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Hi,
I am a young woman and I have been working for this small company for almost two years now, but I have been having problems with my employer since about last year. I have recently discovered that he found out personal information about me without my consent through third party. A person I know who works in a business close to my office forwarded and shared personal texts I had sent him to my employer and to a friend of my employer who works in a shop not far from where I work. They have been gossiping about my private life behind my back involving other people as well. I do not have any proof of that but I realised what happened because of my employer constantly making subtle references to personal details through innuendos, which can be extremely frustrating and annoying.
That person I considered to be my friend even started displaying harassing behaviour towards me since I have started ignoring him, and the person who works for him started acting the same way towards me. My boss realised I found out what happened and he is now trying to intimidate me in subtle ways, making constant references to the situation, indirectly asking me not to do anything about it. I haven't said anything yet because I am afraid I might lose my job; it's just my employer and I working in this small company, there is no HR department and no other manager I can refer to. I have already been in touch with my trade union, but they have told me that I have too little service behind me for them to intervene, and that they can help me legally after 2 years of service.
The situation at work is becoming unbearable and it's leading me to quit because of the hostile environment. My employer has lately started micromanaging me, overcriticising my work for no valid reasons and suddenly giving me stricter deadlines. When I tried to explain to him that his behaviour was unfair, he told me that I should simply do what he says without arguing because he is the employer and if I don't like working there I can simply go away.
Because of this whole situation I am feeling extremely stressed and uncomfortable in the workplace, my motivation has completely dropped and I don't know what to do anymore. He is bullying and intimidating me in subtle and indirect ways; I believe he wants me to quit before I reach the two years of service. Plus, the fact that my employer is using his friend (who is not even a client of the company) and that person who forwarded my personal information to him to bully me when I am outside the workplace makes me feel even more distressed, especially because I am a young woman and they are a group of older men.
I am just waiting for a few months and then I am planning to ask my trade union to intervene, but I am not sure I will be able to wait until then. Is there anything I can do at the moment? can he be sued for invading my privacy without my consent?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Ula
I am a young woman and I have been working for this small company for almost two years now, but I have been having problems with my employer since about last year. I have recently discovered that he found out personal information about me without my consent through third party. A person I know who works in a business close to my office forwarded and shared personal texts I had sent him to my employer and to a friend of my employer who works in a shop not far from where I work. They have been gossiping about my private life behind my back involving other people as well. I do not have any proof of that but I realised what happened because of my employer constantly making subtle references to personal details through innuendos, which can be extremely frustrating and annoying.
That person I considered to be my friend even started displaying harassing behaviour towards me since I have started ignoring him, and the person who works for him started acting the same way towards me. My boss realised I found out what happened and he is now trying to intimidate me in subtle ways, making constant references to the situation, indirectly asking me not to do anything about it. I haven't said anything yet because I am afraid I might lose my job; it's just my employer and I working in this small company, there is no HR department and no other manager I can refer to. I have already been in touch with my trade union, but they have told me that I have too little service behind me for them to intervene, and that they can help me legally after 2 years of service.
The situation at work is becoming unbearable and it's leading me to quit because of the hostile environment. My employer has lately started micromanaging me, overcriticising my work for no valid reasons and suddenly giving me stricter deadlines. When I tried to explain to him that his behaviour was unfair, he told me that I should simply do what he says without arguing because he is the employer and if I don't like working there I can simply go away.
Because of this whole situation I am feeling extremely stressed and uncomfortable in the workplace, my motivation has completely dropped and I don't know what to do anymore. He is bullying and intimidating me in subtle and indirect ways; I believe he wants me to quit before I reach the two years of service. Plus, the fact that my employer is using his friend (who is not even a client of the company) and that person who forwarded my personal information to him to bully me when I am outside the workplace makes me feel even more distressed, especially because I am a young woman and they are a group of older men.
I am just waiting for a few months and then I am planning to ask my trade union to intervene, but I am not sure I will be able to wait until then. Is there anything I can do at the moment? can he be sued for invading my privacy without my consent?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Ula
