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................Even though the behavior and incident are a one-off, I still find it totally inappropriate to discuss politics at work and ask if someone believes in God.........
Your employee has made it clear she thinks private discussions are none of your business.
I agree. I wouldn't stick around to be managed by you either.
I was going to fire employee B, but I decided against it because she does great work, even though I don't want a bigoted, homophobic member on my team, so I write up employee B without getting her side...Well, employee B didn’t take it well and quit on me.
Having dealt with bullies in the past, bullies don't like to be bullied, so they typically move on when they've been caught and dealt with. You didn't want this person on the team anyway, so let it go, and hope this doesn't bite you in the ass later, because you were way out of line to begin with, as the others have said.
A more appropriate action in this case would have been to announce to all of your workers, without mentioning any names, that discussion of sexual identification and religion are not appropriate in the workplace because it can be offensive to others.
I would consider the result, employee leaving, to be fortunate. This could have blown up into a full-on HR investigation or even a lawsuit.
I agree with this.
OP probably didn't handle this in the best way, but you are there to supervise and ensure the policies are enforced and effective. You aren't there to be your employee's bestie.
I’m a store manager at a retail outlet mall and recently, I wrote up an employee over harassment, even though the behavior doesn’t meet the legal definition of harassment, and now my employee doesn’t like me. I don’t understand what I did wrong.
My assistant store manager came to me that she and who I will call employee A were talking about gay rights. Within that conversation, employee A stated that employee B made her uncomfortable a year prior because employee B made a comment that the idea of same-sex relationships are weird. Also, in that conversation was another person, who I will call employee C. I was shocked and horrified by this revelation and asked my assistant why neither employee A and C came to me right away about this highly inappropriate discussion. My assistant store manager told me that employee B made both employee A and C horribly scared of working with B, even though A and B closed multiple times together, that they're scared for their life and that must've been why they didn't say anything until a year later, employee A had been ruminating about the event since a year ago, and that employee B must've gotten up in their faces and intimidated A and C to not speak up.
Because of my training as a store manager, I’m supposed to take every harassment complaint seriously and investigate the claims because I'm legally required to. If not, me and my assistant manager can be fired from the company for knowing about this incident and not doing anything about it. I talk to employee A, who confirms the allegations, but she kept telling us that it happened a year ago, that she's over it, and that it's nothing and the assistant manager didn't have her consent to report it. I then call employee C who gave me more information that employee B asked employee C's views on the political landscape and asked if C believed in God. I then investigate harassment and sexual harassment under the employee handbook. Unfortunately, neither employee A and C made it known to employee B that the behavior was making them uncomfortable, there was no repeated discussions after this incident, employee B doesn’t have a record of anything and has been a stellar employee, I spoke to all my other employees and no one has said that employee B say anything harassing since then or before, employee B has treated everyone kindly and friendly, this incident occurred a year prior, and with that, it wouldn't fall under legal harassment according to harassment laws federally and in the employee handbook.
Even though the behavior and incident are a one-off, I still find it totally inappropriate to discuss politics at work and ask if someone believes in God (!), and employee B should know better than to ask and start this type of discussion. I'm also so angry that employee B made both A and C scared for their lives that they couldn't bring this up until a year later. I must protect them from employee B since B must've intimidated them in some way. I then write employee B up for harassment, even though it doesn’t fit in the legal definition of harassment. I also want to cover myself as a store manager and have a documented case against this worker to make sure employee B doesn’t do it again. I was going to fire employee B, but I decided against it because she does great work, even though I don't want a bigoted, homophobic member on my team, so I write up employee B without getting her side because I already know everything that was said to me is true and I've got the proof and witnesses.
When I spoke to employee B, she admitted to some of the allegations (saying that same-sex relationships are weird), but she stated that she never asked C about her religion. Employee B said that she only made a remark about how people, who attend church and CCD class, were bullies to her and she didn't understand why they attended CCD class since they're hypocrites. I don't believe a word of what B says, and I say that this is beginning to be a she-said-she-said case, and that I believe employee C's words over B's. After all why would C lie to me? Well, employee B didn’t take it well and quit on me. I don’t see what I did wrong. What did I do wrong?
