Elsewhere -
What you are describing is called "Harassment in the Workplace" and under US federal law it is ILLEGAL in any work environment with 12 or more employees! I have personal experience with this law, and I can tell you that it is extremely important to document EVERYTHING!
I am not a lawyer, so you will want to check with one to verify what I am telling you, but here is what I've learned:
1. An employee may claim "harassment" if any situation in the workplace creates a "hostile environment" which in turn, makes them feel "uncomfortable". The "uncomfortable" feeling does not necessarily have to affect the quality or quantity of the employee's work - only the level of "comfort" in the work environment which any reasonable person would also feel given the same set of circumstances.
2. "Harassment" does not have to come from only people above you - it can also come from peers and those who aspire to the position you hold. Therefore, anyone IN ADDITION to your supervisor who "shuns" you and causes you to feel "uncomfortable" is just as guilty as your supervisor. Be sure to document them as well.
3. If you ever think you may have to go to court over this, you will need to be able to show that you have confronted the harasser(s) and asked them to stop. Ideally, you want to do this with a witness. If you are not comforable in confronting your harasser(s), then you may report the problem to Human Resources, the harrasser(s)' supervisor(s), or your own supervisor (if he/she is not the actual harasser). Most often, anyone who intervenes on your behalf will want a written statement from you. If they don't ask you for one, ask them if you can put your complaint in writing - and be SURE to get a copy of your complaint. If they tell you "no" - they are in violation of the law. Insist that the signature of the person to whom you are complaining is on the document, as well as the date and time of the complaint. If you skip this step, your case could be thrown out of court, no matter how strong any other evidence you may have supporting your allegations may be.
4. Choosing to confront your harasser(s) either on your own or through an intermediary can be difficult. Many don't do it because they don't want their identity revealed more than they want the behavior to stop. The law is set up to protect your identity, however, most times the accused harasser(s) don't have much trouble figuring out who is accusing them. This is something to keep in mind when deciding whether to confront your harasser(s) or not.
5. The law allows the harasser(s) one chance at correcting the "environment", unless the incident is severe (such as in the case of rape, or something along those lines). As the "victim" you won't be privvy to the type of disciplinary action taken, but if the case ever goes to court and the company did not properly document the corrective action taken, they are in deep, deep doo doo. The good news is that the Human Resources department and/or the Harasser(s)' Supervisor(s) should let you know when your "environment" should be free of hostility.
6. HR and/or the harasser(s)' supervisor(s) must get back with you within a "reasonable" amount of time (i.e. within several common working days in which both the documenter(s) and the harasser(s) both work). The company is allowed to conduct their own investigation, however, they are to take your complaint seriously, and respond in a timely manner with their findings. If they do not, again, the company is in deep, deep doo doo.
7. The next part of the law deals with retaliation, and the court severely frowns upon any case where retaliation can be proven. If any employee is retaliated against because they have reported harassment, then the company can be held liable. Retaliation can include anything from demotions, schedule changes which do not affect others within the same department or class, changes in work assignments, to termination without well-documented cause. Also - any form of retaliation which takes place AWAY from company property and OFF company time can still be considered retaliation - for example - slashed tires, or provocation of a verbal or physical fight in any pubic or private place (i.e. Kingdom Halls or your own home).
8. You have the right to sue your company if the harassment does not stop even after you have reported it, if you have been retaliated against for reporting the harassment and your company allows the retaliation, or if your company does not find a way to create a more hospitable environment for the you - by essentially turning a blind eye to the harassing behavior. Your company can be held liable for a maximum of (I think) $3million (it might be $6million - I can't remember) per incident. In cases where companies do not have a written harassment policy and/or training and awareness program, I believe a victim can sue for as much in damages as they dare to ask - in other words, no cap on the damage award. ADDITIONALLY, the victim may personally sue their harasser(s) - which would make your boss one unhappy jw.
If I were you, I would contact a lawyer just to find out your rights and what you should do if this situation continues or worsens. Also, when/if it comes time to confront your harasser(s), I would choose to go through HR only and make a written complaint. This way there will be a record of your complaint, with names, dates, times, and specific details. (This is another good reason to keep a record of everything that happens before making the official complaint). The other reason it is good to contact your HR department is because if your supervisor decides to even passively-agressively retaliate against you in any way, your job will be protected because of your written complaint. Verbally asking your harasser(s) to stop without any written record does NOT protect you from retaliation unless you can prove you verbally asked your harasser(s) to stop. Tough to prove. Again, check with a lawyer to see what they would advise you to do.
You got this job because of the skills and other attributes you possess. It is not fair or LEGAL to be pushed out of that job - either through termination, transfer or demotion - or through the simple choice of quitting - just because one individual, or group of individuals makes it uncomfortable for you to be there. The law is on YOUR side - do all you can to make it work for you!
growedup