My last post gave my initial thoughts and suggestions for working with a toxic coworker, and this is Part 2. The first time I talked about this, I was thinking of those situations that are annoying, frustrating, stressful, and can make us doubt ourselves, but now it’s gotten really serious, and in serious cases, you’ll need to have a different response.
Any situations involving harassment (of any kind), bullying, discrimination, racism, or situations where a coworker is trying to undermine you and could be a real threat to your job - none of those are acceptable and you’ll want to get the situation resolved in the best, safest and quickest way for you.
Here’s a summary of my suggestions, and then you can watch the video below for more details:
(1) Document everything
(2) Report it to management / HR
(3) Get outside, professional help (legal, law enforcement, counseling, etc.)
(4) Give the details to some trusted outside friends & family
(5) Keep confidential but only where it needs to be
(6) Don't get messy / Stay in your own control
(7) Learn your company's policies on bullying, harassment, discrimination, etc.
(8) See the bully for who they really are, and don't let him/her make you believe anything bad about you
Please keep in mind, I'm not a professional or an expert in this, and you should always get professional guidance when trying to navigate these situations so you can get through them as safely and effectively as possible. I like to give my thoughts on these topics but I would never want this to be your last or only stop while looking for answers.
Here’s the video I made, with the details: