WWYD? Super long, re: a co-worker
HALFM00N
member
My parallel coworker is super annoying, I do not even talk to her. Long drama behind that but my other coworker (at the supervisor level) told me that I am right and there is no need to talk to her. Apart from that, my old supervisor told me that she's a compulsive liar and that he complained to our site head twice about her eratic behavior.... nothing was done about it because our group leader is really laid back.
Anyway, this lady annoys the crap out of me. I used to leave my office door open just because my old supervisor did and there is really no reason to close it. But then I felt that someone was going through my stuff, and left my webcam taping my office one night. I saw that she went in there after everyone left and looked at my papers/ notebooks. I got her on tape a few times, then I stopped. ANYWAYS, now I lock my office but I share a lab with her and my other lab is always open. She heads in there and goes through my stuff on a daily basis. I don't think this should be allowed, and it makes me feel very uneasy. I don't want to complain bc it seems very dramatic but I have no idea what to do. I don't talk to her so I can't confront her. My old supervisor said that he can talk to the site head again but doesn't think anything will be done. What would you do? Should I suck it in or complain to my Supervisor? I could always take my stuff and lock it in my office but that gets to be really inconvenient.
I feel very uncomfortable around her and she is ALWAYS checking up on me. I feel like she stalks me too bc she is always spying when I go visit my friends in other depts or even buildings. My other coworker told me that my Supervisor knows she's weird but I am not sure about that. He acts as though she is normal. Oh yea, she hates me bc I am younger and up to date with technology and bc I don't seek her help on projects. She is terrified that in the event of a lay off, she will get cut...but still she won't learn any new technology from the last 20 years. She told my current supervisor that I never ask her for help, but as I recall, I was hired as part of our California move and I am on all California projects, so I ask people from California since they have all the background info (she thinks she knows everything). I have asked her for suggestions in the past and she said "Oh it just didn't work." But of course she was lying. UGH End of rant.
Re: WWYD? Super long, re: a co-worker
If someone were going through my sh*t and I had proof and there were absolutely NO reasons that she would need to find something in my stuff, I would definitely report it. But, if she could say she were looking for something than I would consider not telling cause then I could look stupid.
Plus, if she goes psycho on you guys you can say you warned them.
That's really a crappy situation. Maybe she'll retire at 62!!
I think it's illegal to tape someone without them knowing. But the therapist lady told me that I could say someone was going through my stuff and I wanted to know who it was OR that I was skyping and that my computer was left on a few times lol... so then it won't seem like I was trying to target/ tape her. We are on separate projects and I have nothing to offer her, except if she wants to steal my ideas (which are not that novel anyway).
I am planning to leave in May 2014 so I think that will come before she turns 62. There is going to be a review/ layoff at the end of the year and I hope I get cut, but everyone's saying she will bc she has less skills and is closer to retirement, plus gets paid more so in the long run, it will be cheaper to keep me.
Yes, I sit there hoping she will grow out of it but it just doesn't seem like it's happening. It's so bad that I think she stalks me on here bc she's seen me on TB walking by casually. I have a privacy screen now but she just drives me nuts with her presence. She has never taken vacation since I have been here (3 years) and just lets the days go to waste. Our other co-worker that got laid off never spoke to her but he was really quiet, so I just thought that was the reason.
Well I had a cartoon as my desktop background that said "Hi, I am new here. Are you the new bully?" Then she stopped looking at my screen when I stepped away. I just printed some cartoons to put in the drawers, then I put GO AWAY on them. This all seems so childish but why snoop if the person knows you are snooping?
Or "Hey Bizotch, you are on candid camera. I'm watching you!! Get off my sh*t"
I don't think there's much you (or anyone) can do. They can't fire her for being weird.
Especially when she's written a book in the field and also produces good results. They can really only lay her off based if we are downsizing. However, in that even, I'd really hope I'd be the one who gets cut
And in science, there are a ton of weirdos BUT they usually are just very antisocial so you never really have to deal with it lol.
I have no idea how to handle the situation so I am of no help.
BUT - what do you do? You work in a for profit science lab in NYC???
I'm a senior scientist at a large pharmaceutical company in northern NJ. Yes, private, and definitely for profit lol.
Does my reply change your answer? Haha
Oh no doubt. Ever heard the phrase "Crazy Scientist?" HAHA She fits that stereotype.