Coleague and good friend in trouble at work, wwyd?

[meatntattypie]

We have been friends for 20 odd years.
We work together and she thinks that the management is on a witch hunt to get her out.
There have been compalints about her manner and how she comes across to people.

Management have got HR involved, she has the union involved.

The trouble is the people who have complained about her are right. She is abrupt, rude and dificult.But that is just her, the way she is. She is kind and will do anything for her friends.

people have complained to me about her, but i have felt very uncomfortable and not responded.
She on the other hand thinks that she is right, they are all wrong and she is very dismisive of the problems.

I am in a difficult position.
wwyd?

why do you have to do anything at all ?

Just carry on the way you have been

Support her but don't get involved

I think the time has come to be honest to your friend and say that people have approached you about her manner and whilst she may not be aware of it, she can be abrupt. Say you are only telling her this so she can go fully armed to personnel and have a plan to deal with it. Phrase it so you are being helpful not negative.

Cluck sympathetically and say as little as possible.... It's a no win situation for you if you get involved and try and tell her that she's wrong and they're right.

Let the union do their job and act as her advocate at work- be her friend and don't become involved.

She is convinced she has Aspegers.

I think that she is just impatient and intolerant, but may be bieng unfair. She only sees her way, no other way, she will not negotiate or discuss, she is adamant about stuff.
Her interpretation of situations are quite different to those who are involved.

All i do so far is as you advise, cluck sympathetically and dont comment.

sigh

Keep quiet and then come and slag her off vent on here- you know we'd love to hear about it

Are you able to forget that you think she is wrong and just support her as you would a friend you don't work with? Tea and sympathy, wine and chocolate etc. If HR and management are against her then she's probably having quite a shitty time.

You say she is a lovely and kind to her friends so you obv have agood friendship- try and focus on that side of it rather than the rights/wrongs of the situation.

Agree though, very awkward.

Also, having now read your thread properly, I work with someone who does have Aspergers and they do come across as you have described. With her, i find the best way is to be quite direct and matter of fact but non-judgmental e.g. "When you do X, it makes people feel Y" etc.

good luck!

well yes, as she is such an old friend and i have allot of time for her, i do just look at it as if we didnt work together and are just friends.
She doesnt appear to be having a shitty time as she is absolutely adamant that this is not her problem, she is almost incapable of being stressed about anything at all.Never has even had a wobble in all the years ive known her tbh.
Is that a symptom of Aspergers?

depends on the person with Aspergers.

Some people are easily rattled and some are not.

I think nodding and listening and not offering unasked for opinions is best. Unless she comes and says "Do you think they're right?" in which case you say that people who don't know her might interpret her straightforward manner as abrupt.