I got a coworker put on leave...

[Anonymous]

I have a coworker with a history of erratic behavior. She's always kept it under wraps, mostly, with clients but the past few months have been different. Our bosses decided to remove her from her client facing role and she would be doing something non-client facing. They broke the news to her yesterday at the end of the workday. She was very very very upset; I happened to be in the right place at the right time and heard her venting. She said "I don't think I will make it through the night. I have lots of drugs at home I can take." among other statements of "now I have nothing" and "what am I going to do?" through tears. This sounded suicidal to me so I told the boss. He called the employee assistance person to come out and talk to her. There was also two crisis workers. They talked to her and apparently she kept talking in circles, saying "nothing matters" and refused to safety plan, etc. Cops were called. They determined no danger to self or others so not in their purview. Another HR person came and told her she was being put on administrative leave until she was cleared to return to work and is not allowed on premises until then. (I later learned that something very similar happened with her a few years ago - before I worked there.)

She is older and has health issues.

Now I'm getting texts and emails from her about how she now has no job, no health insurance, all because of me. "Why did you do this to me?"

I don't even know what to do at this point.

[Anonymous]

I would report it to HR and block her

[Anonymous]

I think you did the right thing, letting the boss know. You did not have any control over what happened after that.

[Anonymous]

Report to HR and block. I don't understand why she has no insurance if on admin leave.

[Anonymous]

She was a suicide risk and now she's still a suicide risk.

You were well-intentioned BUT I would have stayed out of it unless I thought she would be harmful to coworkers.

I don't believe work colleagues can help people with severe mental health problems. All the attempts I've seen haven't worked.

They probably should be paying her/letting her be on sick leave, vacation, or disability. Health insurance does not go away overnight like that.

There is nothing you can say that will fix it right now.

You could try a mild apology like: "I feared you were suicidal and I didn't want you to die thinking nobody cared to stop you. But I didn't realize how poorly the office would handle it."

[Anonymous]

She is unwell.

Answer “I was trying to help you because I care about you.”

And then block her. You can’t help any more and you did the right thing.

[Anonymous]

Don't respond. Don't block. Do save everything.

[Anonymous]

From your description, it sounds like she has a serious untreated (or not well treated) mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, and that it's making her paranoid and possibly suicidal at times.

I've known two women go into destructive spirals with such illnesses. It wreaked havoc in their lives and the lives of their minor children.

It's a shame she heard you had a hand in things, OP. I would send one caring message about how you want her to get better, and then document all her messages for possible threats that you would need to take to the police. Do not admit to her that you actually did get her pushed out. Try not to rile her up even more.

[Anonymous]

I call BS
When you go on medical leave like that you don’t lose your health insurance and pay. Admin leave us paid unless youre suspended. Which she’s not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I call BS
When you go on medical leave like that you don’t lose your health insurance and pay. Admin leave us paid unless youre suspended. Which she’s not.

She's not being rational. However, she's on her way to being unemployed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I call BS
When you go on medical leave like that you don’t lose your health insurance and pay. Admin leave us paid unless youre suspended. Which she’s not.

When such a person goes off the deep end, you cannot trust anything they say. OP has to stay far away from this person.

[Anonymous]

You did not get her put on leave. She displayed behavior which forced the company to put her on leave. You did the right thing OP.

[Anonymous]

Well, SOMEONE in the company would have made noise about this unstable person if not the OP. Either that, or this woman loses an important client due to her behavior and then she would definitely have been let go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't respond. Don't block. Do save everything.

This

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I call BS
When you go on medical leave like that you don’t lose your health insurance and pay. Admin leave us paid unless youre suspended. Which she’s not.

she's not thinking straight.