I have been back in the US for almost one year and currently holding a position for the last ten months. I am having what seems to be a recurring situation at work. After my initial 90 day probation I was given a raise and a number of other jobs. Since then (and not too long after that) I was put from salary to hourly then my hours were cut and yet I was given more jobs for a total of 9k less than I was originally making. An employee who is friends with my supervisor (the executive vice president) has a tendency to gossip about me to my employer. In the first instance she and I were having a personal conversation in regards to life and everyday things regarding work. She then went to my employer and gave her details of that conversation obviously only of my side of the conversation. I soon after got pulled into my employerâs office about what she had told him. This lead into a lecture about how water cooler chat is not tolerated and that I, being the office manager can be nice to people but I canât be their friends. So cut to maybe 3 months later and having a conversation in passing, my co worker tells me how busy she is and my reply was I know what you mean I am pretty overloaded myself. The next day I was called into my bossâ office again!! This time he told me that he thought I was unhappy so he asked my coworker if I was unhappy, then to verify that this was the case before he spoke to me he asked the head of our accounting department!! When he told me this I was very upset but decided I would not act unprofessionally. I told my VP that I do not understand how a few months ago that kind of behavior was not tolerated but this is what he is basing his information off of. This turned into another 2 ½ hr lecture. . I know this may not seem like a catastrophic incident but this is the second time this has happened to me and has become the proverbial straw that broke the camelâs back. I feel that personal private conversations are being made topics of meeting with my supervisor and I believe that is very unprofessional. When I informed him that I would be speaking to my coworker in a professional manner regarding this, he got very upset and told me that he was asking me not to mention it to her. I feel that this is becoming ridiculous and I am a firm believer that people do to you what you let them. Also, I feel that I am left with no option but to give my 2 week notice, if not this will continue to happen. I do not want to make a case out of this with my bossâ¦â¦I just want to ensure that I will be allowed to collect unemployment.
Hi Anonymous,
Wish I knew what state you were in.
This is just my opinion mind you, but I think unless you do make an issue out of this seemingly one-sided situation that you will not collect unemployment. Treatment of employees should be even handed.
I understand your argument about the irony of him asking co-workers if you were unhappy after lecturing you about “personal conversations”.
Does this company have a “fraternization policy” that would allow him to speak to you about this type of stuff.
Find a basis for good cause to quit per whatever state you are in.