An Extract of my written reply to the investigated complaints:

Re:	Allegations of Bullying and Harassment &
Consideration for Possible Management Action

In response to the letter dated 5th April, 2011 in regards the above investigations.

I attended the interview as requested conducted by ‘The Private Investigator’ (name withheld) on Wednesday 27th April, 2011. The interview was audio recorded during this event and ran from 9.08am till 11.22am.

Many of the complainants, if not all, indicated that Ms Crowley would openly tell others that (name withheld) and (name withheld) were evil and had ‘black auras’ or ‘dark auras’. This was to the point where those persons were not allowed to touch Ms Crowley, brush past her or hand her any item. She would reportedly even refuse to touch a keyboard if either person had touched it prior, and would use a pen tip to touch the keys instead. It was further reported that if (names withheld) made any physical contact with Ms Crowley, she would indicate that she would now make mistakes or become ill due to contamination by them.

Again, I state I do not see auras and the word evil is not in common use in my spoken vocabulary. The continual onslaught of the complainants’ ways to antagonise and oppress me, I do see this as wicked.

In my own personal observations, I have noticed that the more the CSR staff continue to touch me through the handing of specimens or deliberately through a forced action, I become physically tired. This personal choice to minimise contact is one of self-preservation. This enables me to last the working week without phoning in ill because I have insufficient energy to make it through the day. There is no need for the staff to encroach on my personal space. There are processes in place where specimens and work are placed in the appropriate places within the workplace and its benches.

In saying this I have often handed things to numerous staff over time. I have to hand request forms to scientists re blood products. I also receive specimens from other hospital staff at presentation at the CSR window, as well as patients. Vice Versa I am to hand specimen containers back for specific tests required to patients and nurses etc.

More recently on 19/4/11, I handed complainant (name withheld) the piece of paper that they had left in the photocopier and a urine protein tube to another directly from the centrifuge.

I question why the complainants have such a strong desire to touch me and encroach on my personal space. What do I offer or what are they really doing?

(text removed – refer letter ‘workplace bullying retail’ for descriptive Myer-Briggs Test ) I fit the (Myer-Briggs) little box, where I actually have to go away and spend time alone to recoup my energy after being in a group versus those who fall in the box who recharge and top up on their energy levels in the presence of others.

So again, if I choose what is best for me and really in a workplace there should be no need for such continual touching of another, I have to question why it is such a big deal to the complainants.

This workplace is taxing and draining on the body so much so that when I get home I am asleep on the couch within half an hour, at other times I am too tired to cook dinner and end up with a bowl of cereal.

Work takes from my time so consistently, that I have been unable to make time to locate my pay slips to ensure I receive the outstanding $200 that I was not paid in October because of human error in completing the forms incorrectly.

I could not believe they find me so interesting that they stand around watching how I work. Why were they standing around watching me instead of finding a task to do and complete some work themselves?

I thought it odd one afternoon, when I went to answer the telephone and saw these female colleagues, all leaning against the bench under the clock area, huddled together with wry smiles on their faces. I shrugged it off and continued to pick up the handset and take the call. It was the emergency department (ED) requesting something simple like an add-on or how far away are results on a patient. I had a pen in my right hand at the time, I don’t recall now if I picked it up to write as I took the receiver or if it was already in my hand. I used the pen initially to hit the pause break key which brings one back immediately and safely to the main menu of the software programme. Then perhaps I may have dialled the six-digit UR no. on the numerical keypad, if the Doctor was relaying the information quite slowly and then the enter key. I did not put the pen down as if I had to write with it, I did not want to pick it back up. This also indicates, now, that the pen was in my hand when I first answered the phone. I did my job, I answered the call, I addressed and actioned the problem, then hung up the phone and moved on. There was nothing unusual in this and I thought nothing more of the event.

Until the manager (name withheld) accosted me sometime later re: the above scenario with their accusation. I apologise to you all, but I had a big laugh in manager’s office when I heard the complaint. I have never heard anything so ridiculous or absurd in my life.

What is the big deal that I used a pen to touch a few keys on the keyboard? Why were they so intrigued at how I touched the keyboard? Big deal, I used a pen to hit a few keys. Perhaps they admit their own guilt? Did the complainants do something to the keypad unbeknownst to me? Who knows? God Knows.

This is quite common for an office worker to use an extended digit for short practices such as punching in phone numbers or short numerical sequences. Often a biro is used, as once the call is made, one often has to write information down and therefore the tool is at hand. I can be lazy in that I can’t be bothered putting something down (for convenience) that I am about to use in the next moment, as I don’t want to have to pick it up again, as small as this task may seem.

