I am fairly certain I am being targeted and harassed by my boss.
I work for a small government agency with no HR. HELP! I am making plans to exit now by looking for a new job, but how do I manage the harassment in the mean time? Most of it comes in via email - falsehoods, accusations, and exaggerations. I'm also considering reaching out to an attorney, but I don't know where to begin. Any advice would be helpful.
Another immediate option is to meet with your skip level boss to share what is going on. Or, if your agency has a compliance officer or EEOC group those would also be good places to start.
Definitely document everything. That protects against situations where it's one person's word against another's and will help if they try to contest unemployment or other benefits after you leave. Good for you for taking steps to remove yourself from the situation. Depending on what state you're in, certain kinds of harassment may even be against the law. Worth checking with the Labor Board or even the police if you feel threatened/like your safety is at risk.
First of all, I recommend documenting every conversation, every email, every interaction by forwarding or copying messages to your home computer and accounts. Indicate date and time and as many verbatims as possible. Include names of associates who may have witnessed or been a part of the communications. They may not feel comfortable backing you up but at least you've documented it. Particularly note if your boss made any discriminatory comments or threatened you in any way.