Judith, I just bought your book about Alligators in the Water Cooler. It is so dead-on to my current situation, that I am stunned and amazed. I have been the target of mob bullying, instigated by one person. This person has done this before. I’ve been to management, but for financial purposes they do not want to take any permanent action to get rid of her. I’m so glad to have found your book because you set everything out so clearly and succintly that it helps me keep my reality straight in my mind. Thank you so much for writing this book.I am taking the steps you suggest to remove myself from the battering and your book is giving me the strength to know that ultimately I am a good, highly qualified and intelligent human being.Sincerely, C. J.

Now Available In Fine Book Stores Everywhere and Online At Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Xlibris.com “Alligators in the Water Cooler” Is a compassionate and useful addition to the growing library of advice books for targets (victims) of workplace bullying. Munson’s approach to putting personal health and life’s priorities first is spot on! Her insight on how to detect a bullying prone employer while interviewing for a job is great.” Gary Namie, PhD Director, Workplace Bullying Institute Co-author, The Bully At Work   ———————————————————————— “As a professional I was deeply touched by the description of bullies in Judith’s book and by her suggested remedies. In describing this all-too-common workplace malady she hit the nail right on the head.” Jon Baker, M.S. J.D.

When you hear someone refer to “alligators in the water cooler,” you might visualize one of those baby alligators that the tourists buy in Florida to take home and then end up in the water cooler at work as a practical joke.

The alligators that you will be learning about in the pages of this book are neither cute nor harmless. In the workplace, the term “alligator” is another name used for those who choose to bully others, passively or aggressively, often causing emotional pain and/or physical illness.

This type of behavior has an emotional impact not only on the victim, but also on those around him or her. This trickle down effect can go beyond the normal scope of the workplace and seep into one’s personal life. It can affect the cohesiveness and productivity of the entire workforce and potentially even the bottom line of the department or company.

An alligator can be a co-worker, supervisor, or manager – male or female. The sphere of influence an alligator has can be on one person or on a whole department depending on his intention.

Because we spend eight to ten hours a day at work, our place of employment becomes a home away from home. We rightly expect our work to be stimulating, challenging and the office a place we look forward to coming to every day. To have that time become more destructive than productive is not only bad for the employees, but also very bad for the business.

It is my sincere desire that managers and business owners of all levels will learn to recognize and deal with these types of employees for the betterment of the company and that you the worker, will become empowered enough to stand up for yourself and for what you know to be right.