<p>I am at the end of my rope. I have hated a co-worker in our tiny office since she was hired about 6 years ago. I know hate is a strong word, but actually not strong enough to describe how I feel about her. I will call her FAB which stands for something not very nice. Everyone else has felt the same and at least 3 employees have quit because of her. The boss seems to adore FAB, or is afraid to fire her. I don’t know why the boss keeps her around because every single person who has worked here has complained about her. She’s not good at what she does, but she does show up every day. There are only four of us including the boss. We had a fifth person who had years of experience in the field and did a fantastic job. FAB didn’t speak to her for a full six months when she was first hired. Really. Not an exaggeration. </p>
<p>I have worked at this office for 23 years. I’ve stuck with it this long because it is near my house and was flexible for me when my kids were young. I am a single mom and it was important to work near my kids’ schools. Now that the kids are grown, my parents who live in this town are aging and I feel the need to stay close by for them. Plus, if I quit, then FAB will have won. I am still single and live paycheck to paycheck. I can’t afford to be “between” jobs, and I don’t know what other opportunities are out there. I have a BA degree in a field unrelated to my current job, but at my age, I don’t want to and can’t afford to take an entry-level position. Heck, at my age, I doubt anyone would hire me to do anything.</p>
<p>I’ve tried crying, but that didn’t help. Any other suggestions?</p>