Do Reps have any rights if you are bullied or discriminated against??

Anonymous

Guest
Been in pharma for a while now and know that HR is not your friend and nobody can be trusted. However, I was recently bullied and discriminated (not race) against by my DM. I was told that a few people in my district went to my manager to complain that I was being negative (ironic I know) and it was disruptive to the team at our meeting. My DM then has me call ALL of my peers even though it was only a few who said something but won't tell me who said something and ask them for feedback on my "negative behavior". I had to report back to my DM what I learned and what I am going to do to change it. These items were complete bs and the rest of district has done things just as bad and been just as negative and stems from my DM not liking me. I really feel singled out and targeted and treated differently than the rest of the team. And what manager has you call all of your peers for negative feedback only (has to be an HR issue)? I wanted to call HR so badly but then I will be out of a job for sure and they will find a reason to get rid of me at that point. The only thing reps have on our side now is the legal system and these companies being scared of law suits and I wanted to know if anyone knew what legal recourse I would have (if any) and if we as reps have any recourse besides looking for another job?
 








Well, welcome to AZ where backstabbing and bullying are rampant. No, you cannot do anything except get out of here. This place is a toxic cesspool and the entire industry is headed into the toilet. Believe me, as more and more offices close, there will be no more need for reps. Do yourself a big favor and regardless of your age, find some other career path. This is a deadend street and anyone and everyone here will throw you under the bus at the first chance. . . or do as the previous poster suggested and shit sugar sprinkles.
 




It's a mistake to think that HR will automatically side with the manager. I have seen it go the other way plenty of times. Everyone in pharma is negative, just don't be in "public". Remember, trust not a single soul in your district. Be careful what you say at all times. Share nothing with them about the way you feel. Always smile and be agreeable. Now, they have the managers attention towards you, and off them. They are trying to make themselves look good in the process. Do whatever it takes to get back in good with them and your DM. It's all about survival until you can find something else.

If you go to HR, it sounds like you will be out numbered from the beginning. Not a good thing. Start to look to other companies and try and get out if the above fails.
 




Been in pharma for a while now and know that HR is not your friend and nobody can be trusted. However, I was recently bullied and discriminated (not race) against by my DM. I was told that a few people in my district went to my manager to complain that I was being negative (ironic I know) and it was disruptive to the team at our meeting. My DM then has me call ALL of my peers even though it was only a few who said something but won't tell me who said something and ask them for feedback on my "negative behavior". I had to report back to my DM what I learned and what I am going to do to change it. These items were complete bs and the rest of district has done things just as bad and been just as negative and stems from my DM not liking me. I really feel singled out and targeted and treated differently than the rest of the team. And what manager has you call all of your peers for negative feedback only (has to be an HR issue)? I wanted to call HR so badly but then I will be out of a job for sure and they will find a reason to get rid of me at that point. The only thing reps have on our side now is the legal system and these companies being scared of law suits and I wanted to know if anyone knew what legal recourse I would have (if any) and if we as reps have any recourse besides looking for another job?

Discrimination claims help people in protected classes, like age, race, orientation, etc., but the one that really packs a punch is race. Even so, AZ knows what they're doing in that arena far better than you or any puny law firm you can find to take your case. Unless your DM tells you that he hates you because you're a certain race and you have it on tape, it's best to forget the lawsuit against AZ option. You'd have better odds with lottery tickets.

Best thing for you to to is make nice.
 




Here are the next steps. Do not be surprised to get a ride with the RSD, even though no one can remember the last time they were in the field. Then at the BEMs you will be monitored closely and it will be reported that you are struggling with the new messaging. Your records will be searched and you will be asked what you did the first two weeks of the year in a roundabout kind of way.

Your DSM will ride with you every two weeks and do 2-day visits even if they usually just come for 1 day and leave shortly after lunch for an urgent teleconference. Then you will get a coaching form with a bunch of bad marks and suggestions for improvement. You have about 60 days before your action plan and 90 before your PIP. Right now they are trying to figure out how to change your 2012 write-up to be even worse than it was when they wrote it back in Dec. Bye bye birdie. Make the cut clean and do it yourself
 




If this is true which I doubt you are screwed. You put this on CP and gave enough details to ID you. You signed your own termination Skippy. You have less than two months to find another job. Absolutely no way you will survive this.
 




