UGH! Unbearable co-worker! Need some brainy help!

[flisssweetpea]

Something is happening and you made it happen. Well done Eddie! The good thing is that your boss will keep tabs on it now and even if it isn't sorted out straight away, this clearly won't be tolerated in the long term.

Keeping the good vibes coming so that your work day becomes bearable

Originally Posted by sashacat421

ok well I got a response right away to my email and she thanked me for telling her the truth and she does it agee it has gotten far worse than she thought (especially the U.S. Senate overhearing shrill viagra comments in the background) - that did it. She said to look around the office space and see where we can move her. She can't be fired, she has 20+ years there and it's not for my boss to say. Apparently, her brother put Mildred out in my area so she wouldn't be lonely! Can you believe it?? Like we need to hold her hand and make her day shiny and social. This is a freakin' ofice, not a sorority. And he doesn't want her in an area alone. I asked the office manager, who is solely in my court, if we had any really classy partitions and she said there is one. She also said she'll help me arrange my area, but we have this fancy-schmancy furniture that can't exactly be moved - everything is modular and bolted down/built into the wall systems. Our office looks like the Jetsons meet Dynasty.

My boss said for me to think of a "workable solution". The only solution is to have her out of my area, but her brother refuses to move her. I will build a fortress around myself, I guess that's it, but we have a lot of glass and I'm supposed to be "seen". Does anyone have any valium today?????

So I will try and think of a workable solution. I do feel a bit better because now the entire thing is known and I don't have to play the superficial ditz anymore.

 

[sashacat421]

Thanks Beth. Things happen at a SNAIL'S pace around here. It has been a year and although my boss sounds supprtive she is rarely here and when she is here she has the world's shortest memory and attention span. I hope this moves it to a better place.

 

[turtlecat]

I should think the fact that a client heard that viagra thing would do it.. ..
Either way at least your annoyance can be admitted freely..

 

[gailc]

Well at least you got an answer. It "her" boss ever around to observe???
I would continue to bring the problem to mgmt's attention so it doesn't get forgotten.
Maybe you could make a "stink-o-meter" like the ones they use for fire alerts in the state and national forests

-or even better a smaller "tolerance to Millie" meter!!

for your desk.
What do you think???????????

 

[grissom]

earmuffs. Go in with earmuffs... Big garish ones so she gets the point.

 

[rosiemac]

How big is your broom cupboard at work?!

How stupid is that to have her moved beside you because he doesn't want her being lonely?!

She's a grown woman for goodness sake not a child!!.

Urgh send her over here to work with me!.

 

[pat]

Perhaps a few rules such as no eating at the desk, breaks to be in an established break area, make the office a perfume free zone - say there are folks with allergies, respiratory conditions. Could someone, perhaps the office manager, speak to her about keeping a professional work atmosphere - no reading email out loud, no interupting or trying to talk to co-workers when they are clearly concentrating on their work. Establish that if anyone has questions, who their appropriate advisor is to go ask questions of.

I'm sorry but this woman is more than clueless, she's a menace!!

 

[turtlecat]

She's starting to remind me of that woman that's a secretary in Ferris Bueller's day off.

Come to think of it, when I worked at the college bookstore ther was an older lady that was just a really moody old bint! And she was a bit simple. so when I became the shift manager she was all sorts of rude to me (because she'd been there longer and was older) and I finally had to take it to the managers, who at first did nothing until she hit me with a book trolley and I told them if she couldn't act like an adult I didn't need her on the sales floor with me.

She eventually was fired..

Tell you what.. made my life easy.

 

[rosiemac]

"A moody old bint!"

Denise do you have British blood in you by any chance because we use that term

 

[turtlecat]

I just read a lot of british novels, I think.

And there's really no better word!

 

[sashacat421]

She is just like that - I think I even wrote that in my opening post! Just like the secretary in Ferris Buehler's Day Off.

 

[yoviher]

Originally Posted by valanhb

Victor, you've got a lot to learn about the professional world... Talking about sexual anything may be funny at a party, in a bar, in school, at the movies...basically in a social situation. But it is at best embarassing, and at worst civilly liable in a workplace.

