As difficult as all this is for me, I must push on because there’s so much to write. I need the abuse and gross negligence to end.
I must also emphasise that this associate director was two pay scales above my own. It was her job to resolve the issue locally. I blame this individual even more than the initial bully for what I’ve been put through. I had been doing the inherent requirements of my job since 2001. This individual waltzes in to a new job she was incapable of doing.
As soon as she fobbed me off to HR, without any discussion or consultation with me, I started the paper trail documentation. It’s now massive. I knew how toxic the organisational culture had become, since the appointment of a now former VC. I just didn’t know, yet, how “well-connected” and diabolical. Immoral is not a word strong enough to describe this institutional abuse, given the espoused values, mission, ethics, and social justice teachings and principles.
After that very frightening experience of collusion and coercion in illegal adverse action, I tried another approach in gaining respectful cooperation. I emailed the library associate director and requested we do what the HR director had advised in her response, and resolve it locally.
So, after somewhat recovering from the shock of the incident of coercion, forced to be abused and insulted by Deepinder Miller on 14 November 2019, I sent an email to the library associate director on 22 December 2019.
To quote:
“As background to meeting with you, I share the email from [the HR director] that made me feel I was going around in circles …
I highlight what she advised, so I go back to this after the ordeal and trauma I've been put through, all of it unnecessary and unreasonable. Can we leave HR out of this, at least for now, and I ask you to give one day of the fortnight you commit to listening to [the manager], be spent actively listening to me. You talk about getting to know your staff to build rapport and quality relationships. Then I ask you to listen to my story, my history, experiences and be informed of the entire context.
I have deleted the last emails I received to avoid further distress. I'm in the process of recovering and being healthy, it's counter-productive to read things to continue to destroy my serenity.
I've been reading [bullying on SafeWork Australia] and I'm sure we can use the straightforward points listed in managing workplace bullying to achieve a peaceful and fair outcome.
Management in my unit failed to support me. It was referred to HR who also didn’t guide me accordingly and failed to follow their own policies and procedures.
It was a serious but simple grievance I need to resolve to do my job successfully. HR have shown incompetence or negligence in their support and guidance. It’s reached a level where I’ve been victimised, intimidated, coerced and threatened without proper communication as to why this is happening. I feel further bullying through information being withheld from me, no valid reason to support the coercion down a certain path but further victimisation and threats if I don’t comply. Haven't I been through enough and was it right and fair to put me through all this?
I will call you in mid-January. Please remember, judgement, labels, gossip and lies hurt people. I can’t be judged on my “management style” when I never managed. I’m sure you now understand what I mean by this comment. I can’t let anyone demean me and insult my intellectual capabilities anymore. It’s the latter that has supported [the manager] & the library’s profile.
I tried to raise my concerns and speak with [the manager], I know how to “manage up” but it was impossible. The things she detests others doing, she does the same things herself. [The manager] can’t see this and to be honest, chooses not to. But to use her words, people watch you as a manager. I can assure you, yes they do.
This is my life being discussed without me. How is this commitment to one’s human dignity? Where’s my voice, the original source, to speak the truth? Also, I need one full year to manage the team with my style (and no micromanagement and harassment and expecting me to be everything to everyone - why such unclear, unhealthy, unfair and unreasonable expectations for me?) before I ask for feedback from them. I was suffocated by my manager as soon as I signed up for the role. No one was there to be my support. As I said, I was thrown in an ocean and left to drown. I also said I needed to be heard. To this day, I still haven’t.
A new year, a clean start, a more positive approach this time.”
That email, from my work email with my work signature, is document 26. Do readers think my suggestions and feelings were reasonable, respectful, and a legal obligation from associate directors on executive salaries?
What did this unconscionable puppet do instead? She sent me a creepy response, obviously written by the unethical HR mob. I really was a target of something as scary as the Hydra of Lerna. Remember reader, this person was on an executive salary, two pay scales above me and new in the job. I have been there since 2001. She waltzes in and destroys my health, my reputation, my career, my family, my work, my life. Like hell I was going to let that happen and not fight back on so many breaches in laws and policies.
The PCBU was likely closed for the holiday season at that time, so the response (as advised by HR) came on 2 January 2020.
These email responses creep me out, so it’s difficult to read it all. I’ll give you a very small sample of what this person wrote:
“I strongly encourage you to carefully consider the information provided in the letter from [the HR associate director]…”
I can’t include the rest on a public blog. It’s a matter of self-respect and dignity. Many employees in the organisation know these bullshit creepy responses, all too well. It was such lies and refusal to cooperate, obviously written by unethical HR. I exhausted every reasonable attempt for respect and cooperation. Enough is enough!
