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Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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My current company is definitely on a downward spiral. There have been a ton of upper management changes and things are just in chaos. Most recently, the new management team rehired employees that had previously been fired (not laid off, they were actually fired with cause) and this has created a nightmare. There are about 4 right now that are just horrendous. I'm currently working for a healthcare company and I'm remote. Not a whole lot of interaction with in office staff so I had no idea how bad things really are.
Right now, one person in this small group has targeted me. She complains about me incessantly for things that are system issues that I have no control over. I've been able to defend myself in every single case and I have a great record and a great working relationship with my immediate supervisor. However, this person just won't let up. She emails me nastygrams, goes to the director, etc. I don't get it. I have never met her in my life. I don't have any kind of relationship at all. The other thing is I'm really tired of defending myself.
I did have a meeting with my supervisor who claims he's on my side, this person is an issue, etc. However, I don't know how much power he has any more to protect me, assuming he's telling the truth. I'm documenting everything. I have a side business that I'm trying to build up. But in the meantime, I need this job. I don't know what to do about this person. At first, I ignored her and addressed her via my boss. Now I wonder if I should respond to her directly? She is even a lower level than me, but the thing that gets me is clearly the director is listening to her and that is crazy because this person should be going through the correct channels.
Anyway, does anyone have any advice as to how to get this person to let up?
Save everything you "get" from her. Keep a written log of all activities. I would set her up to get fired. That's what she's trying to do to you! I had a problem with someone like that once upon a time. I set her up to get fired. She left and it was over. And it sets an example for anyone else there that tries to sabotage or even thinks of it. Negative reinforcement.
If you're in healthcare, your company must have a Compliance Dept, right? Maybe ask them for guidance. We (compliance officers) get involved in lots of problem-solving and "grey" ethical issues; we're not just taking complaints about fraud & waste and auditing people.
At worst, you can get your complaints/concerns on record, in case you have some negative action taken against you in the future. At best, they might intervene or advise you on what to do.
I stay out of employee interpersonal "drama" but if there is some kind of behavior that is affecting the work, meaning the integrity of the healthcare we provide, then I DO intervene and try to problem-solve stuff like this.
Since your immediate supervisor is sort of impotent (either by choice or because he really doesn't carry much weight) it will help you to have a higher-level person like the compliance officer hearing you out and helping you strategize how to procede. They might even be able to call a meeting between the person who oversees that woman and your boss or your boss's boss. For all you know, they might have already gotten 5 calls about this same employee's behavior.
My current company is definitely on a downward spiral. There have been a ton of upper management changes and things are just in chaos. Most recently, the new management team rehired employees that had previously been fired (not laid off, they were actually fired with cause) and this has created a nightmare. There are about 4 right now that are just horrendous. I'm currently working for a healthcare company and I'm remote. Not a whole lot of interaction with in office staff so I had no idea how bad things really are.
Right now, one person in this small group has targeted me. She complains about me incessantly for things that are system issues that I have no control over. I've been able to defend myself in every single case and I have a great record and a great working relationship with my immediate supervisor. However, this person just won't let up. She emails me nastygrams, goes to the director, etc. I don't get it. I have never met her in my life. I don't have any kind of relationship at all. The other thing is I'm really tired of defending myself.
I did have a meeting with my supervisor who claims he's on my side, this person is an issue, etc. However, I don't know how much power he has any more to protect me, assuming he's telling the truth. I'm documenting everything. I have a side business that I'm trying to build up. But in the meantime, I need this job. I don't know what to do about this person. At first, I ignored her and addressed her via my boss. Now I wonder if I should respond to her directly? She is even a lower level than me, but the thing that gets me is clearly the director is listening to her and that is crazy because this person should be going through the correct channels.
Anyway, does anyone have any advice as to how to get this person to let up?
I learned my lesson the hard way. Go to HR with all of your documentation NOW, not later.
Tell your boss you are going to HR and ask him to go with you. If this person has talked to a director, you should talk with him/her also. Do not let this person run you over.
My current company is definitely on a downward spiral. There have been a ton of upper management changes and things are just in chaos. Most recently, the new management team rehired employees that had previously been fired (not laid off, they were actually fired with cause) and this has created a nightmare. There are about 4 right now that are just horrendous. I'm currently working for a healthcare company and I'm remote. Not a whole lot of interaction with in office staff so I had no idea how bad things really are.
Right now, one person in this small group has targeted me. She complains about me incessantly for things that are system issues that I have no control over. I've been able to defend myself in every single case and I have a great record and a great working relationship with my immediate supervisor. However, this person just won't let up. She emails me nastygrams, goes to the director, etc. I don't get it. I have never met her in my life. I don't have any kind of relationship at all. The other thing is I'm really tired of defending myself.
I did have a meeting with my supervisor who claims he's on my side, this person is an issue, etc. However, I don't know how much power he has any more to protect me, assuming he's telling the truth. I'm documenting everything. I have a side business that I'm trying to build up. But in the meantime, I need this job. I don't know what to do about this person. At first, I ignored her and addressed her via my boss. Now I wonder if I should respond to her directly? She is even a lower level than me, but the thing that gets me is clearly the director is listening to her and that is crazy because this person should be going through the correct channels.
Anyway, does anyone have any advice as to how to get this person to let up?
Difficult to say, has this person got a reason right to complain about issues your not sorting out ?
Or is it a Malicious attempt to get you fired because they were fired previously, are they taking out their frustrations on you, you need to figure out if its just nastiness or just has reasonable right to complain.
This is a common strategy used by losers in a non-union office environment that feel the threat of competition. It's like the game of Survivor they will try to get people on their side to work against you but their main goal is purely selfish they are only looking for ways to prop themselves up. If you have good supervisors and management they will generally be able to spot things like this but if you don't you have a fight on your hands and you have to go into attack mode. Just start documenting everything and make a little daily report of things you did and things that happened throughout the day. That's the first step. Anything negative they say write it down. Eventually you go to HR and have enough evidence to tear the person apart. If the supervisors and management are pathetic you just skip them and go straight to HR. If the HR is pathetic you go to supervisors and management and let them deal with HR.
I worked with someone like that. She was crazy. Constantly complaining about me to the boss. To "placate" her, he would throw me under the bus. I was sick of his crap, and finally went to HR, we ended up having a meeting, HR, the boss, me, and the psycho.
The psycho thought this was her opportunity to shine.
The boss realized he was in deep crap. This absolutely highlighted his inability to manage a team.
I just wanted out. A transfer, I did not even care if my pay went down. Just let me out.
HR Rep cut the bull. Told the psycho she was on thin ice. I was not given my transfer, but I was validated. Not that it mattered much. I hated the psycho and my boss.
My boss never messed with me again. He told the psycho to shut up and do her job.
I finally left that looney bin. And no one has stayed in that job for longer than five months since I left...I was there for over two years.
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