My office manager was bully and it caused me to quit

by Sarweni

(Tampa, FL )

I worked with this company only for 9 months and I had a strong working experience in the past.

Due to some bully of the Office Manager, I became very stressed. I was not able to focus on my duties.

One morning, there was an incident where she finally said “I am done with you, I am done!!”.

I collected my personal belongings and returned the office keys back to her. She said “She quits but she does not say it” to one of my teammates.

My direct boss then called me to ask me to go back but after a week thinking about it, I decided not to go back. I was very stressed and in my capacities of work, I had to deal with the Office Manager and no way of not involving her.

They denied my unemployment with reason:
1. The worker voluntarily quit on such and such because “did not state a reason”
2. The worker was offered a permanent job the following week at the office location of her choice and she declined the offer.

My hearing date is set in a couple of week, do you think I should hire an attorney?. I can not afford but hiring an attorney but I can not afford to lose this unemployment. Please provide advises!!. Thank you very much!. I live in Florida

Hi Sarweni,

Yes, I think you should hire an attorney because if you do not and go forward to that hearing without one .. I think you will lose.

You are not focusing on what the real problem is.

You said you were fired, gave back your keys to the bully. This need to be established as fact.

But, the bully’s boo boo was reacted to by the employer and correctly, I might add.

That determination didn’t just say you quit .. it said they offered you a permanent job at a location of your choice.

You stated in your question that your “direct boss” called you to come back to work. You did not mention that that they gave you a choice of location .. that’s important, Sarweni.

This tells me that if you refused such an offer you had better be able to prove why you refused suitable work and not just why you didn’t want to go back to that location, but others as well.

I recommend you hire an attorney if you cannot afford to not get benefits .. because even with an attorney it could be very touch and go as to whether you can get benefits.

Anytime some mentions a “workplace bully” .. I get nervous for them and think “Oh Great! he said/she said”

I don’t care who a person is .. deciding who sounds more credible .. is subjective .. even for a hearing officer. Find a “good” attorney just to control the hearing officer and conduct an effective cross examination of the employer witnesses.