More symptoms of workplace bullying

Thank you for your story on workplace bullying, a problem that I believe is rampant among employers both large and small (“Bullies: they're at work too,” Jan. 26).

I would like to suggest several other symptoms of an employee that is being

bullied.

First, is the scapegoat syndrome in which every problem in an office or department is blamed on one employee.

I recently experienced that situation, and no matter how hard I tried, I was always wrong. Other employees made mistakes, and the manager just laughed them off. “Those things happen.” When I made an error, it was cause for a serious bawling out. Several times I was accused of a mistake that someone else had made. And no apologies came from the accusers when the truth was found out.

Another symptom is being misquoted. My supervisor would come to me and say, “You told that client ...” I knew I had not said what she claimed I did. But nobody can play “he said, she said” with a boss! This occurred repeatedly.

Beware when the first day on the job there is no time for bathroom breaks all

morning.

Beware when the manager crows about how “we are all family;” beware when the manager can't find the employee handbook for you. As soon as the employee suspects that he or she is a target of workplace bullying, he should document events, times, days, direct quotes and how he responded.

Shirley Miers

Cedar Rapids