[Anonymous]

What are your experiences for those that have a few years under your belt? Obviously for people still in school or interning, you will be babied and treated like a kid, but I am curious how many people have had to deal with bullying from their superiors?

I consider it to be training and an “initiation” process, much like how frats might treat their pledges, but I’m curious about other people’s experiences.

Have any stories to tell? Thoughts? Advice for others?

[ScarletKnightCPA]

Yes, I was bullied by a female manager. I am a minority and have a baby face so I am permanently treated as a new college graduate even now, but I am not bullied presently, just treated as permanent intern.

It carried on because the director encouraged it. It consisted of yelling, belittling and raising hand in the air in a slapping motion.

It's a really long story, but basically I was able to catch them in their lies and deceit and approached HR. As a result I received a promotion and a pay raise, but this resulted in me transferred under someone else in the team who had little interaction with the rest of the team and my desk being moved off by myself. From that point on everyone pretty much just avoided me until I accepted an external position except for my new manager since he wasn't aware of what occurred.

Far: 76 (Wiley Test Bank)
Aud: 77 (Wiley Test Bank)
Reg: 61, 76 (Wiley book, Wiley Test Bank)
Bec: 86 (Wiley Test Bank)

MBA in progress

[GitRDone2017]

@ScarletKnightCPA
sorry to hear of your experience, I have been bullied in other professions by women and swear they are the worst! (and I am female). It got so bad that I was moved to a different crew, they turned me in on false accusations to my supervisor, i honestly thought it was never going to end! And then the layoffs started happening and little by little they were all let go before me…… Karma at its best 🙂

"Confidence is going after Moby Dick in a rowboat and taking tartar sauce with you" - Zig Ziglar
Ninja book + Ninja MCQ + Roger
AUD Oct 2016
FAR Nov 2016
BEC ?
REG?

[Anonymous]

My accounting work is fine, I complete my work well under budget and efficiently. When I am excited about a position and very outgoing, management at the firm tried training me to be more detail oriented. At another firm where I was more relaxed and detail oriented, they tried training me to be more outgoing and extroverted. It's sad really, not the bullying, just the shortsightedness of management.

Regardless, I appreciate the compassion and eagerness of people wanting to help here, though that is not my concern or reason for posting.

I mean although there was “bullying”, I was going to clients independently or one on one with the Senior Manager and Partners of the firm, which was a bit of special treatment.compared to the employees they had to baby.

I think my post makes it seem I'm looking for sympathy, that is not the case. I am still in the market and have received interview opportunities for well above average paying positions . If anything I think I have probably been too modest at work as far as South FL is concerned.

[Anonymous]

I was hoping someone in HR or recruiting might have some insight into exactly why firms treat employees like this. Again, I'm fairly certain it is a training technique which hasn't really stopped me from advancing in my career but has given me the foundation to excel over and beyond in my opinion.

[jcf175]

*Fraternity

Passed all sections between 5/15 - 10/15 order AUD REG BEC FAR (used Becker only)

[CPA2BEE]

My first job in public accounting was a really small (5 employees) CPA practice with an owner, a senior, and a few junior staff/staff. The senior was (and still is apparently) an absolute monster to the staff. He would threaten our jobs, insult us, stand over us with his fists clenched, rip files/documents out of our hands, and even broke one of the staff's chairs after throwing it against a wall. I for sure had it the best out of all the staff, the guy took a liking to me for some reason and was actually often helpful to me – but I was literally the only one. I have never seen people be treated the way they were at that office. They have a brand new staff every year and they wonder why….

Especially in small firms people do this and get away with it. I realized office bullying is definitely a real thing. My only advice is if you're going through it, don't put up with that sh*t. Bite back, call them out, don't back down to them. Anytime this guy tried to bully me I would snip back at him and he would back off, like a little puppy dog. Either that or leave the dang place, if you're going to spend all of your time doing something then there is no sense in having someone treat you like that the whole time.

FAR - 80
AUD - 82
BEC - 80
REG - 85

ETHICS - 90
EXPERIENCE - COMPLETE
Application for California license mailed 8/4/2016

[Anonymous]

i wish i was bullied by some of the women at work.

all i can think of is Jennifer Anniston in Horrible Bosses.

all kidding aside, I think everyone has been bullied/witnessed it in one or another aspect of life- and we can all agree the feeling sucks.

[Anonymous]

Yea one firm was very frat-like. They were wolf of wallstreet wannabes, though the managing partners of the firm were highly reputable in the area and I'm sure very wealthy considering their overall boisterous lifestyles.

[jcf175]

*Fraternity

Passed all sections between 5/15 - 10/15 order AUD REG BEC FAR (used Becker only)

[Missy]

” I'm fairly certain it is a training technique”

It's not. Training, HR, recruiting etc is far less calculated and contrived than most people imagine.

If someone acts like a jerk, they're a jerk, not a decent person trying some psychometric method of training. The fact is, most managers, recruiters and HR barely get enough training to successfully do what they're expected to do let alone play head games with their peers and subordinates.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Anonymous]

Interesting question:

I started off in a small firm. There were a handful of people with personality disorders. Yes, they were good at their jobs, but they clearly had unresolved issues from their childhood. They were producers, but I eventually watched them get fired as a result of their raw social skills.

All in all, don't let them get under your skin. They're probably suffering internally/mentally.

I suggest you meditate, read up on human psychology, and most important, remember to be the nicest person you can be on a daily basis. The “jerks” in business always have their karma coming.

[MaLoTu]

Maybe this is why recruiting at the entry-level is so focused on personality matches. Culture is everything and I could not imagine spending 8-12+ hours a day with people who don't respect, value, or like me (I need at least one, lol). Bullying is very unprofessional, I guess it happens, but I would never say that it is ok or acceptable.

[ScarletKnightCPA]

@GitRDone2017 Thanks!

@brickell cpa

” I'm fairly certain it is a training technique”

It is certainly not a training technique. Folks have treated others that they viewed as less powerful than themselves poorly throughout human history. It stems from people enjoying feeling superior to others, and social bonding over treating the ‘others' poorly.

Far: 76 (Wiley Test Bank)
Aud: 77 (Wiley Test Bank)
Reg: 61, 76 (Wiley book, Wiley Test Bank)
Bec: 86 (Wiley Test Bank)

MBA in progress

[Anonymous]

Well I don't know what to make of it then other than racism/discrimination.

[Missy]

If you're being treated differently than your peers on a regular basis then discrimination is entirely possible. But if you're not entirely sure how others are being treated that you can't observe, or you get the sense these people treat all their subordinates poorly they're just jerks. There's no shortage of people who get a bit of responsibility and fancy themselves superior to others.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Author]

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