Emotion: sadness
Problem: job crisis
Situation: My new supervisor hates me.  She already hated me before she was my boss. In addition to being a terrible manager, she has made a personal goal to inhibit my ability to do my job.  She has taken from me all parts of my job that I value.  This upsets me personally and I am sad & angry that the rest of my team, who I care about, is no longer supported.  We have no recourse to solve this problem.

assistant: Hello there, how is life treating you at the moment?

user: Not too bad outside of work. I'm miserable there.

assistant: So you are experiencing problems at work? Please tell me about it, I am happy to listen.

user: Things have changed and my new supervisor has crushed my spirit by taking all the parts I love away. She never liked me and now she gets to make me suffer.

assistant: I am very sorry to hear that - trouble with workmates, especially those who are in a higher position, can make things very miserable can't they?

user: They really can. I used to love my job and my team. Now she has made everyone miserable because she just doesn't care about learning the job or the job at all. My morale is low and worse because I can't help my peers who are struggling as well.

assistant: Have you considered going over her head and putting in a complaint? Especially if she is making everyone else miserable as well. Someone more senior might be able to do something.

user: I have considered this many times. Unfortunately, the next level manager doesn't respect or value my team in general. She has made that clear. She's also just awful and uncomfortable to talk to. I've found her to just be mean sometimes. It just feels so hopeless. Just waiting for someone to notice. Just hoping she fails. It's just really hard to show up everyday. But I do. Although the days are long and exhausting with no motivation to perform.

assistant: Please try to stay positive - bullies never prosper in the long term. I think that you need to talk to your co-workers about this and see if you can come to some sort of arrangement between you Alternatively, have you ever considered seeking another job? I know that that might feel like selling out but you might be happier somewhere else

user: You are right. She is a bully. I have called her several names to myself, but not a bully yet. My coworkers and I have discussed what options we may have. My suggestion was that we work at our normal pace rather than scrambling to make up for her failures. I wouldn't want to set her up, but I think her failing is the only way we will ever see a solution. I have applied for another job within my company. There seems to be interest in me, so that's exciting. It is a job I really want. But then, of course, I feel bad about leaving my peers behind. I really care about them.

assistant: I feel that that is fair enough. You should not be working to make up for her failures and I hear you saying that you feel that this is w hat is happening?

user: Definitely. Everyone is struggling. I am the one my team expects to help with some of the tasks she is not performing. I'm happy to do it for my team, but there is no recognition. But I think I have been giving them good advice about hanging in there, staying positive, etc... I should probably listen to myself.

assistant: (sorry was afk give me a second to catch up :)) I really feel that you have grounds for a formal complaint. Just her being incapable is bad enough but bullying too is unacceptable

user: You may be right. My company has an anonymous reporting system. I should learn a little more about how that works and see if that's an option. I'm not sure things could get much worse at this point. This could be my last ditch effort. That's good advice and you saying it directly to me makes me think I should lean into it. I can't just spin my wheels in misery much longer.

assistant: Anonymous reporting sounds like a good thing, as long as it's not being abused. This sounds like a very good time to use it though I hope I have been able to give you some good advice here!

user: Most definitely. I feel more confident now about the anonymous reporting. I'll gather some notes from my peers to ensure I have a viable complaint. That's so helpful. Thank you.