This supervisor, several weeks ago, decided to seek the assistance of the EAP and contacted them on his own. Began seeing the EAP counselor again and even agreed to go through some assessment testing to determine what, if any, areas they could work on. He took the tests last week and received the results on Tuesday.
The results were NOT good from a standpoint of what you want to see in a supervisor. The EAP counselor met with him and went through the results and the supervisor seemed open to the idea of working on some of the things that came out and even set up a meeting date for next week.
Well yesterday the supervisor came to me and informed me that he does NOT agree with ANTYHING the assessment said and wants to have one of his "friends" review the results, which we feel is his right to do. The supervisor informed me he no longer wants to see the EAP counselor (again his choice) and does not intend on changing the way he does things because he is doing the best job he can and that should be good enough. He also informed me that he feels he has a "right" to all the statements from the employees regarding his behavior, I refused.
During the meeting he informed me that he now feels he is being harassed by the company and has the necessary paperwork at home to file a harassement claim (he must have found out the age discrimination wouldn't get him very far) and informed me that if he is terminated for harassment of employees that, "someone will pay and it won't be him".
Needless to say the Manufacturing Director wants to terminated him because he feels the supervisor's refusal to change his behavior amounts to gross insubordination. The president is looking at what type of severance package to offer him and we will be speaking with the attorney today.
"and informed me that if he >is terminated for harassment of employees that, "someone will pay and >it won't be him". >
Subordination??? What about this threat? This guy is a loose cannon who is about to explode again.
Your company missed the boat a few weeks ago when you should have fired him. Now, you are being threatened with an harassment suit BY HIM. I wouldn't take those threats seriously. He has been told what the job expectations are and his not meeting those expecations. He may not have made any of the "weak women" cry, but it is apparent to management that he is not doing his job.
I see red flags here too - this threat could also indicate some type of violent reaction from this guy, whom you have already described as 'angry'. I'd be considering terminating him for the threat he poses to the employees and company property when making these sorts of threats. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but the increase in violence in the workplace is well documented and it is the company's responsibility to safeguard their environment.
Someone at your company had better end this thing quickly and cleanly, and without setting some very bad precedents (ex., paying severance to an insubordinate employee), or this situation is going to get even more out of hand than it already is.
Employers gain or lose the respect of their good employees based on how they handle sticky issues. I'm wondering if the company is putting way too much focus on how bad employees feel, and not enough on the effect this is having (and will continue to have) on overall morale.
I checked back over this entire scenario. I notice that I was the first responder to your post, way back on 5/13, over a month ago. I would like to reiterate my earlier post word for word. I hate to say I told you so. Do you have a time-machine whereby you can go back a month and fire this guy?
Comments
This supervisor, several weeks ago, decided to seek the assistance of the EAP and contacted them on his own. Began seeing the EAP counselor again and even agreed to go through some assessment testing to determine what, if any, areas they could work on. He took the tests last week and received the results on Tuesday.
The results were NOT good from a standpoint of what you want to see in a supervisor. The EAP counselor met with him and went through the results and the supervisor seemed open to the idea of working on some of the things that came out and even set up a meeting date for next week.
Well yesterday the supervisor came to me and informed me that he does NOT agree with ANTYHING the assessment said and wants to have one of his "friends" review the results, which we feel is his right to do. The supervisor informed me he no longer wants to see the EAP counselor (again his choice) and does not intend on changing the way he does things because he is doing the best job he can and that should be good enough. He also informed me that he feels he has a "right" to all the statements from the employees regarding his behavior, I refused.
During the meeting he informed me that he now feels he is being harassed by the company and has the necessary paperwork at home to file a harassement claim (he must have found out the age discrimination wouldn't get him very far) and informed me that if he is terminated for harassment of employees that, "someone will pay and it won't be him".
Needless to say the Manufacturing Director wants to terminated him because he feels the supervisor's refusal to change his behavior amounts to gross insubordination. The president is looking at what type of severance package to offer him and we will be speaking with the attorney today.
>is terminated for harassment of employees that, "someone will pay and
>it won't be him".
>
Subordination??? What about this threat? This guy is a loose cannon who is about to explode again.
Your company missed the boat a few weeks ago when you should have fired him. Now, you are being threatened with an harassment suit BY HIM. I wouldn't take those threats seriously. He has been told what the job expectations are and his not meeting those expecations. He may not have made any of the "weak women" cry, but it is apparent to management that he is not doing his job.
>type of severance package to offer him and we will be speaking with
>the attorney today.
A severance package??? What a generous company!
Employers gain or lose the respect of their good employees based on how they handle sticky issues. I'm wondering if the company is putting way too much focus on how bad employees feel, and not enough on the effect this is having (and will continue to have) on overall morale.