Happily plodding along in a cosy little Stepford world of my own, when I suffer a slight setback. Personnel are now ordering me to maintain strict confidentiality about a matter they do not deem worthy of disciplinary action; to wit - the ghastly behaviour of Spiteful Manager (a man who consistently behaves like a spoilt, temperamental brat....)
Apparently I am not allowed - under threat of dismissal !! - to take "any action seriously prejudicial to the interests of any individual or the Council" under para 5, sub-section d, to the power of x squared, of our Disciplinary Code.
Are these people having a laugh ?
I actually do laugh out loud when I read this email. I am in the main office at the time - an environment I usually inhabit in a state of head-down, iPod-wearing silence; so I notice a couple of colleagues looking over in my direction, checking I am not on the point of a nervous breakdown.
Time to disappear to Costa Coffee for a leisurely lunch break, where I enjoy a Flat White while reading the Culture section from yesterday's Sunday Times. Only when I have perused it from cover to cover do I start to ponder my next move. Now I could get into a lengthy ding-dong with Personnel at this point. I could - but really, I value my peace of mind and emotional well-being far too much to even go there. As a Stepford Employee, I know I should simply meekly submit to the unambiguous directive I have been given; but I am unable to restrain myself from sending Personnel a brief email from my Blackberry in reply; politely pointing out that I did rather consider being bullied as "an action seriously prejudicial to MY interests".
I ignore their next communique as it is some farcical gush about our Policies. Lordy, woe betide anyone who puts their faith in local authority policies! From now on I will encourage others to solve their bullying and harassment problems by asking large, fearsome men of their acquaintance to "bump into" the bullies outside the building, and take them off for a "quiet word".
Far quicker and infinitely more effective.
By the day's end I have - oops! - shown three people how I was treated by one of the highest paid members of our department, being careful (naturally) not to leave the email evidence in their hands. One of them, interestingly, reveals that they themselves have lodged a complaint against Spiteful Manager in the past. Vindication at last !! I leave the office feeling almost chirpy.
Stepford Employee I might be, but I am buggered if I am going to be gagged.
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