Vault: Her co-worker might be sabotaging her.

Summary

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The Bert Show: "Vault: Her Co-worker Might Be Sabotaging Her."

Date: June 16, 2026
Hosts: Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy, and the Bert Show Cast
Main Caller: Tammy (HR Manager, name changed/disguised)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on a workplace dilemma: Tammy, an HR manager, believes a co-worker is actively sabotaging her reputation within the office and with external vendors. She worries the situation could impact her current job and her future career prospects. The Bert Show team, along with callers, work through the nuances and limitations of resolving harassment when you're the HR person—and what to do when office politics make traditional procedures futile.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tammy’s Situation: Allegations of Sabotage

• Tammy explains that a male co-worker has been spreading derogatory rumors about her, referring to her as a "vitch" (substitute for a curse word) to both internal staff and outside vendors.
• She suspects he feels "threatened" because, as HR, she knows about his questionable behavior—including abuse of a company credit card and unresolved personal addictions.
• She's aware former employees have heard these rumors, confirming to her that reputation damage isn't limited to the current workplace.
• [02:14] Tammy: "This guy's, like, going around calling me a vitch at the office, the salespeople that work there, and also our vendors. I don't know what his problem is."

2. What Does HR Do When HR Is the Target?

• The hosts consider: Who does an HR manager turn to for protection or recourse?
• Bert asks whether Tammy ever threatened to use the information she knows; she says no—she hasn't leveraged her knowledge or spread information herself.
• [03:12] Bert: “Who does a human resources person go to if they’re the ones being harassed?”

3. Co-Worker’s Power & Office Politics

• Tammy claims this co-worker has the boss "wrapped around his finger" and is perceived as indispensable.
• It’s implied that his value to the company—or closeness with management—means complaints about him aren’t taken seriously.
• [09:19] Bert: “This other employee must be contributing to the bottom line pretty well. Professionally, there has to be a reason why the boss is sticking up for this guy.”

4. Skepticism From the Hosts

• The conversation grows more skeptical: Are there missing details Tammy isn’t revealing? The hosts suggest perhaps there's another side to the story.
• There’s concern about Tammy discussing the situation with ex-employees—possibly fueling gossip herself.
• [06:06] Co-host: “You're talking about him, and you’re...you’re friends from ex employees. You’re gossiping about him.”

5. What Advice Would Tammy Give as HR—and Has She Followed It?

• Bert asks what advice Tammy would give if another employee came to her with this problem.
• Tammy says she would recommend addressing it directly with the person, which she has done, but he flatly denied any wrongdoing.
• [06:44] Bert: “If an employee came to you with the very same problem...what’s the advice that you give to them?”
• [06:54] Tammy: “He denied it.”
• [07:14] Tammy: Vendors have confirmed the co-worker is spreading rumors about her.

6. Systemic Challenges: When the Boss Won’t Help

• Tammy says the boss is dismissive and protective of the accused co-worker, making official complaints futile:
• [08:06] Tammy: “It’s kind of hard to do something to someone that the boss really...cares about…I go to my boss…he doesn’t want to hear that…if you say anything it’s, you’re picking on him.”

7. Listener Input & The Limits of HR

• Caller Nicole theorizes that the only reason for the smear campaign is the co-worker feels threatened by what Tammy knows.
• [10:40] Nicole: "He's probably just trying to even the playing field a bit."
• Another caller, Aaron, suggests using external mediation like an EEOC complaint, but Tammy explains the company is too small for such infrastructure.
• [11:56] Tammy: “We don’t have that…we’re not that big.”

8. The Soap Opera of Office Sabotage

• The hosts debate the possibility of someone targeting a colleague purely out of spite, citing soap opera-like extremes.
• They ponder the psychology of someone deciding, for no practical reason, to ruin someone’s job or life.
• [13:42] Bert: “What if that happens in her office?”

