What to do if you manager is Victimizing You.

Many employees feel that they are victimized, oppressed or mistreated at work. If your manager or employer is treating you in an unfair manner and making the workplace intolerable for you, that may amount to a constructive dismissal- and you may be entitled to compensation.

Victimization or unfair treatment may take the form of: 

1. Disrespecting or Ridiculing You in Front of Others 

2. Constantly Instructing You To Do Things Outside of Your Job Role 

3. Reducing Your Hours / Work Days 

4. Giving Unfair/Unjust Disciplinary Sanctions (Warning Letters, Suspensions, Etc.) 

5. Scoring You Poorly on Appraisals/KPIs Without Any Basis For Doing So 

6. Blaming/Punishing You For Results That You Weren’t Responsible For 

7. Communicating With You in a Harsh, Rude or Disrespectful Manner 

8. Demoting You Without a Legitimate Reason

9. Threats of Dismissal

10. Using Obscene, Insulting or Inappropriate Language Towards You 

11. Any Unjustified, Unfair or Unreasonable Behaviour That Makes The Environment Intolerable 

If your employer/manager is doing any of those, here are the steps you should take: 

1. Raise the issue in writing. Write to your manager/employer outlining the things that have happened and the impact that it has had on you.

2. Request that your employer fix the issue. Ask that your employer correct the issue and stop victimizing and ill-treating you.

3. State the consequence. Make it clear that if the behaviour continues, you may have no choice but to resign on the basis of constructive dismissal. 

If you resign and claim constructive dismissal because your employer has ill-treated you and created an intolerable environment, you may be entitled to compensation.

But you should always seek proper advice before resigning your job.

In fact, if you are in such a situation, you should seek advice and start taking the necessary steps as early as possible, even before you start considering resigning. Not only to try to stop the mistreatment, but also because if your employer is treating you in this way because he intends to dismiss you, it is important to show that you had raised these issues during your employment, which may help prove that any dismissal was unfair.

It is unfortunate that many employees end up in such difficult positions, but there are steps that you can take to defend yourself. And hopefully that would lead to a better work environment for you and your colleagues, or at the very least, help you get compensated for the unfairness that you had to endure.