The Battle Back: Standing My Ground at Work

 

The Battle Back: Standing My Ground at Work

Sometimes, the biggest battles we face aren’t in war zones or courtrooms—they’re in workplaces we once felt proud to be a part of.

When I first started trying to return to work, I didn’t expect it to turn into a fight. But it quickly did. From the get-go, the area manager and I were clashing hard. Argument after argument, disagreement after disagreement—I was getting absolutely nowhere. No matter what I said, it felt like she had one goal: to make me walk away quietly.

At one point, I genuinely started to wonder if this was constructive dismissal. Was I being bullied out of my job? It sure felt that way.

Eventually, I’d had enough. I picked up the phone and called the union.

I laid it all out—every bit of my situation—and thankfully, my rep was supportive from the start. He assured me I wasn’t alone in this, and that we’d handle it together. But here came the twist: I refused to have any kind of meeting with the area manager. We didn’t see eye to eye, and I knew sitting in a room with her wouldn’t be fair or productive.

So I asked for the regional manager instead.

Of course, head office said, “You can’t request her.”

My answer? “Erm—yes I can. And I am.”

Spoiler alert: I got her.

That alone felt like a small victory—one I wasn’t going to take for granted.

The Meeting That Mattered

The day of the meeting arrived, and honestly, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. But my union rep and I were clear on one thing: we were going to stand our ground.

The moment I walked in, the regional manager looked at me and said, “Why don’t I know you?”

That was a bit rich, considering I’d been with the company for years and had been on conference calls with her almost weekly. But I let it slide.

Because at the end of the day? I got what I came for. The outcome was simple: either they agreed to what was fair, or they’d see me in court. Their choice.

So, Was It Worth It?

I walked out of that meeting knowing I was returning to work. And after all the stress, hassle, and emotional toll, I wasn’t even sure if that’s what I wanted anymore.

But one thing I was sure of?

I wasn’t going to be defeated.

This wasn’t just about going back to work. It was about standing up for myself when it felt like the whole system was trying to wear me down. And for anyone else out there who feels like their voice doesn’t matter in the workplace—trust me, it does. You just have to be willing to use it.