Good grief
Too much drama going on here
You do not see what you did wrong
The employee you wrote up without getting their side left
And you wonder why that employee left
You are the common denominator here
And you did many things wrong, which were already mentioned by other posters
I would not want to work there considering all of the mess that is going on there
I’m a store manager at a retail outlet mall and recently, I wrote up an employee over harassment, even though the behavior doesn’t meet the legal definition of harassment, and now my employee doesn’t like me. I don’t understand what I did wrong.
My assistant store manager came to me that she and who I will call employee A were talking about gay rights. Within that conversation, employee A stated that employee B made her uncomfortable a year prior because employee B made a comment that the idea of same-sex relationships are weird. Also, in that conversation was another person, who I will call employee C. I was shocked and horrified by this revelation and asked my assistant why neither employee A and C came to me right away about this highly inappropriate discussion. My assistant store manager told me that employee B made both employee A and C horribly scared of working with B, even though A and B closed multiple times together, that they're scared for their life and that must've been why they didn't say anything until a year later, employee A had been ruminating about the event since a year ago, and that employee B must've gotten up in their faces and intimidated A and C to not speak up.
Because of my training as a store manager, I’m supposed to take every harassment complaint seriously and investigate the claims because I'm legally required to. If not, me and my assistant manager can be fired from the company for knowing about this incident and not doing anything about it. I talk to employee A, who confirms the allegations, but she kept telling us that it happened a year ago, that she's over it, and that it's nothing and the assistant manager didn't have her consent to report it. I then call employee C who gave me more information that employee B asked employee C's views on the political landscape and asked if C believed in God. I then investigate harassment and sexual harassment under the employee handbook. Unfortunately, neither employee A and C made it known to employee B that the behavior was making them uncomfortable, there was no repeated discussions after this incident, employee B doesn’t have a record of anything and has been a stellar employee, I spoke to all my other employees and no one has said that employee B say anything harassing since then or before, employee B has treated everyone kindly and friendly, this incident occurred a year prior, and with that, it wouldn't fall under legal harassment according to harassment laws federally and in the employee handbook.
Even though the behavior and incident are a one-off, I still find it totally inappropriate to discuss politics at work and ask if someone believes in God (!), and employee B should know better than to ask and start this type of discussion. I'm also so angry that employee B made both A and C scared for their lives that they couldn't bring this up until a year later. I must protect them from employee B since B must've intimidated them in some way. I then write employee B up for harassment, even though it doesn’t fit in the legal definition of harassment. I also want to cover myself as a store manager and have a documented case against this worker to make sure employee B doesn’t do it again. I was going to fire employee B, but I decided against it because she does great work, even though I don't want a bigoted, homophobic member on my team, so I write up employee B without getting her side because I already know everything that was said to me is true and I've got the proof and witnesses.
When I spoke to employee B, she admitted to some of the allegations (saying that same-sex relationships are weird), but she stated that she never asked C about her religion. Employee B said that she only made a remark about how people, who attend church and CCD class, were bullies to her and she didn't understand why they attended CCD class since they're hypocrites. I don't believe a word of what B says, and I say that this is beginning to be a she-said-she-said case, and that I believe employee C's words over B's. After all why would C lie to me? Well, employee B didn’t take it well and quit on me. I don’t see what I did wrong. What did I do wrong?
This whole thing is very weird. Everything I bolded? That is PURE speculation on either yours or your assistant manager's part. And you were going to write B up without talking to her first?
I don't know...I'm doubting the veracity of this whole thing. If it's real, you really are a horrible manager. Better hope B doesn't contact the EEOC and sue you and the assistant manager and your establishment.
A more appropriate action in this case would have been to announce to all of your workers, without mentioning any names, that discussion of sexual identification and religion are not appropriate in the workplace because it can be offensive to others.
I would consider the result, employee leaving, to be fortunate. This could have blown up into a full-on HR investigation or even a lawsuit.
It still could blow up and become litigation. Just because the employee quit, doesn't mean she won't lawyer up and charge the manager and company for harassment or worse. No one's off the hook.
I hope you keep the thermostat down real low at the story you're managing, because your employees sound like snowflakes and we wouldn't want them to melt.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,585 posts, read 81,186,228 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BijouBaby
It still could blow up and become litigation. Just because the employee quit, doesn't mean she won't lawyer up and charge the manager and company for harassment or worse. No one's off the hook.
Sorry to say that is a possibility.
For future reference, when faced with a new, challenging incident like this, it might be best to contact your HR employee relations team, or whatever they are called there for advice before acting.
Looks like bringing politics into the workplace is creating fears for everybody.
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