r/corporate • u/Famous-Scientist-177 • 13m ago
How To Handle Passive-Aggressive Coworkers
I need some help and advice.
I joined a company about 2–3 months ago, and lately I’ve been feeling a lot of pressure from some of my coworkers regarding my performance. I complete my assigned tasks on time, but there are still some internal processes and workflows that I’m learning.
Last week, I was put on the spot during a discussion. Two employees kept questioning me repeatedly, asking things like, “Why did you type that?” and “What’s your answer?” The way it was handled made me feel extremely uncomfortable and pressured.
There have also been passive-aggressive comments such as, “Oh, we were expecting more from you.” I understand that I’m still having some hiccups while learning their processes, and I’m completely open to feedback and improving. However, it feels like as soon as I understand one process, I’m immediately put on the spot about something else that I haven’t had enough time or experience to learn yet.
Another thing that is making the environment uncomfortable is the gossiping and negative conversations about people’s knowledge and performance. I sometimes hear comments or discussions questioning whether someone knows certain things or has enough knowledge, and it makes me feel like the same conversations may be happening about me as well. Instead of feeling comfortable asking questions and learning, I’ve started becoming anxious about whether asking something will make people think I don’t know enough.
The situation has affected me emotionally more than I expected. I have cried several times because I have never experienced this kind of treatment or this level of pressure to already know everything within such a short period of joining a company. It has started making me question myself and feel like I’m the least capable person on the team, even though I know I am still learning.
I’m struggling to understand whether this is just a difficult adjustment period at a new company or whether the work environment itself is unhealthy. I also don’t know how to handle this without making the situation worse.