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My wife works in administration for a health care facility. She is not close with one of her bosses, and keeps it professional with her and avoids her as much as possible. One day my wife is in the office working with a colleague who manages her whole department. She's on site from Raleigh that day. So, my wife, her boss from Raleigh, and two other colleagues are talking at a table going over a procedure when this "enemy boss" comes out from her (closed door) office and approaches all four. She said to my wife in front of the group, "I can hear you when you are on speaker phone and I am concerned for your mental health." Her office is adjacent to my wife's office so sound can travel through the wall. My wife said the 4 gals went quiet for a few seconds, then just went back to their discussion.
My wife thought that was one hell of a shot at her in front of the others. She told her immediate supervisor later that day. The next day her immediate supervisor came to my wife's office and asked her to repeat what was said again. So my wife repeated what was said in front of the group. A little later this supervisor came into my wife's office and said she is appreciated there and gave her a raise. Was that Hush money?
Now my wife feels very uncomfortable working there. She's been there 5 years now and planned to retire in about 15 years. The "enemy boss" has not spoken a word to her since this event.
So my question is, is this harassment in the workplace? She's no longer liking the place and feels embarrassed. She has no interest in working there anymore.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,698,410 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by tpl77
I'll try to summarize the situation:
My wife works in administration for a health care facility. She is not close with one of her bosses, and keeps it professional with her and avoids her as much as possible. One day my wife is in the office working with a colleague who manages her whole department. She's on site from Raleigh that day. So, my wife, her boss from Raleigh, and two other colleagues are talking at a table going over a procedure when this "enemy boss" comes out from her (closed door) office and approaches all four. She said to my wife in front of the group, "I can hear you when you are on speaker phone and I am concerned for your mental health." Her office is adjacent to my wife's office so sound can travel through the wall. My wife said the 4 gals went quiet for a few seconds, then just went back to their discussion.
My wife thought that was one hell of a shot at her in front of the others. She told her immediate supervisor later that day. The next day her immediate supervisor came to my wife's office and asked her to repeat what was said again. So my wife repeated what was said in front of the group. A little later this supervisor came into my wife's office and said she is appreciated there and gave her a raise. Was that Hush money?
Now my wife feels very uncomfortable working there. She's been there 5 years now and planned to retire in about 15 years. The "enemy boss" has not spoken a word to her since this event.
So my question is, is this harassment in the workplace? She's no longer liking the place and feels embarrassed. She has no interest in working there anymore.
Is this a harassment case?
Thanks
Your wife needs to consult with a lawyer. This is too complex to go by the opinions of strangers on the internet. Plus, it sounds like she may fall into the age group where age may be a factor.
Southbound- thanks for your input. She is approaching 49 so I'm sure age is a factor. She's been working at this capacity since 1996 and is thought of as an expert. I can only wonder if she is a threat to her enemy boss.
She has considered calling a lawyer, but she's worried they will not be sincere with her. If the best advice is to just let it slide and keep working there, a lawyer has no interest in this. If they think there's a chance this could be a suit with 15 years of salary on the line, they have a chance to make some money. Just like hockey- keep firing shots on goal, every once in a while one goes in....
My wife works in administration for a health care facility. She is not close with one of her bosses, and keeps it professional with her and avoids her as much as possible. One day my wife is in the office working with a colleague who manages her whole department. She's on site from Raleigh that day. So, my wife, her boss from Raleigh, and two other colleagues are talking at a table going over a procedure when this "enemy boss" comes out from her (closed door) office and approaches all four. She said to my wife in front of the group, "I can hear you when you are on speaker phone and I am concerned for your mental health." Her office is adjacent to my wife's office so sound can travel through the wall. My wife said the 4 gals went quiet for a few seconds, then just went back to their discussion.
My wife thought that was one hell of a shot at her in front of the others. She told her immediate supervisor later that day. The next day her immediate supervisor came to my wife's office and asked her to repeat what was said again. So my wife repeated what was said in front of the group. A little later this supervisor came into my wife's office and said she is appreciated there and gave her a raise. Was that Hush money?
Now my wife feels very uncomfortable working there. She's been there 5 years now and planned to retire in about 15 years. The "enemy boss" has not spoken a word to her since this event.
