Theory: Sabotage in a Sick Organization

Theory: Sabotage in a Sick Organization


The leaders of a sick organization may not get rid of a troublemaker for various reasons, some being:
---protection by political/legal connections of the troublemaker
---troublemaker holds evidence against them, and could expose their wrongdoings if pushed to his/her limit
---they need troublemaker's expertise/labor/contacts
---other reasons known only to the leaders

But keeping a troublemaker on staff does not mean they leave him/her alone. They might try to sabotage him/her or his/her project at any time. or take his/her project, workers, or facilities away, or physically hurt him/her and put him/her out of action (like a mysterious poisoning), or attack his/her work or credibility or character, or make his/her work difficult and require long hours of work, or make his/her daily life at the sick organization a daily struggle so he/she has to be constantly on his/her guard.

The leaders may use themselves, or co-workers to the troublemaker, or someone outside the organization, or the troublemaker's partner, etc. to sabotage the troublemaker. Verbal promises are usually made to the saboteurs in order to get their help against the troublemaker. The sick organization rarely wants to put anything in writing that may come back to haunt them later.

Some of the many sabotage tricks they use (in no special order, presented as if "you" were the troublemaker):

---verbally offer you various career options, but each is a lie
---try to seduce your partner and/or turn partner against you, or spy/report on you (by verbal offer of a job, or plan to speed up any divorce proceedings, etc.)
---send some sexy people to see you, tempt you, and then testify against you
---verbally offer all sorts of benefits to others if they mess with you, or spy on you
---read your mail, or make your mail (incoming & outgoing) disappear
---read your email (if on company computer) and use things found out against you
---offer/promise their favorite graduate student or tennis buddy your job
---take your project, workers, facilities. or equipment away (for any reason they want), then tell you if you don't like it you can leave
---spread lies that you cannot do your job
---turn off/mess with something that you need to keep running at work
---start, or spread, slanders about you
---move things around, etc., in your work area, then take pictures to "prove" you are not doing your job
---make things disappear from your work area, and then blame you
---make reports done for management disappear
---poison/drug your food or drink, etc.
---erase/copy your files from your computer
---use spies against you
---twist things you say to their advantage. or for justification of their actions
-- spray pesticide or something you are allergic to in your work area that kills your research organisms or affects your health
---change things in your research work area without letting you know
---tell bosses, co-workers, and students lies about you
---steal/destroy notes or files or pictures or samples/specimens
---make your laptop disappear, or make your data disappear
---do not give you phone/other messages collected in your absence
---tell bosses they don't know where you are to imply you are not on the job
---plant porn or alcohol or drugs in your desk, or work area.
---plant porn on your company computer
---plant organization property in your vehicle, or house.
---give you more work than is physically possible to complete.
---twist your words or actions around to make you look bad, or lazy, or inept.
---blame you for broken/stolen, or missing, equipment
---blame you for bad publicity
---take credit for your work, ideas, procedures. etc.
---make you walk a line no one else must do
---make you report to a BS artist that knows nothing about your job
---do anything they want to you at any time
---use you as an example of a "bad" employee
---harass you on anything they can make up, or on anything you do or say
---single you out for more unfair treatment if you complain about unfair treatment
---try to destroy you with slanders after you are gone from the sick organization
---subject you to kangaroo court hearings on things you say or do that are considered funny or insignificant when done by others
---let someone else interview and hire your workers

Any action against you that stresses your mind or job performance can be considered a way to sabotage you or your job. In the ideal situation, one must be able to do his/her job to the best of his ability without harassment, sabotage, or unfair stress from another.

If you know they are after you, and it should be obvious by their actions, be extremely careful of who you trust, and associate with. Secure all correspondence, reports, etc. where no one else can get to them, or destroy them. Beware of any people that NOW show an interest in you, or your job. Keep your thoughts, discoveries, inventions, politics, religion, sexual preference, enemies, etc. to yourself ONLY (do not use their email or their phone for your thoughts). Be on your toes, and look over your shoulder all the time. Keep a "memo of record" of daily happenings and things done to you, and evidence against them noting their wrongdoings, illegal actions, etc. Good luck.


Adrian R. Lawler, Ph.D.,   (C) 2012 --