Imagine if you had a job you hated.
I mean it really sucked.
Imaging if you went to work every day with a knot of dread in your stomach cause this job was so horrible.
You have a co-worker who is rotten. I mean for real like some sort of sociopath rotten.
You've been yelled at by this co-worker, you've been ostracised and threatened. You've had lies told about you to all the other staff, horrible offensive lies. And because this co-worker is kind of the office star the lies are believed.
Comments have been made about your physical attributes, or lack thereof and even your clothing style is up for pointed, nasty discussion.
At some points in the parking lot you've been struck. Physically hit.
Now you can't quit this job. It's just not an option.
You have to go. Five days a week (TGIF never sounded so good) you get up, get dressed and head out.
You can't retaliate against this co-worker. It's just not done. Besides, they're bigger. You'd get hurt pretty badly.
The best part of this? Nobody you've spoken to sees this as a problem. The general attitude seems to be "welcome to work. it'll make you tougher"
So, naturally you've quit talking about the harassment and violence.
You've probably become withdrawn and emotional. You feel ill all the time. The stress is really getting to you. You probably aren't sleeping well. After all, long term abuse will do that to a person.
So, Internet.
Are you confused by this story? This horrible trip to the land of imagination?
I find it confusing.
I mean, where I work we have a very stringent anti-harassment policy. Its fashioned after the Bill C-168 legislation. It's taken very seriously.
So how could a work place like this exist in Canada? I mean, really. If a co-worker ever struck me in the parking lot of the office the cops would be called. Assault charges laid.
Imagine for a second that this is not a work place. Imagine it's a school.
Does it make sense now?
Until we have the same stringent laws to protect our children in school as we do our adults in their workplaces we are failing.
Straight out failing.
