Hazing in the workplace

Associates seem to treat me like a younger brother or a pledge, throwing digs and chirps in groups at me. They are weak and feeble boys. I am not the type to get agitated by this behavior, I have wrestled and grappled for many years so I know I can beat all of them in a fight, but how do I confront them without causing problems and being fired/not rehired for speaking out to someone "above me in rank." The world where I come from, if you have a problem, you can say it to their face and if it ends in a fight, so be it, but in IB, you have to succumb to your superiors. They act out in groups since I am young, confident, and bold, but individually, when I look them in the eyes, they are weak men. How do I confront them without being fired?

35 Comments
 

They're probably doing it bc they're insecure and they feel you're a threat to them. Probably harmless for now, throw some zingers back at them and see how they take it. If they laugh then they're cool and it was never that deep to begin with. If not, then they're seriously the ones with a problem (can dish it but can't take it). Just make sure this behavior doesn't bleed into them throwing you under the bus when its crunch time. Otherwise, its prob just jocky locker room ball busting

 

So if one of them tells me to shut up in a meeting (friendly shut up) how am I supposed to respond, friendly or not, in front of a client, I would smack you in your fucking face and smash your face into the table, but in IB, that doesn't work......better solutions then assault and battery?

 
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I had a long ass response that I typed on my phone and lost it so here’s the shortened versions:

Option 1: Fight everyone Mortal-Kombat style until you finally defeat the GP and take his title.

Option 2: Work on your social and emotional intelligence. Aside from intellectual intelligence, you need all 3 to be a good employee/investor/human. No, we don’t fight in the workplace. Yes, I know fighting too … owned a Boxing / HIIT gym while working on Wall Street. Mid 30s now. The workplace is a pyramid. You are at the bottom, and everyone gets shit-tested all the way up. It’s a way of ‘becoming boys’ (or girls) with your co-workers, and it’s a way to build trust. We all come out of school thinking we’re the hot shit, and all of us need a slice of humble pie. I’m guessing that the associates are probably getting shit from the people above them too. While I don’t know your exact situation, everyone has a line, and I always advise sticking up for oneself. Last, if it’s too much then maybe consider talking to a psychologist. If that doesn’t work then find a new workplace. And if that doesn’t work then maybe you should look at a different career. But know that EVERYWHERE you go there will always be someone that puts your ego in check… Try riding the NYC subway around for a week during rush hour, and you will have many annoying people who you will have the opportunity to fight and go to jail for. Do any of us like it? No. Is it worth putting our ego in check for? For 95% of us, yes.

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