I'm glad your outta the place that makes you miserable. Its definately not worth it! You'll find something thats equally dream-jobish, with more respect, and more free time. In the meantime, TAKE YOUR YOU TIME! We all need it.

GOOD for YOU! I am so proud of you for doing this. There is no reason that anyone should get treated this way. Your employers sounded like Meryl Streep on, "The Devil Wears Prada" !!! How horrible to actually have to go through that. I was getting worried about you with how stressed out you were and that you seemed to not get a break! What was their reaction when you resigned? Did you let them know it was mainly because you were mistreated? Those people need to be evaluated....for their sanity! They have lost their minds! Who does that people?! If they're not careful they are going to lose more and more people.

I'm glad you are able to keep your discount at the gym. Sounds like it will be fun!

I have the same question as Kristi...I hope you told them why you left and to somebody over your bosses head. The fact you were under so much stress there and the toll it was taking on your health...I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I've been in jobs where nothing I did was good enough but I don't think it was as hard for me as you because it was not in my field. That had to be so hard to have what was supposed to be your dream job turn out to be such a nightmare. But with all your experience and talent I know there's a job out there that you'll enjoy where you'll be APPRECIATED. Can't wait to hear you post when it comes along. In the meantime so glad you've got some time for you...and that's an awesome gym price, lol

thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much you really spoke the truth on that one! She was absolutely insane, and soon I realized I was justifying in my mind HER insanity so I wouldn't go insane. She truly was a sick individual with all of her employees constantly trying to prove their loyalty to her. As my mom said, "I have a God, and <insert her name here> is not mine."

SO it is a really long story how it happened. Jist of it was, continually for weeks she has not allowed me to complete a sentence because she wants to impart her wisdom on whatever I am saying. So I never got a chance to complete a thought, thus never getting a chance to show her what I had actually been doing. There was also some name calling thrown in there and some very jerk comments that were getting more and more irritating.

A week prior to resigning, I had assisted a post-doc with a project. Some minor things went wrong, but I fixed them and was well on my way with completing her project in time. Then the post-doc told me the WRONG antibiotics to add, and since I'm just a lowly assistant, I followed her instructions. Well, she was wrong, and I had to start a three hour process over again at 3 PM. So by 5:30, I had everything ready to go and only one more step left. I had a meeting with a volunteer organization I am a part of at 6 across town and so I had to leave the post-doc to finish the final step. Which she was pissed off about due to her sense of entitlement and her condescending nature. However, she said it was fine, and I even came in early on a SATURDAY to help her at 7:30 AM with another project!

Lab meeting on Monday, I was unprepared. I was drained from working while still sick, and my project wasn't up to par. However, I did know what I was talking about. Right from the get-go, my boss wouldn't let me complete a sentence, which was beyond irritating. Everything I said to her was wrong, and if I did say something wrong I caught myself to correct it, but then she accused me of not knowing anything (she said that!). Then when I explained what I did the previous week, I briefly told her the post-doc incident. BRIEFLY. The post-doc then interrupted and threw me under the bus and TOLD ME to "not talk about it, it was irritating and annoying, move on."

Seriously.

So I then got verbally abused in front of all of my co-workers by her saying I was unprepared, I didn't know what I was doing, I was getting old, I was immature, I was wasting time, I was wasting money, etc.

She then called me in to her office following this meeting. In her office she told me my actions "disgusted" her and that I didn't know what I was doing. She basically called me incompetent several times. She then told me I was behaving "arrogantly" and that the post-doc never wanted me to work again. It was worse, but I don't have then energy to go into more of it.

She then asked me to either resign or continue a "work improvment" plan. Or as I call it, Cover Their Ass Plan. I said I guess I would work harder. I mean what do you say? As I was walking back to my desk I was asking myself if I really had let this woman degrade me so much. I was disgusted with MYSELF for just rolling over for her.

The next morning I came in early and gave her my formal two weeks notice. She said she was suprised. Give it up! UGH So I continued to work and was given a list of tasks of my unfinished projects to complete. I finished all but two in two days. This morning, I was working on a project and she called me in to her office. She said I had failed at all of my projects (lie) and I should just leave and they will pay me out for the remaineder of my two weeks. She really wanted me to leave because I really do think I was the first person ever to stand up to her and say NO this IS NOT acceptable! I even clearly laid that out in my notice. Then dismissing me early? I'm fine with that, but she also hadn't spoken to me since my notice nor made eye contact with me. Scared piece of shit.

