Swimpy, these are excerpts from your posts over the last 9 months. The question is, are these factual, hearsay based on rumors or a little of both but grossly exaggerated office politics?
Quote:
It's a great job. There is only one tiny problem. A co-worker has threatened all of our lives. His exact words were, "If things don't change around here, I'm going to go postal."
This office has been through a lot in the last two years. There was a major coup d'etat about a year ago. The former office superviser was charged with sexual harassment. I thought that was all behind them when I took the job, but there are still a lot of hard feelings.
Apparently this guy, let's call him Doug, has been a royal pain for quite some time. The main object of his wrath is the secretary, who filed the sexual harassment suit. She's the one who is feeling the most threatened. I just learned that Doug made his own advances toward her.
My short tenure may be making me take this too seriously. The other people in the office are about evenly split between those who take the threat seriously and those who think he's basically a harmless kook. (Dec. 2002)
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. (July 2003)
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. (August 2003)
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." (August 2003)
Based on all the advice, website references and similar stories people have advised you about, if you are still concerned for the safety of the office workers, doesn't it make sense to go outside the hierarchy for help if you are not getting it from your supervisor?
Take another look at that last website I posted for you. It lists some of the warning signs to be on the look out for in co-workers. According to your stories, this guy displays many of those signs.
It isn't your responsibility to decide whether or not the guy is a wuss. That's what the higher/outside authorities are for. You've been posting updates about this guy for nine months now. Isn't it time?
