Mistreatment by a coworker

When we are talking about situations where you do not get along with a coworker, i.e. the coworker is somehow treating you poorly, there are a number of things which you can do yourself to help your situation.

I cannot emphasize enough how far just a little direct communication will get you in situations like this. If you speak directly and calmly to the person in question about which specific behaviors are bothering you, and what you want to be done to make for a better situation, it is very likely that it'll get the ball rolling in the right direction, and in some cases will solve the problem entirely! It's often the case that the person in question doesn't even realize how hurt you are by their actions, and when you tell them directly it will alert them to what's going on and they'll try to avoid this in the future.

If you've tried everything with the person in question, and the situation still isn't getting better, try talking to your supervisor and seeing what s/he can do for you. Your supervisor may be able to talk to this person for you and explain to them what is going on, and if the situation is very serious s/he can help you make a formal complaint to your principal or even change your class/teachers. This very rarely happens but sometimes is necessary for the well-being of the ALT.

If the person you are having trouble with IS your supervisor, you have a couple of options. Once again, you should first try talking about it directly with him/her. This solves 90% of coworker relations issues I have come across. If you still have problems with your supervisor after addressing it, call the JET PA, and we'll talk about your options. It's likely that if your supervisor isn't someone you feel you can turn to for assistance, you'll have to find someone else in the office you can depend on, and rely on your supervisor only for things which need hanko-ing. If your supervisor has acted out against you or otherwise shortchanged you in a major way, you can talk with the JET PA and discuss options for mediation between your CO/the PAs and your supervisor.

You should never accept an unfavorable situation at your school. There is always a "next step" so to speak, so please, do not at any point feel like there's nothing you can do but be miserable at your school. If you don't know what to do, call the PA, it's my job to help you work things like this out, and I pledge to keep working with you until you feel better about your working environment.

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