Workplace Drama: How Sonia Handled Disruptive Colleagues & What You Can Learn

Once employees don’t know about their rights

Concentrating on the complicated task that the manager wants you to do ASAP, noise makes it difficult for you to keep going.

You look around to find the source of this interrupter.

You see the coworker enjoying hearing music tracks without considering where he is.

Sonia works in big retail in Texas and has stories about disruptive co-workers who listen to their favorite tracks so loud, regardless of how it bothers others.

“I wanted to notify the manager! I wanted to say, hey guys! Headphones aren’t fancy! Just buy one!” She said.

But she didn’t do that. She controls her angriness still.

Informing managers permanently about others’ awful behaviors counter to her core belief as a good colleague.

It’s interesting to know this wasn’t the hardest harassment experience in the workplace she had.

She told me about two of his colleagues. they were in a flirting mood, which made her uncomfortable.

“They just didn’t have too many opinions”. They had offensive conduct.

She stood more than you can imagine and after months she reported one of them to her manager and changed her department.

But for another, she tolerated and tried to solve the issue by herself.

“You know, I didn’t like to tell the issue to my manager again. When you complain and report a lot, he may think you are nagging all the time”. She said.

“He trusts me. Beyond that, it sounds like being a tattletale that I don’t want to be”. She said.

In addition, another reason she didn’t report her annoying colleague was the recommendation of her friend.

He told her that destructive coworkers evaluate you at first, then they let themselves bother you.

She thought maybe she didn’t respect herself and didn’t consider her privacy and borders.

She thought if she altered her manner everything would be ok.

As a result, she modified her actions and behaviors to make her colleague understand her preference for work connection and ways of communication.

In the beginning, she tried to misdirect her colleague when he wanted to flirt.

Then she made a distance.

“I was anywhere that he wasn’t. I didn’t flee cause it made me anxious. I just tried to not see him. I tried to see him less than before” “ she explained.

However, they worked together and there was no choice.

They must speak with each other and she didn’t want to fall out.

She thought it wouldn’t hurt to talk with him about subjects that she picked and categorized before.

For instance, when he wanted to be too forward, she frowned and remarked some ideas about work or the weather.

After days, he understood so smoothly that Sonia wasn’t who became joyful with his ridiculous jokes and flirts.

Sonia put him in his place in a low-key way.

“He knows what is my preference for communicating now. He has stopped his flirty acts. He just has done his job now”. She said.

“If he had continued in that awful manner I would directly warn him to stop it,” she said.

Without being aware of any formal instruments for behaving in these situations, Sonia has followed the advice of HR in the holdings and big companies about harassment.

She didn’t flame the awful condition, or fight.

She maintained her connections in the way she wanted without involving managers.

She is aware of her rights.

The main issue is the negligence of employees regarding their rights and the appropriate way to counter abusers, that are working everywhere and hurt others.

For instance, in an academic environment, you expect a respectful manner revolving around any acts and conducts.

That’s true however the lack of awareness of which conduct is an example of work harassment makes you continue under inhumane treatment even in this kind of work environment.

You may think about what you can do to get rid of abusers.

First, you have to empower your knowledge to recognize the examples of work harassment.

Fortunately, many valid sources are available now.

Just google it! and if you experienced any work harassment, share it with us!

Second, if you are involved in work harassment even as a bystander, you should know the best way is the safest!

You should always stay calm, and don’t put yourself in a hurtful way.

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