Anonymous complaints

Anonymous complaints, in my view, fall somewhere between rumours and vicious gossip. What's worse, however, is their use by supervisors or managers.

If it's claimed you looted the petty cash of the full $5.88 (and you didn't), then go ahead and make your denial, even absent the name of your accuser. It's likely that you'd remember knocking off the office till.

But when the accuser's identity is missing it's usually the first of several gaps.

What if it's alleged that you "insulted" your accuser: No name of the accuser, words spoken, time, date, or location? Natural Justice has flown, and the presumption of innocence as well. (If you imagine the example far-fetched, I'm happy for your innocence.)

If the absence of relevant information makes it difficult or impossible to reply with certainty, don't. Don't presume, speculate or guess. Invoke your right to Natural Justice and take a break. It's time for professional advice.

It's my experience that human resource professionals know the unfairness inherent in such situations. Some, unfortunately, are powerless to prevent them; and a few, I fear, revel in it. ▪

Have you ever seen a sign on the roadway reading:
'This is not the road to the airport.'
Those who know the system cannot imagine
the problems facing those who do not.
—Edward de Bono (b. 1933)

"Mental health" days

I'm not gong to rail against the practice — the word "entrenched" being familiar to me. And, I understand the pressures of sick kids, family problems, parent/teacher meetings, etc.

But I do have a suggestion:

Build up a buffer. (You know, for when you're sick.) Every couple of weeks I get the call, "My doctor says I have to be off two weeks, but I have no sick days. Can I get sick pay in advance, can I use recreation leave?" The stress level, then, is off the meter.

Having your supervisor offside does not promote mental health. The easiest way to be characterised as a sick leave abuser is to consistently use your ration as soon as it's available. Some supervisors, unfortunately, pay attention to the use of sick leave out of all proportion to its importance. And, conversely, the easiest way to deflect any impression of sick leave abuse is to maintain a reasonable level.

To balance the ledger, I have a few words for the "martyrs," the overly diligent who drag themselves to work, sick, stressed or over tired: Stop it, it's unsafe and you're making everyone else sick and stressed.

See you tomorrow? ▪

Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters
cannot be trusted with important matters.
—Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Can you keep a secret?

Your reply should ever be, "Not always."

It's great to be, "in the know." It's great to be regarded as a trusted confidant. Knowledge is power — and it's often fun. But at work there are (at least) two potential problems: Ethical dilemmas and mobbing.

There's a tendency for people to shift (or share) the liabilities that arise with "difficult" or compromising information. Times out of number I have seen confidences later characterized as disclosures. "But I told you about it."

When the confidants raise the, "I was told in confidence" defense they are reminded: In the hierarchy of duties, duty to the truth, duty to justice, (and, yes) duty to the employer may take precedence over "keeping a secret."

Conversely, when one person is deliberately NOT in the know, it's probably "mobbing." As with most "sins of omission" it's so easy to be swept along. Regardless, being involved in that behaviour is to be complicit. (John Gravois provides useful observations about mobbing in universities in his Chronicle article, "Mob Rule.")

If you take this advice and qualify what you hear, you'll miss much of the juicy gossip. Sorry about that. As with everything, it's about what you really want. ▪

No institution can possibly survive if it needs
geniuses or supermen to manage it.
It must be organized in such a way as to be able to get along
under a leadership composed of average human beings.
—Peter Drucker (1909-2005)