Employee problem ---HELP!

[Robinrs]

I was hired to my cable station in December... a GREAT MOVE to a great place and I was thrilled to be there. The lady who was leaving was wonderful and trained me thoroughly, she has since DIED, sad story... but the problem is with the woman who was hired with me.

I was told that they just hired a WONDERFUL girl, Diane, right before me and we were both hired to fix a BAD system, a computer program they had just purchased and no on seemed to understand it. To make a long story short it was not the system, it was the users. That problem solved.

Diane and I were on the same level with our boss, Jeff, in charge of both of us. We then hired an assistant, Laura and a part timer, Diane's sister. Together we got the department back on track.

The PROBLEM: We found out that Diane was making LOTS of mistakes. She was in charge of the copy that went on the air and these mistakes are hard to discover unless you're really looking for them, UNTIL the invoice prints. By then the choice is makegoods or credits. The credits were piling into the HIGH thousands, a situation we couldn't afford.

Well, Jeff put Diane on probation. She is already an emotionally instable person and she had a meltdown like a child at Disney... Jeff, being the sweetheart (chump) that he is, let her get away with MURDER...

Then in August, I was promoted to manager. Diane straightened up a bit but it's not as much her work ethic but her dramatics that has everyone .... DISgusted...

She whines and complains about everything... her life, her job, her family... it starts when she comes in and drops her stuff and SIGHS... we know we're in for it.

She has literal TANTRUMS. Like a small child. Note: my son has never melted down with me and I have NO experience with this so I'm not the one she needs to deal with.

She found out QUICKLY that her tantrums do NOT work with me so she tried other pity ploys.... all of which are total BS, I guess she thinks I don't hear her on the phone.

PROBLEM: Last week she had another meltdown. When she does most people in the area just retreat. I had to go to her cubicle and tell her to calm down. "I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN!!!!!"... oh yeah, that's what she said....

I took her into the conference room and let her know that this was not necessary. The reason for the tantrum was something she didn't even have to deal with!

Well, she apologized but that was not the end of it.

Later that day she told me that someone from WALMART would be calling me for a recommendation!!

WHAT????

Yes, she was applying for a second job because WE don't pay her enough. The new Walmart was right down the street and she was applying for nights and weekends.

Fine. The man called and I gave him as good a recommendation as I could...

The next day I hear her on the phone to a friend in Michigan (that's where she's from, you do know that DETROIT is the ONLY city in the world, ya know?) saying that she planned to transfer her WalMart job to Detroit next May and that WE have no right to tell her about her work ethics when we don't pay her enough.

NOTE: she brings home almost $1300 every two weeks and she has no children or responsibilities but a $500 mortgage and a $300 car note. YET she has NSF after NSF and blames US for not giving her enough money to cover her bills.

HOW DO I KNOW THIS??? I hear it CONSTANTLY in her phone calls!!! She nearly puts them on PAGE!!

Well, on my last straw I spoke to Jeff about talking to her about protocol. He has literally washed his hands of her. He's so afraid of her meltdowns he refuses to deal with her anymore... DUH???? What is this? The kids running the household?

Soooo,

I have THE TALK with her. I did all of the paperwork, gave her her props, then dropped an anvil on her head. Straighten up, get off the phone or ship out. No meltdown with me, just a promise to button up.

Of course now I'm the BAD GUY. But you know what I DON'T CARE. She cannot drag the entire dept down with her dramatics. Yesterday, it starts again.

She says her paycheck bounced. WHAT??? I had the accountant check and she assured me that couldn't have happened. Turns out she had so many NSFs that her paycheck did not cover them. Waterworks again...

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to bend your ears with this but it's 6 oclock in the morning and I find myself sucking it up to deal with her NEXT drama. She was recently evicted from her rental home and is now living RENT FREE with a cousin. This, of course, is now her most recent whine of the week..

Mind you, this woman is 43 YEARS OLD, not a child. My assistant is a grandmother taking care of HER grandmother, Jeff is near retirement with an ill wife and MIL, Diane's sister has a husband on dialysis and I am a single parent, but this woman is the one with the PROBLEMS????

HEEEEELLLLLLLLLLPPPPPP!!! My patience is running VERY thin...

 

[lewdyan1]

I have no advice just sending good thoughts and extra strength your way.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Can you ask Jeff, sweetheart (chump), if you can fire her? Managers that can't manage really bother me. The company needs to let her go. BYE BYE!

