Court of Protection

As my workplace bullying book launch approaches, I can't help wondering what the consequences will be if my current employer finds out. I'm therefore doing everything in my power to make sure they don’t.

Each morning, I switch on my PC and knuckle down to a day of typing. The trainees tease me that the reason I rush home at 5pm is to catch the tail end of daytime TV. Joking, they click imaginary remote controls as I breeze past, buttoning my coat as I go. They quip about my not wanting to miss Jeremy Kyle or Loose Women.

Behind the scenes, of course, launch plans are under way. A large box of pre-prepared goody-bags for volunteers and those who might buy a book on the day sits expectantly in my studio-flat. During lunch, I Google organisations that might be interested in supporting me, together with local journalists and MPs. I keep up with my fellow anti-bullying friends on Twitter.

Post work, I return to my launch plans. There are meetings about a viral. A director has kindly offered to film a short ad for the book and promptly found an actor to play Howard. His monologue has been written and the location scouted. You can imagine how surreal it is for Howard to be brought to life on film for the purposes of raising awareness and promoting ‘Bullied by the Boss’.

Obviously, this involves my telling a lot of porkies. Does being legally obliged to lie to my employer make it any more excusable? 

Adhering to the confidentiality clause has covered thousands of hours (and a chunk of my former firm’s settlement money) devoted to raising awareness. Whilst I seem to be in my comfort zone on the subject of workplace bullying, I wonder how I could ever explain to my present employer quite how I ended up in this position: the extent of the bullying at my former firm, the blog, the book and the approaching book launch/promotion. 

I may just be trying to explain the unexplainable!

Very best

BBTB

Can't Beat 'Em?

Behind the chipper Twitter exterior, I’ve been pretty low this week.

The second publisher falling through was a real knock. Having worked so hard on my workplace bullying book, I couldn’t understand where I was going wrong. Obviously, I could hook the fish, but yet again I’d failed to get it in the net.

Then there was the legal training I’d asked for – months ago. My boss was excited when I’d initially asked him. Despite e-mail reminders, nothing had come of it.

So I’ve been in a bit of a funk; feeling sorry for myself and throwing a pity party. “What’s the point?” I asked myself. I’m a victim – of a publisher’s random change of heart; of recessionary cutbacks in training and of general misfortune.

I did snap out of it. Of course I did!

A Twitter friend of mine, @Fiona_WordsBird, who happens to be an editor, offered to give my book a final edit before I self-publish. I found a great cover designer. I also decided if my boss doesn’t fund my course, I’ll pay for my own employment law studies in night school, in the New Year.

All this made me think of an apt phrase from Susan Jeffers’ famous book “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway”:-

“What am I expecting others to do for me that I could be doing for myself?”

It’s hard to get over these psychological slumps whether they're caused by workplace bullying or publishing setbacks, but if we adopt a position of ‘victim’ we are both giving up and beating ourselves up about it. There are enough people out there who’ll give us a tough time without us lending them a hand.

When others are letting us down, we must be wary of thinking “If you can’t beat ‘em, join em” because that’s exactly what we want them to think when they look at the example we set!

Best wishes

BBTB x

Ravens in the Tower

Firstly, I’d like thank everyone who sends me Twitter links to newspaper bullying stories. I can’t begin to tell you how helpful it is.

If it hadn’t been for one such helpful act, I’d have missed the next instalment on the Beefeater bullying saga. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but it’s been rumbling along since 2009 when the first female Beefeater, Moira Cameron, admitted that she was being regularly bullied and harassed during her duties at the Tower of London.

What followed was a saddening tale of two Yeomen Warders bullying their female colleague. One apologised to Moira and was allowed to keep his job. The other was dismissed and went running to the Tribunal. A £65,000 settlement was offered to him to shut him up.

The sad thing is that the Beefeaters’ bullying of Moira continues still. She recently said to the press “I love my job, but can honestly say that I would never recommend another female to apply for the position of yeoman at the Tower”. And this is from a woman with a 20 year history in the army - hardly a pushover.

The icing on the cake for me, however, was the spokesman for Historic Royal Palaces who said the organisation “does not tolerate bullying or harassment on any level of any members of staff.”

Did I read that right? Sorry spokesman, but actions kind of speak louder than words on this one! It reminds me very much of my WEEK 27 blog post ‘All Banter’, when the firm I worked for wrote exactly the same thing in their new Employee Handbook, but did nothing to address the bullying.

If you’re familiar with the legend, you’ll know that if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London the tower and the monarchy will crumble. But ravens, of course, are mythically considered the birds of ill-omen so I guess, with all the bullying going on, the Tower and the Monarchy really haven’t a thing to worry about.

Best wishes

BBTB x