We both work in a popular insurance company in Ghana. Mentioning the name will give too much away. She joined the company about 5 years before I did, but she started from the same position I was working at. There were already rumours that she had used the ‘backdoor’ to get to my position because she came in with a first degree whereas I had a Masters degree but had to start from a lower rank before working my way up to where I am. I have tried to focus on my job the best I can and to avoid company gossip and politics, but some things are so clear that it is very difficult to overlook. It didn’t take this lady a few months in the company for my co-workers to notice her closeness to our immediate boss. It was just too obvious.
Now, let’s call a spade a spade. The lady is very pretty. Fair coloured with a beautiful body and all of that. I know guys run for girls like that. But I at least expect that if there’s something going on, it should be hidden from the co-workers. We all have skeletons in our cupboards and no one is perfect. This lady’s attitude in the office is brooding jealousy amongst my other co-workers. First of all, she has surpassed others who have higher certificates than her. The HR who is a good friend of mine told me she didn’t even submit a letter of application and that it was after she got the job that she submitted one with a previous date indicated to be kept in the records just in case it will be needed in the future. Then when it came to her interview, she wasn’t part of the open interviews conducted for the vacancy she was applying to fill.
There was a particularly resourceful National Service Personnel who had proven he was competent and many of us were vying for him to get the post, but he never did. This lady came out of nowhere and her interview was held separately. Now, in less than a year of working with us, she has already started shouting orders at workers who are below her. She speaks to the janitors anyhow and carries herself like she is the madam of the place. She has even threatened to sack a co-worker even though she doesn’t have the power to do that. Thankfully for me, we are both in the same rank and she hasn’t been rude to me. But it’s a bit sad to see some of my friends complaining bitterly about how the boss has allowed the newbie to speak to them and treat them
A particular friend of mine has been trying to get promoted for years and there always seemed to be one issue after another. Personally, the work environment has become toxic for me. My boss clearly is not being faithful to his wife and I have been trying to find another job for a couple of months now. But we all know the situation in the country currently and jobs are very scarce. So in all this, I have been trying to see the bright side. I have a job that pays and I’m okay. My suspicions about the boss and the new lady was confirmed recently. I saw them at a particular pub. I was out with my boyfriend when I spotted them. Her outfit and their closeness was just glaring and I took pictures of them quickly. I know my boss’ wife, I know work colleagues who can use the pictures to report our branch manager to the district manager. He can be sacked because of that.
Thankfully, apart from my boyfriend who knows about the pictures I have, no one else does. It’s been exactly three weeks since I saw them at the pub and the lady’s attitude towards our other coworkers has become even worse. She speaks to them harshly for not being able to meet deadlines and anytime she does that, I am convinced to just drop the images in our work whatsapp group and see the events unfold afterwards. I want readers to know that I don’t hate this lady. Far from that. Her attitude just stinks and it creates a lot of tension in the office. Some coworkers have reported her to the branch manager, the same man I saw her with and as was expected, nothing came out of it. I have the contacts of bosses who are higher in rank than my immediate boss and I don’t know if reporting to them will be too far. Will I be crossing a line?