Employee from hell

[MyPurpleHeart]

I'm currently going through some work drama and could really use some perspective that its not just me!?

I work in a marketing firm and manage several teams. A year ago I hired an assistant, she was great. Prompt, helpful, efficient... the works... or so it seemed. So I promoted her. Since then shes turned into the employee from hell.

The moment she got a pay rise and more responsibility she found ways to do less and less work and palm it off on other people (and me) whilst taking home the pay check.. For the first few weeks I thought it was learning the ropes so I gave her lots of on the job training, regular weekly update meetings to go through any items she wasn't sure on, and had the odd firm but fair chat about her passing work on to others that was hers to do.

Well after 3 months of her in the new role I realized she still needed so much support from me that she isnt capable of the job and on reflection, it seems like she had been farming out work in her assistant role and passing it off on her own (because these are simple tasks that she still cant do)

I mosy on down to HR and we decide to call a performance related meeting.

She calls in sick, says that shes hurt her back and its caused by the work station. We obviously did all the right things when she joined and did the assessments and the induction covered old injuries of which she declared none, so its all a big surprise.

After 2 weeks signed off by the doctor for unidentified back pain she comes back to work. Satisfied that HR, Occ Health and H&S are happy that all is well again, we call another performance review. She calls in sick - stomach upset caused by stress. No GP note, no sign off, self certify.

Throughout this ordeal I have been covering her workload which is not a small amount of work.

Shes now back, we have called the review meeting for a third time.

She is now sending long long winded emails (clearly written by chatGPT) asking for evidence of any under performance and is 'working from home' until the meeting. Our company has a no WFH policy, she has a laptop but no access to the server so is doing sweetFA sat at home.

Honestly what is this tomfoolery.

If she’s not working at home, isn’t off sick or on leave then she’s AWOL and won’t get paid?

Although hellish, you’re actually in an alright position as she’s under 2 years and has no claim to an Unfair Dismissal. Since she’s a lazy bully who resorts to ChatGPT and would inevitably kick up a fuss if exited without “process”, I’d simply follow best practice process to exit.

You say she hasn’t provided any doctor’s note to this latest instance. BRILLIANT. You need to send her an email saying “sorry to hear you’re not well - your performance meeting is taking place on “x” date.” Remind her of the policy around doctors notes etc.

She will then go off sick for as long as possible - email her to confirm that sickness is unpaid/SSP.

If she returns to work after the unpaid time off, resume the performance meetings and get her the hell out.

If she extends her time off, commence a Capability Process whereby you can take a decision if she fails to attend each meeting. Ultimately you’ll dismiss.

Do not be intimated by the high number of people utilising AI to write their grievances. I had a person submit a 95 page grievance recently over something very much not-a-grievance and it frequently referred to bizarre or incorrect case law.

Dismissal if at all possible and hopefully support by HR is the best outcome. Some people are just in the wrong job.

Wish you luck.

Just read your post properly - third instance she’s now back but demanding evidence. Simply ignore and reiterate the meeting date, and say you will provide clear examples in said meeting. At this stage, this isn’t a disciplinary process, just a performance meeting.

This is what you have a HR department for, surely - ask them.

HR are heavily involved, its just draining. Whilst off sick I would get 3-4 emails from her a day explaining that it was the company's fault she was off sick and demanding full pay (which she didnt get, she got SSP)

The unauthorized absence I will turn into a disciplinary if HR approve, and also make this unpaid leave.

The tone of her emails is getting more and more aggressive and sarcastic which is also just unpleasant to read several times a day.

The meeting is this week, so i'm hoping we have some resolution soon. HR are adamant that we follow procedure despite the shorter length of service which I fully understand. But we are all human and some days you just want to tell someone to jog on dont you

Oh I hear you. I've got someone who's raised a grievance against their line manager who was trying to sort out their performance issues. We are doing investigation etc and that's taking ages. Meanwhile said employee already tried escalating to ACAS who at least said let the investigation process complete.
They hate the job, hate their line manager and I am left wondering why they are still here !

I would advise you to make it very clear that whilst she is sick she cannot work. I have inadvertently waded neck deep into difficult waters over this.

I will bet that your policy states somewhere that if OH have said she can attend meetings and fails to do so (reasonable adjustment via Teams if needed) the meeting will go ahead in her absence.

