Refused a transfer - now what?

LegacyUser

I filed a complaint of bullying against my boss (we are both male) in January this year after months of what I considered unfair treatment and belitting remarks. He is my boss 5 years and although we are 2 different people and have had one or two rows, I tried to be professional in my work but he would gossip about my smoking habits, send long emails to our team and made sure I was doing degrading entry level work for everyone to see, questioning how long my reports were etc.

He would always up this treatment if I made a minor error as if to say oh you are such a fool but he would provide no feedback on extra training etc so you were left to learn almost yourself as he is very unapproachable. I filed the bullying complaint and he was very annoyed I didn't go to him first, even though he was the one I was complaining about! Long story short, it went back and forth to HR and union and I said he was an awful supervisor, nobody wanted to work for him and I'm going to go out sick if it cant be resolved and to transfer me.

They came back and said I was needed for my report skills (which I find a joke as anyone can be trained up in 3 days max) and that I cant be moved,and since last month he has been very edgy around me and asked me if I wanted help to come to him but there is now zero communication between us, its a joke of a set up. I resent him, so I just help my teammates everyday, I barely look at him and he in turn is overly nice to me in emails but we just pass each other and I find it bizzare that he didn't approve a transfer, what are my options here? His other workers said he is just refusing out of spite. Everything else about the job-the people, hours, social life etc are excellent.

davo10

What was the outcome of your complaint to HR, did they investigate it?

Irish_Elect_Eng

It is strange that he did not approve your transfer, if he does indeed dislike you as much as you say, I am surprised that he did not jump at the chance to move you on to another manager.

There may be no other suitable role open at present. And they will not want to swap you for employees from another manager where they are doing well into a situation where they may not succeed.

Perhaps HR have blocked the transfer as there is an ongoing complaint and moving you would seem that they are siding with you and deciding on his guilt before the complaint has been resolved.

Or other managers may not want you as they may have spoken to your current manager and HR about you and declined the transfer. One of the biggest problems with accusing your boss/supervisor of bullying is that it can label you are a troublemaker and make other managers wary of you in future, limiting your opportunities. Perhaps your manager is a nicer colleague than a manager and the other managers like him and feel that he cannot be at fault.

One piece of advice, get some impartial opinion on your performance from a peer or another manager, I have seen honest feedback poorly received fall into a death spiral of tit for tat before. If there is any substance in his feedback address it before you move on to another manager as you will only have one chance to make a first impression on your new manager.

Do not let HR off the hook, request a daily/weekly update on their investigation, they are probably hoping that the situation will correct itself. Now that you have raided the issue the only situation where you come out of this well is if he is censured and you are reassigned.

But given the amount of time that has passed, and the too & fro with the union, you should prepare yourself for a verdict of he-says / she-says and there will probably be no action taken. Beware of going-out-sick as that would make it easier to manage you out of the business. If it is true what you say that it would not take long to replace you, then my advice would be to look for a workplace that is healthier for you, it would be in your best interest in the long run.

_Brian

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

Or other managers may not want you as they may have spoken to your current manager and HR about you and declined the transfer. One of the biggest problems with accusing your boss/supervisor of bullying is that it can label you are a troublemaker and make other managers wary of you in future, limiting your opportunities. Perhaps your manager is a nicer colleague than a manager and the other managers like him and feel that he cannot be at fault.

This is a strong possibility, I've been in management meetings where this stuff is discussed and the general consensus is usually this person has created a dead end for themselves.

You may want to let the dust settle and maybe your relationship with you manager will heal, maybe try for another transfer..

Or get out, start looking for work... but a reference could be a problem.

livedadream

Notsurethisisright? wrote: »

I filed a complaint of bullying against my boss (we are both male) in January this year after months of what I considered unfair treatment and belitting remarks. He is my boss 5 years and although we are 2 different people and have had one or two rows, I tried to be professional in my work but he would gossip about my smoking habits, send long emails to our team and made sure I was doing degrading entry level work for everyone to see, questioning how long my reports were etc.

this is petty. not bullying.