It really frightens me, how unconscionable and culpable these hypocrites are, when they have taken their entitlements for family care and for themselves, private information about this person’s family I’m aware of, that she herself shared with me during that time at North Sydney. The double standard pisses me off. Was she incapable of reading the policies and employment contract we all agreed to abide by? I signed the same agreement!
These emails are document 28. It’s all there. I just can’t quote it all here. It’s an insult to my intelligence, but it’s so unconscionable, it’s frightening. Had this incompetent person taken the time to know me, she’d learn how good I am at my job. I knew how immoral many have been in theirs, so I had already started compiling the evidence. I really had no idea at this time, what I was about to uncover in this network of unethical conduct and alliances across the university / corporate / government agencies. But I did uncover and document it, and it must be called out to save lives from these reckless people and their WHS violations.
I replied to her creepy response on 3 January 2020 at 11:05pm at night. Admittedly, I hadn’t read it completely, to protect my emotional safety and wellbeing. 11:05pm at night. And hereby continue the sleepless nights, frightened and alone. Mind you, I tried to take annual leave for January, to take time out, while making another attempt at a reasonable request for procedural fairness as per policies. That HR associate director refused to approve the leave, and they coerced me, in their gaslighting tactic, to get a medical certificate, forcing me to apply for sick leave instead. That’s a massive disrespect to my GP witnessing this abuse too. Of course, it all backfired on them. By some miracle, I’m still here to now tell the story.
I blame SafeWork NSW and (later) SIRA NSW regulators for this. Had they done their jobs and ordered a legitimate and transparent investigation, that included a statement from my GP, I wouldn’t have been subjected to years of systemic abuse and trauma. And what about the Fair Work Ombudsman? What exactly do all these public service regulators do? Because they all did NOTHING for me. I tried them all. I was begging and in complete distress. They didn’t give a shit. That’s our taxpayer contribution, right there, public stakeholders.
Here’s my email, one of many attempts for cooperation as per policies, and reasonable request for a safe work environment,
“…The other thing I’ll do is go through all my documents and policies & procedures to see how this could’ve been managed better. Then I’ll call you to organise a meeting.
Can we resolve this grievance fairly now. The truth is you have a duty of care toward me because [the manager] failed with that. Please don’t mention the courses I’ve done again because I never got to apply anything I learnt. I was bullied & micromanaged from the start, and the expectations were unclear. [The manager] also seems to notice things that aren’t there. She hasn’t grown as a manager herself as long as I’ve known her. Because no one held her accountable to do so.
I also don’t trust [the HR associate director’s] agenda. Unfortunately she has fabricated something that never happened too. I don’t understand why so much slander, gossip, and judgement.
Please find someone different to look at how this whole issue has been managed with a fresh perspective. She has made claims that are lies yet she seems to be the go to for advice. Too much power & influence given to one person. I want a second opinion.
If I don’t meet with you to speak & shed light on this whole nightmare, & truly be heard & be involved in a fair solution, I’ll have no choice but to go back to an employment lawyer. There’s no valid argument to justify what I’ve been put through. You’ve only been here for a short time. I’ve given the best years of my life to [the university]. I’ll list for you all the things I’ve done for [the manager] alone. Is this going to be the final repayment of thanks?
I won’t read any more emails until I meet with you in person & I’m listened to & included. Co-operation has only occurred one way... I did what you asked… I need this cooperation reciprocated. It’s a reasonable request and a fair one. Perhaps NS backfired because I finally realised my colleagues weren’t experiencing this. I had something to compare my experience with. It wasn’t the job that was the problem. I was unhappy and driven mad because of [the manager]. I realised I was experiencing psychological bullying.
I don’t want anymore injustice to cause me stress. I want a peaceful year and to work like a human being. I’ve tolerated more than enough.
I’ll talk with you soon.”
That “conversation” is coming up in the next blog post.
This post is based on work emails in documents 26 and 28. Readers, I have about 700 documents. I was put through hell for no reason, severe gross negligence, for years. I still am. I’m referring to the government.
It’s time targets of such abuse of power have a voice. The concrete evidence speaks on its own.
This post is based on documents 26 & 28. It displays adverse action for requesting generally protected workplace rights, discrimination and malicious and vexatious conduct that condones engaging in WHS breaches and creating psychosocial hazards, not managing the risks as the PCBU is reasonably expected to do so, BY LAW.
