Raising a grievance

[wowfudge]

I’m wondering whether I should - so far I have tried to have the matter dealt with informally, but things improve for a couple of weeks then deteriorate again. The issues are with a colleague who I have to work with but don’t directly manage. This person is obstructive, passive aggressive, doesn’t do as asked and basically does what they want to, a lot of it poorly/inconsistently. I haven’t dealt with it formally as they are a long-standing member of staff of retirement age and it didn’t sit well with me. Recently this person complained about me and said they would leave if they had to report to me - this is a distinct possibility due to restructuring. Which is rich as there are no issues with anyone else, I see that as a first salvo because they know they have been rumbled. The person is manipulative and plays people but is as nice as pie and very co-operative with those they consider important. I feel I’m being bullied tbh by the treatment I am receiving.

If they are not performing their duties well I'd go down the performance management route rather than a grievance, tbh. A grievance may be necessary in the long run but if you think that there is a chance they will leave, the performance management (which would focus on them not you!) would be easier for stress levels all round.

Yes. This is bullying and it shouldn’t matter if an employee is 20 or 60. What they are doing is still bullying. It is unacceptable.

I am not sure how you have raised the matter informally and with whom, but obviously your boss and HR are the first people to talk to. Check the Grievance policy because it may give you steps you need to take before raising a grievance. Are you performance managed? Have you mentioned it at these meetings? I think you have to take the initiative and I wouldn’t work with this person and clearly managing them is a recipe for disaster.

You could possibly talk about your career progression in another office. Also, if reorganisation is imminent, could this person be redundant? Might solve the problem if this happened!

Wait until you do manage them and then arrange their leaving party?

If the op doesn’t performance manage the colleague, then that’s not a route to getting rid of them. Or not directly anyway.

I like the idea of organising the leaving party! The head of HR is aware as are a couple of other senior managers. We’re a head office location so the role won’t be redundant for the foreseeable future.

I’ve had a sleepless night (not about this though it is getting me down) so am not thinking particularly clearly - a performance management process instigated by the person’s manager would be the way to go. If they retired they’d save face - not sure they can afford to retire though.

First log all incidents of non-co-operation by said person. And chances are if they've been a long time then it probably has happened before. Don't retaliate. Offering to organise a leaving party will give them cause for complaint against you. Which is a common tactic of these types. Ask people informally if they've noticed anything.

If this colleague's lack of cooperation has a direct impact on the team's performance note down what they were meant to deliver and what didn't happen ie what was the direct negative result of their behaviour on the business.

Capture as many situation as possible and keep factual.

Don't allow them to affect your relationship with other colleagues, keep investing in those independently so they know who you are and any negatives from this person can be deflected as you get on fine with everyone else.

@Viviennemary - the leaving party bit was a joke based on what a pp posted! I don’t and haven’t retaliated. I have an extensive log of incidents of non-co-operation. To which I add frequently, sadly.

I know this person bitches about me as it had got back to me and there was even one incident where I caught them in the act as they didn’t realise they’d answered the phone to me!

They’ve also had numerous managers as they’ve been passed from person to person as the relationships have broken down.

Offering to organise a leaving party will give them cause for complaint against you

Oh dear.

If it's a distinct possibility you will end up managing her in the near future, I'd suggest waiting until then and addressing it with her formally directly as a performance issue. Assuming she doesn't in fact resign in protest at the line management relationship, in which case problem solved!

@flowery - I live in hope!

Actually - I perhaps should have mentioned that when I overheard this person bitching about me, I heard them saying that if I was appointed their manager (current manager is leaving the company) they would leave. HR know this.

This is clearly a cunning plan by HR and others to get this person to leave!

It sounds like no-one in your office has actually managed this person for years. They just hand them on to the next unfortunate manager. Your turn next!

It’s a sad reflection on the management skills within the company. If they had any sense, they would tweak this persons job, a lot, so it was deeply unattractive for them to stay. Their original job disappears. You have to get creative about job content and what duties you want done in the future. Just because they have done “their” job for years with no changes, it doesn’t mean it cannot be tweaked, substantially, in the reorganisation. They would be mad not to do this. Don’t ring fence their job. Make them apply for a redesigned job that of course they won’t get because they are not suitable or the best candidate. Manage them out! Failing that, performance management or warnings regarding behaviour.

It’s not about what this person can afford, it’s about what they bring to the business. You are not a charity for this person and no-one should be bullied by them!

They don't like being managed, that's the issue, but you can't have someone in their role who is so inconsistent and picks and chooses what they want to do properly. I am their de facto manager due to the things we have to work on together because no one else actually does anything!

So you are stuck with them because no-one else will take managerial action. Obviously that needs to be addressed. I would raise it as part of my performance management. It must impinge on you. Other than getting another job, you will have to be proactive.