Skip to content
Law Society of Scotland
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
  • For members

    • For members

    • CPD & Training

    • Membership and fees

    • Rules and guidance

    • Regulation and compliance

    • Journal

    • Business support

    • Career growth

    • Member benefits

    • Professional support

    • Lawscot Wellbeing

    • Lawscot Sustainability

  • News and events

    • News and events

    • Law Society news

    • Blogs & opinions

    • CPD & Training

    • Events

  • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying as a Scottish solicitor

    • Career support and advice

    • Our work with schools

    • Lawscot Foundation

    • Funding your education

    • Social mobility

  • Research and policy

    • Research and policy

    • Research

    • Influencing the law and policy

    • Equality and diversity

    • Our international work

    • Legal Services Review

    • Meet the Policy team

  • For the public

    • For the public

    • What solicitors can do for you

    • Making a complaint

    • Client protection

    • Find a Solicitor

    • Frequently asked questions

    • Your Scottish solicitor

  • About us

    • About us

    • Contact us

    • Who we are

    • Our strategy, reports and plans

    • Help and advice

    • Our standards

    • Work with us

    • Our logo and branding

    • Equality and diversity

Journal logo
  • PRACTICE

    PRACTICE

    • Practice

    • Corporate law

    • Criminal law

    • Employment law

    • Environment law

    • Family law

    • Industry updates

    • Intellectual property

    • Property law

    • Technology law

    • Technology and innovation

    • Practice

    • Corporate law

    • Criminal law

    • Employment law

    • Environment law

    • Family law

    • Industry updates

    • Intellectual property

    • Property law

    • Technology law

    • Technology and innovation

  • PEOPLE

    PEOPLE

    • People

    • Equality, diversity & inclusion

    • Ethics & professional responsibility

    • Obituaries

    • Wellbeing & support

    • Noticeboard

    • People

    • Equality, diversity & inclusion

    • Ethics & professional responsibility

    • Obituaries

    • Wellbeing & support

    • Noticeboard

  • CAREERS

    CAREERS

    • Careers

    • Job board

    • Leadership

    • Management

    • Skills

    • Training & education

    • Careers

    • Job board

    • Leadership

    • Management

    • Skills

    • Training & education

  • KNOWLEDGE BANK

    KNOWLEDGE BANK

    • Knowledge Bank

    • Book club

    • Interviews

    • Sponsored content

    • Knowledge Bank

    • Book club

    • Interviews

    • Sponsored content

  • ABOUT THE JOURNAL

    ABOUT THE JOURNAL

    • About the Journal

    • Contact us

    • Journal Editorial Advisory Board

    • Newsletter sign-up

    • About the Journal

    • Contact us

    • Journal Editorial Advisory Board

    • Newsletter sign-up

Back by popular demand… Ask Ash!

18th January 2024

Dear Ash,

Since being promoted in my department, I have noticed that the attitude of a couple of colleagues has changed towards me. I feel as though they are unhappy about my promotion and are taking their frustrations out on me. I work very hard but tend to downplay my experience and successes, and I feel they are making it clear that they don’t think I deserve my promotion. Recently when I went to make a cup of coffee in the office, I found them talking and whispering about something, but they went quiet as soon as they saw me. One of them also ignored me when I said hello and pretended not to hear me when I asked her to help me with a document. She also omitted to include me in an email about a social event and began smirking when I asked her about it.

I am finding it increasingly difficult to get any co-operation from them both on casework. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to try to work with them in our relatively small team. This is all having a real impact on my mental health, and I dread going to work.

Ash replies:

What you describe is effectively playground bullying and it is appalling that some people fail to grow out of certain childish behaviours. You were promoted based on your merits, and it is not for them to judge whether you deserved it or not. You have no reason to feel bad or guilty about your success.

Both of your colleagues are clearly insecure, otherwise they would be happy for you and indeed would be encouraged about potential opportunities for their own promotion. They are acting unprofessionally and seem to be on a deliberate mission to put you down. I would suggest that you raise your concerns confidentially with your line manager and explain the effect their behaviour is having on your mental health. You could also put forward some suggestions as to what would help you to feel more empowered again at work. One suggestion may be for your manager to highlight your new responsibilities at the next team meeting to reinforce reporting lines and to make clear your merits for the role.

A good manager will not want to lose you and should address such behaviour promptly by at least having a stern word with them both. Your manager may also consider some short-term respite for you by removing the need for you to have to deal with them both directly to help you to rebuild your confidence.

In the meantime, do consider taking time out for the sake of your health and well-being, even for a day or two. No one should ever have to put up with such toxic behaviour, whether it is in the playground or the office!

Over to you

How would you handle this situation? Do you have any other thoughts? Let us know by emailing Rebecca and we will collate and share across social media and in the Journal next month. 

If you have a question you would like Ash Ask to answer over the coming months, submit it confidentially to rebecca.morgan@thinkpublishing.co.uk 

About the author
Add To Favorites

Additional

https://www.clio.com/uk/?utm_medium=bar_partner&utm_source=law-society-scotland&utm_campaign=law-society-scotland-q2
https://www.evelyn.com/people/keith-burdon/
https://lawware.co.uk
https://www.findersinternational.co.uk/our-services/private-client/?utm_campaign=Scotland-Law-society-Journal-online&utm_medium=MPU&utm_source=The-Journal
https://yourcashier.co.uk/
https://www.lawscotjobs.co.uk/client/frasia-wright-associates-92.htm

Related Articles

Behind the scenes at Legal Taskmaster and the schooling of future Scottish solicitors

19th May 2025
Primary children from Edinburgh and Dundee were put to the test by legal taskmasters in the fun-filled Scottish final of...

Meet Ben Kemp — new Law Society of Scotland CEO appointed at 'pivotal moment'

14th May 2025
The newly-appointed chief executive officer of the Law Society of Scotland says the legal profession has reached a "pivotal moment"...

Why you need to organise your law firm's data more effectively — and how to do it

12th May 2025
Why does it help to classify your legal work, experience, knowledge and other information in a law firm, asks Graeme...

Journal issues archive

Find all previous editions of the Journal here.

Issues about Journal issues archive
Law Society of Scotland
Atria One, 144 Morrison Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8EX
If you’re looking for a solicitor, visit FindaSolicitor.scot
T: +44(0) 131 226 7411
E: lawscot@lawscot.org.uk
About us
  • Contact us
  • Who we are
  • Strategy reports plans
  • Help and advice
  • Our standards
  • Work with us
Useful links
  • Find a Solicitor
  • Sign in
  • CPD & Training
  • Rules and guidance
  • Website terms and conditions
Law Society of Scotland | © 2025
Made by Gecko Agency Limited