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Old Jan 21, 2009, 08:35 PM
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lizardlady lizardlady is offline
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Member Since: Nov 2002
Location: Mid World
Posts: 18,101
DANGNABBIT!!!!! I just spent all kind of time typing out a lengthy reply to your problem. This stupid computer hiccuped and the whole thing vanished.

Let's see if I can remember what I said.

Started off advising you not to disclose your diagnosis to co-workers. If one of them is harassing you now it will only add fuel to what they are doing.

Go to management and register a complaint. It sounds like you have already done that. Document, document, document anything that happens to you. Keep print copies of e-mails. Keep a log of what happens and who was involved.

You asked if anyone else ever had something similar happen. I gave a detailed report of a situation I endured at work a year ago. I'm not going to reproduce the whole thing again. Bottom line was that three co-workers took a dislike to me and did their level best to make my life miserable. No, they did not disclose my diagnosis to anyone. They had no idea I have amental health diagnosis. They did petty, nasty, catty things to me. It was junior high school all over again. Anyway.... our program VP was filling in as our program manager at the time. I went to him and told him what was going on. Initially I just told him what was happening, gave him specific examples, and told him the harassment should stop. After one of them shouted at me in the office I told him if it happened again I would file a grievance with HR. After a particularly rude and nasty incident he spoke to one of the people involved and told her the behavior was unacceptable. In the long run I outlasted all of them. They've gone on to other jobs or unemployment. Me? I got a promotion last summer!

Stick to your guns in defending yourself. You do not have to disclose a disability to co-workers. It's usually advisable not to disclose mental health related problems to co-workers because of the kind of stuff you are going through right now. Under the ADA the only time you have to disclose a disability at work is if you are requesting accommodations. At the same time an employer is responsible for providing ALL employees with a bully-free, harassment-free workplace.