Litigious colleague - exhausted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you are just a racist jerk ? I’m white mid 40s F. Never thought age discrimination is so horrendous in the US until I came across it myself at the workplace

What industry?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are employees becoming more litigious? I work with a colleague who is notorious for always “documenting” and taking offense. She always seems to have a case open with HR about one colleague or another, and investigations that take place on her behalf seem inconclusive since nothing ever happens. I’ve heard through the grapevine she has a lawyer on retainer. Workwise, she does enough to get by but is also the first to pass her workload off to others if there’s a task, or she spins out over minutiae and causes chaos/stress among the team.

She herself has been reported for abusing PTO and workers comp policies but HR does nothing. I have to work with this person but she honestly scares me because I know she’s documenting and waiting to pounce at any given moment.

I am exhausted and always walking on eggshells. How do you deal in this situation?

By going on the offensive and making all sorts of complaints she has basically buffered herself from HR because they don’t want to get accused of any retaliatory action. Even if her underlying claims aren’t true, the penalties for retaliating against someone who has made any sort of discrimination complaint (assuming this is part of her MO) can be huge. And even if there is strong documentable evidence against her, HR now has to prove their intent. Are they only enforcing these policies against her and not other employees? It’s a nightmare scenario for an employer to be in.

Thank you. I couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t been let go yet as she’s done some pretty awful things to other colleagues, but this is it. Sounds like there are two options: either she’s part of a large group of layoffs (a possibility for her entire team), or people slowly leave because they can’t stand working with her anymore.

Or the employer terminates for a legitimate terminable reason that is consistent with the employer's past actions towards other employees. The employer gets sued and defends.

[Anonymous]

I hired a black women who this was her speciality. My firm had a black CEO, Black Head of HR and Black head of legal and she still played race card.

It was odd black people being sued for being racist to block people.

Oddly I did not get sued as I wax afraid of her and let HR do dirty work

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you are just a racist jerk ? I’m white mid 40s F. Never thought age discrimination is so horrendous in the US until I came across it myself at the workplace

What industry?

USAID implementer /consulting

[Anonymous]

I had a coworker like this . White female but had FMLA covered illness she used as her "threatening tool". I'm a nurse. The documentation we had to provide to get her fired was ridiculous. She was doing things that very well could have killed someone and easily consitititied negligent patient care. Anytime she would get spoken to, she cried discrimination over her illness. It took a sentinel event that she couldn't talk herself out and that got her reported to the nursing board, for her to finally get fired. By then I had already left that floor because I felt like I was responsible for her patients as well because I knew she was likely missing meds and patient care and I didn't like having that responsibility knowing uppers didn't care at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a coworker like this . White female but had FMLA covered illness she used as her "threatening tool". I'm a nurse. The documentation we had to provide to get her fired was ridiculous. She was doing things that very well could have killed someone and easily consitititied negligent patient care. Anytime she would get spoken to, she cried discrimination over her illness. It took a sentinel event that she couldn't talk herself out and that got her reported to the nursing board, for her to finally get fired. By then I had already left that floor because I felt like I was responsible for her patients as well because I knew she was likely missing meds and patient care and I didn't like having that responsibility knowing uppers didn't care at all.

That is terrifying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a coworker like this . White female but had FMLA covered illness she used as her "threatening tool". I'm a nurse. The documentation we had to provide to get her fired was ridiculous. She was doing things that very well could have killed someone and easily consitititied negligent patient care. Anytime she would get spoken to, she cried discrimination over her illness. It took a sentinel event that she couldn't talk herself out and that got her reported to the nursing board, for her to finally get fired. By then I had already left that floor because I felt like I was responsible for her patients as well because I knew she was likely missing meds and patient care and I didn't like having that responsibility knowing uppers didn't care at all.

That is terrifying.

It was. I've worked with a lot of wonderful nurses and doctors. I've worked with some bad ones. But hospital administration is easily the scariest part of how hospitals are run. I've left many floors and hospitals because I felt my license and patient care was put at risk by hospital administration who haven't been bedside in decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she a person of color? I do see and hear about this with women poc.

Yes

Yeah, usually they have chip on their shoulder and everything is about race and after a while they make an ass of themselves. LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are employees becoming more litigious? I work with a colleague who is notorious for always “documenting” and taking offense. She always seems to have a case open with HR about one colleague or another, and investigations that take place on her behalf seem inconclusive since nothing ever happens. I’ve heard through the grapevine she has a lawyer on retainer. Workwise, she does enough to get by but is also the first to pass her workload off to others if there’s a task, or she spins out over minutiae and causes chaos/stress among the team.

She herself has been reported for abusing PTO and workers comp policies but HR does nothing. I have to work with this person but she honestly scares me because I know she’s documenting and waiting to pounce at any given moment.

I am exhausted and always walking on eggshells. How do you deal in this situation?

By going on the offensive and making all sorts of complaints she has basically buffered herself from HR because they don’t want to get accused of any retaliatory action. Even if her underlying claims aren’t true, the penalties for retaliating against someone who has made any sort of discrimination complaint (assuming this is part of her MO) can be huge. And even if there is strong documentable evidence against her, HR now has to prove their intent. Are they only enforcing these policies against her and not other employees? It’s a nightmare scenario for an employer to be in.

The upside for you is that she’s the boy who cried wolf. If she complains about you to HR, they will silently cry, but probably won’t think there’s anything to it. Theyll know that’s just her MO. But be sure to use a personal email for personal stuff. At some point if she sure, the lawyers will collect all your work email. And never, ever make jokes or snide comments about her in your email, etc.—-that will get produced and you’ll get deposed.

It doesn’t matter if HR believes that. They still have to follow up on everything and it’s still risky for OP. Be very careful. I got out of a similar situation and it was life changing to not have to worry anymore. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she a person of color? I do see and hear about this with women poc.

More common than you think, especially in the govt.

+1 Been there. Done that.