Lori

 

[OceanAnnie]

First, I hope you are documenting each and every tantrum.
Second, I would tell her the next tantrum she has will get her a write up & a ticket home (no pay). The second one from that point will be several days w/o pay and the third is termination. You can not run a business with those kind of theatrics. You don't have to put up with it.

That's what I'd do. Probably best to check with HR prior and have the plan ok'd by them.

Time to play hardball!!

 

[Robinrs]

First, I hope you are documenting each and every tantrum.
Second, I would tell her the next tantrum she has will get her a write up & a ticket home (no pay). The second one from that point will be several days w/o pay and the third is termination. You can not run a business with those kind of theatrics. You don't have to put up with it.

That's what I'd do. Probably best to check with HR prior and have the plan ok'd by them.

Time to play hardball!!

I do intend to do the procedure unfortunately Jeff is out of town visiting his grandchildren and our HR person, who has been ill for a week, was taken to the hospital yesterday!!!

Yes, I am documenting EVERYTHING. Jeff may have dropped the ball but I will not.

Jeff has talked about getting rid of her but wants to have a replacement on hand FIRST. Working on that NOW.

 

[Lars624]

I don't have any advice but I just wanted to offer some support

 

[GoofieRuthie]

Wow. You're story sounds so much like a situation that I was in a couple of years ago. Only on a lower scale. The bad part was that the drama queen was my friend and had gotten me the job. Our bosses name was Jeff also and was way too nice for his own good. She would have meltdowns and make everyone miserable. Everyone was walking on eggshells around her. Afraid that she would explode. (She has an explosive temper) It took everyone in the department going to him and telling him that if he didn't do something with that he was going to lose the rest of us. He promised that he was working on it. She eventually was fired. Although, I think it had more to do with the illegal activity she was doing than her theatrics.

So, good luck to you. Stand your ground and stay firm on the situation. I've read many of your posts and you seem to have a very level head.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Did Jeff give you the authority for action? If so, I'd check with someone that has a background in HR laws and run it by them (maybe your old place of employment?). If it were me & I got the green light, I'd proceed. Oh I re-read where Jeff wants to hire someone before letting her go. Hmph. Well, she'd still get time in the street (if HR said ok). She shouldn't get away with making the work environment uncomfortable.

Plus I'd add on no loud personal calls (it's disrupting), and whatever else is inappropriate.

Easy for me to say, I'm not going through it. But, with HR laws on your side you'll be fine and she will get the message her antics won't be tolerated!

 

[snowwite]

Did she put in her two weeks notice to go to Walmart? I was thinking that you might only have two weeks left of the drama queen. It sounds like you have been more than fair. Sending pixie dust

 

[Robinrs]

Did she put in her two weeks notice to go to Walmart? I was thinking that you might only have two weeks left of the drama queen. It sounds like you have been more than fair. Sending pixie dust

No she's only doing that part time. And get this, they hired her as a supervisor!!

I want to add this woman really comes across GREAT at first. She is a beautiful looking woman so I was a little confused at her lack of social interaction at first, no boyfriends, no ex DHs, no kids... UNTIL I got to know her. I can imagine that men run from her like crazy the minute they find out who she is!!!

OceanAnnie: The calls have halted due to THE TALK last week. I informed her that she is to limit them and that her supervisor can hear every word she says. I wish I had a smilie for the look she gave me!!! Maybe this one??

And thanks to everyone for the support!

 

[Serena]

Robin, hang in there. It sounds like you are the only one with backbone there that can deal with her.
And I agree, I'd fire her as soon as possible. There is no reason for that mess. And you all shouldn't have to put up with it.

 

[Jennasis]

First off, good for you for not putting up with her dramatic antics. It's childish, disruptive and totally unprofessional of her.

Second, as the others have said, if you have the authority to do so, I would cut her loose.

Third, and most important, her troubles are her troubles and as far as she is concerned, the greatest woes in the world. Do not compare your life to hers (in the sense that you have problems too so she should just suck it up). When my life sucks, I don't care who has it worse than me. All I know is that at that moment, my life sucks. She may even LIKE to feel that way...who knows. Also, don't assume you know everything about her life just becasue you can hear her broadcasting it most of the time. You obviously don't know about all of her debt (with all the NSF's she's racking up, I would hazard to say she has more than a low car payment to worry about. Credit cards...a bookie? Who knows...

