Office politics driving me INSANE

Awww. Poor OP.

Were your parents alcoholics? None of these cunts' behavior is your responsibility.

Avoid the drama and remove yourself from the "middle". Set up some real boundaries and focus on your job, not being everyone's confident. Unless you enjoy this crap, stop being a part of it. Your choice.

If you don't like it quit.

Yes, stop talking to everyone.

Tell them HR has told you to stay out of ongoing situations or risk a reprimand.

And where do you work that ANY director has to answer to HR? HR is management's bitch, not the other way around.

OP, your post could have been about my own office. It is shit. It is going to shit, and nothing seems to be able to fix it. I long never to go there again, yet that is where my paycheck comes from! So I keep going. I have three more months to go until Summer break. Figure out what to do then. Well actually, no, Summer break will be for enjoying the summer and travelling, who am I kidding? But I am really hating this state of things, which is only getting worse.

And I no longer do anything anymore, it's like there's no point. I was working like hell all through September-February, it's all dropped to an all-time low now. Apparently I can get by doing an hour or so of work everyday.

It's gotten to the point when I am happy to get some work done during the day. Crazy. It used to be that I was happy to take a break.

Do tell me why the women in your workplace are vile while the "guys" are merely heavy drinkers.

I'll add that the office where I work is entirely comprised of women, except for a 5'4" Asian guy.

It'll drive you crazy if you let it

Start looking for another job. A toxic work environment is never a good thing, you spend a lot of time there. Try to move on at the earliest opportunity.

If you can't stop them from talking to you then just listen and keep their confidences. You don't need to worry what you tell others if you don't repeat what they've said to you in the first place. Right?

Quietly contact a lawyer. Get ready to throw the fuck down with HR and inept management. Get a promotion or a settlement. Play hardball with these vicious, unbalanced fraus.

R12 gets it.

Act dumb. Listen to all. Say nothing. Act as if you know nothing.

Op, did your coworkers end up dying of COVID. Sounds like nature handed you a good solution if your office didn’t get this worked out after 5 years.

Looks like DeFacto aka The Mad Bumper is back. F&F.

BTW, r11 and r14 had it right. Hope the OP took that advice.

Why do so many data loungers work with women? Seems like you're all cubicle dwellers surrounded by fraus day in and day out.

Nobody is a cop or a firefighter or a plumber or an electrician or anything Blue collar whatsoever? Gee what a surprise.

Women are the majority. They have made great strides into various parts of the workforce. Naturally, we encounter these rare and unique species.

Not sure what kind of Flyovastan place you're writing your novella about, but I don't know of a single legitimate company where the Directors have to explain ANYTHING to HR. HR exists at the pleasure of the Directors.

1/10 for trying.

You lost me at management having to answer to HR.