The original post did not indicate if the
rest of the staff is aware of the REASON for the absences. Please be aware, if
the employee has a medical condition which is covered under
I worked with a woman for nearly six years
who had cystic fibrosis and this could describe her 100%. Also, at least
two other co-workers that I’ve had in the past who were undergoing
chemotherapy/radiation and other cancer treatments for approximately two years
each. [none at my current position]
While this co-worker could be lazy and taking
advantage, there is a possibility that there is a personal issue of which you
are not aware and are not required to be. Sometimes the co-worker doesn’t
want everyone knowing because they don’t want pity—that was the
case with the CF patient and one of the cancer patients.
Lisa
Lisa Shockley, Curatorial Specialist, 3-D Collections
Union Station/Kansas City Museum
30
"Where there is Peace; there is Culture;
Where there is Culture; there is Peace."
Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947
From: Museum
discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Julia Moore
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009
4:41 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: ANONYMOUS REQUEST:
How to Deal with a Problematic Coworker
Boy, have I been in this situation before!
My advice is to immediately notify your
interim supervisor about all of this, including the effect her absences have on
the timeliness of the project. Let him/her know that despite this, you
will deliver the project as assigned at your usual level of quality. You can
then rest assured that you have done your duty and it is the supervisor’s
responsibility to determine consequences for this individual.
Then you need to move forward and just do
the work, since you are responsible for the delivery of the project.
Schedule meetings for when she is supposed to be there but if she is not there,
hold them anyway. Copy her on all your team’s decisions but do not assign
her any work that cannot be accomplished within a couple of hours on a day that
she shows up. Do not make them time-delimited because you don’t know if
she will be there or not to complete the work in a timely manner. If she
complains that she is being given scut work or that she is being left out of
the decision-making loop, you can tell her that since she wasn’t there
you (as the project director) needed to move on without her. If she
complains more, refer her to the interim supervisor (“I think you need to
talk to Mr. X about that.”) Document the dates she misses scheduled
meetings and let Mr. X know. Consider whether or not to keep her name
associated with the project if she doesn’t do any work on it, and if you
decide that her level of participation doesn’t warrant it, discuss your
decision with Mr. X and get his approval.
I reiterate that it is not your job to
confront this co-worker or level disciplinary action—it is your mutual
supervisor’s. Work with her when she’s there but don’t
count on her for anything. Ultimately she will either shape up or be fired,
and you deal with that outcome when it happens. But if she gets fired, at
least the project will be moving forward and the loss is not so devastating.
Julia Muney Moore
Public Art Administrator
Blackburn Architects,
(317) 875-5500 x219
mobile (317) 460-0596
RFP TO
From: Museum
discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Gayle
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009
3:33 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] ANONYMOUS
REQUEST: How to Deal with a Problematic Coworker
I've received a
request for assistance and am protecting the identify of the original poster.
Please see the dilemma below and post to the list your suggestions how to deal
with this conundrum. Many thanks to those who can offer guidance. It may
be something some of you have experienced heretofore and can provide creative
solutions.
I'm
dealing with a coworker who is very unreliable and undependable. The rest of us
never know when she will actually be in to work or how long she'll stay that
day. When she is actually at work she is not a bad person to work with by any
means. My boss is aware of this issue and it's been going on as long as I've
worked there and from what I can gather, even longer than that. Currently my
boss is away on leave and our interim supervisor is very clueless about all of
this.
I am in charge of a project involving her and another coworker. It's hard to
find time to meet as there is only 1 day a week when all 3 of us are there
together at the same time. This project has been stalled because she repeatedly
can't make meetings for one reason or another.
I had a meeting scheduled for today to discuss the project and make action
plans for the upcoming weeks and months but she can't make it. I realize my
most pressing concern is timely and there may not be any instantaneous replies,
but I am in the "wrong" for going on with the meeting even though it
will just be me and the other coworker? I feel not working on this project
makes the institution look bad as it is related to our strategic plan and goals
for the year and it's in our best interest to move forward.
Any thoughts on collaborating with this particular coworker?
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