wrong before she has even read it and it usually turns out that the work was correct and she is constantly blaming me for things I haven't done. She has called me stupid fairly recently and there was an incident she made me stay back late because she had forgotten her key making me miss my lift home and then smirked when she found out I had no other way to get home. She also looks me up and down when I go into her office which I find really degrading. I really dread going in to work and whenever I have to ask her something I end up sat at my desk for about half an hour building myself up to ask her. I've been racking my brains trying to work out if I've done something to upset or offend her but I can't think of anything. I've never really had a problem with anybody else in another job, I'm actually usually well liked, and am pretty quiet anyway so I can't see what I could have done. I come in to work and am pleasant, hard working and make very few mistakes in my work. I recently had my 6 month review and my manager didn't have any complaints and was happy with all aspects of my work. I love living in Oz and have an amazing lifestyle here but its constantly being impacted by me going home from work upset by this individual. I also don't have very much to back up how she has been treating me as its more body language and the way she speaks to me or looks at me and tone of voice. I can certainly feel my self-esteem has been impacted and I find I will stutter when I have to go in to her office to speak to her. I'm also not very good at being assertive, although I've gotten better, so I am constantly feeling like a victim who is being shouted at and just taking it. I don't feel like I can raise it with my manager as they really value this other staff member and I know already they will tell me to suck it up. Does anybody know what the implications would be if I did quit my job on a 187 visa? I am also aware that I live in a regional town so if I was able to quit my job word may get around that I had problems with another staff member and put other employers off me and also that I left my employment before the sponsorship was up. Does anyone have any words of advice? Am I being too sensitive and need to just suck it up?