He would always up this treatment if I made a minor error as if to say oh you are such a fool

this is bullying if it happens frequently

but he would provide no feedback on extra training etc so you were left to learn almost yourself as he is very unapproachable.

this isn't bullying its incompetetance

I filed the bullying complaint and he was very annoyed I didn't go to him first, even though he was the one I was complaining about!

he shouldnt have been allowed talk to you about it after the complaint was filed

Long story short, it went back and forth to HR and union and I said he was an awful supervisor, nobody wanted to work for him and I'm going to go out sick if it cant be resolved and to transfer me.

this is the most ridiculous thing you could have said, you are threatening your employer.
you are saying if they dont find in your favour you will go out on fake sick leave, its literally throwing your toys out of the pram.
also its irrelevant what other people think about him, your claim is just you and him.

They came back and said I was needed for my report skills (which I find a joke as anyone can be trained up in 3 days max) and that I cant be moved

but did they find that your claim was upheld? in regards to the bullying

and since last month he has been very edgy around me

do you blame him? youve complained him to HR, threatened to go out on the sick and asked to be moved. and there doesnt seem to be a resolution tot he complaint.

there is now zero communication between us, its a joke of a set up. I resent him, so I just help my teammates everyday, I barely look at him and he in turn is overly nice to me in emails but we just pass each other and I find it bizzare that he didn't approve a transfer, what are my options here? His other workers said he is just refusing out of spite. Everything else about the job-the people, hours, social life etc are excellent.

to be honest and while i dont know if this is a true case of bullying or of just two individuals clashing this may have been better resolved by mediation rather than a HR investigation, that appears to have no resolution.

From my reading above you are also putting yourself at risk of being complained for bullying yourself (by ignoring him, etc) or insubordination.

be very careful.

follow up with Hr and ask them what the result of your complaint is.

and how to action said complaint moving forward

stoplooklisten

now you cant make eye contact or look at your boss?

This doesn't sound the most professional manner to be acting in. Why would they recommend you to another department. Has a strop, refuses to resolve it.

Mrs OBumble

OP, have you ever thought about just getting a job someplace else? Sounds like you're putting yourself thru misery for very little reason.

Bandana boy

It looks like he is preparing for the next stage in this process , His behavior will be deemed immaculate since the report and yours poorly.
On this basis I suspect they could be about to hit you with a disciplinary action.

You will need to move your behavior to an appropriate level for a workplace , listen and take feedback from your boss and be helpful and open in the office. I would certainly stop bad mouthing your boss to your colleagues as i 100% guarantee it is getting back to him and will be used against you.

There is no moral victory here to be won , and you have plenty to lose.

LegacyUser

OP here, thanks for the replies. To answer: HR contacted me at the end of their investigation to say that although there was one or two cases of unprofessional behaviour from my boss they didn't deem it bullying because it wasn't prolonged. I begged to differ at the follow up meeting, citing the dozens of times he mentioned my smoking breaks to wrap up our meetings ("Oh look John is itching for a fag lets hurry up"), A few of my workmates saw that as banter I saw it as degrading. But HR weren't for changing so I had to accept the findings.

I do agree with the poster who said I have probably created a dead end for myself in that my boss has probably spread horrible lies to other departments now so they wont give me a chance which really annoys me that he can get away with bullying AND rumour spreading. The situation is I never communicate with him until he initiates it and even then its short and sweet, but he only has himself to blame for that- treat people like rubbish and you get the same in return.

