I wish this movement had given me the message years ago when it all started. I probably wouldn’t have listened anyway, if I’m being honest. If one person gets it from my story then, good.
My boss and I started almost at the same time and built up our office from literally having been unstaffed. For years we were a great team, and unfortunately too close. It worked when things were good, but something went wrong with her. She started struggling. Answers she should have been giving would not come to her. Situations she taught me to handle were suddenly beyond her. She was overwhelmed and spiraling and my coworkers turned to me. Eventually she started to resent it and created a truly toxic office.
Five out of five employees under her went to HR. We all filed complaints. Nothing was done. Then she assassinated me on my performance review. I was completely ambushed by this and HR was complicit. I demanded a corrective action plan so I could force her to go through the lies line by line. About this time, she quit. I was told by HR that I was ineligible to apply for her position because of my performance review.
HR knew the history. They had my coworkers telling them that my boss was targeting me. Yet they treated the performance review as if it were legitimate.
If you are thinking of going to HR for help, don’t. Leave, or get yourself a lawyer who is actually on your side, or find other options through the knowledgeable people in this community. I’m embarrassed now that I thought HR would help. That’s not their function.