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A while back a friendly co-worker went sick. I covered their work for the day. They came back and got mad about how it was done. No one figured why, all the work was done normal. Their behavior went childish - refusing to reply to me, not co-operating, mimicking my talk, making jokes about me to my face, ranting when I approached to discuss it, really ridiculous behavior. I couldn't figure out what I'd done wrong.
After weeks of this, on Monday, they decided that they wanted to go for another sassy rant at me while smiling to my face in the middle of my tasks. I lost my temper and yelled at them (not shouting but raised voice) in a controlled way to sit down, shut up, and keep it shut. They protested, so I spent several more seconds commanding the initial instruction, in very specific, and no uncertain terms. They were visibly shaken and sat down. They had obviously thought I was a pushover. Within an hour they handed in their notice without a job to go to.
Am I supposed to feel about this? My head is saying this a loss because surely reason would have won eventually. Things could have been dealt with. But my heart is saying that would never have happened - justice was served. Obviously it's not a lesson to start yelling every time I don't get my way. Then again it's clear that many people aren't available to reason no matter however you present it to them.
So what do you think? Which side do you take? And do other people have stories of getting rid of crappy co-workers?
Well, you might have sat down with them to find out why they were so upset. But in any case, the whiner is gone...I never had anyone quit when I yelled or cussed them out....I must up my game....
OP. It's over. You did nothing wrong except show up a passive aggressive bully. No loss. Move on.
Agree. If "management" does nothing about an unstable and repeatedly verbally abusive co-worker, I'd say you're well within your rights and in fact requirements to tell them to "Sit down, shut up, go home!" as I believe Chris Christy told some heckler once. Maybe more than once, he wasn't especially shy.
You should probably get "Employee Of The Month" award. Oh, except you work for a sick company. Never mind.
It was incumbent on management to protect you from this unreasonable co-worker and mediate. They did not, so you were within your rights to protect yourself from being harassed. Not your problem that this co-worker wanted to act like a two-year old and leave in a huff.
A friendly co-worker comes back from being sick and is completely changed into a rude, picky, and horrible person. I think it's quite obvious to anyone with a touch of empathy that the "being sick" was either a mental or emotional problem the person can't control, or something very traumatic happened in their life.
After a few attempts at negotiating and compromising (On what? It didn't sound like you were working on the same thing at the same time.), you abandon your humanity (according to your definition above) and yell and shout like an animal. Why not just firmly tell the person?
Despite saying it's nothing to be proud of, you seem kinda proud of it (ie "Yes, they messed with the wrong person all right.")
Generally speaking, I don't understand why people have a problem being firm yet maintaining their calm demeanor and respectful behavior. Too many interactions these days seem to come down to super nice dishrags or screaming matches. So many other options that are still firm and effective.
I don't know why people are jumping down the OP's throat. If the friend thought the work wasn't done right, there's more subtle ways to go about this instead of freaking out. I mean she just flipped out.
I don't know why people are jumping down the OP's throat. If the friend thought the work wasn't done right, there's more subtle ways to go about this instead of freaking out. I mean she just flipped out.
I don’t know, maybe it’s something about the OP telling someone to sit down and shut up?
Well, you might have sat down with them to find out why they were so upset. But in any case, the whiner is gone...I never had anyone quit when I yelled or cussed them out....I must up my game....
The whiner? Read it. She's being harassed!
She never "cussed anyone out" like you're saying you did
Best to avoid that avenue but sometimes tempers flare, I know. The op's words...
"when I approached to discuss it"....
" refusing to reply to me, not co-operating, mimicking my talk, making jokes about me to my face, ranting when I approached to discuss it, really ridiculous behavior. I couldn't figure out what I'd done wrong. "
During the exit interview, those same co-workers can always say they felt forced to resign because you made it a hostile work environment... Management can talk them into staying and remove you in return
I don’t know, maybe it’s something about the OP telling someone to sit down and shut up?
Did you miss the part where she said she tried to be professional? Because I clearly read it and I'm not blind. She didn't start this, based on her post.
Did you miss the part where she said she tried to be professional? Because I clearly read it and I'm not blind. She didn't start this, based on her post.
"Trying to be professional" = ignoring them? Or not punching them in the process
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