Working with difficult colleagues

Lisa is working with a difficult colleague who we will call BB.

Lisa was hit with some very loud and public abuse from BB recently that was witnessed by their manager and others.

The manager later took Lisa aside to tell her BB had long been a problem and to ask Lisa to make a formal complaint about BB. Should she do it?

I would urge you to proceed with caution, Lisa. You wouldn’t be contacting me if you felt comfortable about this. The organisation should have a code of conduct. If BB is verbally abusing you and other staff then it is the manager’s role to hop in there and manage the situation.

Why should you go head-to-head with BB by making a formal complaint when others have not? If you make a complaint then the issue is how you have behaved as well as how BB has behaved.

I am all for accountability but I am irritated that the manager is using you as a battering ram to deal with a staff member he or she would rather not tackle.

Don’t accuse the manager of doing this but do discuss options such as the manager talking to all staff about the code of conduct and the consequences of not adhering to that code.