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Sat 18 Mar, 2006 07:26 pm
There is a person at work who is driving me crazy. I really don't know how to deal with this situation so I'm going to lay it out here and hope someone has some advice.
This person is lazy and incompetent, has poor hygiene and wants desperately for everyone to like her. She is so cloying that I can't stand to be around her for more than a few seconds. The sound of her voice grates on my nerves. I try to avoid her as much as possible but it's a small office. I just wish she'd stop trying so hard.
One example: She is our secretary and her desk is right inside the front door. I work in a field office and we come and go frequently throughout the day. Every time I come in the front door, she acts like she hasn't seen me for months. When I leave I can feel her staring right through my back as I sign out. Then she has to make sure to tell me to have a safe day! Honestly, I know others in the office like this sort of fawning, but I hate it.
The thing is, she won't lift a finger to help if I need it.
Do you know anyone like this? How do you deal with her/him?
Oy!
I do not deal with such things well...I get very distant and perfunctory, which makes them
a. more cloying
b. hate me
Perhaps yu could subtly pay more attention when she is being appropriate, and not react at all to the yucky stuff.....and keep quietly expecting her to do her job?
are you in her train of performance review? Id so, If take her to lunch and explain how youre going to rate her in her next review and here are some heads up areas that you want to see big improvements . I would then document with a dated file copy to yourself about the meeting and the heads up, so she cant employ the old "hostile workplace " defense.
If she does all this as expected, she should be quietly informed that opportunities outside your company may present themselves before her next review.
Maybe you should put a gift pack of "bath oils of the month" from a secret admirer, maybe the hygiene part can be fixed without too much litigation.
dlowan wrote:Oy!
I do not deal with such things well...I get very distant and perfunctory, which makes them
a. more cloying
b. hate me
Perhaps yu could subtly pay more attention when she is being appropriate, and not react at all to the yucky stuff.....and keep quietly expecting her to do her job?
I'm trying for the hate me thing, but I'm getting more cloying.
farmerman wrote:are you in her train of performance review? Id so, If take her to lunch and explain how youre going to rate her in her next review and here are some heads up areas that you want to see big improvements . I would then document with a dated file copy to yourself about the meeting and the heads up, so she cant employ the old "hostile workplace " defense.
If she does all this as expected, she should be quietly informed that opportunities outside your company may present themselves before her next review.
I'm not involved in her performance review. The boss has finally talked with her, after many others have compalined about her ineptitude, about her poor filing habits. She convinced him that we are not helping her enough. Poor thing. She's already successfully eliminated most of her job duties by doing them so poorly, no one wants her to continue doing them. She basically sits on her ass and answers the phone and the door. She would make a great Wal-Mart greeter.
Chai Tea wrote:She sounds lonely.
Don't make me come over there!
I have a picture in my mind of the woman at the car rental place at the Kansas City airport in the movie "Trains, Planes, and Automobiles."
Remember her? The one Steve Martin told to "wipe the fockin' smile off your face"
Am I right, Swimpy?
I don't remeber her, gus.
Think more like the thing in Star Wars...Jabba the Hut.
Bingo! That's the woman I'm talking about.
Swimpy wrote: The boss has finally talked with her, after many others have compalined about her ineptitude, about her poor filing habits. She convinced him that we are not helping her enough. Poor thing. She's already successfully eliminated most of her job duties by doing them so poorly, no one wants her to continue doing them. She basically sits on her ass and answers the phone and the door. She would make a great Wal-Mart greeter.
I think you have power in numbers. Since she doesn't seem to be a favorite with anyone, you should assemble your co-workers (pitchforks and torches optional) and go see the boss. When a group of people have the same complaint it usually gets more attention.
Swimpy, I've been digging around, trying to find that woman from "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
I found her. Her name is Edie McClurg. I couldn't find any photos of her as the ticket lady, but this one comes pretty close to that image....
be careful you don't want it to make a backlash by making a hostile work enviornment
Best thing is to ignore her, hard as that may be.
I wonder if I should start an Edie McClurg thread?
Did anyone know who she was until I mentioned her?
Gus, Shorten her hair, giver her a perm and you've got our girl.
I am, indeed, clairvoyant.
Green Witch wrote:I think you have power in numbers. Since she doesn't seem to be a favorite with anyone, you should assemble your co-workers (pitchforks and torches optional) and go see the boss. When a group of people have the same complaint it usually gets more attention.
Almost. She has her supporters. And the boss has already said, "She's not going anywhere." (Did i mention I work for the gov't?)
I think Edgar's probably right. I need to ignore her bad behavior, anyway. I try, I really do. But my evil side wants to do bad things to her. I'm afraid that one day I'll just lose it and say something I shouldn't.
Vent here.
A lot.
And then you'll see other great threads that you just have to contribute to, of course.
And suddenly you'll be here alllll the time...!
<oh wait, the last line gave away my evil plan...>
<miss ya!>
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