Needless to say I am disgusted with the entire institution and I WILL be making it clear in my exit interview next week what I really think of her. She is a bully, she is vindictive and she is a director who should realign her priorities. If she focused more on the research rather than invoking fear in her employees then her lab would be thirty times more successful.

The great part of it is, is two people are currently on work improvement plans in the lab. She has the potential to lose three employees (myself included) in a two week period. Ever since I resigned, however, the other two employees have what they personally said, experienced a dramatic shift in attitude towards them. She's covering her ass. She was telling them good job (even when they didn't do well) and was telling them they were vastly improved (even if they had accomplished nothing). One of the employees on the plan even told me he has an interview at another lab and if it goes well, he is leaving. There was only 8 people in the lab! This looks horrible on her and I can't wait to let HR know about how I was treated.


Wow. I went on for awhile. I guess I just had to let that all out. I feel great! Weight wise, due to this hectic week I have gained a pound and a half. I'm just not going to change anything on my tracker, I will definitely go down next week and hopefully every week following. The stress release is amazing. My skin has cleared up over night, my chest feels lighter, and even my friends said my voice sounds happier. I can't wait until I work out, I think tomorrow. I joined a new gym downtown (as previously discussed) but I haven't had time to go to it. I wanted to go today, but the stress of the entire day has just made me want to curl up and watch tv. I think I'm going to give myself that much, I earned it.

You are all awesome on here, especially through out all of this. I have definitely had one of the worst couple of weeks of my entire life. Being without power, being so busy and being consumed by horrible people has made me re-evaluate what is really important, and that is getting healthy and being surrounded by positive influences. Thank you for all of the support and I think I'm going to go ice my wrists now....hahahahha

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you hit the nail on the head, it WAS supposed to be my dream job and open so many doors for me, but in fact I was treated horribly and my stress level is outrageous. Luckily it is behind me and there is no turning back!!! Thank you for all of your kind words, I need it right now!

I'd have to full on agree, that woman must be insane. I mean c'mon, you have a college degree. That takes alot of work, commitment and skill to finish getting a degree in science and you don't accomplish that by having any of the characteristics she kept throwing out. She acted like this was highschool kids working in a fast food chain.

On top of that, like you said, how is that lab going to be successful at all in the atmosphere she is creating. Even if somebody were to make a mistake it's obvious they can't just own up and fix it...she's got half her staff on the way out and the rest stabbing eachother in the back to keep their jobs. I'm amazed anything productive even gets done and the fact you worked your ass off and she didn't see that at all...wow. I'd like to go slap her myself.

Seriously after you talk to HR pls post, I really want to know what they have to say. You never know...maybe she has stuff in her file already

Before I respond, I LOVE YOUR TICKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too cute! haha

Thank you for writing what you did, because I was starting to really doubt I made the right decision. I think it is because I'm feeling so useless at home just laying around and not working but c'est la vie. You are completely right about the employees doing the back stabbing and the rest quitting or being fired. One of the administrative assistants I am friends with there gave me a call today and another person quit on our floor, couldn't handle it anymore and she stormed into my boss' office and quit and didn't even give two weeks notice. She wasn't in my dept. but she was in another lab that worked under my boss. I think that is awesome on her part and good for her.

I have my exit interview with HR on Friday and I'm really excited about it. I still have access to the intranet from home and I was doing some reading after reading what you wrote, and she had a 10% cut in funding this past year, and a total of 20% in the past three years. It is all public since it is a government nonprofit hospital. That means she hasn't been doing her job since I was there and before, and so I cannot wait to talk to HR and fuel that fire. I know it is spiteful but from what I just endured, it is giong to make me feel better. It also cannot really be considered spiteful since I will just tell them the truth!

Thanks for stopping by!!!!! And thank you for all of your kind words!

BLEH. So today is my first unofficial day of unemployment. I'm still getting paid (money in the bank) but I don't go to work. It is nice. I woke up at the same time I normally would wake up for work, applied for some jobs, made breakfast (poached egg, two pieces of toast, peach, plum, water) and then went and searched for more jobs and then went on here. Productive day so far.

I also am apparently sick. SWEET. I thought I had gotten over my old cold, but I was still feeling crappy yesterday. I've been worried about my healthcare running out, so I went to the doctor's yesterday just to get things sorted out. Apparently I had a 100.4 deg. fever, my nose was really blocked up, I had severe ear infections and strep throat. I really didn't think I was THAT sick! hahahaha The doctor thinks because I finally have a chance to calm down, and I'm so run down, that it all caught up with me. I'm alright, I don't FEEL sick, I mean my ears do hurt and my throat sort of hurts, but I was really suprised to hear that from him! I'm on some serious meds that knock me out so I have just been sleeping for the past two days. I do feel a lot better today, and I might go for a long walk around the park by my apartment, or even walk around downtown. It is so strange though!

