It might seem like bullies only exist in schools or colleges, but they’re actually in workplaces as well, trying to pick on people who just want to do their job. This kind of tormenting behavior can be extremely tiresome to deal with, especially if the bully shows no sign of stopping.
It might even feel hopeless to stand up to a tyrant like that, but the employee in this story proved that a well-timed act of petty revenge can truly silence a bully. All they had to do was use the office gossip to their advantage.
More info: Reddit
It can be difficult to stand up to a rude person at work, but sometimes it can really make a difference and put them in their place
Image credits: pressfoto / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster shared that they were always called a “background character” by a loud guy in their office who bullied people and said mean things about them
Image credits: senivpetro / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The worker did their best to avoid the mean guy, but he kept making the same joke over and over, which soon became tiresome
Image credits: artursafronovvvv / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One day, the poster overheard the man talking to his buddy on a call about how he had hooked up with a coworker’s sister
Image credits: FoundationLong3196
The poster decided to finally get back at the bully when he was being rude, by hinting at his secret right in front of their other colleagues
As the OP mentioned, they had always been a quiet person who kept their head down at work, until one brash man started picking on them. This loud guy thought it was funny to trash people behind their backs or make comments about their personality, like calling the poster a “background character.”
It might seem absurd for this kind of bullying to take place in companies, but studies show that around 35% of employees have faced some kind of torment from their bosses or colleagues. Being picked on in the workplace can be a difficult experience to deal with because it can make people feel stressed, anxious, and extremely uncomfortable.
That’s why Bored Panda reached out to Peter Duris, the CEO and co-founder of Kickresume, to understand how a worker could deal with an office tyrant. He said that “you don’t want to rise to it, but at the same time, you may want to stand up for yourself. The best way to deal with a workplace bully, however, is to not react and simply document your interactions.”
The OP hadn’t kept any record of their colleague's snide comments, as they probably wanted to ignore the guy as much as possible. Peter explained that “when you have evidence of your coworker being a bully, you can take this to HR and file a formal complaint, which may help keep them off your back.”
Rather than take this situation to HR, the poster got a sudden chance to get back at their tormentor by revealing a juicy secret that they had overheard the man tell his friend. It was about the guy hooking up with his coworker’s sister at a wedding, which was obviously something he didn’t want to get out.
Image credits: cookie_studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The OP held on to the confidential information until the man began making the same “background character” comments again. That’s when the poster decided to hint that they knew the man’s secret and that he shouldn’t go around being so mean when he had something like that to hide. This obviously shocked the man, and he must have realized that he was in a tight fix.
Getting this kind of revenge against one’s bully can feel pretty satisfying, but Peter explained that “you don’t want to risk getting in trouble yourself, which is why chatting with HR is the best course of action in these situations. You could also speak informally to your manager to share how you are feeling with them, and ask if they could advise you on the next steps.”
Peter told us that the stories online about people getting revenge on their bullies at work are satisfying to read, but they could actually backfire. He explained that “stories like this tend to end at the moment when the person stands up to their bully, but you have to think about what it’s going to be like working together every day after that.”
It seems like in the OP’s case, holding the secret over their coworker really helped curb his rude behavior, which must have been a relief for everyone else in the workplace as well. Although it’s probably not a great idea to get involved in conflicts like this in the office, this one at least had a happy ending.
What would you have done if you were in the OP’s place? Do share your thoughts and whether you’ve ever had to deal with a workplace bully like this before.
People were proud of the poster for standing up to the man, and felt that the situation was handled well