Been in pharma for a while now and know that HR is not your friend and nobody can be trusted. However, I was recently bullied and discriminated (not race) against by my DM. I was told that a few people in my district went to my manager to complain that I was being negative (ironic I know) and it was disruptive to the team at our meeting. My DM then has me call ALL of my peers even though it was only a few who said something but won't tell me who said something and ask them for feedback on my "negative behavior". I had to report back to my DM what I learned and what I am going to do to change it. These items were complete bs and the rest of district has done things just as bad and been just as negative and stems from my DM not liking me. I really feel singled out and targeted and treated differently than the rest of the team. And what manager has you call all of your peers for negative feedback only (has to be an HR issue)? I wanted to call HR so badly but then I will be out of a job for sure and they will find a reason to get rid of me at that point. The only thing reps have on our side now is the legal system and these companies being scared of law suits and I wanted to know if anyone knew what legal recourse I would have (if any) and if we as reps have any recourse besides looking for another job?

I would agree with another poster that this could very well be the beginning of a downward spiral. Although you have not contacted HR, it is certain that your manager already has if he is smart. Heck, they may even have made the recommendation to your manager to get documentation from your peers. At least you will get to air your side of the story. Your recourse is to say that you are willing to work with your manager to correct the behavior.

If they are not already starting the process to manage you out, this might end the issue. If they are trying to manage you out, they'll simply look to document more behaviors and it is then a matter of time until they spring the trap.

So far as AZ being scared of lawsuits? They've done this hundreds of times and know the drill. They aren't frightened and you would need something up your sleeve much bigger than interpersonal conflict.
 




Been in pharma for a while now and know that HR is not your friend and nobody can be trusted. However, I was recently bullied and discriminated (not race) against by my DM. I was told that a few people in my district went to my manager to complain that I was being negative (ironic I know) and it was disruptive to the team at our meeting. My DM then has me call ALL of my peers even though it was only a few who said something but won't tell me who said something and ask them for feedback on my "negative behavior". I had to report back to my DM what I learned and what I am going to do to change it. These items were complete bs and the rest of district has done things just as bad and been just as negative and stems from my DM not liking me. I really feel singled out and targeted and treated differently than the rest of the team. And what manager has you call all of your peers for negative feedback only (has to be an HR issue)? I wanted to call HR so badly but then I will be out of a job for sure and they will find a reason to get rid of me at that point. The only thing reps have on our side now is the legal system and these companies being scared of law suits and I wanted to know if anyone knew what legal recourse I would have (if any) and if we as reps have any recourse besides looking for another job?

Tell them you're gay, or might be gay. Anything that anyone says or does can then labelled discrimination or bullying. Calling all of your peers is not part of job to have them assess your personality, or their perception of it. Tell DM to provide solid written example, otherwise you will call HIS manager on a recorded line. Yup, you'll make it toxic for them, and just watch how fast they retreat.
 




What if this caused the rep extreme mental and emotional anguish and sent them into a depression due to the fact that they had to contact all of their peers and listen to negative feedback? Actions by company/manager caused medical condition. These are the kinds of things you hear about when someone goes postal.
 




well you've outted yourself. May as well tell what DM or region. Sounds like the tactic of someone I know. His behavior is obviously bullying juvenile, sophmorish at best. Personally, I would have said, NO. You may as well get ready for the next step, which is getting put on a pip. Send an email to HR..giving them a step by step and who you spoke with, put it in writing. They won't side with you, like I said, you are on your way out, but it put some heat on him to stop his harrassment tactics. Copy his manager and all of the higher ups on the email. He needs to feel the heat. Don't quit, let them fire you, it will take them a few months to get their ducks in a row. A lawyer is useless unless you have others that have suffered the abuse my this character. State that you are filing a formal complaint in the email. Contact the eoec and file with them as well. Thats where the legal system will tell you to start. You might be surprised that this guy has had complaints by others. You are on your way out.....so go out knowing that you might have saved another person from this type of mental terrorism. Who is he?
 




