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Discrimination, harassment, intimidation, bullying, and unfair treatment are all too common in the workplace. Unfortunately, despite significant progress in recent years, these issues persist and continue to affect millions of people around the world. The impact of such mistreatment can be devastating, both personally and professionally.

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As an immigrant and English speaker, I experienced firsthand the devastating impact of discrimination and bullying in the workplace. The excitement and anticipation of a new leadership role in a French province quickly turned into a nightmare when the offer was withdrawn, and a local French person was given the job instead. The new leader treated me with contempt, hurling insults at me like "no one likes you", " you are lazy", "you have no leadership skills", "you talk too much", etc. It was heartbreaking, and HR's lack of support only added to the sense of isolation and betrayal.

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As the sole breadwinner for my family, I was faced with a difficult decision - endure the mistreatment or risk being out of a job. It was an impossible situation that left me feeling powerless and frustrated with the lack of progress towards true equality and inclusion.

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What hurts the most is the sense of cynicism that has taken root within me. The senior leadership's talk of diversity, inclusion, and anti-bullying seems like empty rhetoric when I think back on my experience. It's difficult to trust that real change will ever happen, or that the progress we've made towards equality is anything more than surface-level.

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I hope that by sharing my story, I can help shed light on the real impact of discrimination and mistreatment in the workplace. No one should have to endure what I went through, and it's time for companies and organizations to take real action to address these issues. We must continue to fight for true equality and inclusion, even when it feels like the odds are stacked against us. Together, we can create a better future for all.

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