Employee Conflict Resolution
14Riley
8 Posts
Forgive me for the length of this post...
We recently (December) hired an employee - let's call her A - into a department that has had the same staff members for at least the past 5 years. The department is very friendly with each other and work well together. The newer employee is a good worker, and the department has begun to include her in their socializing, etc., though it has taken a while. One of the employees who has been in the department for quite a while - let's call her B - has recently confronted her manager stating that A "irks" her.
Apparently B can't stand A's voice, looks, and the thought of A makes her nauseous, even when she is at home thinking about A. Now I do realize how ridiculous this sounds, but it has become a larger issue because B doesn’t think she can “last another month” if she has to work with A. B has also taken every opportunity to tell all other employees that she “can’t stand” A. The other members of the department are affected because the are VERY aware of the issue with B not liking A.
The problem: A has no idea that B doesn’t care for (as far as I can tell).
I feel that we need to address the issue with B, and am looking for suggestions as to how to approach the subject. Keep in mind that her manager has asked if A said or did anything that caused B to be hurt. B’s response was that she didn’t know why A bothered her so much, and that she A had not done anything to her. B’s manager also addressed the issue of the necessity to work as a team in that department. The manager has also told B that employees don’t have to like each other, but that they have a responsibility to work with each other.
Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated!
We recently (December) hired an employee - let's call her A - into a department that has had the same staff members for at least the past 5 years. The department is very friendly with each other and work well together. The newer employee is a good worker, and the department has begun to include her in their socializing, etc., though it has taken a while. One of the employees who has been in the department for quite a while - let's call her B - has recently confronted her manager stating that A "irks" her.
Apparently B can't stand A's voice, looks, and the thought of A makes her nauseous, even when she is at home thinking about A. Now I do realize how ridiculous this sounds, but it has become a larger issue because B doesn’t think she can “last another month” if she has to work with A. B has also taken every opportunity to tell all other employees that she “can’t stand” A. The other members of the department are affected because the are VERY aware of the issue with B not liking A.
The problem: A has no idea that B doesn’t care for (as far as I can tell).
I feel that we need to address the issue with B, and am looking for suggestions as to how to approach the subject. Keep in mind that her manager has asked if A said or did anything that caused B to be hurt. B’s response was that she didn’t know why A bothered her so much, and that she A had not done anything to her. B’s manager also addressed the issue of the necessity to work as a team in that department. The manager has also told B that employees don’t have to like each other, but that they have a responsibility to work with each other.
Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated!
Comments
This is amazing, she is on the record saying that A did nothing, she just can't stand her. Makes me appriciate my problem employee's at least they have a reason not to like someone........at least in their mind.
My $0.02 worth!
DJ The Balloonman
B has been with the company for quite a while, and therefore has intimate knowledge of our clients and systems. The department just lost another employee due to poor performance, and one last august. The department is already working on many more projects than they initially were, and the ramp-up time is significant for a new person.
A will be returning to work next week after having taken 2.5 weeks off due to medical reasons. B is visibly angry that A is returning to work - I am not sure why B thought A wouldn't be coming back. I am concerned that B may walk out, which may cause a chain reaction with the others in the department. They all think they are being overworked as it is, so if another person leaves, I fear that the others will question whether they want to stay here, too.
Also, there is a slight possibility that A will not stay working for very long due to medical reasons, so if we lose both A & B, that leaves 3 people doing what was done by 6 previously. We are currently running an ad to fill one of the gaps, but are having a very difficult time finding an individual who is actually qualified for the position.
UGH!
While I feelr for you, I doubt that B leaving is going to cause a much of a ripple as you think. If she is this weird about this, then who knows what others have tolerated .....only because she is their friend. Don't sweat it.......every now and again some fresh faces are good.
My $0.02 worth!
DJ The Balloonman
It is easier when both are involved in the "can't stand each other" game. In that case I called them in and told them to work it out. If they did not, I would select the one that had the most value to the company and terminate the other. It worked!!! They became (eventually) good friends.
Hang in there!!
1) This is not my issue to solve but yours as I don't have a problem with either of you. If you are unable to do so, I can do something to fix it but will not guarantee that you will like my resolution.
To stop it from spreading through your group:
2) Don't go to someone who isn't part of the soluntion - otherwise you're wasting two people's time (at a minimum).
(edit) By the way, I've met your brother, Jim.
My $0.02 worth!
DJ The Balloonman
The employee who was out for medical reasons has not yet come back to work. Their manager doesn't think it is appropriate, at this time, to speak to the one who had the problem in the first place.
It's too bad that we can't take a more proactive approach to these problems...
May be worth in this quiet time finding out if the true issue is that the person who has been in the department for awhile is comfortable with the status quo and not likely to welcome anyone new into the fold.
People like this are what drive people to Jim Beam (no relation :DD) who would sure come in handy - or at a minimum a beer and brat while wearing a Packer shirt.