9. Final Thoughts: Limited Solutions, Trickiness of Office Loyalty

• The show essentially concedes they don’t have enough information to offer a tailored solution for Tammy, given her inability to share full details.
• Conclude that sometimes you can only stay professional and hope things work out, especially when those in power protect the wrongdoer.
• [14:54] Co-host: “Yeah, sorry, you’re screwed.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Who does a human resources person go to if they're the ones being harassed?" – Bert [03:12]
• "This guy’s, like, going around calling me a vitch at the office… I don’t know what his problem is." – Tammy [02:14]
• "You’re talking about him, and you’re...you’re friends from ex employees. You’re gossiping about him…” – Co-host [06:06]
• "The only reason I would hesitate talking to a boss who even had a teacher's pet employee is if I was also guilty of something." – Co-host [08:41]
• "I think you just probably hit it because I don't do what he does." – Tammy [09:39]
• “If an employee came to you with the very same problem…what’s the advice that you give to them?” – Bert [06:44]
• "He must be pretty productive. Professionally, there has to be a reason why the boss is sticking up for this guy." – Bert [09:19]
• “The only reason he would be spreading all these rumors about her is that he is just extremely threatened by the fact that she knows, you know, she has all his dirt on him.” – Nicole, caller [10:40]
• "We don't have that…we're not that big." – Tammy [11:56]
• "Yeah, sorry, you're screwed." – Co-host, jokingly summarizing the dead end [14:54]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Tammy’s Intro and Situation: [01:40] – [03:30]
• HR Dilemma: No Recourse for HR: [03:12] – [04:26]
• Host Skepticism/Missing Details: [06:06] – [07:26]
• Attempted Direct Resolution: [06:44] – [07:14]
• Office Politics and Boss's Loyalty: [08:06] – [09:53]
• Callers Weigh In (Nicole, Aaron): [10:32] – [11:56]
• Soap Opera Office Politics Discussion: [12:05] – [14:54]
• Show Conclusion/No Clear Solution: [14:54] – [15:01]

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

The Bert Show tackles Tammy’s issue with their signature mix of empathy, humor, and blunt honesty. While offering some practical insights—about the limits of HR and the realities of office hierarchy—the hosts and callers struggle to provide a concrete solution without more specifics. The show pivots to a lighter "soap opera sabotage" riff, highlighting the often absurd, dramatic nature of office politics, but also subtly acknowledging how isolating and intractable workplace harassment can become when the rules don’t seem to apply to everyone equally.

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Transcript

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[Show Host (Burt)]

The Birch show so Tammy here needs some Birch show community love because she's in a tough spot at work and not only is it rough for her where she's working now, but she thinks there's a. There's somebody in the office that's doing some such hateful things to her that it is going to affect her future jobs as well. And she's not exactly sure how to handle it. Hey, Tammy.

[Caller/Guest]

Hey, good morning.

[Show Host (Burt)]

You're on the voice disguiser. All right, so what's going on in the office that could be so bad that it's affecting now, but also future jobs that you don't even have yet?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

Well, I don't know. If I'm allowed to, like, cuss or anything with you guys. But this guy's, like going around calling me a vitch at the office, the salespeople that work there, and also our vendors. I don't know what his problem is. I don't know if he feels threatened with me because I know a bunch of stuff about him.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Have you ever threatened to use the stuff that you know about him in a negative way or anything? Like what?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

I've never said anything to him about what he's done. I mean, what he's done is awful, but I've never, ever use that over him. It's just, I guess he thinks because I know all this stuff that if people become friends with me or have conversations with me, that I'm going to let all this out because I am the office manager, human resource person. And there's just a lot of stuff that's happened.

[Show Host (Burt)]

That's an interesting. That's an interesting question. Like, who does a human resources person go to if they're the ones being harassed? Let me ask you this, though. It's an obvious question. What is some of the stuff that you have on him that he's nervous that would come out? Is it personal stuff? Is it professional stuff?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

He said a lot of stuff with our company credit card. That is like a. No, no. And I know that if he worked anywhere else, he would be gone. And he's got some pretty serious addictions. So, you know, supposedly he was supposed to be getting help for these addictions, and it's only gotten worse. And now, you know, it's like I have people who have worked at our office and are gone and now have, you know, I'm still friends with, and they've come back and told me, you know, some things that he has said about me, which I think is absolutely ridiculous.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Well, you're the HR person.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Aren't you supposed to know how to deal with these situations?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

Yeah, well, you would think. But, you know, he's got air ball is pretty wrapped around his finger. I mean, he thinks, you know, where he works. He's the only one that knows everything about everything.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Now there, I mean, it's, it's. It's at the point where it sounds a little petty. So there's two sides to every story. So if you were defending him, because I'm curious if. I mean, the boss is wrapped around his finger, he's talking to the vendors, he's using, you know, derogatory terms when it comes to you. What. How would you argue his side of the story. Like, why is he targeting you if you've never had a hostile interaction with him? Or have you?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

No, it's just, I think. Because I know stuff, I think he feels threatened with me.

[Co-host/Commentator]

And you've never.

Your interactions with each other, are they tense, are they mean?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

We don't really talk. It's hand me this, hand me that. Never really carries on a couple of years.

[Show Host (Burt)]

It's so murky.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Commentator]

You're leaving a big chunk of the story out. Something happened. You can't say, because I think you keep going back to the I think he feels threatened type of a thing.

[Tammy (HR Person)]

Well, if you just knew the stuff that I knew, which I really can't go. I guess I didn't know all that stuff.

[Caller/Guest]

Right.

