The Advisers.

Yesterday I had some bad news. In fact, it wasn’t just bad news but it was VERY bad news. I could go as far to add, it is probably the worst news I have heard this year!

What I hear you ask, could be that bad?

For over ten years I have worked with a colleague, who has made all our lives a misery, this person has lied about each of us to the Manager, have slandered our good name, have said only negative things about us, and sadly some have even left!

I remembered well, when this person’ child was born, no one gave to the collection, not one single person. In the history of work that was a first. All our lack of money towards the gift or signing of the card, none of that happened. Nor would it have happened in a million years.  The Manager bought the card, signed it from us all and sent in it with a voucher.  Each of us reacted differently to the bully, some buckled, some tried to fight back, but it was useless, it was futile, for this person had one person who back him, 100%, our Manager. Therefore, that made him untouchable.

All our individual complaints fell on deaf ears. We all wished and hoped he would leave, but he had it SO good at work. He didn’t care if we hated him or not, he didn’t need us, for the one that mattered, was on his side, that was crystal clear to us all. I personally made three complaints against him to my Manager, others too, but nothing ever happened, for there is always a way to get around policies and bullies, when you have ‘friends’ in high places. It was very frustrating, but there was nothing we could do, we were the losers, he the winner, every time.

He is naturally horrible, and would take it in turn to pick on a colleague, and even when we informed the Manager, that it was all, “Untrue,” We were wasting our breath. We knew he’d never get the sack or leave. He was, unsackable, he knew that too. His confidence, raged on, unabated.  He made many of us cry, the smile on his face, as he saw this. The energy of hate towards him, was just fuel to spur him on, and upwards.

He would tell us what to do, but he himself never did anything, only when the Manager was watching. It was all so unfair. He was not in the real world. If he was in the real world, he would have been sacked many, many years ago. But I learnt lessons when I worked with him, I’d tell my kids, when they were going through a tough time at work with a colleague, I’d say, “There’s one in every work place…….” How true that is.

This year, 2020 has been a bad year for many, some have been very ill, some have died, for some business have gone under, jobs lost, homes repossessed, exams failed, suicides…. You can add your bit in this section. But something very strange happened, and at first none of us could believe it, we thought it was just a rumour, we heard he was leaving! Surly not, could that be true? Yes, it was true.

He left, no collection was taken, what a surprise there. To be ‘fair,’ he was ‘nice’ before he left, but the years of damaged he’d done, couldn’t be erased, or would ever be forgotten, he would be talked about for years to come, and never in a positive way. If anyone said, something positive about him, another would say, “Remember when…..” To jog their failing memory, for maybe, without realizing it they had blocked out the bad deeds he had done, and they were many. He was famous in the community in our little Town, for recently after he’d left, someone saw one of my colleagues and said, “I’d like a job where you work, but if …… is still working there, I’m not working there, I don’t like him!” WOW! That was from a really nice person, who I know well. To add to this, what saddened me, was he brought out the worst in me, and I hated that. Anyway, he left and it was Great! We had a new Manager, who used to be one of us, so he too knew him very well indeed.

Sometimes he’d pop in to say, “Hi,” We’d say, “Hi.” Back, but I started of by saying about some bad news. The bad news is, he saw a colleague when he popped into work yesterday to say, “I don’t like my new job, it is too hard, I am going to ask the Manager if I can come back.” The person who told me this, is a very good friend at work, she said, “Don’t tell anyone I told you, for he has told me this in confidence and asked me not to tell anyone.”

I was more than tempted, but as desperate as I wanted to, I knew I couldn’t.

Then, it got me thinking, I wish like in olden times, that I was one of my Manager’s Advisers. I remember watching films of hundreds of years ago, when Kings and Queens had Advisers, they would hear what each person had to say, and choose the one they liked the best. I suppose even then, some had trusted Advisers, who always gave them good advice. But as we know in history, some have followed bad advice, and it has been their downfall.

What would I tell my Manager?” Simple, “Please, don’t have him back, remember when….”