A Co-Worker Gone Bad
Posted: Thursday, October 13, 2011
by Taylor Barcus
I have been employed at my current job for over 10 months now. In this time period, I have learned an extensive amount and have went from hating my job to tolerating it and there are days where I know that I am doing a good job. Not every job is perfect and I can imagine that there is a huge percentage of individuals out there that would rather be doing something else, yet they need the pay check.
This new felon friend of mine was struggling with his new heavy workload so I made the decision to help him out. Do the right thing and help your neighbor. So for the past 3 months I have basically been doing his work for him. I noticed that he wasnt improving or attempting to learn his job to his best ability, but I had hope. This help of mine then turned to him demanding me to do his work and using a bit of that prison yard mentality of intimidation to make me do his work. I dont feel as if doing a favor for someone should turn into a responsibility. Of course, I was concerned about the company and how his clients would react to his laziness, so I continued to assist. He then tells everyone that he is so behind in his work that he had to stay until 10:30pm on Monday night. This fact caught on with the upper management and it was decided that perhaps his work load was a bit too much. So, my new manager approaches me and asks me- Will you take on one of the larger accounts from him? Now, in this position, what is an employee really going to say? Yes, you want to keep your job and your benefits and those paychecks, but at the same time you are awamped and dont want to do anymore work. But being the dedicated employee that I am, I respond- I would be honored to take on the challenge. I then explain that I would need some training and all was good.
I then inform the felon of this new change. That I was approached and given one of his accounts. He lost his mind. He was fanatic, yelling and damning me for 'stealing' his account. I was dumbfounded. If someone took away one of my hardest accounts, I would be sending them a Hallmark card. Then the drama started. An ex employee that quit a while back had at one time had this account and she did an excellent job at it. I then propose to my new boss that I should be trained by her to give the new challenge my best try. He disagreed stating that no, the felon should train me (even though he doesnt know what he's doing!). I go along with the decision and walk to his office and explain that for the rest of this week I am going to finish all of my important duties and that on Monday we can start anew and start training. I was shocked at the foul-mouthed response and heated conversation that then ensued because I asked for training. I even received the following email from him-
Please don’t you ever come to my office and yell at me like that when I am with somebody in the middle of something is really not professional. Take your anger on another person because I didn’t give you Birrana!!!!
Wow. I then made the decision that his prison yard bullying will not and does not work in the corporate world. So I forward the email to several upper management employees and then after 45 minutes of the felon sitting with our new boss, he calls me in. I walk in and he informes me that the felon is being a 4-th grader and on Monday he will be giving all of the files and information for the new account to our boss and then our boss will be giving them to me. REALLY? I thought we were adults here.
My Wednesday ended up with me explaining to the HR manager and my manager that I would not tolerate the harrassment, the intimidation, the cussing and everything else that he encompassed. I knew from the minute that I met him that he was a hustler. I mean, he dealt cocaine for years! He puts up a good front but in reality he is really a bad person that is vindictive and greedy. You can never truly trust someone until you get to know them and I got to know him.
The sad thing is that I was trying to help out a fellow co-worker, trying to help him succeed. My good intentions were cast aside when I was given one of his 'hustles'. Of course a small amount of me is afraid of retaliation and what he may or may not do to me. Like I said, you never really know someone. But, I am still going to come to work, do my best and avoid him completly. In the end, I was flattered by the fact that my company is trusting me and believing in me that I can handle such a large account.
Point of the story- always always always follow your gut. And karma is a bitch.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)This story is a good story and very well written. I can hardly fathom what he put you through. But I also know that long time felons are like this. You can't do anything with them.
I know the lesson is evident, but maybe I can posit an elaboration. Do not trust these types, because they have a natural ability to use you. You are prey. Yes, you are smart, attractive, poised, strong and proud. But you are still prey. Trust yourself to give you the vibes you need to preserve your independence. As you look back, you can easily see. He needed you. You did not need him.
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