When Jane* says she was written up at work for “rolling her eyes” at a manager, it was the last straw.

She’d put up with alleged bullying from that manager for months and finally broke down.

“I had a panic attack and I called my mum,” she told 9news.com.au.

”This manager, who was obviously getting paid way more than me, didn’t understand Google Docs,” Jane told 9news.com.au.

“But they were quite good at the talk.”

Within a few weeks of starting the job, the manager started acting ”passive aggressive” towards Jane, she claimed.

Then the TikTok videos started.

Jane’s manager was regularly posting clips talking about their workplace and allegedly made disparaging remarks about an unnamed colleague.

Context clues made it clear who the manager was talking about, calimed Jane.

“We would disagree on something trivial, and then I’d return home only to find a TikTok explaining why my perspective was incorrect and why no one should think this way,” Jane expressed.

But when she reported it to upper management, she says she was told nothing could be done.

Jane was allegedly told that because the manager never named her in the clips, there was no evidence of alleged bullying.

“They didn’t take it seriously,” she said.

Unwilling to quit her job in a cost of living crisis, she put up with it until the manager finally resigned.

But not before they filed a complaint about Jane “rolling her eyes” at them, which Jane denied ever happened.

She was issued a formal warning, then was diagnosed with acute stress syndrome and had to take time off.

Upon her return, she submitted a full report about the alleged bullying she’d endured.

Eventually the warning was revoked but her trust in that workplace was shattered.

Jane’s experience is not unique.

Employees who submit claims of psychological distress due to workplace bullying can receive psychological treatment and support services to help address these concerns.

Interventions like mediation and facilitated discussions to rebuild workplace relationships and trust are also an option.

Jane opted not to pursue her claim further but urges any Australians who experience bullying or harassment at work to “document everything” and stand up for their rights.

“Read your contracts, know your complaints processes, know your warnings processes, even if you think you’ll never need them.”

Though she’s in a new role now, the alleged bullying still affects her.

”I get quite anxious and paranoid now with dealing with upper management,” she confessed.

“It shattered my trust, like being unable to rely on coworkers or management to protect you from psychological harm, as it’s not as tangible as physical evidence.”

*Name changed for privacy and legal reasons.