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That's Tellin' Her - The Series
May. 11th, 2007 03:53 pmIn a prior post, I told the tale of my Administrative Assistant at work who has (for those who might not want to follow the link) evidenced an increasing lack of interest in her job and a frustration with anyone, particularly me, who attempts to interfere with her interpretation of her duties. Yesterday, in a conversation with my boss, I learned that her complaining has escalated to the next level. In brief, she stated that I am harassing her and am acting in a discriminatory manner towards her. She doesn't want to file a formal complaint. She didn't even want to talk to the HR department. I did get the clear impression that she wanted to vent and thought she could manipulate me through my boss.
Now, the use of the terms harassment and discrimination these days are not ones that should ever be used lightly nor should they ever be heard by management casually. And as managers, neither my boss (who is a great guy and very down-to-earth) nor I are going to allow such accusations to be thrown around with being taken seriously. As I listened to my boss's summary of her comments, it was clear that there's a Grand Canyon sized gulf between she and I. I didn't hear anything that smacked of harassment. I didn't get examples of how i'd discriminated against her.
But have I harassed her? Have I discriminated? I want to know. What I do see is a person who was spoiled rotten by my predecessor (who was not an angel by any means), allowed to do whatever she pleased, and now expects the moon because it's her due.
Am I frustrated and annoyed? Yeah, I am. Worried? Not at all. I am saddened by all this. She has taken steps that cannot be undone. She will never get princess treatment as she desires. She will be unhappy. While she's incredibly competent at her job (and I've said as much to her on many occasions, including during her annual review a few months back), she will likely feel unappreciated. I'd estimate that there's a 75% chance that she'll quit. This is a train wreck. One that I know I cannot stop.
Now, the use of the terms harassment and discrimination these days are not ones that should ever be used lightly nor should they ever be heard by management casually. And as managers, neither my boss (who is a great guy and very down-to-earth) nor I are going to allow such accusations to be thrown around with being taken seriously. As I listened to my boss's summary of her comments, it was clear that there's a Grand Canyon sized gulf between she and I. I didn't hear anything that smacked of harassment. I didn't get examples of how i'd discriminated against her.
But have I harassed her? Have I discriminated? I want to know. What I do see is a person who was spoiled rotten by my predecessor (who was not an angel by any means), allowed to do whatever she pleased, and now expects the moon because it's her due.
Am I frustrated and annoyed? Yeah, I am. Worried? Not at all. I am saddened by all this. She has taken steps that cannot be undone. She will never get princess treatment as she desires. She will be unhappy. While she's incredibly competent at her job (and I've said as much to her on many occasions, including during her annual review a few months back), she will likely feel unappreciated. I'd estimate that there's a 75% chance that she'll quit. This is a train wreck. One that I know I cannot stop.
