Nothing Kendra did was right. She was continuously talked down to, and she was being given meaningless tasks and the worst shifts of the schedule. In short, Kendra felt like she was being harassed in her workplace.
Frustrated with her situation, she asked for a consultation to go over her concerns. Sometimes, you need to be reassured that you’re not going crazy! The officer she spoke to listened and observed that what she was experiencing did sound like power harassment, and that it might be a good idea to declare her union membership to the company.
Now, Kendra did want her company to know that she was seeking advice on the matter, but was afraid to speak up. What if that made the situation worse? What if the company became enraged that she was enlisting the help of the union? What if she got fired for simply just declaring her membership?
The officer explained: there will always be risks, but the reality is that most companies won’t react in such a manner. In fact, it is usually better to declare membership than to not.
Kendra considered this for a bit and realized that in spite of all that “what if,” her situation could really only improve with declaration. She contacted the officer to have the company notified and held her breath in anticipation of retaliation.
Except there was nothing.
No, not nothing, but better: not only was there no retaliation, the company seemed to improve their actions towards her. They offered better shifts and her work assignments improved. Although she was still feeling uneasy at times, she was able to take some solace in knowing that the union was there if needed, and the company knows it too.
Have you declared your membership? Depending on your situation, you may be in a much better position by doing so. Contact your branch coordinator if you want to discuss declaring your membership.
Part 2 – Psychological Aggression through Micromanagement