How can I deal with this bullying situation in the work place? (employee, unemployment benefits)
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Sorry I wasn't sure which forum to put this in, but this seemed like a society or workplace debate. If it's the wrong forum, I apologize. My boss says at work that it is now mandatory that I work 51-60 hours a week. I don't mind working the occasional overtime, but I think 51-60 hours a week is really asking too much. My job is also in construction so lately I have been feeling very physically exhausted for weeks because of it. I also feel very mentally unsharp lately, and just feel like I need more rest and relaxation and need to work less. I don't have much of a life anymore because of it. I like manual labor cause it keeps me in shape and it's like going to the gym. But no one wants to go to the gym for 51-60 hours a week.
I looked it up and the law stipulates that I don't have to work anymore than 44 hours a week if I do not want to. But when you have a boss that keeps hammering that it's mandatory to the employees, what is the best option in this case, without risk of being layed off or thought of as a bad employee compared to everyone who works the overtime?
I also talked to a job agent about it, who got me the job originally, and he said that with all do respect, that I owe it to the company if say they need it, and that t I should be working overtime since it's more money. But I do not see it that way if it's affecting my physical/mental health.
I and some other co-worker who felt the same way, have voiced our problems to him, politely and all, but to no avail, and he threatened to fire us if we didn't show up.
So after debating we decided to take it to the women in human resources, which puts her in an awkward position but she said she will do something about it. Then the boss responds to this by firing her.
Anyway, in this job, everyone is very rude to each other but I here from my friends that is normal in construction and that in such a macho working environment that kind of behavior is normal, but for the past two years of working, there I feel like a lot of people, not just the boss, but co-workers as well, have been bullying me at work.
Now the boss is not on my side, and people have complained to him about it, are considered trouble makers. I feel that maybe the boss making everyone work overtime could be the reason why they are all on edge towards each other maybe.
But how do I deal with co-workers like that? I mean if you talk back, they are likely going to talk back to you more. If I threaten them in order to put fear into them and keep them quiet, then I get into trouble for making threats.
So what is the way to deal with a situation like this? I like the work, I just don't like the people and I feel if I quit, then I feel like a loose my self respect. I mean it's a lot of other workers who are the rude ones, why should I have to be the one to go?
The workers who are rude and bullying to others, I have noticed are real buttkissers to the boss. But why are they to such a dramatic extent? Are they worried about getting a raise or something that they may never get anyway? Why are they under so much pressure to make them act this way towards others for things that are not others faults?
I mean I talked about it with my gf and some friends and they said to just talk back. But how do you do that without making the situation worse? If I talk back then they are just going to talk back more and make my life more hell likely.
I mean you could try to insult them by saying... well the most horrible insults I can come up with I almost said to my coworker bully was "You are a suck a c#$ksucker f##$#t, that your newborn daughter is better off not born at all to dumb motherf$$54 like you". Just so you know, I never talk like that to people. I am a very nice guy, I just feel that in this case, maybe I need to take the gloves off. I mean if I say to to him to get him to back off once and for all maybe, will that work or will that just make things worse?
If he is saying really rude comments to me, blaming me for the mistakes that the boss is making and not me, like he does, should I tell him that he has ten seconds to shut his mouth or I will shut it for him?
That's what one friend said to tell him, but is that the best move? I am not sure what exactly to do here, in a situation like this, where the higher ups do not care to hear the complaints? Any ideas? I don't feel I should have to quit. Unless I find a better job, of course, but I do not want to quit and go for who knows how long without making money, just because people are bullying me.
Well maybe bullying may be the wrong choice of words, but it's very rude behavior and people still talk to other workers like they think they are stupid and inferior. They talk to you like they think they are better, than you and throw insults around, so why should others have to put up with that?
Work at your good pace for the first 8 hours of the day, then, for the rest of the day work slower. If you normally pick up 2 bricks, only pick up one at a time. If you take a break on the OT time, come back late from the break. And so on.
Let him fire you. Then you'll have a case for unemployment benefits. Then it'll come out he's making everyone work illegal OT.
Find a new job. It seems like this is the culture of the company and you don't fit. Yes that sucks but the truth is it's easier to find 1 new employee than to try and change the culture of the whole job.
I mean you could try to insult them by saying... well the most horrible insults I can come up with I almost said to my coworker bully was "You are a suck a c#$ksucker f##$#t, that your newborn daughter is better off not born at all to dumb motherf$$54 like you".
The fact that you even think something like this is pretty disturbing. If you don't like your job, quit. I don't know why you're coming on here asking for answers, we don't work there nor are we the person with the bad behavior. If you want answers, ask the people you're complaining about.
Seems in construction you need to make the money while you can. Weather or completion of a contract can put you out of work quickly.
Sounds to me like you should check out other fields of employment.
You need to work on your insults. Those aren't very good.
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