Weight wise, I have been doing great. Ever since I have stopped working, my clothes have been fitting looser and I have a ton more energy. I have also madea concious effort to formulate a plan to stick by. I want to have a scheduled day, where I wake up at a "go to work" time, apply for jobs, eat, work, go work out, and clean my apartment. I hope by developing a routine I can still keep in the swing of things. I should feel about 80% better tomorrow and I'm going to try and go to my gym and workout.

I have a consultation with the trainer at the gym (free with membership!!!) for two hours. One hour is a diet consult, and the next hour is a fitness training consult. So cool, because I will get a fitness plan for me. He wants me to bring what I have been doing and eating so we can make a clear cut plan. I have been doing all of this by myself, but I haven't seen the results I've wanted so it will be great to talk to a professional.

Also on the positive side, at the doctor's I no longer have a heart murmur (which he thinks was stress induced), high blood pressure (stress related), and my heart rate has been reduced to a very healthy level which he attributes to diet and exercise!!! So even though I haven't lost a lot of weight, I am getting healthier which was very encouraging!!!!

OH and biggest loser is on tonight: MOTIVATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And those are the things that really count!!!! That is AWESOME! I can't wait to hear more about the one on one with the trainer.

Good for you staying busy and getting right out there looking for new jobs. You will be hired in no time and will really be where you want to be. If anything, this was a good learning experience and nothing can be worse than what you went through! You've been through the ringer and nothing will get you down after all of that nonsense!


I can't wait for Biggest Loser tonight too!

Thanks for the support Kristi! So I'm not going to watch the Biggest Loser from last night, I'm going to wait until later tonight to watch it and then watch it together with tonight's biggest loser. I don't know if i could handle the anticipation of waiting!!! hahaha

I'm at 191, which is no big deal. I'm going to go work out today. I have been eating a healthy maintenance level, and I'm doing well with nutrition it is just going to workout has been NADA since the back injury, so today will be my first day back at it. I am only down 5 pounds since joining this site, but I'm also down between 8-10 lbs since late May early June when I first started eating healthy, so that is a pretty good weight loss in my eyes! I just wish it would fall right off, but to be honest, I haven't put in the working out effort I should. I'm glad that I can say that now and not make excuses anymore.

NO MORE EXCUSES!

So I'm off to workout and then laundry and then apply for jobs!!! YAY! Have a good day everyone!

Thanks I looked for a long time to find that ticker and you're the only person who said anything, lol. Anyway don't beat yourself up...we've all felt "spiteful" and like you said, after what you just went through it's perfectly logical. On top of that, look at it this way, she's terrorizing people and you making sure what she did to you is on the record means that eventually she'll be stopped. You're actually preventing it from happening to somebody down the road. If more people had stepped up like you are doing maybe you would have been spared all that crap but unfortunately not as many people have the guts. Even after they've quit I know alot of people won't speak up as to why when it's valid, so feel good about it

Sorry to hear you're sick but that is so weird that you don't FEEL sick, lol. Can I have that problem next time everyone gets hit by a cold? What's the trick? lol Anyway I'm sure after all the stress you're body has been through it's not surprising.

And look at you! You just went through a hell of an ordeal, sick and running a fever, and still getting up same time everyday to put in job apps! So stop it, you're makin the rest of us look bad, lmao. Even a week of slacking first would have made you amazing but you didn't even miss a beat. When my hubby got laid off and was on unemployment he waited until the last minute, lol. Seriously you are truly inspiring...you need to bottle up that motivation and give some to me I need it!

Glad to hear that all the stress is done with. Amazing what one person can put a ton of people thru! I hope you find a job that will give you the levels of learning and respect you deserve, and definately tell us how the exit interview goes!!

The reason I noticed was because my high school mascot was the Polar Bear and so whenever I see a Polar Bear I become 16 again and think GO BEARS! hahaha

It isn't hard to NOT feel sick and BE sick. For one thing, it all caught up with me today and I was just SOOOOO tired! But I'll try to package it and give it ot you!

Thanks for all of the positive feedback! You make ME believe in myself!!!

EXACTLY! I'll fill everyone in tomorrow afternoon after I finish with it. EXCITED! Also, Barack Obama is going to be speaking right by the hospital where my interview is, so I'm going to try and see him. Regardless of anyone's political affiliation, he is a great speaker and I'm excited!