Has anyone had any experience of quitting due to bullying? I have a meeting with my postgrad officer tomorrow. I know I am going to quit whatever they say because I am being bullied by my postdoc, and the supervisor refuses to acknowledge this. My postdoc treats me like a second class citizen and has to scrutinise everything I do. She has not only made me feel worthless, but I have lost all passion for science now.

I have been bullied by my boss from the start. Am sorry to hear you are still having problems with that post-doc of yours. You are in the second year too right? I havent really sorted my boss out, came close to quitting before christmas but decided to do my best to keep my head down, get in with the work and think of the phd at the end.

Not much use especially for you as you will see your postdoc a lot more. I too no longer have any interest in science now and will probably choose a completely different career at the end. I just want the phd so that i can stick my fingers up at the boss and tell him he tried and failed - i still got there. And the lack of suport from uni services is untrue - you just get told to put up with it.

I hope i do manage to stick it out - there is only 18 months left and i would advise you to do the same, except i know very well how hard it is to keep going. Another incident with my boss and i will probably walk. I am seeing a counsellor now as i have been so traumatised by evrything (and other problems too). It does help. DOn't know how much more i can say. I havent figured my own situation out but i know exactly what you are going through if that is any help.
Best of luck.

complain about the postdoc if she is bullying you. harrassment and bullying are not tolerated in the workplace. make a note of each time it happens and see the person in charge of these matters at your university.

I am seeing the head tomorrow regarding this. At first i thought I would stick it out just for the PhD, but as i have lost all passion for science I just think 'why should I?' Therefore, I'm quitting. But what I want to know is if I will find it hard to get a job/another PhD that i may find because of this as it's not my fault?

Why not submit for an mphil then your chances of getting a job will be ok. If you quit the phd then it will probably be hard to find another one. The stigma will stay with you. Thats one of the reasons i havent quit.

You should be able to sue these guys and get some compensation. They have no right to ruin your career and humiliate you. If this was any other profession this would not be tolerated!

Hi Neil

Regular visitors to the forum will have followed the ups and downs of your PhD to this point. Whether you give up or not is up to you, but you should remember that, from what I recall of some of your entries on this forum, you have had high points as well as low ones. If you really must throw the towel in, an MPhil is a very good idea and should prevent any damage to your career prospects (potential employers need never know you dropped out of a PhD, they will just think you started and finished an MPhil). Whatever you do take a couple of weeks off first to clear your head.

there are anti-harrassment committee or some sort in your uni and speak to them without any delay. have you tried the postgraduate ombudsman, this person may of great assistance? in my view, it is all these downs that make doing a phd worthwhile.

Hi Neil, so sorry to hear that the Post-doc troubles have come to a head. If you really feel you have to quit, the Mphil option is a really good idea. That way you haven't wasted all your hard work but can move on with a respected qualification and evidence of your research abilities, putting you in a good position for research work or another PhD position. I do hope though that the postgrad officer can somehow help you. All the best.

Hi Ann. The problem is that after one of our meetings she told me (in front of everyone) that everything I had done in the past 14 months was rubbish. Basically, she failed to give me some information at the start (although she is adamant that she did, but I know she didn't because at the start I was very meticulous about writing everything down). Then she proceeded to tell me that I would have to start right from the beginning again because of this and that she doesn't think I am any good at molecular biology (even though that is what my background is in). I felt so belittled and small, that I picked my stuff up and walked out. Therefore, I have the option of starting again (with 3 more years of her) or leaving. To be honest I don't see that I have that much of an option.

If she did fail to give you information at the start, now she has realised she will be feeling terrible and, sadly, trying to cover her own back. Postdocs aren't trained in management so she handled telling you very badly. And telling someone to start over shouldn't be a postdocs responsibility. So she's out of her depth.
One important thing I learnt during my PhD is to accept a supervisor's comments and not respond with hostility. They're human too, an aggressive situation is just as difficult from the other side!.

Hi Neil

How did your meeting with the PG officer go? And what does your supervisor think of your work? I wouldn't take everything the postdoc says literally, especially given the nature of your working relationship. Even if you did have to repeat some work, I doubt it would mean that your would have to completely re-start. All best wishes.

Just to clarify (although I think it's fairly obvious) when I said "I wouldn't take everything the postdoc says literally", I am referring to the postdoc who works with Neil, not the person posting as 'postdoc (Academic)'!

Hiya Neil.
Sorry about the problems you're having. Quitting is not going to work as you'll end up feeling guilty at some point of the future. Struggle as much as you need to and complete. The sense of satisfaction of completing in the face of adveristy is phenomenal - and you can throw it in your supervisors' faces.

had same from my supervisor for over 3 years. Tell people and don't be emotional, just get it out, be strong and get the facts over concisely. Do not put up with it, it is your career at stake here - get everything out and tell them you want something done about it. Bullying isnt accepted anywhere but universities seem to neglect that lots of people are bullied. good luck