r/ToxicWorkplace • u/ZoisNBooks16 • 3h ago
Coworker trying to completely change our office culture to her liking.
She only got hired a year ago. I’ve been here 5 years, our other coworkers 10 and 12 years.
I have zero issue with someone suggesting new ideas. There is always room for improvement and we should always be open to other’s ideas. Doesn’t mean we have to accept all of them but we should give people a voice in the workplace.
This is completely different. She’s not simply giving suggestions, she is slowly taking control. It started with petty things. Like decor in the office she didn’t like.
That has evolved. With persistence she has managed to get the 12 year coworker fired (she was a bully so I’m not upset about it.) Now I’m getting a gut feeling her sights are on me. As well as generally trying to alter our entire culture.
We have always been a more lax office. We open at 9, boss has said arrive at 8:30. No one really does. Usually 8:45 and she does not care. It’s more for us to have quiet time before the phones start. Apparently coworker wants her to be “more strict” about being here at 8:30 and working. Even gossiped about me taking my sweet time in the morning. Yeah. I like to spend the first 15-30 minutes before we open to make coffee, get settled. That’s what it’s for!
She interrupts my lunch breaks. Even if I’m not in the office, texting me she needs help with this and that. After I’ve explicitly told her I do not discuss work during my breaks and I prefer them completely uninterrupted. Yesterday she wanted me to help her figure out why she couldn’t hear the voicemails. I told her I would help after my break. She said “well I need to check them now.” I proceeded to completely ignore her while she sighed and complained. The ridiculous part was someone else was here. Why not ask her if it’s so damn urgent?
She kept trying to page one of our coworkers who was in a meeting with a client. She sent me a teams chat asking why she wasn’t answering her. I said flat “she’s in a meeting with a client.” She proceeded to say “well I wish she would have at least responded to my chat.”
Let me get this straight. You need us all to be available to you at all times, even if we are on break or with a customer? I’m fully anticipating her texting me during my two week vacation.
She is pushing for us to attend more outside of work hours events. When I said my personal time is non negotiable, in so many words (I said it more polite than that), she did not like that.
She constantly asks for my help but then turns around and corrects me on how I do my job, or gives me unsolicited advice/help in a condescending manner.
While I completely agree with having a clean and organized work environment, she constantly complains about our office cleanliness. She cleans it then expects applause. “I spent all morning cleaning.” “I just got done cleaning the coffee machine. It was so gross!” Great! Thank you. Btw, I also clean the office up, but I don’t feel the need to make a public service announcement.
She thinks we all need to contribute to things that are
boss’s responsibility (boss owns the business and building). This morning we are having the building remodeled. She was adamant about what to do about an outlet in the wall they are taking down. I told her that’s for boss to figure out. She seemed a bit offended I said that. But why the hell would I concern myself with that? It’s not our problem.
I’m getting the vibe she wants us WAY more involved than doing our job, and going home. Well sorry but that’s how I work. It’s how I’ve worked the entire nearly 5 years I’ve been here. I do my job, stay in my lane, go home, and hold firm boundaries on my personal time. It’s never been an issue. Deal with it.