Six years of Workplace Bullying. A complaint. Four years and four months of relentless juridical fight. Yet victory! At the very final moment! Pure technical, procedural judgment. No mention, whatsoever, of bullying.
Thus : Dismissal annulled.
Thus : Back to that same employer…
Shock!!
Back to an employer that, in ten years and four months (literally ‘as of day one’), pulled out ALL the stops to get rid of you (you wonder why they hire you in the first place). Back to an employer that, over that whole period, trivialised and brushed aside infinite reporting on bullying, thereby allowing the situation to escalate further and further. An employer that has not even seen one bullying incident being condemned. And thus not anyone (!!) held responsible or even the slightest improvements made…
Well. There you are… With your process of awareness and self-realisation and the many, many lessons you learned from the entire experience.
In the end completed justified of course. You didn’t do anything wrong, you were the victim of Workplace Bullying, dismissal and juridical pulling into pieces. So yes, no reason why you should lose your job and thus you rightfully get it back.
Still… Not the easiest thing in the world.
Or?! Is this the final stage of that awareness and huge learning process? Having researched and analysed the whole situation, from all sides. Understanding why and how one becomes a victim, why some people turn to bullying, in what sense managers are falling short as regards bullying, what type of organisation and organisation culture tolerate or even stimulate this kind of behaviour, etc. The conclusion actually is that is not about you but about ‘the other’ and the environment and culture in which all of this flourishes. So, once again, yes, also from this point of view you can return.
Furthermore, as emphasised in ALL the submitted documents : it concerned a ‘mob’! A mob that, even though it is likely not the only mob, still is not equivalent to the whole organisation. A dangerous mob that causes the damage, that in a culture of ‘categorically not being able to admit not even the slightest mistake’ leads to an aggressive sticking to ‘the path taken must be followed to the end’! That goes to the detriment of well-intentioned employees and the overall reputation. Maybe when the organisation fully understands this, it might actually prove possible to act.
And then there also is, at the end of your awakening process : Compassion!
That is quite something : Compassion! After ten years and four months and with so many people…
Maybe the same holds true for compassion as for ‘forgiving’. You decide whether and when you are ready for compassion. Today still or maybe in a year, ten years or only on your deathbed (or not at all after all). You are also the one who decides how far your compassion goes. 100% compassion is for saints, that is not necessary. For starters you might try for say 30, 40% or maybe 50. The extent of your compassion however, obviously shows how far you are in coming to terms and letting go of everything. So for your own health, compassion is worth a try.
The fact remains that slinging mud, reproaching and fighting only further increase polarisation and will not lead to improvements. Neither will it make things pleasant for yourself. Having analysed and understood the whole process of forces and behaviour might mean that you can indeed, with “that in mind”, return. Providing an example as it were and contribute in that way to what is needed for positive development of the organisation, culture, leadership and employees.
The ultimate end point of Awakening is : Confidence! Confidence that everything happens as it is supposed to happen. (Karma?) Confidence in how everything evolves. Confidence in that this is the right thing to happen, at this moment, at this point in your development. Ultimately this means : 100% Confidence in Yourself!
That then might be your ultimate trophy : how strong have you become that, after everything, you return : “And now I want a Chance; a Fair Chance; Finally!”
Maartje Rutten, The Hague, September 2nd, 2019