October 17, 2006Fast Track Immunity From Accountability
I work for a major defense contrator with strict rules to protect employees from verbal and physical abuse at work. I am an older employee with 32 years with the company. A younger coworker in another department and I do not see eye to eye on each other’s job responsibilities. I collect job tasks during the week and load them into a database to be screened and assigned in a Monday meeting.
One particular Monday this coworker and I arrived at the meeting early and were the only ones there. I had loaded a job task into the database late the previous Friday and he had not had time to review it before the meeting. He voiced his displeasure and called me a “bastard”. I was so stunned I was speechless and could not reply. I have learned over the years not to react immediately to emotional issues and gave it a few days to “settle in”.
Ultimately, I call HR and told them. HR informed me that this employee is a minority and has been selected and put on “the fast track to top level management”. We work on a highly classified program for a major defense contractor and I was stopped at the gate by a guard twice during the next week and “searched” for the first time in 32 years. I never told this person that I approached HR about his verbal abuse. However, he clearly is aware of it and goes out of his way to reject tasks that I feel should be done and rub it in. We have a very strained relationship now. He has the backing of HR and clearly does not mind taking advantage of it. I have kept my mouth shut but feel very uncomfortable and hate coming to work. I’m not old enough to retire and just want to leave but can’t throw away 32 years. Should I say anything to this coworker and if so what?
Meryl Responds
Wow. It seems like HR’s attitude is pretty black and white. If he’s fast-tracked, don’t they want to groom him to represent the company well? Aren’t those with leadership even more important to hold accountable?
What you do depends on what you’re willing to risk. On one end, you could make a big noise about it and draw a line in the sand about it and on the other end you can remain completely silent about it. In the middle, you can ask HR,
- I understand from what you told me that you are unwilling to address Mr. X’s inappropriate language toward me because he is being fast-tracked. Isn’t the fact that you see him as being in leadership more reason to correct inappropriate behavior?
- Since I last spoke with you, I’ve been stopped at the gate twice and searched. I’ve also noticed a deterioration of Mr. X’s behavior toward me. That makes me wonder if my talking with you was not kept in confidence. Is this coincidental, or are my conversations with you not held in confidence?
- I am not looking to create problems for Mr. X. My goal is to create a working relationship where we both are respected. How do you recommend I go about that?
And in the middle you also can ask your colleague,
- I’ve noticed tension between us lately. I think it’s important for us to work together harmoniously. What can you and I do to help return us to a positive work relationship?
If he found out that you reported him, as it appears he did, he might feel it as a betrayal that you spoke to HR instead of talking directly to him. If you are pretty certain he knows, you may want to apologize for not bringing the issue to him before involving HR.
Any way around, the name he called you is completely unacceptable and you are justified to take exception with it. What form that takes does depend on what you are willing to risk. Usually employment law protects people who stand up for themselves in a clear and reasonable way. The more reasonable you appear, the more the contrast will be in their unreasonableness. In the meantime, I suggest you document everything.
If none of this works or you don’t want to risk what you’ve invested (32 years is a lot of time) it could be one of those cases where Speaking Strong is trumped by politics. It happens, but my experience is that a sincere, consistent, persistent and courteous attempt to have your position respected is rewarded more often than not. I wish you clarity and resolution.
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I have to ask where is “the boss” in this scenario? Surely there is someone to whom both these individuals report.
I agree that the fast-tracker’s language was inappropriate. I also feel that anyhone being fast-tracked simply because he or she is a minority is a red flag of a diseased organization. Equal Opportunity is a great thing, but it’s no excuse for bad manners and nastiness from anyone.
There has to be some form of Grievance Procedure in this person’s work place and everything he presented here should be documented and forwarded through his company’s hierarchy.
Obviously, someone needs to explain a few things to the fast-tracker about manners, civility and who decides what job descriptions other workers have. If the fast-tracker is one to whom this employee reports, the incivility is even more egregious and his placement in the organization an even greater risk for future ugliness.
Comment by Ron Pulliam — October 18, 2006 @ 11:40 am