/ Workplace Woes - Roze Knows

09:36 AM EST on Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Dear Roze:

I asked for an inter-office transfer and was basically told, “I’ll get back to you.” It’s been longer than I care to admit and I haven’t heard a thing. I regularly see this manager in the halls and we exchange normal pleasantries, but he makes no mention of my request and I’m reluctant to ask him if he has an answer for me for fear of getting him mad and negatively affecting his decision. When’s the right time to ask him what he has decided?

-In need of an Answer in Norfolk

Dear In need of an Answer in Norfolk:

I respect you for being cautious. If ten or more working days have passed since your request, I see no reason why you should not follow-up with the manager to find out if he has an answer for you.

You have to determine what method of follow-up is in your best interest. Depending upon the culture of your organization and the work style of the manager, you can follow-up via a telephone call to him, a visit to his office, or an email to him. If the manager tells you that he has not made a decision, respectfully ask him when you should check back with him.

Dear Roze:

I’m sure you’ve heard about family situations where parents don’t practice what they preach. You know, the old “do as I say, not as I do” syndrome. I have that kind of situation at work. There are lots of restrictions on the employees but not on the new President of the company. He’s not breaking any company policies but his actions are so narcissistic and inconsiderate. For example, he has put significant restrictions on our company car usage and our travel budgets, but it’s well known that he has no car restrictions and that he stays in hotels’ deluxe rooms, often flies first class, and rents full-size cars. Can you believe this? This double standard is having such a negative effect on the morale in the office, and he obviously doesn’t care. I fall into the trap of listening to others talk about him and what he lacks as a positive role model and leader and end up joining in the conversations, which doesn’t make me feel any better about any of it. Instead, it gets me down and depressed, but when I’m with everyone, it just happens. What would you do in this situation?

-Depressed over Double Standard in Chesapeake

Dear Depressed over Double Standard in Chesapeake:

I sympathize with you, but if the President’s actions did not hinder me from successfully doing my job, I would make a concerted effort to avoid the office gossip and focus my energies on my work versus his activities. Know that I realize that this is easier said than done, especially when you are surrounded by others who are incessantly talking about him. Also note that the actions I would take do not by any means minimize my belief that your company’s President has made some poor choices and decisions.

Dear Roze:

I have a woman in my office who is a big fake. She’s saccharine-sweet to me and other workers when our supervisor is around and turns into a royal son of a gun when he’s not. It’s really sickening the way she acts like a team player and pretends to care about others. She acts like she wants to help when she knows he’s in ear shot or eyesight. We are so over her and would prefer not to have anything to do with her, but it’s impossible to completely avoid her. Any suggestions?

-Sick of Saccharine-Sweet Co-Worker

Dear Sick of Saccharine-Sweet Co-Worker:

I suggest that you do the right thing and maintain your professionalism. Taking into consideration this problem employee’s temperament, you and your colleagues need to decide whether it would be advantageous or not to discuss the situation with her. If you decide that there will be no negative repercussions from such a discussion, you and one or two other colleagues should have a non-confrontational, yet frank, talk with her about the situation. I also suggest that you document this discussion and provide this coworker with a copy. If your efforts backfire on you and your colleague(s), you will be able to advise your supervisor of your actions to remedy the situation and provide him with a copy of your documentation.