What To Do When Someone Else's Poor Behaviour Impacts Your Career
— It's a nightmare situation, but unfortunately, the bad behaviour of another person can have a significant impact on your career.
It's a nightmare situation, but unfortunately, the bad behaviour of another person can have a significant impact on your career. Read on to find out more and what to do if you find yourself in such a situation.
Work out how their actions have impacted you
First of all, it's important to identify just how another person's poor behaviour has impacted your career and wellbeing. For example, it could mean that your professional reputation has been affected and that you have experienced a great deal of emotional distress in the workplace. It may have even forced you to change your career, or miss out on future opportunities or promotions. Establishing the impact of their behavior is important both for yourself and to show those who are helping you the extent of what you have been through.
Document everything
Next, if someone else's poor behavior is impacting your work life and career, it's best to document absolutely everything from your interactions with them, to who you have reported them to and what you have said. Documenting everything in this way will ensure that there is a clear paper trail showing that you have done everything in your power to bring attention to and stop their behaviour. Your employer can then use this information to meter out consequences to the person in question. It can also be used by your legal team to fight your case.
Educate yourself on your situation and rights
The next step you should take if someone's poor behaviour is impacting your career is to educate yourself on your situation and rights. First of all, you will need to research things like this sexual misconduct vs assault information, so you know precisely what their workplace behavior can be categorized as. Then you will need to research your rights in this area, and how this person’s behavior is contradicting them. In many cases, working with a professional legal team is the best option here, as they will be best positioned to help you understand the categories of behavior that you have been exposed to, as well as what your specific rights are in that situation.
Seek justice
Often, when someone else's poor behaviour has impacted our career, we can feel many different emotions, including feeling let down and unsafe. This can have a distinct impact on our careers and how we are able to function in the workplace. Of course, a great deal of how we feel is linked to how the situation was dealt with within the workplace. Additionally, seeking justice through the legal system can be a tough but healing experience that can make us feel safer when we return to the workplace, knowing that the behavior was identified and properly dealt with.
Safeguard yourself and your career
Last of all, it's vital to remember that when you have been impacted by someone else's poor behavior at work, you may need additional support to get over it. Often this means seeking some professional help in terms of counselling that can help you work through the issue and support you as you heal.
Getting extra support like this can also help you stay in your chosen career and not lose it because of the poor behaviour of someone else.