[Co-host/Commentator]

But what. You know, we can accept that you know significant things about him. What have you said to him? Or what has given him the impression that, like, do you think maybe in a social conversation you said something to a co worker that was inappropriate? You as the HR director, that may have gotten back to him, and now he thinks you're spreading gossip. Could that have happened?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

No, because, I mean. No, I just really. I tell you, the people that have worked there and that have gotten let go by this particular person.

[Co-host/Commentator]

But see, you're good. You're going back into what he's doing. Like, you're talking about him, and you're. You're friends from ex employees. You're gossiping about him. Like, you know, like, for instance, I have a very professional relationship with her HR person. I've worked with her for many years, and there's no reason for me to go around and start calling her names.

[Show Host (Burt)]

You know, it just doesn't happen.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Out of the blue, like, they're. That just. Yeah. Something. Something doesn't make sense here, Tammy, as

[Show Host (Burt)]

the HR person, if we're not talking about you, if an employee came to you with the very same problem as the HR person, what's the advice that you give to them?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

I would tell them to talk about it with that person if they could.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Have you talked about it with that person?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

Yeah, I have. I've confronted him.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Okay.

[Podcast Host]

What do you say?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

He denied it.

[Show Host (Burt)]

He said, there's nothing going on here. It's all in your head.

[Tammy (HR Person)]

Oh, I would never do that. I would never.

[Co-host/Commentator]

So how do you know the vendors? The conversation he's had with the vendors, how are you aware of that?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

Because they've told me.

[Co-host/Commentator]

They've come back and said, this guy's.

[Tammy (HR Person)]

Yeah, because I'm like, you know, there's just been some incident. Instance. Instances where people have come into our office and, you know, they're not allowed to. I mean, they don't speak to me or anything, you know, And I'm like,

[Co-host/Commentator]

this is weird, Timmy, because.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Because you feel like you need to sort of protect your identity and you can't give us the details. Most people are calling up saying there's nothing they can do for you because we don't. We can't really connect with your story because we just don't have details.

[Co-host/Commentator]

I just wonder, like in. In more of a general sense, like, what do you do when somebody's hateful to you at work?

[Show Host (Burt)]

You go to boss. Right. I mean, if, if you're the HR person, the only other person for you to go to is the boss. Correct.

[Tammy (HR Person)]

And he don't want to hear it.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Why should be able to file some sort of like, official complaint. Yeah, here's this, like badgering or hateful behavior. Here's what's happening, right?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

Like, it's kind of hard to do something to someone that the boss really, you know, cares about, I guess you could say, because, you know, when I go to this particular person, like my boss, he is. He doesn't want to hear that. He don't want to hear anything, you know, and if you say anything, it's. You're picking on him.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Well, here's what I'm hearing because I certainly have been guilty of nonsense in my past. Maybe even yesterday or last week or

[Show Host (Burt)]

recently between 6 and 6:30, I think it happened a couple times.

[Co-host/Commentator]

But you're guilty of something and you know it. Or else you would go to the boss. Like, the only reason I would hesitate talking to a boss who even had a teacher's pet employee is if I was also guilty of something. If there was something. Because if you go to the. If this guy's harassing you and talking badly to you, to mutual business relationships, that's something that I, as a boss, even if I loved that employee, that's something that I would want to hear. And the only reason that I could see an employee not coming to the boss is if they too had something on their plate that made them guilty.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Let me throw something else onto the plate here also is that this other employee must be contributing to the bottom line pretty well. He must be pretty productive. Or the boss would listen to you and would make adjustments. I don't know if this guy's making more money than you do for the company, but professionally, there has to be a reason why the boss is Sticking up for this guy.

[Tammy (HR Person)]

Well, I think he just probably hit it because I don't do what he does.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Is he a sales guy and he just brings in a ton of cash to the company?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

Not a ton, but I'm not.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Yep.

[Tammy (HR Person)]

So.

[Show Host (Burt)]

And I think he's probably thinking hr. HR people can be replaced. A salesperson that's bringing in a whole bunch of money into the company at this point is probably more difficult to replace.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Yeah. My thing also is that you can only do your part, and your part is to stay as professional as possible. I don't know about gossiping about him with ex employees because I'm not sure that it's not getting back to him. Obviously, if the vendors are coming to you, they care about you and they trust you, so they're reporting to you. So I wouldn't worry about the vendors and their opinions. Like, I think you're getting too worked up into the emotional part of this. And I feel like you just be professional, be the best HR person you can be, and things work out. Like, it all. It all works out.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Let me just go ahead and take a couple of quick calls here because we don't have too much time. Hey, Nicole. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller/Guest]

Good morning.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Hi.

[Caller/Guest]

Okay, so I. My personal belief on this is that the only reason he would be spreading all these rumors about her is that he is just extremely threatened by the fact that she knows, you know, she has all his dirt on him. So he's probably just trying to even the playing field a bit.

[Show Host (Burt)]

I don't know.