I'm just concerned as it seems he was the one who wanted to keep me and a few of the gossips are warning me that hes just going to bully me worse in a few weeks/months, and since I don't like him, I don't put it past him. Is it worth asking HR again in a few months if I am still in this situation because take out this one issue and the job is fine, literally the people are lovely, location wages etc.

livedadream

Notsurethisisright? wrote: »

OP here, thanks for the replies. To answer: HR contacted me at the end of their investigation to say that although there was one or two cases of unprofessional behaviour from my boss they didn't deem it bullying because it wasn't prolonged.

your allegations were unfounded, this happens. accept it. and move on.it appears you have not and are acting outside the remit of your role and being insubordinate and difficult.

im sure what you are leaving out is that they also told you that while his behaviour was unprofessional that you wernt at fault either, ie the rows you mentioned n your first post. That you were both to clean up your acts.

I begged to differ at the follow up meeting, citing the dozens of times he mentioned my smoking breaks to wrap up our meetings ("Oh look John is itching for a fag lets hurry up"), A few of my workmates saw that as banter I saw it as degrading. But HR weren't for changing so I had to accept the findings.

i agree with them, he's being a dick, but thats not bullying.

they would have asked your workmates who no doubt said oh yeah it a bit of banter he doenst mean anything by it, we're all like that.

I do agree with the poster who said I have probably created a dead end for myself in that my boss has probably spread horrible lies to other departments now so they wont give me a chance

no one said that your boss has spread lies to other departments, the other poster said that:

Or other managers may not want you as they may have spoken to your current manager and HR about you and declined the transfer. One of the biggest problems with accusing your boss/supervisor of bullying is that it can label you are a troublemaker and make other managers wary of you in future, limiting your opportunities. Perhaps your manager is a nicer colleague than a manager and the other managers like him and feel that he cannot be at fault.

at no point did Irish_Elect_Eng say the manager had spread lies about you.

he can get away with bullying AND rumour spreading.

where is the rumour spreading? your claims of bullying have been unfounded therefore he has not gotten away with bullying, it has not been proven that he has been bullying you.

The situation is I never communicate with him until he initiates it and even then its short and sweet, but he only has himself to blame for that- treat people like rubbish and you get the same in return.

youre being petty, he is your boss, suck it up or find a new job, if there was another claimant made all the colleagues you have been taking **** to about him, would happily agree with HR that he has stayed professional while you are being petty and childish and creating an uncomfortable work environment.

I'm just concerned as it seems he was the one who wanted to keep me and a few of the gossips are warning me that hes just going to bully me worse in a few weeks/months,

you seriously need to stop talking to people at work about this, unless they are going to walk into HR for you and say I saw this happen at this time and date between John and X Manager and its bullying you are screwed.

Is it worth asking HR again in a few months if I am still in this situation

asking HR what? to move you? or to investigate your claims of bullying?

i understand if you feel you are being bullied that its horrible but from my reading of it your not being bullied your personality clashes with your boss, it happens. That doesnt mean you being bullied. and if people are not willing to stand up for you and say yes he is being bullied and give times and date of what they saw, then youre out of luck.

JeffKenna

Notsurethisisright? wrote: »

I begged to differ at the follow up meeting, citing the dozens of times he mentioned my smoking breaks to wrap up our meetings ("Oh look John is itching for a fag lets hurry up"), A few of my workmates saw that as banter I saw it as degrading. But HR weren't for changing so I had to accept the findings.

I would personally see that as banter. If you find it degrading instead of complaining to HR take him on at his own game. Give up smoking and the next time he makes that comment say "No I've given them up now so you've no excuse to wrap up early". All in a light-hearted manner of course.

Incidentally, how many smoking breaks do you take a day?

Mrs OBumble

All the above.

And give up the fags: they're killing you, and stopping you from working effectively if meetings have to be cut short because of your addictions.

Or just find a new job: you cannot say "people are lovely" when obviously at least one isn't in your eyes.

Mrs OBumble

All the above.

And give up the fags: they're killing you, and stopping you from working effectively if meetings have to be cut short because of your addictions.

Or just find a new job: you cannot say "people are lovely" when obviously at least one isn't in your eyes.

mikeymouse

20 X 5mins smoke breaks would p1ss me off,
or 10 or even 5 ,if I were your boss, and then come back stinking of smoke ,which you do.