What does it take to be completely untouchable at work?

Either related to, or besties with, someone very senior.

I've seen this happen with a CEO who protected people he'd started his career with because they knew where the bodies were so to speak.

I've seen this happen a number of times. Usually because they're connected through family ties to someone with real power in an organisation with enough clout to hide a useless uncle.

Because he is liked by senior management. Maybe people have tried to highlight this lazy git but it's come back to bite them on the bum . I think most workplaces have a lazy bum like this who are very good at looking busy I'm front of people that matter . I watched an incompetent manager get away with delegating and doing very little . They were only exposed when staff was cut to the bone and it was obvious she wasn't up to the job . It took 18 years. 18 years of doing very little and taking - not earning - but taking their wages .

He either knows where all the bodies are buried, is related to or in a relationship with someone very senior, has a particular aspect to his life that means getting rid is incredibly difficult without a big tribunal, is senior or knows someone senior in the union, or they are giving him enough rope to hang himself.

I've met people like these in a workplace, nothing ever happens to them, it's a waste of time giving it any headspace because no one will do anything anyway except breathe a sign of relief when he leaves.

Last one I came across started to do things to try and physically harm me, I even dropped a pile of stuff I was carrying in front of a line manager because she purposely tripped me up, I know she did, she later on pushed me in the back while my hands were full too, in front of him. Line manager said he only saw me drop the things and colleague was close but not that close to me. I spoke to senior management and HR both said they'd log the incident but without proof couldn't do a thing about it.

You can be the most useless cunt in the world... As long as you know some immoral shit heap who's happy to hinder others, they'll give you a job.

Equally . You can be bright, capable, talented and pleasant, but if you know no fucker, you're stuck applying for any old shit where you compete with others who people.

Luck and nepotism, that's what it boils down too.
.went to school with the right people... You get to be prime minister one day...

In my previous school, one of the staff seemed untouchable. It turned out she had threatened legal action for age discrimination. When she left the following year she persued the case anyways, and won.

In my experience it's usually someone with a high status – ie class, nepotism, connections etc. I've seen it happen many times.

Own the place or the person who holds power in that place and prayers they don't lose that place.

Calculate whether those in power have a backbone or not.

Know the company handbook inside and out. Most managers can be held to the wire because they have no idea of or how to exercise company policies and procedures.

Currently dealing with this myself at work, she’s a manager and crap at her job, in her case she sleeps with everyone to get her own way. Shes been through the managers, warehouse and delivery staff so far 🙄

If the bloke constantly makes mistakes and conducts himself in ways detrimental to the business then he must know some dark secrets. Or be a nepo of the owners.
Or maybe he's the chairman of West Ham?
Burning my irons shirt on the BBQ

And it was exactly the same in social services! No one was ever rewarded for doing excellent work, but the work shy were paid the same, and had excuses made for their poor performance.

Length of service in the organisation. Some people would just be too expensive to get rid of.

No-one is untouchable in my organisation. We recently merged with another equally huge organisation and within a few days of the announcement, our Group CEO (who was highly regarded and very successful) was discarded. He will have had a handsome pay-off but it set the tone. No one is safe. No pressure then. 😉

Agree normally someone who is a pain to deal with and the culture is not there to remove them.
So no benefit to a manager to spend their time and focus on him without HR and senior management being willing to spend the time plus the unbudgeted visible legal fees needed to remove the employee.

And cronyism if they’re friends.

They’re the only reasons I’ve found someone to be untouchable at work.

The untouchable person where I work has a lot of mental health issues. She's moved from department to department occasionally, rarely shows up to meetings, doesn't do much day to day... and when she is given a project or put in charge for a day or two she causes chaos.

She's in a senior, well paid position but has no direct reports anymore and has survived rounds of redundancies where good workers have been let go, much to people's amazement.

She's a lovely but very damaged person and I can only imagine the bosses worry about what would happen to her if she lost her job - or perhaps they think it would be a whole world of pain to try and let her go. I think shuffling people sideways is quite common!

Maybe hes part of a mob.

We had one of these at work. Turns out she has HR on speed dial and complains about everything and everyone!

I even had a manager say, just apologise, we don't want to upset her. they seem scared she would put in a grievance about them. Glad i left!

In my NHS experience, it is the ones who raise grievances in every role they have ever been in and have a hotline to their union. Our processes are rubbish at getting rid of poor staff. These staff members just end up being offered more and more ‘support’, shifting sideways between jobs, and everyone has to tread on eggshells around them in case they accuse people of bullying or discrimination.

I think this is 💯 correct

It’s actually pretty difficult and time consuming to fire someone. I mean it can be done but have to go through the motions and do it properly lest you get accused of unfair dismissal. Perhaps management are either not competent enough or to lazy to do it.

Noone is completely untouchable, even if it seems that way now.

If he moves around a lot it could just be a case of "I've only got to wait another 12 months and he'll be someone else's problem"

Key relationship either internal or external

Is selective about the work he does. We had an HR lady who everyone would tell you was shit, lied to your face and did fuck all but the senior team thought she was amazing because she always responded to their requests incredibly promptly (because she did nothing else!)

History of mental health issues or litigation or stress caused by the company and they don't want him to sue them

Where I've seen it before it's been one of two reasons. Either, they have been appointed by personal recommendation of a board member and nobody wants to question it or they have a key customer relationship which is more valuable than the cost of paying them to do very little.