Stinky work environment  − 24 September, 2008

I love what I do as a job. However, things are getting really complicated at work. The working environment stinks.

I have a colleague who is really getting on my nerves. I have to walk on eggshells around him. He can say whatever he likes, joke about personal stuff, talk to me in a condescending way. He can even stop talking to me for weeks...and I don't even know why. He blames me for his mistakes.

And I decided I was tired of it. This summer the guy drove me completely crazy with his talk of illness, sex, with his anger and sadness. I am not his friend or his psychologist and I can't handle his stories of rape, poo, dates, money. I have enough of my own stories. And to me, sharing these things is done with friends, a psychologist whatever but not with a colleague. I didn't want to hear any of it.

He went away on vacation (at the last moment and my supervisor and I had to do the work of five people). He came back and things have changed. He doesn't talk about his different health issues and personal drama (this summer he told me he wouldn't tell me this if the others were there and when I said I didn't want to know he told me he knew I could take it which is a violation of my limits) but he talks about every other damn thing.

Since I started working here I have done my best not to say a thing to him because he explodes. But lately I have less and less patience. I am tired of him and his stories, tired of his bad jokes toward me and his comments every damn day. I have been more than polite and said hi, good day. However, he wouldn't talk to me and I have tried but I'm at the end of my rope.

Another colleague has been joking around and I can't say anything either but it's easier with him. If I say hi, he will reply but not the other one.

Examples of things that happened in the last two weeks:
Last week, he decided he wouldn't give me my messages.
He decided to go to a meeting because I was staying at the office. He muttered a comment about it.
If I say Hi, he mutters that I finally unclenched my teeth...but he is the one not talking to me.
He stays home at least once a week forcing people to replace him even if he decided he would do the 10am to 6 pm shift. The person replacing him has to work from 8:30am to 6pm.
He's insulting with me. We were two employees in the office but he said to the other woman that he would just go smoke a cigarette quickly because he didn't want to leave her alone.

Meanwhile who does his damn work while he's absent ? We do.
Who does he have it for ? Me.
It is bothering for everyone in the office and I am thinking of finding another job.