Wow, Colette, I wish I’d had you running the show back when I was having these issues.

That sounds quite shocking, some of the evidence you had found. You did an amazing job and I would work my arse off for you if you were in charge of my organisation. Isn’t it interesting how a couple of bad apples can ruin a culture?

Luckily the organisation I’m with now are great and we all care about each other very much. Plus I work for myself making the bras for the women.

Yes, I know, I sound like the last person on earth who would tolerate a bully, eh?

To give the bullying situation context, I talk a little bit about it here – where I was standing up for another person and I basically bore the brunt of the fallout. I think the reason I put up with it is because I erroneously placed trust in a system that I soon discovered was just there paying lip service. Where I say I ignored it probably wasn’t the most accurate way of putting it – sitting tight and hoping the system would come into play is more like it. I would have been taking on some big boys and the prize I would have gotten had I succeeded was just being right in principle. I already had that prize – they knew it, I knew it – so I cut my losses – later than I should have but I was practising staying.

Interestingly, all of my personal friends at the time suggested I ignore it – ‘Jules, that’s not like you to put up with that – do what you normally do – tell them to go and get themselves fucked’.

Well, I’m professional I guess. And, psychologically, when you are surrounded by people who just aren’t your people, you do start to question yourself.

I’ve seen some pretty shitty things in my time but I do believe the workplace should be fair.

A lot of people would say ‘well, there’s your first mistake, right there’ but your comment illustrates to me that there are people like you in charge who handle things the way they are supposed to be handled. I was waiting for that to happen and the moment never came.

I just happened to be working in an organisation where the problem was bigger than they wanted and I was the only one willing to run with it so it was easier to make it look like I was the one with the problem. At this point, when you realise how easy it is for clever people to twist the words of honest people, the only thing left to do is leave. It was looking like I was the one you describe in your piece. If you know what I mean.

It took me a while to get over that aspect of it – my character being twisted – for many years my character was all I had – and I think I am over it now but I did see one of those ex-coworkers a couple of weeks ago at a function and I had to excuse myself and go and throw up. So I guess I’m not completely over it. Ha. How about that?

Colette, I’m really chuffed you have taken the time to write what you have written to me. Thank you.

But more than that, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for all you do for Tim Barrus and his boys.

I adore Tim Barrus. I fucking love him. I had a Tim Barrus once, when I needed one but didn’t want one.

Thanks for all you do there, Colette.

You’re a good woman.