Work Harassment, fun for the whole family

[Shnoodle]

Back story: I started my job a year or so ago, I got stuck in a terrible department with very little pay, but it was better than nothing.

I worked my ass off, trying to earn my way in to a better department, to no avail. My boss showed strong signs that he was attracted to me, but never crossed the boundaries in to sexual harassment, anything that bordered on unprofessional I immediately shot down. Now, while he's physically attractive, I've always been much more curt with him than others, I don't try to be friends, I just focus on getting my job done and doing it well. That way, no one gets the wrong impression, especially him.

 

Fast forward a few months in to working, I start getting recognition for my strong points from the boss and get put on a few side projects. I do well enough in those, he wants that to be my primary task at work. There is no official position for what he has me do, but there is a demand for it. It makes my job palatable despite the pay, because I enjoy doing it. I do believe my boss's crush may have contributed to my new work load, but that did not bother me.

 

I was still in my department, on paper, however, the rest of the department was not short handed. With the same work load, they went from 6 employees to 11, almost double. My boss was thorough in making sure there was added coverage.

 

Now, two particular employees did not like that I was getting out, enjoying my job without having to butt-kiss. These two are rarely in the department themselves, but tend to work very hard (real work as well as butt-kissing),also trying to get ahead. They are both very young, close friends, and can behave very catty. They would complain to anyone who would listen about how horrible I am for not being in my department, how nothing can get done because I'm not there, and how utterly scandalous it is that I get ahead, implying I'm getting ahead on my back. They started hanging out with my new department supervisor outside of the workplace (against SOP), and in no time even he was complaining.

 

For me, it's hard not to walk away from situations where I am being treated poorly. I get sick of walking in on gossip (about me), and the constant whining, glares and general hostile environment, and I attempt to leave. My HR steps in without me informing her of who has been saying what, she pleads to get me to stay and see if she can ammend the issue. For a few days, the offending two act strange, like they were totally reemed. I'm thinking "okay, they probably got told to cut the crap, cool.". But within a week, not only were they back at it, but with a vengeance. Since, I have been taken off all side work, thrown back in my department, and my boss doesn't aknowledge my presence, except to tell my supervisor to give me any of the more demeaning tasks he can find. The two catty snots heckle me and seem extremely happy I got saddled back to doing their jobs for them, and they themselves are rarely ever in the department. They still complain any chance they get that I'm not there enough. I have to wonder if they themselves made complaints to upper HR.

 

I am confused, because I don't think I have grounds for a harassment case. I don't like that my reputation has been soiled, and my quasi "promotion" has been stripped away over petty jealousy, that people with malicious intentions succeeded in tearing me down. From their side it's easy to play the victim, to pretend like they got shafted because of me, and claim that I had an unfair advantage by skanking my way up.

 

Do I just cut my losses and bail? I want to ask to be moved to a different department, but with the cold-shoulder I'm receiving, I am not sure I can get it. (besides, the same whiners will probably snivel and say it's another unfair promotion). It is unexceptable for me to just "suck it up".

 

Any thoughts on what I should do?