Though this blog is about scapegoating within a dysfunctional family, scapegoating in the workplace is a very serious problem and is far more prevalent than people realize. For those who have been victimized by this , there is nothing I have to say as they know I do understand. I know a colleague who recently had to spend 20K dollars in legal fees to clear himself from a financial institution’s accusation surrounding an issue with loan processing where someone was going to take the blame. Fortunately, he was cleared of the false accusations and blame that put him in a very vulnerable position. I might add that this is an individual who had an immaculate reputation among his customers. Scapegoating in the workplace can happen to anyone.
I mention scapegoating in the workplace for two reasons. One is to show the similarity in how the most vulnerable individual is targeted in either a domestic or workplace scenario. As for my friend,notice his stellar performance record actually made him more vulnerable to scapegoating not to mention jealousy (possibly) etc. by coworkers. The second reason is simply to warn anyone and everyone , that no matter how comfortable and secure you feel at your workplace , document everything and be aware of those around you who might have something to gain from your mishaps. I am not suggesting to be paranoid about your workplace but just to do your due diligence and not be naive as I had been for years regarding my particular story.
Trust is hard to earn these days as there is so much skepticism. There is not much I can say about this except to go with your gut feeling about a situation. If something doesn’t feel right or you catch someone in only ONE lie, move on as there is no time or room for second chances. There are books out that suggest 1 in 25 people have no concern once so ever for your well-being as much as they may appear to be caring and supportive.
Remember that I am talking about a very small group of people who have the insecurity and need to feed their supply from others. Just be cautious and be aware that scapegoating in the workplace does exist. Get things in writing and unlike myself do not be afraid to feel you are stepping on one’s toes. If the person you are dealing with is sincere asking for confirmation of transactions that are tangible and not hearsay should not be offensive.
TCMD