That is unprofession to the EXTREME! It could well cost Elizabeth's company contracts/business if he was offended enough. Any sexual conversations/topics like that should not be discussed in the workplace. Period. For some, something little like that could constitute sexual harassment. Regardless, for a client of any sort, let alone someone in the position of a Senator, to hear that over the phone while conducting business...it leaves a very bad impression. Milly should, honestly, lose her job over that, or at least be severely reprimanded!

Hell, I know that very well, and how liable it is, and all that stuff. Its the embarrasing part that tickles my funny bone. I know it isn't the type of stuff that should be left unattended, let alone be something desirable, but you also gotta learn to laugh about the things other people do.

Should it have happened in the first place? No. Is it something that is good? No. Is it something that should be left unatended? No. Is it something that can have bad repercussions? Of course. But, if you can't find the funny side to it all, and giggle a bit you are gonna die prematurely of stress.

 

[talon]

Maybe if doesn't want her to be lonely he should move her in his office with him?

 

[sashacat421]

Originally Posted by Talon

Maybe if doesn't want her to be lonely he should move her in his office with him?

Just perfect.

 

[kathryn41]

Originally Posted by rapunzel47

Eddie, I wish I had some constructive advice for you.

It's not a situation that I've ever had to deal with, but if I did, I know I'd be beyond bananas by now!

What a piece of work!

Just reading back over the thread again, I'm wondering if your boss is a person you could have a face-to-face heart-to-heart with on the subject. Perhaps an email at this point, to say "I have an issue that I need to discuss with you in person -- can we find a half hour next time you're in the office?"

And then, tell it like it is: You've tried to convey to this person that her office habits/demeanor are distracting (be as specific with her as with us), but it's not penetrating (unlike her voice!), and you're concerned about the effect it's having on your performance. With your track record, I would hope that your boss would receive this as concern for performance/productivity, etc, and not as just being b****y. Perhaps, if Mildred can't be tamed or terminated, it would be possible to find an enclosed space for her, where she will be less distracting for everyone.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck with this -- it's a lousy situation!

I think this is constructive advice. Mildred isn't going to change; she doesn't have enough work to do because her boss is semi-retired; she is creating a morale problem at a demanding work locale. . . as much as your boss enjoys a hands-off environment there are times when you need the boss to take action. I had a boss who also left it to the staff to handle, but when it got beyond our ability to resolve, we brought things to his attention and he addressed them. He had enough respect for our abilities and trust in our judgment to know we didn't bring things to his attention unless they needed his attention. I suspect your boss, if she is a good boss, is the same. Why not be forthright and lay it on the line. I am sure she would much rather not have to find your replacement because you felt compelled to leave; I am sure she would rather find an alternative - a win/win solution to this situation. It is your boss' brother who is Mildred's boss? Your boss needs to talk to Mildred's boss and find Mildred a different place to do whatever work she does.

Good luck!

Kathryn

 

[mark kumpf]

And from the been there done that crowd...

Sometimes clients are better than employees. I'm not sure what circles your CEO wanders in but if Senators are calling, I'm assuming that they are above the average level. If you have a good associate whom you contact frequently who would be in position to both hear the background AND would write a letter to your CEO....

Or, rub small portions of pink fiberglass insulation on her chair, wrist pad for the PC, back of her chair... The rash is amazing and it only goes away when you stop.

 

[pat]

Originally Posted by Mark Kumpf

Or, rub small portions of pink fiberglass insulation on her chair, wrist pad for the PC, back of her chair... The rash is amazing and it only goes away when you stop.

Oh no!

now there's a wicked

!

 

[wellingtoncats]

Eddie, I can only say that you must be such a kind lady(which I know you are on the internet but IRL you must be as well!) because I would have dobbed her in loooooong before now. *Fingers crossed we get some action*

 

[sashacat421]

Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

Eddie, I can only say that you must be such a kind lady(which I know you are on the internet but IRL you must be as well!) because I would have dobbed her in loooooong before now. *Fingers crossed we get some action*

Thanks Miss Sam....but what the heck is "dobbed her in"? Is that like rubbing her out??

 

[flisssweetpea]

Eddie - dobbing someone in this case is telling your boss what's been going on.

Rubbing her out

if that's the first thing that came to mind is today not a good day?!