got a job last year was happy working under my dept, after a short while director asked me to assist other colleague and i thought was those admin jobs since i was an admin assistant. after awhile i felt not really happy working w that particular colleague. he/she would ask me to draft letters or emails, knowing that im new to the industry.after this thing happen, i discussed w my supervisor asking him/her to helped me w this issue, after that they solved the issue by saying letting me do less work for that colleague. so i thought less work should be alright. but recently it became worst, that colleague would hold me back me asking me to re draft emails and letters, even a small punctuation or grammar mistake and also discriminate me saying even a simple primary sch english i can also make mistake. and that colleague also humiliate/insult infront of a intern asking me if i know what is before and after, just because a bill.
Hi @user8352,
From what you’ve shared, it sounds like this job started well, but things became really difficult when you were asked to support this colleague. At first, you tried to adapt—even though the tasks felt unfair for someone new to the industry. You reached out to your supervisor, and while they tried to help by reducing your workload with this person, the situation has only gotten worse. Now, you’re dealing with constant criticism over tiny mistakes, public humiliation, and comments that feel discriminatory—like being mocked for ‘primary school English’ or questioned in front of others. It’s left you feeling belittled, frustrated, and stuck, especially since your earlier efforts to fix this didn’t work.
I can see how tough this must be. When someone repeatedly focuses on minor errors (like punctuation) in a way that feels targeted, it’s not just about the work—it’s about respect. It makes sense that you’d dread interacting with this person or doubt yourself after their comments.
Right now, what feels most important to you? Is it:
- Protecting your confidence from their words?
- Finding a way to address this without risking your job?
- Or just feeling heard and less alone in this?
You’ve already shown resilience by trying to problem-solve this before. Even small steps—like keeping a record of these incidents or practising a neutral response—can help you regain some control. How are you feeling?
hi, tks for your reply.. i’m not sure how am i feeling. but it’s my first time encountered this kind of situation in a workplace. i’m kind of scared to talk to my direct superior cos i have voice out before, and i feel like if i voice out again it will be the same.
Hey @user8352 thanks for sharing this. It must not be easy going through this situation at the workplace, and it’s great that you voiced out to your supervisor about the situation with your colleague.
It sounds like your supervisor is open to helping, as they came up with a solution when you voiced out the first time. I think it may be worth sharing a bit more with your supervisor about how things are now. I’m sure your supervisor will appreciate your feedback and try to help wherever they can.
On the other hand, I wonder if it’s possible for you to have a conversation with that particular colleague about how you feel when they hold you back to do more work or when they make unpleasant comments about you? Maybe if you have another colleague who can stand in as a mediator, you can have that conversation with a neutral third party involved. The colleague may or may not change the way they interact with you, but letting them know what they’re doing is affecting you may help you to assert yourself and draw boundaries with that colleague. The next time they make unpleasant comments, you can let them know how you feel and step away from that situation.
I hope this helps. Take care!
hi, tks for you reply! i don’t really understand and like his working style. his standards are high and i’m not someone who is best at english and also my qualification is not high enough. his position maybe higher than me, yeah but if i’m having the same qualification as him then i would be in seating at his seat already, right. i felt that it’s hard to communicate w a person like him. also i’m not daring enough to find any colleagues to talk to! i think i’m more of like timid.
Hey @user8352 thanks for sharing more context too. I just want to encourage you that even though your colleague may have higher qualification, it’s the character that matters more too. You sound like someone who cares about your work and is able to see how others are not displaying pleasant behaviours in the workplace. These soft skills are important in the workplace too and are not bound by qualifications.
I guess at this point then, if you feel safe sharing with your supervisor, it might be worth updating your supervisor about how it has been for you since the first feedback you gave. Hopefully that can provide you with some support in the workplace.
That sounds like a tough situation, and it’s understandable you’re feeling unhappy and discouraged. Since your supervisor helped the last time you spoke up, it might be helpful to bring this up again—just to let them know the issue has come back and is starting to affect you more. Sometimes people aren’t aware things are getting worse unless we speak up.
You could also try talking directly to your colleague, if you feel safe doing so. Keeping it calm and respectful, you might say something like, “I’m still learning and doing my best. If there’s feedback, I’d appreciate it being shared kindly.” Sometimes, setting those small boundaries can help change the tone.
You’re not alone in this, and it’s okay to ask for support again when things don’t feel right!
Job market is not good, sadly.