What to do..? (Need some advice)

Radical Edward · #1 03-03-2011, 02:39 AM

Sorry about the long read, but I need some advice here.

So, I love my job, I like most of the people I work with, and my boss and I get along. However, there's been some drama as of late. At work there are 3 stations on my line and we need 3 people to run the line. A guy got fired from it so they brought someone else over (We'll call him Joe) and he was doing okay, but not doing great, and the reason was because his little "girl friend" kept coming over about 20-30 times a day ( I counted) and flirting with him. My work is pretty fast paced and it doesn't take a lot of goofing off to get behind. We were getting behind and my boss noticed and pulled me aside and asked me what was going on. I told him the truth, that she was coming over and that "Joe" could do a lot better if she wasn't coming over so much.
So, the next day the girl, we'll call her Jane, didn't come over at all, and I was pretty happy about it, but within the following days I noticed that she was really peeved at me and would generally be rude to me. I just ignored it and I figured, "We're both adults and she'll get over it. I'm not going to bother my boss with it anything. " but, by that Friday she was still being a ***** to me, and had even begun calling me names and mumbling things as I walked by her. I tried to talk to her after work that day and tell her that it wasn't anything personal and apologise for getting her in trouble and she just walked away from me.
The following Monday throughout the next week this went on and only got worse. I couldn't believe she was still acting like this, and this week it has really gotten out of control. Monday, of this week, she pretended like she was going to throw a part at me (We work with metal) and she called me about 3 or 4 different things and I heard from numerous people that she was talking **** about me behind my back, and then she tried telling me that I was doing my job wrong. Needless to say I was pretty tired of it after this, so I went to my boss and I told him that something had to be done about it or I was going to quit. I've worked at too many places where people just harass people and it never ends well.
The next day I punch in and my boss pulls me aside and sends me to HR.

I go to the HR office and talk to someone there about what happened. They send me back to work and call in "Joe" and then "Jane" shortly after. "Jane" didn't come back..
She has been suspended and now they're taking everyone I work with in to question. "Jane's" sister works with me too and she's friends with a lot of people and obviously hates me right now. People are afraid to really talk to me, because they don't want to hear **** from her and no one wants to be brought in to the mess.
This whole thing has really gotten out of control and I don't know what to do. I'm thinking about looking for a new job, but my boss doesn't want me to quit and I enjoy my job, but I dunno. I don't need to play these games with some dumb *****. "Jane" is crazy and so is her sister and they love to gossip and start trouble and I know that when she gets back from being suspended she isn't going to stop. She's hired in and I'm through a temp agency.

Any advice from anyone out there? Any resolve to this situation? I'm really overwhelmed with this right now.

i_got_a_mohawk · #2 03-03-2011, 04:03 AM

When you noticed you were starting to get behind & counting the number of times his girl was coming over, it may have been better to have a subtle word, just say how everyone is getting bogged down and there isnt the time for idling around.

Have you tried talking to the sister or anyone else, and pointing out what happened? That the boss was wondering why you were all getting behind and that you gave them the honest answer, that there was a distraction (assuming of course that is the only thing slowing things down)?

Way I see it, if you are staying on, either:

- Have a quiet word and keep on working
- Ignore them and keep on working (unless of course it gets to a stage where things are being said to you, in which case report it).

You'll run into petty people regardless of the work situation, we are only getting one side of the story and I'm wondering how much influence this girl had on slowing production, are things running as they should be now?

You were right to report the name calling nonsense, and if suspending her is the policy on that kind of BS, then she can't have expected anything less!

machine gewehr · #3 03-03-2011, 04:19 AM

Few years ago 4 guys were harassing my brother,it came to a point that he was going to drop from college.

One day he went to see his counselor to tell her he has to quit or he'd really wouldn't be able to hold his temper. (My bro is crazy.)

On the way to the counselor these 4 huys pull him aside to harass him,he pulls his switchblade,grabs one from the neck and tells them if they mess with him again,he's going to carv 'em up.

He walks to the counselor and tells her it's been resolved,everything's cool.

ps:I'm not encouraging you to do that,this is wrong! Just felt like sharing a story that's all.

pss: Dear authorities,if Mikaela stabs them and if you think this is my fault,that I encouraged her and if you are willing to take legal action against me... Bring it on bro! Good luck finding a guy with alias machine gewehr in Istanbul!

hover · #4 03-03-2011, 04:33 AM

you should start a blog.

Relic · #5 03-03-2011, 06:35 AM

I don't know that there's anything more that you can do at this point...

You probably should have mentioned this politely to the folks in question first before going to management but then again, judging by what you've said about them, it probably would not have changed a thing. They just sound like a bunch of chodes.

