Evidence Confirms That Your Coworker’s A Jerk

I’m called into human resources out of the blue one morning. I don’t understand what it could be about. I keep my head down and work hard; I rarely make mistakes.

Eventually, they let me into a meeting room and one of the HR team speaks to me.

Human Resources: “I’ve been asked to speak with you today about an issue with [Coworker]. Do you know what this relates to?”

Me: “No idea.”

Human Resources: “She states that you exclude her, ignore her, and don’t help her when she asks.”

Me: “I’ll be honest; I don’t really know what this is about. We don’t work on the same area, and if I choose not to socialise with her on my breaks, that’s my time and my prerogative.”

Human Resources: *Pauses* “That is true, but what about the help she asked for? What does that relate to?”

Me: “I don’t know. We don’t work together, so I can’t help her work-wise; I’m not trained in her job. She did ask me to get her some things from the shop before.”

Human Resources: “And you refused?”

Me: “Well, yeah. I wasn’t even going to the shops, so why would I spend my lunch getting her things?”

Human Resources: “Okay, so that’s it?”

Me: “Unless you have some examples or evidence.”

Human Resources: “No, I really don’t. Well, thank you for your help. I don’t know what to do about this one.”

I left her to it. I didn’t hear any more after a few weeks, so I emailed HR and asked what the situation was and whether it was resolved. They told me, “Due to the lack of evidence and numerous statements confirming similar instances, all investigations have been dropped.” It stands the weirdest interaction I’ve ever had with HR, and I can only assume [Coworker] was trying to bully people into doing what she wanted and then running to report anyone who didn’t.