Co-Worker Freaked Out on Me

I have a co-worker who literally went insane on myself and another co-worker this past week for no reason. Long story short we came back from our break that was approved by a supervisor, and she went insane on us because she deemed us being unfair for the timing of when we took it and accused of us planning to take our break to skip out on work.

She screamed at my co-worker, clapped in his face, swore up and down, threatened to punch him. Then upon me trying to calm her down, went off on me twice as bad. She screamed at me, swore, she lost her mind. She called me manipulative and lazy and went insane on me. She seriously blocked my exit screaming at me, would not leave me alone despite several requests of mine and the supervisor for her to walk away. She then also threatened to hit me too, and continued to scream at me essentially cornering me telling me I have to listen to her. After a good few minutes of hearing it and feeling trapped, I finally got sick of it and fired back a little, in no way attacking her character but more so defending myself verbally with use of a handful of swear words from my end. 4 people witnessed this.

I immediately contacted my general manager about it and the next day spoke to him for almost an hour giving my side of the story as he was seeking "facts and our story" not formulating his opinion on the matter. Then he made me sit down in a room with her and talk to her about it, where she decided to try and play the victim card, crying and sobbing uncontrollably defending her actions, apologizing some, but essentially trying to defend herself because she knew she F'd up. My GM literally set the ground work for planning to do nothing. He told me "Unless she is terminated or suspended you may not know the punishment but dont think she will go unpunished". How is it even conceivable for her to still work there? How can he sweep it under the rug like he is appearing to do? He hasn't released his punishment yet, but I can already guarantee she won't be fired and likely not suspended. I want to go to HR so bad, but so far since he hasnt ruled yet I am trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Even when he doesn't punish her as much as he should like I know is coming, I fear going to HR. I fear that because I finally snapped back a bit, I too could be in trouble which is total BS. I also fear he will punish me for going to HR, but of course in a way so HR wouldn't know. I don't trust him and I do not believe he has my back at all. I have this frustrated feeling of how in the world is he going to let her get off without losing her job? I am so mad about it that I don't even want to go to work now. I didn't ask for any of it, and I am so upset that it has been thrust upon me.

Technically he hasn't ruled anything yet, but I know it's going to be swept under the rug because of his ego and need for staffing. I am so mad and he hasnt even released his verdict yet and already essentially cautioned me I may not like it.

I don't know what to do? I am seriously contemplating an anonymous call to HR as 4 people witnessed her meltdown and anyone who talks to me about it is astonished on how she still has a job.

If she still has a job after such a meltdown, chances are she has connections there and you'd be better off not doing anything further. An 'anonymous call' would be the worst thing you can do, people are not stupid and everyone would know it was you behind that call, which might make things worse for you. Talking to HR is also tricky, because if like I said she has any connections you don't know about, it will backfire on you.

I would just wait it out and let the GM do the ruling. Fair or not, it's a place of employment and you gotta do what you gotta do to keep your job, even if it means letting some things go.

I learned this the hard way, the one time I reported my supervisor to HR (and had a few good reasons for it) guess who got the boot? Yeah, not her. HR will protect those who are supposed to be protected, and those are rarely the ones who are right and are telling the truth.

I'd go find a new job ASAP. This place sounds super dysfunctional.

Wait until you see how she is after the GM's "verdict" is finalized. If she treats you badly after that then go back to the GM about her. Next time, get out your cell phone and tell her to back off as you're taping her. Then do so and take it to HR if your GM refuses to do anything about it.

Are you Union?

Wow sounds like she has some serious mental issues, BPD or Bipolar... or something equally as serious.

Hopefully they direct her to have a mental evaluation by a psychiatrist, because frankly with that type of psycho behavior, she is a liability to the company.

She also presents something called a "hostile work environment" which you and co-worker were victims of and could sue for under the U.S. Federal Labor Laws. Assuming you live in US, you didn't say.

In any event, I would go to HR, next time she might get violent... and hurt someone! She sounds extremely unstable.

This is not the first time this has happened here. This is the 2nd time this happened, the first time I was dumb and didn't report it, I forgave her. We were fine for a good year, and now this happened. I told my GM this isn't the first time she has done this to me, but he doesn't care because he said it doesn't matter since I didn't bring it to his attention. She is super bossy and yells at people all the time, and she might have a pending issue with HR already for an incident she was involved with. I wish I had thought of recording it, but I was so caught off guard, easier said than done. Hindsight is 20/20.

See the thing is many people are fed up with it and outraged by it. So even if I went to HR about it anonymously, they couldn't really know who did it. We are union as well.

Makes matter worse my co-worker told me she ran to her the next day and tried telling her I made sexist comments to her, which my co-worker did not believe and 3 other people witnessed that I did not. She also tried to tell another supervisor I threw him under the bus, when once again I have witnesses who can show this is BS. Problem is those things are just gossip, so I cannot use her lies against her.

I just cannot let this go. My boss, he is extremely egotistical, and loves to keep anything in house, god forbid anyone know how horrible the morale is and how hostile the work environment is there right now. He does really like me, but he also really likes her because she is a giant brown noser. I do not think he would or could fire me, but he clearly doesn't have my back even though she acted like a psychotic butthead.

This is the 3rd time someone has jumped down my throat at work that I work with, another girl did and my boss knows because I came to him, the first time this current girl did which he did not know about, and now this one. I cannot sit back and let people just keep acting like this with no repercussions. It's ironic that it keeps happening to me, funny enough I really didn't do anything to deserve it, I guess people just don't always like my laid back why worry about something you can't control personality 99% of the time, but I also stand up for myself, and cannot just ignore when I feel I am not getting the respect I deserve as a simple human being. NOBODY should talk to anyone at work like this.

and yes I am located in the USA

It sounds like she's in with the management, if they promoted her to supervisor. The GM is going to see if there are other complaints about her, her performance record, etc. not take the word of one disgruntled employee.

Get your resume out and start looking. Make sure you toe the line so you can resign on good terms asap. You can jump up and down about the poor management and politics all you want but that won't change things.

I just cannot let this go. My boss, he is extremely egotistical, and He does really like me, but he also really likes her because she is a giant brown noser.

For the love, start looking for another job.