What if this caused the rep extreme mental and emotional anguish and sent them into a depression due to the fact that they had to contact all of their peers and listen to negative feedback? Actions by company/manager caused medical condition. These are the kinds of things you hear about when someone goes postal.

You can tell your manager or HR all you want about emotional anguish or depression, even list what drugs you are taking. It won't make a-hill-a-beans of difference. Don't fool yourself into thinking these people care. HR has done this hundreds of times.
 




If this is true which I doubt you are screwed. You put this on CP and gave enough details to ID you. You signed your own termination Skippy. You have less than two months to find another job. Absolutely no way you will survive this.

Typical AZ egotist. Quit calling people "Skippy" like you're some wise ass with all the answers. You don't have them or you've just been lucky. How degrading. What happened to this person is so typical of AZ and of pharma sales in general.
 




Typical AZ egotist. Quit calling people "Skippy" like you're some wise ass with all the answers. You don't have them or you've just been lucky. How degrading. What happened to this person is so typical of AZ and of pharma sales in general.

You are one dumb putz...Skippy. The OP is full of shit. No one would post such details on CF for the world to read and ID him or her. That would seal his/her fate. I can't believe some of the asshats that work at this company.
 












Typical AZ egotist. Quit calling people "Skippy" like you're some wise ass with all the answers. You don't have them or you've just been lucky. How degrading. What happened to this person is so typical of AZ and of pharma sales in general.

Ditto.

AZ knows nothing regarding who is posting here unless that person us doing it through the AZ server. And they're FUCKING DYING to know.

Congress -- the highest legislature -- in the fucking USA -- wanted info on posters and got told to pack sand. AZ knows squat about the names of people on this anonymous site. Zip. They quit guessing when they discovered they might as well go piss up a rope.

You are anonymous here.
 




You are one dumb putz...Skippy. The OP is full of shit. No one would post such details on CF for the world to read and ID him or her. That would seal his/her fate. I can't believe some of the asshats that work at this company.

Dude, you really need to quit with the "Skippy." That wasn't funny or clever 5 years ago when it first appeared. You are about as creative and imaginative as a pet rock. Tool.
 




OP , This advice is True, i am sorry to say. I would not be surprised to see that this manager, like at other companies, has had other documented cases of discrimination and abuse. Pharma hires and protects evil SOB managers. The sicker, the better!
Check out boards for AUXILIUM, NOVARTIS, AND SANOFI, to name a few for other examples of abuse. Remember: HR is NOT on your side. Unfortunately, the description below is sadly how your movie's going to end:




well you've outted yourself. May as well tell what DM or region. Sounds like the tactic of someone I know. His behavior is obviously bullying juvenile, sophmorish at best. Personally, I would have said, NO. You may as well get ready for the next step, which is getting put on a pip. Send an email to HR..giving them a step by step and who you spoke with, put it in writing. They won't side with you, like I said, you are on your way out, but it put some heat on him to stop his harrassment tactics. Copy his manager and all of the higher ups on the email. He needs to feel the heat. Don't quit, let them fire you, it will take them a few months to get their ducks in a row. A lawyer is useless unless you have others that have suffered the abuse my this character. State that you are filing a formal complaint in the email. Contact the eoec and file with them as well. Thats where the legal system will tell you to start. You might be surprised that this guy has had complaints by others. You are on your way out.....so go out knowing that you might have saved another person from this type of mental terrorism. Who is he?
 




Tell them you're gay, or might be gay. Anything that anyone says or does can then labelled discrimination or bullying. Calling all of your peers is not part of job to have them assess your personality, or their perception of it. Tell DM to provide solid written example, otherwise you will call HIS manager on a recorded line. Yup, you'll make it toxic for them, and just watch how fast they retreat.

The DSM has likely already talked to their manager and HR. Managers discuss reps all the time. They'll provide you with plenty of written examples. Retreat? Don't count on it. In most regions this is just business as usual. It is an expectation for people to be culled. Managers who don't do it might be suspect themselves.