Has anyone else been through this sort of thing? Last year I took a job in a factory I was ill suited for... it's known to be a dog eat dog environment where back stabbing and blaming is a way of life.

HR likes to hire highly technical people for roles in operations and management doesn't approve of the introverts and intellectuals they get... management has devised ways to rid themselves of these people... harassment, political sabatoge, etc. I found the other new engineers in my position to be highly competent and hard workers, also I found them to be some of the only morally decent people in the factory, and this happened in some form to all of us.

I was stabbed in the back by my office mates. My work was sabatoged by my first manager, I was torched politically by her... and any fault she could find with me or my work she took straight to HR, never to me. She blamed me to plant leadership behind my back for not meeting expectations that were never communicated to me, and when I had an opportunity to defended myself I was attacked relentlessly by her in her office in an attempt to discredit me and then further blame me (triggering the hell out of me). I kept winning the arguments, so she stopped and then ran around discrediting me behind my back. I spoke to her other subordinate, who was routinely sabotaged by her as well.

They brought in a new manager for me, who after a short time said I'm clearly not what my first manager said I was. He said he wanted to see me promoted, because given the situation it would make him look good. He seemed to have my political and career interests in mind for the first few weeks, and started to champion me to the plant. I chose to trust him despite the irrational and insecure attacks he occasionally threw at me. He asked me all these questions about my coworkers and my relationships with them, and my relationships outside of work, saying he needed this information to do his job or whatever he needed to say to get me to talk... analyzed me to death and identified some of my triggers. After a few weeks he began isolating me from meetings, turned my closer supporters against me (including someone in HR) and began hammering away at my triggers, humiliating me in meetings, and tearing away at what was left of my self esteem and ego (blatantly disregarding policy and diversity and inclusion training)...I spoke with an engineer from a different department who had quit a few weeks earlier due to harassment. He said when he found out this guy was going to be my manager he was scared because this guy was so abusive to his workers in his last position in the company. I did some research, this guy has the classic traits of an emotional manipulator/abuser.

A lot of my words and actions/inactions were spun negatively to make me look bad... it's like walking in the wake of an evil twin. My coworker said the plant alternated weekly between worshiping me and thinking I'm scum.

HR was evasive whenever I tried to meet with them... and I feared no one would take me seriously at this point, so much of if could be easily denied and whitewashed. My managers have been prone to retaliation when I try to protect/defend myself from them. I chose to quit and salvage what was left of me...

I've never encountered these problems on the job before... I've worked in production environments and been successful, un-harrassed, and happy. Anyone else ever worked in this type of environment or dealt with these issues?

Its the reason I work basically alone at night. I don't have a Manager to deal with nore back stabbing co-workers. Isolated jobs like mine are hard to find. I hear stories of stuff that goes on during the day and I know I wouldn't make it cause someone would be punched Out!

My suggestion is take a tape recorder and demand HR be present when you ever meet with Management. Make sure you tell them you will be recording them. Get a Lawyer and find someone who can witness these actions!

Play it smart, don't let them get the better of you and good luck!

That's what I wish I would have done. I kept a daily log of my activities for the first three months, and submitted it to upper management after I submitted my resignation. It proves that my managers were lying to them.

I started taking Muay Thai kick boxing lessons after I quit, since I felt kicked around and helpless for most of the 6 months I worked there. It's helping, but I'm still having nightmares and intrusive thoughts about management.

I've some job related issues like you stated that made me flip out. Every job has these issues because it's hard to work around the same people day after day.

My last job wasn't that I was worried so much about being stabbed in the back metaphorically, but literally. The job was so stressful that co-workers were threatening to kill each other. I seen a knife laying out on the kitchen counter in the break room and hid it. Then went to the bathroom and had a panic attack.

It cased nightmares and then a nervous breakdown. I quit and decided to go on disability. I clean houses part time and no one is in the house to bother me. I think the only kind of work I can do is where there are no people around.

Hope you feel better soon.
Tammy

sabotage,,,,,,,yup, I have sabotaged many a relationship in the past, I am good at not just burning a bridge, but just plain blowing it up. Glad I did though, love the other side much better, life does get better, for me anyway.