After 3 months of not knowing what was going on, we were finally told yesterday that S was being allowed to come back to work today which I’m assuming means she won her appeal. No one is happy about it since it more or less sends a message that staff can do what they like and get away with it. I don’t think our management had much choice in the decision to take her back and I know for a fact one senior boss is absolutely furious. I’ve no idea if that means her every move is being scrutinised now but I can’t help but feel it is a kick in the teeth. There are so many people out there who would love her job and she can’t even feel grateful for her second chance.

Today, she’s been going around looking smug, like she’s won a major coup and is untouchable. The smile was pretty much wiped off her face when she realised most of us weren’t going to give her the time of day. I’m so angry, I just want to smack her face every time she comes near me. I can’t bring myself to talk to her right now. I’m being perfectly pleasant in regard to work matters but that’s all she is going to get. Once or twice I could feel my blood pressure rising but I just calmed myself down and blocked her out as much as I could. She’s not worth it.

I can’t believe she even had the nerve to come back since it is so obvious no one wants her there and we all know what’s happened even if we don’t know the details. She is just so brazen.

Welcome to the civil service where you get paid for doing nothing. In fact, don’t work or show you are interested because it doesn’t mean anything at the end of the day and you will get treated like garbage. Go to work, don’t do anything, take loads of breaks, surf the net, send personal emails, arrange your social life and the civil service will foot the bill. No worries.

Cheered myself up by booking tickets for the Scottish Ballet’s production of Romeo and Juliet in the Spring and I’m going on my own. I’m tired of worrying if others are enjoying themselves so I’m going alone.