In what was an annoying turn of events, I was held responsible for a client complaint despite no evidence of direct or indirect involvement. This was based on the assumption that I am [apparently] a known troublemaker and the complaint was well articulated and referenced – yeah, really. 

My standard response is to neither confirm nor deny that I had any involvement, this is no admission of guilt, this is a standard response. However, my attitude is – then prove it. They can’t prove it and they know it, so instead, they allowed rumour and innuendo to thrive. So when this run of events began, people started asking me if I was the one who made the report and the chatter out of the offices mentioned me as the protagonist – I needed to act. This was the CCC investigation all over again, this dragged on for over five years for no outcome so I wasn’t doing this again – no way.

Well, actually there was an outcome of sorts, they stated there was no evidence to connect me to the CCC report. So my attitude is, a) I either did it and covered my tracks so well they couldn’t trace it back to me, b) I didn’t make the report, or c) they are so bumbling and incompetent that they couldn’t work it out. Since there has been no apology or resolution, they still think I did it – they just couldn’t pin it on me. So, based on this history, I was feeling threatened, so I took to my blog and brought this out in the open, the management had been irresponsible in allowing rumours to continue and they knew it. 

Now, the obvious answer would be to meet with them and sort this out in a face-to-face meeting. They have trained me through their actions that this is not a successful course of action. They will deny knowledge and erect obstacles and it just goes nowhere. Instead, I have learned that the most effective course of action is to threaten to bring this to a public forum without actually doing so. We both engage in a stalemate and we can both withdraw without conceding a loss. 

A matter such as this is either confidential or it is common knowledge, since it was being discussed out loud in an open plan office, it was common knowledge. They were well aware this was being discussed, they also knew my name was being loosely thrown around as the instigator and I had had enough of it. Since they had been holding me responsible, I could either do nothing and go about my business as usual or I could act decisively. As I already knew my employer had been checking out my social media,  as LinkedIn tells you who has accessed your details – I knew what to do. 

I was aware they were reading my blog and searching my social media, so I posted with the intent of signaling them to back off. They were not going to pull me up for my social media use because, a) my employer will always remain anonymous and I never identify them, and, b) they know I will have a strong case for bullying. Instead, they were notified that I had posted and the office gossip was all about this. It was mentioned to me again that they believed I instigated the report and my post was discussed openly in the office as I could hear the chatter. 

This post was even printed out and left on the main table for all to read. This is only the second time this occurred, the one and only other time was when I reposted from January 2015 When talent leaves and non-performers remain. This was about an unnamed individual [due to workplace bullying] who had successfully left a company and been offered a job as a manager. I reposted in 2019 when she moved into an Area Manager role and a bunch of numpties thought I was writing about them – idiots. 

A quick date check would have informed them otherwise but office gossip doesn’t involve logic. Did I mention they are gossiping idiots that defy logical explanations? Of course I did, that is what they are. I was working in Africa at the time but heard all about it from there, so there is absolutely no chance the management didn’t know and they didn’t shut it down – they encouraged it.

So the management had to come out and eventually make an announcement that a complaint had been made, they reiterated that the complaint was well articulated and referenced. They also stated there had been rumours in the office – well yeah. My post had caused them to act, I knew they were reading my blog and checking through my social media accounts. It blew up for a week, people were not talking to me and it was a cold place to work.

I liken it to throwing fuel on a fire, the fire rapidly consumes the fuel and oxygen and the fire burns out. The other option is the fire slowly burns the fuel and if it is burning, it has the potential to flare up again. So yeah, I know they are reading this. This post is for them so they know exactly what is occurring. They know I won’t identify the organisation, so they can remain calm. I will back off, they can back off, then  we will go back to where we were before.