Harassment From the Top

The owner of the company had pretty much remained distant from the harassment I was being subjected to at work until the middle of the following week. The owner called me into his office around ten thirty and said he wanted me to draw up a monthly plan for the coming month of August. He went on to explain how I would progress to a six month plan and then to a one year plan at some future date. There was nothing unusual in his request except that he repeatedly insisted that I hand my monthly plan to by the end of the day. I told him that I would have no problem meeting his request and that I would get back together with him mid- afternoon with my monthly plan. He said that would be fine.


I went back to my office and worked on the monthly plan for about an hour and then took a short lunch break. That afternoon I did some work in the lab and then went back to my office to put some finishing touches on my monthly plan. I added some six month objectives at the end of the plan to let Dr. Jon, the owner, know I knew how to draw up long term objectives.

It was about two PM when I went to Dr. Jon’s office to hand in my work. I was surprised to find his door locked. Since it was still early in the afternoon, I went back to my office and then returned to the lab to do some more work.

Later that afternoon I went back to Dr. John’s office to deliver my plans for the month. Again his office was dark and the door was locked. Finally, I went into the reception area and asked the receptionist if she knew were Dr. Jon was and when he would be back.

“Oh yes,” the receptionist replied. “Dr. Jon left at noon to go on a vacation with his family. He won’t be back until Monday morning.”

I stood there momentarily stunned. The whole request for the monthly plan was nothing more than an orchestrated harassing incident. Dr. Jon had known all along that he wouldn’t be in his office that afternoon or for the next couple of days. The incident was just another of the constant stimulus to my nervous system.