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How should I handle this co-worker situation? LONG

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Rhea

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I''m trying to let it go, but I''ve ben home for about 3 hours and am still thinking about it.

At work we have three meeting rooms that we book in advance to use, or just use them if they happen to be free. One of the room is where the break room is located and therefore can''t be booked for two hours during lunch. When our clients come in we often offer them coffee or tea.

I had another room booked, but went into the kitchen with my client during the lunch time to make tea with him. Two of my co-workers from another team were in there waiting for the kettle to boil. Client and I stood around waiting for it to boil too. The two co-workers start mumbling how the room is only to be used by staff during that time. Since the comments weren''t directed at me, I turned to my client, told him I didn''t think we should be in there and would he like to sit and wait in our room while I made him a cup of tea in the other kitchen, which is on another floor and behind locked doors.

Client declined and said that he didn''t see the big deal, that it would take less than three minutes. At that point one of my co-workers spoke up and said that it was their only time in that kitchen. I told her I understood and that I would use the other kitchen. Client made a bit of a deal about it and I just did the "un hum" thing and attempted to get him settled in the room I had booked. After a few minutes the client decided that he trusted me enough to make him a cup of tea. He has mental health issues, he believes people who live in the same house as him put snot in his food if he leaves the kitchen and that they play jokes on him to make him sick by leaving the windows open to create a draft in the house.

My co-worker decided I didn''t handle the situation professionally and told my manager, who then had to talk to me. The agreement that my manager and I came to was that I should have, seeing that two co-workers were in the room, asked if they minded my client making himself a cup of tea. That''s fine, no issues there and I''ll do that in the future.

I''m still upset that she went to my supervisor! I can''t understand why, if she thought I didn''t handle the situation correctly, she didn''t disuss it with me later. The two co-workers were mumbling about us as though we weren''t there. I didn''t feel it was ok to just ignore them and finish making the tea when they were clearly so upset.

I have to work with these people. Should I say anything to them? In the future, how could I better handle people indirectly complaining about a situation that I''m involved in with a client? I obviously need to give the client a reason for wanting to leave without the cup of tea and since neither co-worker directly asked me not to be there with the client it made the situation complex.
 
Ugh. I''m dealing with my own office environment drama right now so I feel you.

I can''t believe they would act that way in front of a client! If you ask me, they were in the wrong.
With that being said, I would probably just let it go. Saying anything now will just send her right back to your manager.
 
Addy - I would go back to your manager, and explain that you feel as though they also were being unprofessional in talking about you and YOUR CLIENT as if you were not in the room, and saying that you weren''t supposed to be there. That is rude and disrespectful to the client...period. They should NOT have made an issue out of it. It would be one thing if you went in there and began talking about business, but you both were waiting for tea, and that should be fine. I would also bring up to the manager that your client did have mental issues, and the way you handled it was in the best interest of all as your client tends to believe that others are going to do something to make him sick, and you didn''t want any bad reactions on any part, especially after your co workers were acting so negatively.
 
Date: 11/25/2008 4:58:03 PM
Author:Addy

I have to work with these people. Should I say anything to them? In the future, how could I better handle people indirectly complaining about a situation that I''m involved in with a client? I obviously need to give the client a reason for wanting to leave without the cup of tea and since neither co-worker directly asked me not to be there with the client it made the situation complex.
Can you mention what kind of field you are in? Because as I''m reading this I''m going...it''s a client that wants some tea. You aren''t having a meeting there. You''re making tea. So I guess I don''t get why they would be upset.

That said, I would say something but if you do you have to be careful. I had something happen with someone where they went directly to my Manager. Basically, I was auditing someone, asked for their policies/procedures, they said they didn''t have any, so I tested something against company general policy and it failed. They came back with a policy specific for their Department and said it shouldn''t fail because of this to which I apologized for failing it but since I didn''t have this policy when it was first requested I didn''t have anything else to go on and so it failed but I''ll change the notation. I guess that rubbed her the wrong way so she told my boss (why? I don''t know...maybe my tone was off or something). I later went to them and just said that my Manager spoke with me and I wanted to apologize to them for not handling the situation "correctly" and then mentioned that I appreciate feedback as a learning opportunity so if they felt comfortable enough maybe next time we can talk through it and we can get the Manager involved as well if they felt it was necessary.

But again you have to be careful with wording because it may come across as "next time talk to me, don''t go to my boss you snitch" LOL
 
Honestly, I think I would just let it go. I think your co-worker was kind of immature and petty, but that tells me that if you try to sort it out, she may only get worse, and make things worse for you. It sucks, but I''d try to be the bigger person here and just move on.
 
I think it was your co worker that was unprofessional. I don''t know what you should do, but at least if your boss brings it up to you, make sure you explain your side.... It''s a cup of TEA, sheesh.
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Fieryred, I work with homeless clients who have drug issues, mental health issues, or both. The two co-workers are on a different team, but the same type of work with typically slightly more stable or secure clients.

I do understand that part of the office is blocked off at that time for staff lunch so I kind of understand their point on the client not being in the break room then. But I also think that we weren''t staying, we weren''t talking about anything personal, just attempting to find a cup and instant coffee. I could go either way on whether or not we should be in there. The door to the break room is open and right across a narrow hallway to the room we were meeting in so it wasn''t in another area that was totally blocked where they could freely talk about clients.

I do want to be careful with how I handle the situation if I speak to her. I rarely or never work directly with either of them, but I want a happy work environment since we all share the office space and facilities.
 
