Holy cow, Swimpy.
As I understand it, it can be almost impossibe to fire someone from a state job. This may be part of the reason that the guy's behavior is tolerated.
You never can tell who is a serious threat until they actually DO something - and then it's too late. My only advice is to publicize your concern outside of your own department. Perhaps you could write a memo to the human resources manager requesting a meeting. Outline that you are a new employee and that you have some concerns regarding office protocol in this situation.
How are things now, Swimp? Has there been improvement?
I didn't mean to scare you, boomerang. Thanks for the advice, though. You are right about the state job thing. He will not be fired. Sad because he needs to be.
Yea, Soz, things have improved some. The idiot in question has been taken aside by the boss. He seems to be behaving better. There is a lot of bad blood between this guy and some others in the office.
Despite all of this crap, I really like the people I work with and the job is great. I still won't be turning my back on the guy, though.
I have to get this off my chest. Don't know if anyone is listening anymore, but anyway...
This guy is just unbelievable! Today I go into work and find out that he has told the boss he will no longer to wastewater inspections. He just dumps all of his work onto me and one other guy! AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH! I wish I could use stronger language but this is a family site.
You might consider collecting some evidence such as tape recordings of this guy's outbursts and memos from witnesses of it.
You need to get the incidents documented and on the record as being reported. If you haven't already done so, report them again to your supervisor, but do so in writing. When you get a response, even if it is a verbal response, summarize the response again in writing and send it to your supervisor, asking them to acknowledge the accuracy of your interpretation of their response.
Keep a file of these things at work and at home. When you feel you have enough documentation and feel you are still being patronized by your supervisor, bump it up to a higher level, each time documenting the conversations in writing, sending them to the parties involved and asking for acknowledgement of the accuracy of your summary.
Keep bumping it up a level until you feel satisfied with the results.
Thanks, butrflynet. Actually, the boss is keeping a rap sheet on him. Nobody wants him gone more. I'm just hoping that upper management has the b@lls to follow through.
That's good about the boss.
Yoiks.
Hugs!
Just for background, Swimpy, maybe you should read Melville's Bartleby the Schrivener. The casual refusal to do waste water inspections seems to indicate something really serious going on.
Rog, I don't think it was casual. There is a history here that I don't want to bore you all with. Today another coworker told me about his harrowing trip to a conference with the guy in question. Apparently he was so worked up about perceived injustices aimed at him that he was weaving all over the road, screaming and pounding the steering wheel and dashboard. Things are coming to a head and he knows it. I'm pretty nervous about the whole thing.
Roger, This is so weird. Last night I was flipping through the channels and came upon a movie called Bartleby. It was obviously a modern adaptation of Bartleby the Schrivener. Crispin Glover played a guy named Bartleby who applies for a job at a public records company. He is the only one to apply so he gets the job. His first few days are fine. He files like a mad man. But then the boss wants to add new taks to his duties. He says, "I'd prefer not to." From then on he refuses to do any work. The rest of the movie has the boss trying every trick in the book to get rid of him.
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0230025
There are definitely similarities.
Cool.
That's some scary stuff, Swimpy. (Not Bartleby, but the guy you work with.) I hope it ends well.
Today was an interesting day. He asked the secretary, who he seems to have the most problems with (he has told others that he is going to get her), to come in his office and close the door. I wasn't there when this happened or I would have gone in after her. She told me when I got back that he broke down in tears. She was very scared and tried not to get him more upset. She was able to extricate herself, but was clearly shaken by the incident.
I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.
Oh boy.
Yep, that's the same Bartleby. "I prefer not to." has become one of my favorite phrases. I try not to overwork it.
I guess I don't need to worry about you then
Hopefully, someone relayed the details of the incident to your boss. This guy sounds like he is on the brink of flipping out and may pose a danger to you folks. Your boss needs to step up his efforts to get rid of this guy or implement steps to reassure this guy's coworkers with an increased sense of security in the workplace.
It really is no longer a laughing matter and needs to be taken seriously by someone....anyone. If I were in that office, I would even go as far as filing a report with the local police department myself if the boss still refuses to do anything. The police won't be able to do anything, but at least they've been put on notice in case they do need to respond to your workplace due to some kind of incident caused by that employee.
The fellow sounds like he thinks he is the victim. I gather there is no chance that is the situation? He seems to have built up a lot of anger, and he doesn't seem to have any kind of face saving way out, even if he had self doubt. Seems like a counselling situation to moi (but I am no expert...)
Jeepers, Butrfly! I wish I knew whether he is really capable of vilolence. Personally I think he's a wuss.
Osso, I think you have hit the nail on the head. He definitely sees himself as the victim. I alluded to the history. It involved a sexual harassment suit that got the former office superviser demoted. He subsequently quit. "Doug" was his pet. So he is resentful at what he perceives as a backlash against him for being one of "Jerry's boys."
You know, it's interesting, people behave, to some extent as expected. If you walk in cold to an atmosphere of tension, maybe you can break in with ordinary friendliness. Although I presume you have tried this. I should go back and reread the first posts.
Some people just get all paranoid, not always in a violent way, and aren't entirely wrong, as other shun them for their offputting behavior. Yes sometimes this explodes. I am just remembering, as I type, the world of medical research, full of academic internecine warfare plus people who aren't always people people anyway, snuffle snuffle.