[Co-host/Commentator]

I mean, but if you've got dirt on him, that means the. I mean, dirt. If there's been reports on him and you have it on file about all the things he's done, the company has that. That's not you personally trying to have an event against him.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Here's Aaron. Good morning, Aaron, you're part of the Burt Show.

[Caller/Guest]

Good morning. How are you?

[Show Host (Burt)]

Okay, thank you.

[Caller/Guest]

Good. I. Doesn't she have, like, a equal opportunity employer or an office that she can go to? Where I work, we have an office that's set up just for this, where we go and you file a grievance. Once you file that grievance, there's a mediator that comes in. If there's witnesses to his actions, if there are people that are willing to write statements that say, yes, he said these things about her, then they can sit down at a table with a mediator and discuss it and that be the end of it.

[Show Host (Burt)]

But, Tammy, you should know all this. As the HR person, shouldn't you be giving yourself this advice?

[Tammy (HR Person)]

Well, we don't have that. Is that what she's saying? There's something at our office? I mean, we're not that big. You see what I'm saying? I don't have anything like that.

[Co-host/Commentator]

You know what? Let's give her the benefit of the doubt. And this might take us in a different direction at some other point in the show, but let's give her the benefit of the doubt. And what if she works in an office where this guy just has it out for her? Think Young and the Restless, soap opera style. He has decided and he has talked to his friends, he has decided he's gonna do everything in his power to get her fired for whatever reason. Who knows what the scandal is. We're assuming that that doesn't happen, that this is just unbelievable, that that can't happen.

Oh, I don't assume that.

[Show Host (Burt)]

I don't assume that either. If she would give us the details then, or could give us the details. You're saying there are no other details?

[Co-host/Commentator]

What if there are no other details? What if it's, you know, we see it all the time on soap operas where, you know, Jen and I are talking and you know, inside in the house, in our living room with our shoes on and we're having a conversation and not any shoes. Full on dress shoes. And Jen's got her makeup completely done and I'm probably wearing a suit and

you never go to the bathroom.

And we're at the home, we're at a very fancy dinner table and Jen leans over to me and says, listen, I was gonna try not to get involved, but the wedding between Wendy and Carl needs to end. And I'll say we can bring it to a stop. And you say, I'm gonna call Bert and have him create a distraction. And then I'll say, you do that and I'll call Melissa. And you know what? We'll have Melissa start a lesbian love affair with Wendy. And Jen goes, yeah, that's a great idea.

And somebody ends up in the hospital weirdly enough, right?

And then next, broken arm. Next scene, our little baby who was in the Corner is now 11 years old, but Melissa is in a full on relationship with like, what if that

[Show Host (Burt)]

happens in her office? What are you getting at?

[Co-host/Commentator]

What if. What if he is just gunned it out? I would, I would be interested to hear from people who have. You can't be the victim of it because we'll never hear the whole story. You have to have Just decided I want them fired. I want them broken up. I want the marriage ended, I want them the vacation ruined. I want them out of the apartment and you just made it happen.

[Show Host (Burt)]

I'm not sure what you're asking for. So you're not asking for the victim here?

[Co-host/Commentator]

No, it has to be the plotter she's asking.

Sorry. He's asking for like the guy in the office that's.

You've just decided gotten it out for the hr. I've decided I want you fired, Bert.

[Show Host (Burt)]

And there's really just no reason. You just don't like.

[Co-host/Commentator]

I just don't like you.

I just don't like you.

And you have to do soap opera crap, man. You gotta swap his urine during the drug test.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Well, Joanna could give us one of these that are. It's not office related, but it's one that happened in her life also.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Really?

[Show Host (Burt)]

Uh huh.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Our Joanna.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Our Joanna.

[Caller/Guest]

Oh, neat.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Yeah. Now it's not office related. It has to do with a wedding.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Now I think that still qualifies.

Yeah. It doesn't have to be work so

[Show Host (Burt)]

she could start it off with something like that, but it has to be soap opera conniving.

[Co-host/Commentator]

I want soap opera drama. I want. I want Young and the Restless. I want Housewife watching it at 2 in the afternoon.

So what's the last thing we tell Tammy though?

Yeah, sorry, you're screwed.

[Show Host (Burt)]

Yeah, we just don't have enough details. Yeah, we found this is way more entertaining.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Yeah, yours was boring. We found another direction. Where's Joanna?

[Show Host (Burt)]

Hi. 404741Q100. You have to be the one that did the plot. I mean, you have to be the conniver, and there might not have even been a reason why you decided to do what you did, but you either ruined the wedding, you got somebody fired, manipulated a situation so badly that. And it actually worked because I think in 3/4 of these cases you're like, oh, it's never going to work.

[Caller/Guest]

Yep.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Evicted. But then it did the birch show.

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