#BTColumn – Dear HR . . . I feel as if I am being harassed by my supervisor

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.

by Carol-Ann Jordan and Jacqueline Belgrave

Dear HR

I feel as if I am being harassed by my supervisor, X, who recently joined the organisation. X micromanages: takes over every task assigned, belittles my input at meetings, goes through my drawer when I am not there and leaves “things to do lists”. X sets tight deadlines designed to make me fail and then sometimes the information is not even used. Worst of all X is blocking a request for me to transfer to a new department.  What should I do?

While in your view your supervisor’s behaviour may be overbearing, your supervisor may be acting from a position where (s)he believes that (s)he is supporting you or trying to assist you.

Your first step should be to have a conversation with X so that (s)he becomes aware of what you have observed, how you have interpreted his/her actions and understands how you feel about the style of supervision being displayed.

You must communicate your concerns and must be able to explain to X the type of supervision under which and the environment in which you excel.

Without that conversation taking place, X is likely to continue with his/her behaviour and you are likely continue in your frustration until you can do so no longer.

The current economic environment is certainly not one in which you would want to be starting over, unless it is absolutely necessary, especially if you enjoy your current place of work.

In order for change to take place in your present situation, a conversation must be initiated and, since you are the person being made uncomfortable by your supervisor’s actions, then you must be the one to initiate the conversation.

In the conversation, you want to:

• remain respectful of the position X holds

• avoid using words or phrases that could cause X to become defensive

• make it clear that you are sharing your impressions and feelings about some
of the things (s)he does – that you are looking at his/her actions and not attacking him/her personally

• Focus on the issues and not on the personality i.e. not on X him/herself

If handled correctly, coming out of this conversation, you should both have a clearer understanding of how best to nurture your relationship: supervisor to employee and vice versa.

If you are uncomfortable having this conversation or are reluctant to do so, you can consider first putting your concerns in writing. Even if you choose this option, at this stage, the tone of the communication is cordial – not antagonistic, not accusatory, not hostile.

Remember that in the same way you may have had reservations about having the conversation with X, (s)he too may be reluctant to have the conversation with you, even though holding a supervisory position. Give him/her some time and look for any improvements in the behaviour.

If no improvement is observed, or if the changes are only temporary, then at least the door is open for you to approach X directly: to mention the positive changes that were observed and your current observation that some old behaviours may be resurfacing.

All this holds you in good stead should it become necessary to escalate the matter as a grievance by making a formal complaint.

Making a formal complaint then should be your second step. You are free to escalate the matter formally if, after all your efforts, there is no change in your supervisor’s behaviour.

Since you would already have discussed the matter with X, you would be then free to speak with his/her supervisor or your HR Department for their assistance in addressing the matter. Also, since you would have been monitoring the situation over a specific period and would have identified a pattern of behaviour, you would by this time have records of the offending incidents and of your own attempts to resolve the matter.  In other words, you must have a sound evidential basis for your claim.

At the level of a formal grievance, the issue of harassment will definitely become relevant.

You believe your supervisor is harassing you and you have given examples of what you consider to be evidence of this claim.

However, you must also be aware that proving that you are being harassed at work is not a straightforward matter at all.

Especially since, under our local legal framework, there is no legal definition of what harassment in the workplace is, even though there is a definition of sexual harassment in the workplace.

You have to be aware that what you call harassment may be seen by others as a manager “doing what is necessary to meet the objectives set” i.e. performing his/her responsibilities as assigned by the role.

You must prepare yourself and your case with this in mind. Ideally, however, open discussion about what works and what does not work for you (and for your supervisor as well) should result in an improvement of the situation.

If the company’s grievance procedure is followed to the end and the behaviour continues, the final step could be your resignation and filing a claim of constructive dismissal.

This step should not be taken lightly however, as constructive dismissal is neither a straight forward nor an easy legal remedy.

You must not only leave your job but also demonstrate that the behaviour was such that it breached your contract of employment.

It really is unfortunate that you have to deal with such a situation at work.

It is clear reinforcement of the need for employers to engage in the continuous training and support of their supervisory teams.

Continuous training for this level of managers can ensure they understand the importance of personal restraint, patience and acceptance of constructive criticism of their managerial effectiveness.

About Lifeline Labour Solutions: Lifeline Labour Solutions is a boutique partnership providing people management solutions to workplace challenges. Partners Carol-Ann Jordan and Jacqueline Belgrave are established practitioners with a wealth of knowledge and experience in Employment Relations, Labour Relations and Human Resource Management between them. Email: info@lifelinelabour.com; Tel: 1(246)247-5213