[KissedbyFire]

How do you cope with backstabbers in the workforce? I'm one of those that doesn't believe in throwing others under the bus. I'm the kind of person that, if I see something that needs to be done, I will get it done without any complaints. I don't go running to management complaining about every little nuisance that goes on; it is unproductive. Do you transfer? Try to avoid the gossipers? I just don't know what to do. I really like my job, but I don't know if I can handle being in a toxic environment.

[MoxieDoxie]

kickbully - where your fight begins

Bullying in the workplace is rampant and the people who struggle with self esteem issues or have problems being assertive or trigger easily are the ones who are easily targeted.

Gather evidence and go to human resources and use the word bullying. My T wanted me to go out on short term disability to get away from the toxic environment.

[Nicks_Nose]

Gossipers are everywhere and in every workplace. It is more to do with choices. I learned earlier in junior high school to develop the attitude "If somebody wants another person to know something, they will tell them themselves", so I just keep quiet and don't listen and don't tell. If I am the topic of discussion, let them come to me and I will keep them straight on it. Otherwise, I don't get involved. Also, the larger the company and the more employees you interact with, the more clicks or groups there will be. There will be more competition for positions and favouring too. You either ride the wave or stay out of it. That will vary depending on market availability in your area.

I am in a small town where gossip is more rampant and jobs are fewer and people know somebody who knows somebody else so I tend to keep quiet. In larger cities where I have lived, I have found more anonimity and independence in my life outside of work. I also have found that working for larger businesses with chains or franchises have lead to more department heads and less individuality which results in less recognition for your accomplishments and therefore, more competition among coworkers to be noticed by management. Working in smaller firms was more intimate and personal and less private, but more recognition for accomplishments and more freedom for individuality and originality. You have to choose what suits you best.

[chicagogirl27]

I just found out today that my coworker, who was my work "bff", was throwing me under the bus for the entire time we worked together. We both started at the same time in January, but she left in September for a new job, but I am still at the original place and we have kept in contact.
The girl caused a considerable amount of drama but I just went along with it because we were both new to the job. We would text and complain about little things like what other's said to us, and discussed how we saw other's paychecks and how much they made, and mistakes we were making at work but just didn't care about because the work is so extremely demeaning. Anyway, turns out she was showing our conversations to our boss and colleagues, deleting ones that incriminated her and just made me look bad. I even confided in her about a DUI I received and she apparently went into work on her off day to tell our boss that I was an alcoholic and should be fired. I had no idea about any of this until just now, all the while she was pretending to be my best friend. I am extremely shocked and hurt, as I never said a word to anyone about things she did.
I sent her a text asking why she did that and she said yeah, I think you're a lazy sneaky B**** and thought I was better than her. She said if it came down to one of us being let go, she knew it would be her so she was going to do whatever she could to make sure she looked good. There was a vast amount of tension at work between me and my boss and coworkers, and I never knew what it was. All the while I was trusting in this girl who I thought was on my side, when in reality she was the one causing it. I am just completely shocked and disgusted. My boss now knows that she was the one causing all the trouble and not me, but you really need to be careful who you trust. But behind my anger I have to think there's something wrong with her, or she at least was jealous and thought she couldn't stand on her own merit. All I can say is that I need to get out of this job fast because I have never felt so embarrassed to face these people!