Date: 11/25/2008 5:27:26 PM
Author: Kaleigh
I think it was your co worker that was unprofessional. I don''t know what you should do, but at least if your boss brings it up to you, make sure you explain your side.... It''s a cup of TEA, sheesh.
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Boss and I did dicuss it. He''s fairly laid back and I got the impression that he thought she was over-reacting, but he probably is required to speak with me about it. Boss was in the reception area and could hear most of the exchange (we weren''t loud, it''s a small office). We came to the agreement that in the future, if the room was already in use by staff that I would ask before letting the client in to make their own tea.
 
So your client was homeless? Is it possible that the co-workers don''t want to share their breakroom with a homeless guy who wants a cup of tea?
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If this is the line of work they are in, they need to learn how to tactfully handle situations and people. They deifnitely shouldn''t discuss something like that as if you weren''t in the room... thats something middle schoolers would do!
 
Date: 11/25/2008 5:33:32 PM
Author: Addy
Date: 11/25/2008 5:27:26 PM

Author: Kaleigh

I think it was your co worker that was unprofessional. I don''t know what you should do, but at least if your boss brings it up to you, make sure you explain your side.... It''s a cup of TEA, sheesh.
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Boss and I did dicuss it. He''s fairly laid back and I got the impression that he thought she was over-reacting, but he probably is required to speak with me about it. Boss was in the reception area and could hear most of the exchange (we weren''t loud, it''s a small office). We came to the agreement that in the future, if the room was already in use by staff that I would ask before letting the client in to make their own tea.


That sounds perfectly reasonable. To be honest, it seems like your boss agreed that you shouldn''t have been in there with a client, so lesson learned. If you are comfortable with your co-workers you might just try apologizing to them AND requesting that next time they have an issue with you you would really apprecite it if they would come to you first.
 
It sounds like you and your boss came to a very reasonable solution: when there are staff-members in the kitchen, you''ll ask before bringing in a client. I hope that he had a talk with your coworker as well; for her to make your client feel uncomfortable like that is very unprofessional.

I think that putting this behind you is your best option--it only reinforces that you are professional and mature.
 
Thanks guys. I think I'll just continue on and not say anything to the co-worker. I have no issue with her pointing out that the client shouldn't be the kitchen during the set aside time, it's just how she pointed it out. I'm not sure I could say anything to her without making the issue worse, which is too bad.

Any input into how to handle any future situations like this whilst they are happening? This hasn't been the first time I've seen one of these co-workers make remarks in front of clients. There was a big blow up in the office about two months ago with her. Should I just ignore her whilst it's happening? Confronting the situation didn't work this time. Or maybe I didn't confront it in the right way?
 
Sorry you had to deal with this, it sounds like they need to get a life. What a petty thing to get all upset about, especially upset enough to go to your supervisor.
 
you won't have to deal with it if you don't take clients in that room. period. i can appreciate needing to get away from the grind and taking a break....whether its just a break or lunch...if its for employees, its for employees. chalk it up to a lesson learned: you have't gotten a reprimand from your boss, you can tell the coworkers you appreciate their position if they ask, and just move on.....but not into the employee breakroom with clients. sometime when you're having a bad day you'll appreciate that employee only environment.

movie zombie
 
Good heavens. What an awkward situation...I think I would try to just forget about it. Imo, no one likes a tattletale, and the co-worker who went to your boss about this whole deal looks like a petty idiot right now. Sheesh.
 
Hmmmm lets just say I know the clients twin and the co-workers twins.
How the place I help out deals with it is they all have lunch together and no clients are allowed into the office area and no shop talk is allowed during that time.

Making remarks in front of clients is a huge no-no and they should have been reprimanded for it.
You will have to protect your clients from them because it seems the bosses will not do so.
Keep your boss informed of any future problems with these people.
They are a threat to your clients and it is very sad that it is allowed to continue.
 
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My understanding is that you arranged a meeting during lunch. That Client is particular that consumables are prepared in front of him. The ''staff'' room is the only kitchen he is ''allowed'' acces to, the other kitchen being inaccessable to him. Am I right?*

I think you have missed the boat complaining about your co-workers, but you certainly have grounds. I would not worry about complaining because ''you have to work around each other'' - she clearly didn''t worry about that when she escalated the matter. But I would worry that you missed your chance to complain about her and if you go to your Manager now, who probably already agrees that the co-worker behaved badly, you will gain nothing.

If so,* - I would talk to your Manager about having a staff/management meeting to decide a policy on refreshment facilities for Clients when the ''staff'' room is being used at lunch time by staff or otherwise booked. I can''t imagine your Client is the only one who is particular in this fashion. Either you were right or there must be an alternative provided.
 
Date: 11/26/2008 11:19:45 AM
Author: Steel
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My understanding is that you arranged a meeting during lunch. That Client is particular that consumables are prepared in front of him. The ''staff'' room is the only kitchen he is ''allowed'' acces to, the other kitchen being inaccessable to him. Am I right?*

I think you have missed the boat complaining about your co-workers, but you certainly have grounds. I would not worry about complaining because ''you have to work around each other'' - she clearly didn''t worry about that when she escalated the matter. But I would worry that you missed your chance to complain about her and if you go to your Manager now, who probably already agrees that the co-worker behaved badly, you will gain nothing.

If so,* - I would talk to your Manager about having a staff/management meeting to decide a policy on refreshment facilities for Clients when the ''staff'' room is being used at lunch time by staff or otherwise booked. I can''t imagine your Client is the only one who is particular in this fashion. Either you were right or there must be an alternative provided.
i so agree that the coworkers were rude and that an alternative needs to be provided by management. having worked in social service environments and having suffered extreme burnout from such work, i can tell you that having a safe place refuge to retreat to at work is important. management needs to step up to the plate and a safe place for clients as well as employees.

movie zombie
 
I think how your boss handled it was good, but I can''t believe that your co-workers went straight to your boss. I would let it go at this stage due to the arrangement that your boss made, but it would really irritate me.
 
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