How can I deal with a toxic colleague?

Background: Just started a job. It is my usual occupation but in a department I have not worked in before. I have the right skills and qualifications but no experience of this particular department.

There is an auxiliary (non qualified, assistant worker) in the department. This person has performed their job at this level for longer than I have been in the industry. S/he has valuable experience.

The problem: this worker has taken it upon themselves to act like they are my supervisor when they are not. S/he questions my work / training and seeks to undermine me. S/he even said it was unfortunate that the organisation put an inexperienced worker into this role. S/he is toxic.

I have a great rapport with all my other colleagues, so this is spoiling a job that would look great on my CV. When this person is not there, the day goes as well as it could. On the days s/he works, I dread going in. S/he is part time, so not every day is bad. I cannot confide in other colleagues as I don't really know anyone well enough yet. This is having a negative impact upon my confidence in my abilities to perform this role.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Sorry to read about your poor treatment in your new job Caker.

This advice seems a good strategy to me:

https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/how-to-deal-with-a-bossy-coworker.html

I am sorry to hear about your plight @Caker, you get over all the hurdles to get into work and then you get a co-worker/manager with personality problems   . From my own personal experience when I informed my line manager of this issue like this, I was told “If you can’t stand the heat get out the kitchen” so much for a caring sharing firm that they told me it was!

You could try ‘Lifehacker’ site could be helpful to give you some suggestion how to handle this situation, as when you ‘google’ question’s you end up with millions of hits, and then have to filter through them. Its is a shame they don’t teach how to deal with this sort of problem at them soft skills courses, as that would be too useful.

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-to-handle-personality-conflicts-at-work.html

Not the same exactly, but I had a very bossy teacher who loved to micromanage everything I did. She left most other students alone, but for some unknown reason not me. My teacher got invovled personally in every project she assigned during her lessons. Nothing I ever did was right. She came over quite often to my table and pointed out something that was wrong, then she left.

How did I make her leave me alone? It was actually my mother that suggested this. Every time my teacher came over to my table and critized my work I got her invovled straight away. I asked my teachers question about the work. I got her invovled and she had to sit there watching me type very slowly (on purpose) at my laptop. If she left, I got up and walked up to her to get her input on something. I started coming to her room between classes for "help". At least four times a day. Twice I even called her cell phone to ask about some homework.

For the following week she spent most of her time with my class helping me. With stuff that I already knew. She knew that I knew them. Every time she tried to point out something was wrong, I told her that it was something she actually helped me with. I even asked her why she taught me something that was wrong. She got no answer. But she still had to help me. All the time, with every aspect of my work.

After that week she never again bothered me and treated me almost like every other student.

Thanks for the replies. Today I learned that the auxiliary worker (who is actually supposed to assist me in my role) had got together with 2 co-workers and approached our line manager with allegations that I am not competent in the role . I was summoned to the manager's office and I was able to demonstrate my competence by answering all of the manager's questions. The manager was keen to emphasise that it was not personal and that I am liked, however, there is an obligation to investigate allegations (fair enough).

Further, the manager expressed confidence that I am competent and that I should stay. However, although most people have been perfectly decent, I am finding the atmosphere to be toxic in my immediate team (none of the colleagues had evidence of incompetence and they went behind my back with their false allegations ).

I spoke with another colleague who works outside the team, and this person told me that a big row erupted before Christmas (I only started in February!!!) because the line manager wanted to impose a longer working day on the team members and this line manager bullied a senior team member who is now on sick leave. More recently, a very popular team member left reluctantly and the other staff blame the line manager for that too. It is looking like the line manager is as toxic as the team

The team now consists of 2 qualified workers, 1 unqualified worker and myself (locum qualified worker). Morale is low and I am finding it toxic, so I have now left. I don't need the stress of colleagues who run to the line manager with false allegations. I don't know what they might say/do next.

Hi Caker,

Have just been reading through this old post of yours.

This! is absolutely disgraceful.I too have experienced idiots such as you mention a few times in the past.A goodfew times actually being as my job was a contractor going to many companies and developed a 2nd sense for weeding out these  A ----.When it comes to getting a feel for a place it's been sometimes easy for me to assess how a place is being run with my previous work history.But, when i have got it wrong and i have at times.Started a few jobs only to feel like i was working within some kind of prison.

If you dont hang with what they perceive to be the right kind of 'people' then, certain sados out there seem intent on making one's life hell.

This kind of thing should be stamped out. But sadly, management have invented a jobsworth culture of 'dog eat dog' and even managers are on board with the mentality of 'run with the pack' as they spend their days micromanaging. An ID badge and coffee cup is all that's required... and a degree in back stabbing helps.

I was offered a pay rise to return to job, the place was full of cretins like you mention i relished the chance to tell the HR dept that not in this life would i work there again.

It's one of the UK's biggest fears in that Covid-19 ongoing situation, could easily have many more people working from home permanently. Effectively, giving them a bumper pay rise -as zero travel costs required. And the very best that could happen in my book is:all these jobsworth managers getting over paid for doing sod all, will be claiming UC soon as noone left to micro manage Hurry up with AI and the army of robots

This is what I would do:

1) speak to your immediate supervisor and tell them a your colleague s trying to steal their job.

2) If you're not happy with the outcome of 1., make a written grievance.

Miguel1975 wrote:This is what I would do:

1) speak to your immediate supervisor and tell them a your colleague s trying to steal their job.

2) If you're not happy with the outcome of 1., make a written grievance.

Thanks for your advice Miguel1975

I actually left the job in Feb' this year.

1) I had no idea who my immediate supervisor was. I had a manager who was not in my work department, but in an office elsewhere.

The (ringleader) colleague was not trying to steal my job as it requires a degree and professional registration which this person did not have. The colleagues, co-opted into the complaint, were doing the same job at the same grade, so had nothing to gain from ousting me.

2) I could have raised a grievance about a vexatious allegation made by the colleagues, but the manager was as toxic as the staff so I decided to leave. I did not regret that.

The vacancy was advertised for a good few weeks after I left. No idea how soon someone else was placed.