Hi guys,

I just would like some advice about relationships with colleagues at work.

My relationship with some women at work has never been easy.

I have been bullied in the past mainly by women who just talk behind my back and if the environment is toxic and the person has lots of influence more or less people would follow.

In the past few years I mature a lot and understood lots of women act like that when they feel threaten or because of jealousy or just to make themselves look important and bigger.

I have never been the type to let myself intimidated or to follow like a sheep but emotionally it was draining as I would feel intimidating, some people would go as far as to not say good morning to me in a former job.

Here the atmosphere is quite good and I am leaving next week, but it has not been peaceful though.

I am working in a pool of 4 Assistants, each of us has teams of our own and there is no hierarchical link between us.

One of them is very controlling, drama queen and manipulative and the 2 others are literally sucking her. The fact that she is very authoritative she has lots of relationships (I live in a country where bullies are rewarded and feared).

So a few of these women at the beginning who used to talk to me normally, when things get bitter with controlling colleagues started to give me the cold shoulder when she is there and act warmly when she is not.

One of those women I told her openly what I thought about her behavior because she arrived one day and did not say good morning so I told her to do so when she arrive in the place as it is a mark of respect for everyone, she did so but would keep her distance when the woman is around.

The two other colleagues with whom I had normal relationships, I even used to go to lunch with them, changed as well, I mean by that that once I ask Miss Drama about an email if she read it, she yelled at me and said that she did not care, and she doesn't want to speak to me and to leave her alone, all of this in a very loud tone.

I stayed calm and compose and told her that we were at work and this crazy attitude was not alright, I told her manager about it and ask my Manager for advice too. He advice me to stay away from her and to just do my work. The two other colleagues Assistant did not say anything in my favor, they remain silent and did not talk to me a lot, but they would just talk to her a lot, flatter her and show her things.
THe thing is she is on holidays since yesterday and the two other asslickers colleagues are having another attitude towards me, in the morning they would just reply "good morning", and now are asking me "how I am", I just say fine and did not ask them back.

What I find crazy is that these women are 60, they will retire next year, they don't have any hierarchical link with Miss Hysterical and have the same rights yet they try to please her as if she was very important. They are quite submissive and hypocrite which is awful, I stay civil but I am really disgusted by them.

I am leaving next week so I am organising lunches with the people I like and I will limit my interactins with them as much as possible, I don't want to spoil the ambiance either.

So what do you guys think of these types of people? Why on earth are people like that?