ASK HR: Don’t take it anymore, stand up to the bullies at your workplace

Q.I am 23 and work as an assistant in a government infrastructural agency. My colleagues are much older than me — my parents’ age in fact. Our interaction is not as it should be due to the huge age gap. Women treat me as if I am a child while the men tend to boss me around , which I find awkward and insulting. I am an employee just like them and feel they should not treat me as such. How should I handle this situation?

Welcome to the working life dear 23-year-old. It is unfortunate that your first work experience is not as you expected. The situation you explain is faced by many young people especially those who join workplaces dominated by the older generation. The reality is that we now have four generations at workplace – Gen Z or the so called Snapchat generation who are  fresh from the university and are ready to work – you belong to this group. The Millennials or Gen Y, who despite their strange work ethics are now much settled and scaling the corporate ladder. Gen X, who are much older and still threatened by tech savvy millennials chasing after their plum jobs and of course in some sectors, Baby boomers, who are way past their retirement time but for some reason still have the energy to manage an eight hour work schedule.

Despite these demographics, employers must put every effort to make all employees feel comfortable, providing them with  an environment that enhances productivity.  But employers may not solve all challenges in regard to your situation and you must speak and stand up to these friendly bullies. Most of them mean well, and they think they are helping you, not realising they are crushing your confidence in the process. So speak up and tell them how their behaviour and attitude affects your work and feelings. Let them know you have your roles and responsibilities and being young does not mean they should patronise you. Tackling this situation head on may get you the respect that you and other young colleagues deserve.

We say actions speak louder than words, look for ways to demonstrate your competence. You can earn respect through your work. Among these there must be some who are genuine in desiring to mentor you. Use them to speak to other colleagues about your challenges. If all attempts to find a suitable solution fail you should speak to your supervisor.