Karin Walker - Family Lawyer - How to leave a Narcissist - the Practical Podcast · Karin Walker

Narcissism in the workplace - a conversation with Clare Chappell

July 2, 2025·34 min·1 clip

Do not resign before getting legal advice - this is the single most important step to protect your position

The workplace is not exempt. Karen opens by saying narcissistic abuse is not limited to domestic relationships. The same behavior can turn up with employees, colleagues, and employers, and the pattern matters more than the setting. The guest treats leaving a narcissistic employer as uncomfortably close to leaving a personal relationship with a narcissist. Planning comes before action. A resignation or complaint can provoke the retaliation the employee already expects, so the episode keeps coming back to preparation. Evidence is the practical protection. The guest advises gathering material before access disappears, including abusive emails where possible and a journal of events while they are still fresh. Lockout is treated as a real risk. Once an employee resigns, the employer may cut off IT access, leaving the person without documents they may need later. Confidentiality still counts. The conversation slows down around the risk of forwarding workplace emails home. Evidence gathering should not casually breach obligations. Screenshots may be enough. The aim is not to escalate wildly, but to preserve readable proof before the other side controls the record. A grievance can change what happens next. The guest suggests raising a grievance first may matter if retaliation follows. Karen and the guest describe the familiar reversal: the complaint is treated as audacity, the worker becomes the problem, and dismissal is framed as deserved. If dismissal follows the grievance, that sequence may help support claims, including arguments about unfair dismissal. The legal route stays cautious. Raising a grievance is described as a statutory right, so dismissal tied to that act may fall into an automatically unfair category. This episode is not about winning the argument at work. It is about leaving with evidence, timing, and enough footing to survive the next move.

As heard by us

A practical guide to leaving employment with your position protected.

The episode treats workplace narcissism as a real employment issue, not a theory exercise. Karen Walker and Claire Chappell keep the focus on bosses, colleagues, grievance strategy, and dismissal risk, and the most useful material stays practical: planning, evidence, and timing.

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Why you'd press play

If work has turned into a narcissist-heavy situation, this helps you plan your exit without losing your footing.

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