So my question is, is this harassment in the workplace? She's no longer liking the place and feels embarrassed. She has no interest in working there anymore.
Is this a harassment case?
Thanks
Is your wife in line to eventually take the "enemy" boss's job?
Tell her to take the raise, continue to do a good job, and wait for the "enemy" to self destruct.
Would it be possible to move to workspace further from the "enemy"? If not, stop using the speakerphone. Get a headset instead.
Suzy- she is not in line to take the enemy boss' position. My wife is highly regarded there and regularly works outside her scope in an effort to help. Her colleagues consult her often because of her experience in the field. This enemy boss isn't going anywhere. She is perched in this spot and those above her just leave her there to answer the questions from corporate.
She cannot be moved at the moment as they want my wife to be near this group she works closely with. As far as speaker phone, my wife said she will not use it and will just pick up the phone when calls come in.
The only thing that has my wife offended is whatever this enemy boss heard or thought she heard. What on earth would my wife be saying that demonstrates mental health issues? That's a serious claim. In private it's a very delicate topic. Now, to publicly question her mental stability in front of a small group? Maybe a lawyer consult is best after all.
If your wife is comfortable with her direct boss (the one who gave her the raise), I would recommend talking to her candidly 1:1 about the situation to get feedback. If she's uncomfortable with that conversation, then bring it to HR.
UDcc123- her immediate supervisor will not side with her. She asked my wife to restate what was said to her that day, then walked away. I suspect she is loyal to this enemy boss. Her immediate supervisor is the type to not want anything like this to happen under her, so it's best to just give my wife a raise and cross your fingers it fades. The problem is that my wife is now bothered to the point of not being able to work comfortably. If she goes to HR, the gloves come off and the enemy boss will seek revenge.
I've been in the workforce since 1985 and I've yet to see someone go to HR about their boss and get the result they were looking for.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,698,410 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by tpl77
Southbound- thanks for your input. She is approaching 49 so I'm sure age is a factor. She's been working at this capacity since 1996 and is thought of as an expert. I can only wonder if she is a threat to her enemy boss.
She has considered calling a lawyer, but she's worried they will not be sincere with her. If the best advice is to just let it slide and keep working there, a lawyer has no interest in this. If they think there's a chance this could be a suit with 15 years of salary on the line, they have a chance to make some money. Just like hockey- keep firing shots on goal, every once in a while one goes in....
Thanks again
40 & up was the original age range for age discrimination. The law made it a moot point for decades. A Supreme Court decision has brought it back into play. As a current employee, your wife is still covered. The problem would be proving it. It could prove to be a problem with getting another job, though, if she waits too long to make a move.
The comment made to your wife was illegal. If I was in your wife's place, I'd look for something else, quietly, & get out of there. Consulting a lawyer, or an expert in employment law, wouldn't hurt. The enemy boss should have been disciplined or removed. Since she wasn't, I wouldn't trust the place for the long haul.
Your wife should make an appointment with someone, take a day off for the appointment, & consult with someone about this. I wouldn't pursue this further with the current place of employment. She needs to know the state & federal laws & the best way to go about changing her employment status
There are various factors that an expert in this sort of thing would know. As long as your wife's working agreement doesn't include a non-compete clause, I'd quietly leave asap.
Legally, she can tell them not to contact her current employer. A future employer will contact them after she's hired. If they didn't deal with the enemy for making that comment publicly, which is totally illegal, I wouldn't trust them to be quiet about it, since legal doesn't appear to be their thing. That's why I think that your wife needs to consult with someone.
That was rude, unprofessional, and hurtful. She could document it with HR, in case something else happens in the future and she can establish a pattern. But honestly, first time offense, enemy boss will get MAYBE a talking-to, at best.
Does not rise to the level of harassment in my eyes, but I don't even play lawyer on the internet.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,698,410 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by gus2
That was rude, unprofessional, and hurtful. She could document it with HR, in case something else happens in the future and she can establish a pattern. But honestly, first time offense, enemy boss will get MAYBE a talking-to, at best.
Does not rise to the level of harassment in my eyes, but I don't even play lawyer on the internet.
It's against the federal law to say something like that, publicly. Federal law trumps NC law, so it was everything that you said plus illegal. I'm not a lawyer but I know that, which is why I suggested contacting a lawyer or someone who specializes in employment law.
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