I had an employee in my team like this.
We went through all of the same and he finally had a crazy episode in the office and started banging his head on the desk and ranting and raging. We fired him for gross misconduct and he went to tribunal. I had to stay for hours after work meeting with him and his union rep etc.
Anyway, it transpired that he had been going through an incredibly difficult time as the sole carer of his dad who was dying. It was all incredibly sad and I wish now we had known so we could have supported him.
People don't generally want to be shit at work, it's either they can't do the work and are ashamed to admit they need help or training ( I had this in another management position too and supported the person with a dedicated training plan and they thrived), or something is going on with them personally. The other thing that it can be is that they genuinly don't give a shit as they hate the job and are just clinging onto it to get paid.
If you can somehow get to the bottom of what is going on with her, is it training, a home situation, a health situation etc. Or if she actually just hates the job. Then you can potentially save the situation or provide her a way out.
Editing to add it can be extremely stressful as their manager, I cried in the loos a few times. I hope you can get to the root cause OP.

Unauthorised absence - disciplinary.

Carry on with capability/performance management meeting, re-arrange and say it will be held in her absence I'd she doesn't attend in person (you could offer to do on teams).

Refervto emails of x, y, z ... Tell her to desist from sending aggressive and sarcastic emails as it is not appropriate Advice her she will have the opportunity and should put all points/ reasons/explanations across (in a professional manner) during the meeting on xxx - this can be verbal, or in writing.

Don't let it drag on!

OP, I've some experience of managing poor performance. All you can do is follow the policies your workplace has to the letter. If you have a no WFH policy then a note to her to politely point that out and request that she attends that day. If she does not come to the office and has no other reason, it's a disciplinary. She can only self certify for 7 days and she will get fed up being paid SSP, so this is a waiting game.

Always remain polite and businesslike, I appreciate that will be tough. But you can pick her up on her tone and the frequency of her emails. Suggest a phone call rather than her spamming you for example. Request that she keeps any emails restricted to 1 per day and succinct. Your game is to see improvement so she can do the job, or exit, either one should be fine by you. Keep on trying to set up that performance management meeting, if your policy allows you to have it in her absence, all the better. I recommend framing this initially as a 'heart to heart' conversation, what can you do to support her etc and follow that up with a positive email to record what was discussed and the standard to be met. . Always be clear about performance issues, no vagueness, explain exactly why the task didn't meet the standard.

Ask your employer for some temp cover or you will end off ill too.

Meeting is tomorrow, I have prepared all the paperwork in advance, so far she says shes coming to the meeting.

Although to add to the madness I'm dealing with, when pulled up on unauthorised work from home and told she wont be paid and it will be a disciplinary procedure, she says that as she has been doing it for a few days now it needs to be treated as 'custom and practise' and her contract amended to suit.

Honestly some days I do wonder if I'm nuts or its everyone else!

It’s not you, it’s her. And she’s playing a risky game, as being AWOL is potentially gross misconduct… she sounds nuts!

Custom & practice is when something has been done for two years or more, not two days.

Besides, if she can't access the servers from home, she literally can't work from home, which should be very easy to prove.

Good luck...

It's certainly not custom and practice after a few days, especially as it isn't working.

If you have not WFH policy and she can't access the server, she's not working. She's either off sick (with docs note of needed) or unauthorized absence.

Sending shitty emails will not work in her favour.

Tell HR that you are feeling umtimidated and harrassed.

If she's been there less than two years, you can get rid more easily. She's being batshit.

Less than 2 years service dismiss her before the new Act comes in.

Wow the absolute brass neck of some people will never cease to amaze me!

Bloody hell, she sounds batshit crazy!! I don't understand why anyone would think this is acceptable behaviour! You can't insist on WFH if there's no policy in place and no one else does it!! WTAF???!! She's on a downward slope, of being shown the door, and quite rightly so!!! It's most definitely not you!!

Had the misfortune to manage people like this a couple of times. It takes up so much time!

Good luck OP.

There's no such thing as WFH so she's refusing to work. That's a stackable offence in itself surely? It's like a train driver saying he's WFH.

Quick update.

She came in for the meeting. Read a pre-prepared statement (it felt very line of duty) and wouldn't answer any further questions unless we let her go home and research her answers first.

I told her as we were asking about work she claimed to be working on yesterday at home, there was no justifiable reason that she couldn't answer the questions today.

It went back and forth for a long while, until she said well ive had enough anyway heres my notice.

We have put her on garden leave as her job was very customer facing and she was more than a little bit disgruntled.

Thank the lord thats over

Thanks for the update. That's a pretty good outcome.

Result!

Jesus wept what a nightmare person. Delighted she handed in her notice. Now you can get on with your work. It’s amazing how much time and energy can be spent on such ridiculous people.

Sounds like a good result

just make sure she has no access to systems, files, contacts etc. have you changed her passwords and restricted her access?
all company equipment to be return immediately via recorded delivery or in person.
hope she sees the light and walks away!