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Good employees suffer when out-of-control employees rule
- by Joan Lloyd
 Dear Joan:
I currently have a problem with a couple of employees at work who staff our networking department on weekends. Recently, one of them threw food on my workstation. Their own boss forbade them from eating in their work area because they refuse to clean it up. On Mondays, when I return from my weekend off, I often find my office supplies missing and food left on my workstation. I had to have locks installed on my desk drawers. I have repeatedly complained to my boss and finally he took this matter to their supervisor. Now, after being reprimanded by their supervisor, Iâm told that Iâm marked for retaliation by them because I complained. Not only that, one of them offered to pay someone to retaliate against me. They feel that theyâre entitled to take my office supplies because they work weekends and donât have access to the storeroom. But they do have access to the company online ordering database to order their own supplies. I donât know what else I could do but what I have already done, without going to our human resources department. Could you give me some advice on how I should handle this threat of retaliation? Answer: It appears that these two weekend bandits have been working without supervision for too long and are out of control. Like wild, angry cowboys, who defy authority, they seem to enjoy flaunting their own supervisorâs requests and get a kick out of defacing your workstation and taking your supplies. But threatening retaliation is going too far. You didnât specify who told you that they were going to retaliate but even if you heard it second hand, I recommend that you go to your manager and tell him that you feel unsafe and that you are working in a âhostile environment.â Thank your manager for stepping in and trying to rectify the situation but explain that it has gotten out of hand and you wish to report this threat to Human Resources. This form of harassment is out of line and you are justified in asking for support and safety when you come to work. I suspect that HR will immediately launch an investigation and put a quick end to these threats. Frankly, Iâm surprised these two have been able to shoot up the town for this long. These threats-if substantiated-would be grounds for termination. Even if the threats canât be proven, their supervisor, along with HR, needs to clamp down on these two and let them know there is a new sheriff in town Joan Lloyd newest workshop for supervisors and managers, Strategies to Resolve & Reduce Employee & Team Conflict, provides real-world solutions for real-life situations. |
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