In conclusion, you sound like you are on the right track about dealing with her outbursts. Kudos for standing up when nobody else will. Jeff sounds like a boss I would have ZERO respect for since he obviously can't manage his own department. But remember, to Diane, nobody has greater problems in all the world.

 

[JunieJay]

Can you ask Jeff, sweetheart (chump), if you can fire her? Managers that can't manage really bother me. The company needs to let her go. BYE BYE!

Lori

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe Jeff (chump) should be fired along with the Drama Queen! Its his job as a manager not to be in denial or to be a friend, but to manage his employees and ensure they are delivering results and acting professionally. Seems like they both are failing the test.

 

[Niagara2]

It is always hard to let someone go. I have a difficult employee right now and put her on final notice last Friday. This has been going on for almost 4-5 months. Right now she is the "perfect employee". I really don't expect that to last more than a month. I have all the documentation in place ready for the next screw-up and or bad work ethic and attitude. Now this is a long time employee and I feel bad. I know I should of done it sooner. I really hope she turns around and I gave her that chance.
With all that being said, I have let employees go before. It is a bit difficult for the first few weeks. After about a month I ALWAYS say, why didn't I do that sooner! The poor performer takes down the entire office. Once that is taken care of morale and production increase. The new employee comes in with new ideas that sometimes improves the bottom line.
It is hard, and we do have compassion, but the line has to be drawn sometimes.
I also had an employee with many personal problems that affected work big time. I helped as much as possible but after a long talk layed her off. Her life turned around and she is back. She thanked me for the six months I let things slide with her and even understood that she was not doing the job at that point. Right now she is one of my most valuable employees.
Everyone is different.
Your employee sounds like a doozy. Document all the time on the phone on personal business. Document the meltdowns. Document the snotty remarks. When someone does let her go, you office will be a happier place.
No one is irreplaceable! You will get through it. Good luck!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Robin,
I am sending you a PM!!!

I have to run right now, but will PM you as soon as I can.

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

Sending good thoughts and prayers.

Sounds like you're doing the right things

Hang in there and hope the situation improves, for you!

 

[Robinrs]

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe Jeff (chump) should be fired along with the Drama Queen! Its his job as a manager not to be in denial or to be a friend, but to manage his employees and ensure they are delivering results and acting professionally. Seems like they both are failing the test.

This is the rock and the hard place I inherited. Jeff (chump) likes me because I "don't take no stuff" so I think he promoted me to be his "hired gun"...

Jeff is the VP of Operations, he just inherited my dept and he really does an awesome job at what he was hired to do, run the computers and IT stuff. It's the people part he lacks in. He's a bulldog with most people but this girl reduces him to jell-o.


Niagara2: Yes, she's working on being the "perfect employee" now,too, but I've seen that before. It should last about a week.

Everyone else, this thread is really proof of my last straw. I haven't told you guys HALF of the nightmare, it would be more of a "trip report" than a post!! The fact is I have to be the BAD GUY here, and get my documents together and bring my dept back to normal.

My son said "Hey, Mom, with her your job would be boring, huh?" I told him, "No, it would be PERFECT."

We all have to have some sandpaper in our lives, don't we???

At work now, taking a DEEEEP breath...



I

 

[StanH]

Write her up. Write her up again. Write her up again and terminate her.
Bye bye problem.

 

[RUDisney]

Document everything that she does, and doesn't do. In an office, one must leave their troubles at the door. Yeah, I know, easier said than done, but most of us know how to control that type of thing.

When you gave her THE TALK, did you document it as a verbal warning? If it wasn't too long ago, follow it up now with the proper documentation and get her to sign it, or not sign it with a file memo that says that she refused to sign it.

Next, onto the written warning when she starts her stuff up again, with the unpaid time off that OceanAnnie suggested. Then fire her.

I've had employees like that before. This is the best course of action you can take. You're only being the bad guy to one employee. Everyone else will think you're a hero.

Right now, I have a lazy load of an IT employee. He overstated his credentials to get the job and he's connected through board members, so he's a "protected class" so to speak. We have already had one talk. We're going to have another next week. I'm trying to convince him that he needs to move out of IT, but so far, he's not buying it. He's done nothing to gain experience through training and instead of being at his desk to answer our support line, he hides in other areas. I know he'll be moving eventually, but for now, I'm stuck with this political nightmare. I'm feeling for you... without the drama.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Sent you a PM!