Yet it did get me thinking and piecing together, my original thoughts and visual acknowledgement of them all leaning on the bench with big smiles on their faces. What were they planning? Perhaps there was some truth in what they said. Did they do something to the keyboard and my natural actions of using a pen, meant there was no effect on me and therefore did they fall into their own trap. Who knows? God does as he reads the motives and actions of one’s heart.

What is of greater issue was that I was busy prepping films on the Haematology bench, when the phone rang and continued to ring. None of the other CSR staff interrupted their huddle under the clock to answer the incoming call. I was forced to drop what I was doing and attend to the incoming call.

I have seen staff use pens to keep their hair in buns at work. A pen is often used for many other tasks other than writing with. One can use the nib end to puncture holes in plastic bags and plastic wrap. Don’t they show in the movies, that they use a pen to supply oxygen (via the trachy?) to a person airway when serious breathing difficulties/blockages occur.

My question is what are these employees up to?

Perhaps their own hearts and actions are on display and perhaps they are having a personal conscience on something’s in their own lives when situations occur. Who knows?

I know my own body and am more aware of its sensitivity and the effects of this world against it. I happen to know that I am finely tuned and have learnt over a lifetime what can upset its balance. Therefore, my own personal observations during my employment time has had me realise by watching the effects on my body in the workplace that yes there have been times due to too much physical contact, I have been unable to cope with getting out of bed by the end of the week.

Not only this, and again this is my own personal observations, I have witnessed that when (name withheld) hangs off staff members all day that they do tend to get sick. As this is an observation, it is not one I would voice loudly at work. So perhaps the complainants are aware of their own effects on people.

For example, on 9th April 2008 I observed (name withheld) around Phlebotomist (name withheld), all the time, right beside each other, no steps in between. (Name withheld) was then off all week after this day. I often watch how this one is often up face to face with staff continually. Many times I have noticed this with another (name withheld) and it is within that day or the next this one is speaking of their ongoing sickness flaring up. I have experienced my own ill effects in the stomach when (name withheld) is so close that you breathe in this one’s breath, and the continual draining of my energy levels. So much so that I have learnt through observation and cause and affect that when I keep my distance it minimises these effects on me. Therefore, if my choice is to minimise such close confounds to maintain a healthy body, what it the problem with this.

As one who has studied science I observe and see patterns. What better model then oneself to observe such effects on?

I find that the staff in CSR can be rude with their manners. For example (name withheld) will throw their whole body across the person beside them on the processing bench when this one desires to time clock work presented in this one’s hands. (Name withheld) is by no means a small person and each time I have witnessed this, this one at no stage has said excuse me for doing so. I often find when at aliquotting the staff will often hover and try to squeeze into a small space on the left-hand side of me. Why they need to do this I do not know? It is quite satisfactory to place a rack on the bench behind the aliquotting staff member in which that staff member can action when they are free to do so. Overtime many have learnt that this is an acceptable practice.

I have experienced full on assaults against my personal space. To the point that I have had to question what is going on here?

For example: One afternoon, numerous years ago. I was on the phone in CSR near the entrance door. My left arm was resting on the bench. Complainant (name withheld) walked past and as they did so, stopped at the bench and rubbed their fingers up and down on my forearm. I silently went what the F*ck. Prayed to my Lord and said what was that all about. And thought how invasive is that. What right does this one have to just come up and do that to me, without speaking a word, and doing such a weird action on my physical body, whilst I am attending to a phone call? My question is, ‘is this one reading my life story through touch of my body like a psychic supposedly reads a piece of jewelry?”

Another time I was standing central in front of the photocopy machine using it and complainant (name withheld) walked past and hit my hand as they walked past. Complainant would have had to make a physical effort to touch my left hand hanging by my side, with such an area of space around the photocopier. How did this one prevent from whacking their own hand on the machine by the possible wide swing of their arm as they walk?

If the complainants are aware that I do not like to be touched, why are they continually encroaching on my personal space and not respecting that which offends me?

My response to a number of their allegations listed below can also be read in the PDF file attached found beneath the 3 shared allegation statements.

It is alleged that you failed to meet your Code of Conduct responsibility to respect the rights and views of your colleagues including their different values, beliefs and religion by zealously espousing your own strong religious views in the workplace.

The most prevalent issue raised by the complainants was Ms Crowley’s extreme religious beliefs and her propensity to force those upon others. She would allegedly preach indiscriminately, not just to her colleagues, but also to visitors to the laboratory, including doctors and nurses.

A common theme was Ms Crowley indicating to others that God had sent her to the Logan laboratory to address the evil there, the evil ones were going to ‘get it’ and she was going to ‘save them all’. Ms Crowley would allegedly announce that there were ‘bad vibes’ within the laboratory and would ‘bless’ it or make a sign of the cross over the centrifuge machine. It was reported that many of her ideas were quite bizarre and some of the complainants expressed concern about her mental health.