My advice is to just do a good job, cover your arse whenever you can and just ride it out. You really can't afford to quit this job

Winnb · #6 03-03-2011, 06:46 AM

You did exactly what you were supposed to do. You are in a place of business. You are all adults. There was a problem at your job. Your manager asked you about it. You told the truth. Management and HR addressed the problem and resolved it.

That's what they get paid to do.

Do NOT under any circumstances try to solve a problem like that on your own. The company is NOT paying you to do that. That's what they're paying managers and HR employees to do.

Relic · #7 03-03-2011, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winnb

You did exactly what you were supposed to do. You are in a place of business. You are all adults. There was a problem at your job. Your manager asked you about it. You told the truth. Management and HR addressed the problem and resolved it.

That's what they get paid to do.

Do NOT under any circumstances try to solve a problem like that on your own. The company is NOT paying you to do that. That's what they're paying managers and HR employees to do.

You are right about that for the most part but IMO there are times when things can be resolved quietly by using a little bit of diplomacy without getting management involved.
That said, given what the OP mentions about the majorly immature behavior of these fools, I think that in this case it would not have made a difference.

CrispyDelicious · #8 03-03-2011, 07:35 AM

TL;DR

Quote:

Originally Posted by hover

you should start a blog.

MJ5150 · #9 03-03-2011, 07:56 AM

You narked out one of your co-workers twice, now everyone dislikes you for being a nark, now YOU want to quit? Suck it up and keep working there. You made this bed.

-Mike

Skitch it! · #10 03-03-2011, 08:13 AM

For myself, I would have had a word with 'Joe' first, explain that the distraction was making it harder to stay on top of your work. I wouldn't have mentioned it to the management initially, that would have been second call. Getting a rep for going to management with everything, you don't want that rep if you can help it, it breeds distrust. I'd keep the head down to working and wait 'til this may or may not blow over, decide from there, wait and see.

prd004 · #11 03-03-2011, 08:13 AM

Just do your job and ignore the immature people around you best as you can. I can't stand when the work environment takes on a "high school" mentality. Be better than that, be wiser than them, and continue to be more mature. At the end of the day it's just a job, but a job is still a necessary evil!

While there may be a few people there who are mad at you and showing it, I guarantee that there are just as many or more who are there to work, earn a paycheck, do a good job, and ignore the drama.

prd004 · #12 03-03-2011, 08:15 AM

PS: Don't worry about "Jane" when she returns from suspension. She's already been suspended and warned about her behavior, she will either act differently when she comes back or be fired!

iamlowsound · #13 03-03-2011, 08:16 AM

My advice would be to stop puking on your shergold.

lowsound

chokeslam512 · #14 03-03-2011, 08:45 AM

Lots of hindsight here, unfortunately. It's not going to do me any good to say that maybe you should have had a talk with Joe first.

Just watch yourself, she'll be gunning for you now and may be willing to say things, true or not, to get you back.

CrispyDelicious · #15 03-03-2011, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

My advice would be to stop puking on your shergold.

lowsound

When one leaves, another fills the role. It's like TBOT has a niche for this sort of thing.

Selta · #16 03-03-2011, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hover

you should start a blog.

She did. You just read her latest entry in it...

i_got_a_mohawk · #17 03-03-2011, 09:15 AM

One thing I'll add, that some people seem to be missing out on.

Management approached her, not the other way around.

Tho granted, she should have approached Joe when she was at the stage of counting how many times the girl was coming over (also, we are under the assumption that the disruption from this girl is what was causing the delays on the line).

Relic · #18 03-03-2011, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

One thing I'll add, that some people seem to be missing out on.

Management approached her, not the other way around.

Tho granted, she should have approached Joe when she was at the stage of counting how many times the girl was coming over (also, we are under the assumption that the disruption from this girl is what was causing the delays on the line).

Exactly! That's why I dont see her as being a "narc" - if your work performance or ability to get a job done is being questioned because of something that a coworker is doing, then you HAVE to cover your arse. If jobs were a-plenty and unemployment were almost nil, then it may be a different story but in this day and age you don't have the luxury of covering for someone.

MakiSupaStar · #19 03-03-2011, 09:51 AM

What to do? Continue working your job and supporting your daughter.

MJ5150 · #20 03-03-2011, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radical Edward

Needless to say I was pretty tired of it after this, so I went to my boss and I told him that something had to be done about it or I was going to quit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Management approached her, not the other way around.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relic

Exactly! That's why I dont see her as being a "narc" -

That is where I think it got sideways for her at work. Escalating an issue to "fix it or I quit" is going to piss some people off, so be prepared to deal with the fallout when you escalate a matter.

-Mike