'The abuse got so ugly and toxic that I became depressed and had to seek therapy.'
We had asked you, Dear Readers, to share your stories of how you are coping with workplace abuse and stress.
We begin our series with Damini Sen (name changed), an employee in her 30s, who reveals how internal politics, a non-co-operative HR and insecure managers turned her workplace into a nightmare. Damini spoke to Rediff.com's Divya Nair.
I am a journalism graduate with 12 years of work experience.
I used to work for a US-based equity firm that had its office in Kolkata.
Most offices in that city -- and people may hate me for saying this -- have a toxic, undisciplined and tardy work culture that is not highlighted enough.
If your reporting time is 7 am, people will walk in between 11 am and 1 pm. There is no accountability. No one questions you.
I was part of the edit team in which 90 per cent of the employees were Bengalis.
In my office, two senior women were fighting with each other, trying to present themselves as the better leader in front of the boss.
This power play soon started affecting the team; they would bifurcate us and set the teams against each other so that they could present the other person in a bad light.
If you did not praise them, you would face consequences.
I chose to focus on my work and did not support either of them.
As a result, I was denied any promotion for six-and-a-half years.
I was subjected to mental abuse for not supporting either of them.
These women continued to function like CCTVs, monitoring every activity and conversation at work and beyond.
They would even control your weekends and find out who you were friends with. If you befriended someone from the other team, you would be reported.
I used to work directly with financial experts and edit their copies for the organisation. These experts were content with my style of editing and appreciated my work.
However I was constantly made to believe that my English and grammar were not good enough and that and my overall work was substandard.
Once, I wanted to celebrate my birthday which fell on a Monday so I had applied for leave well in advance.
I went out with a friend and put up a few pictures on my WhatsApp as my status. My senior manager took screenshots of the pictures and spread lies in the office that we were smoking and were in a state of trance.
Can you imagine a situation where I could not even put up a personal WhatsApp status about a fun day that I had planned?
There's another example I can give. If I was on leave and had put up personal images on WhatsApp/social media but fell ill the following day, this manager would take screenshots and run to the boss to insinuate that I was not actually unwell.
Tired of the abuse and personal attacks, my impulsive friend sent a mail to the Chicago office highlighting these incidents before she resigned.
But nothing changed. There was no inquiry either.
The abuse got so ugly and toxic that I became depressed and had to seek therapy.
My friends, family members, and colleagues were worried about me.
Thankfully, I quit the job and I am currently working with a leading business portal.
My advice is simple: Trust your skills and talent.
Be aware of the value you add to an organisation.
If you are hardworking and consistent, be aware of seniors who take advantage and dump more work on you.
Have the courage to say No to overwork and abusive seniors.
Your physical and mental health should be your top priority.
Look out for mentors you can trust and who can help you solve your problems.
Everyone is trying to save their jobs, but nothing is worth more than your health and family.
Dear Readers, have you faced harassment at the workplace? Do you know anyone who has?
How did you deal with it?
Did you report the incident/s or did you quit?
How did you heal from the abuse? Did you take professional help?
What were the lessons you learnt that can help others?
In the light of Anna Sebastian Perayil's tragic demise, we hope the real life experiences we are presenting will help others who are facing a similar situation.
Write to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (Workplace woes). If you can, please do share your name and location. If you wish to remain anonymous, please do let us know; we will respect your wishes.
