Sabotising Coworker

[QuadDeuces]

I am a guy from the Europe and have traveled/immigrated to Australia.
It was not my intention to stay but since I have recently started a real good job, working as a Scientific development researcher, a great new step in my carreer.
The job is great, the challenge is great, and the pay is above all magnificent.

Long story short, I want to stay at this company, at least for a while.
2 days prior to the first week I started working there I broke up with my Attention Wh0re gf, basically back to square one, all alone in a foreign country without family or solid buddies to rely on.
You can read about that here: http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=198488

So the first week I started at the job I was pretty off. But I held my own, although I wasn't in the mood meeting all these new people and absorbing all the new information, I auto-piloted myself through it all the first week.

The job requires a lot of on the job training for working with all the protocols and scientific equipment, and it must be said that I've been making a few mistakes in the training course that had could easily have been avoided.

That said, the co-worker who is a senior and in the process of training me, doesn't like me. Makes disrespectful remarks which make my blood boil. She looks for the tiniest flaws in everything I do or say and magnifies them, then lispers them in the ear of the supervisor.

I am mega AFC around her, I bring her coffee every morning, stay out of her way as much as possible and try not to talk too much or vent my opinions or in general be overly in the foreground.

Still she smiles in my face and talks behind my back. I know this because my gut feeling told me,
All of our team including our supervisor have their desks clustered close together and therefore I put my iPhone on my desk on voice recording and went away from my desk. This is how I found out that as soon as I leave she starts talking to my supervisor about all the things she doesn't like about me. Which are mostly either heavily exaggerated or completely not true or irrelevant. (Like my accent) She even said that supervisor should consider firing me before my probation ends.

Therefore I now work everyday 30-60 mins longer(without extra pay) Just to show how ambitious and reliable I am.

I am lucky that my supervisor is the kindest person in the world, and I am great at befriending her, but the fact that my senior-coworker is sabotising my career is blood boiling.

Do any of you guys have tips how to handle this?

 

[scrouds]

That said, the co-worker who is a senior and in the process of training me, doesn't like me. Makes disrespectful remarks which make my blood boil. She is basically looking for the tiniest flaws in everything I do or say and magnifies those, lispering in the ear of the supervisor.

I am mega AFC around her, I bring her coffee every morning, stay out of her way as much as possible and try not to talk too much or vent my opinions or in general be overly in the foreground.


So let me get this straight. You supplicate to her, then wonder why she despises you. Sounds like you're bringing it on yourself.

 

[QuadDeuces]

So you'd suggest I should put up strong boundaries and remain frame?

 

[Greasy Pig]

I'm in a similar situation. My female boss bad mouths me to senior management whenever she can.
The thing is, she's the boss of my workplace but I don't answer to her and I earn about 30k more than her.
My spies at head office tell me this is the main cause of her beef with me.

Like you, she's super nice to my face and gives no impression that she has a problem with me, but twists the knife when reporting to head office.
Might be an Australian thing??? Lol.

Anyway, I've decided to adopt the "keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer" approach.
I play the game, act all friendly and is if I'm blissfully unaware of her subterfuge.
My plan is to lull her into a false sense of security, keep my nose super clean and KEEP DIARY NOTES OF ALL MY INTERACTIONS WITH HER.
This is important because if head office starts asking questions, I'll have records of the truth about my work and how I'm doing it.

OP, make sure you give her nothing to complain about. You're doing the right thing with the extra work but keep records of it to show your superiors.
Do what you're told and do it quickly and willingly. Be early, stay cheerful and friendly. Be a model employee, keep records and plan a strategy for when she tries to drop the hammer in you.

 

[Scaramouche]

Dear Quad,
As Kipling wrote..."The Female of the species is more deadly than the Male".....Put it all in perspective though because you are not Robinson Crusoe,everyone knows what she is up to,if she bad mouths someone to you,London to a brick she badmouths you to others....She will try to sabotage your progression sure,but just get on with your work,and smile at her,she will soon get someone else in her gunsights....when talking to others and her name comes up try hard to say something nice,it may work.....Course she may find you attractive,maybe the control game is part of her Romantic Ritual,that is a far worse situation to be in.