Question about hostile work environments

[TequilaSunrise]

I have a coworker who I feel is being harassed. He's a team leader, and several times he's been called into the HR office to be "coached" for very minor infractions, all of which he has perfectly good explanations. Well, yesterday he was wrote up. They compiled all these "infractions" into a write-up. He's a good worker, very even tempered, a total sweetheart, and great with customers. But now, he has twice the work, because we're so shorthanded.

I really believe they're trying to push people out the door...trying to get people to quit, or get fired, so they can hire regular schmoes to do their work and get paid less.

I am SO pissed off about this. Would you call this a Hostile Work Environment?

[blas]

Yes.

I don't want to steal your thread, but I have a very similar story about hostile work enviornment. PM me if interested.

In short, I'll just say that yes, it's possible to sabotage an employee and try to force them out the door with dirty tactics.

[lordlundar]

yup. similar thing happened to me actually, and because of how it was done, I had no recourse open to me. Have him contact the labour board or do so on his behalf. Nothing spooks power crazed management so much as seeing those guys in stating "We're here to investigate a complaint."

[Gurndigarn]

DOCUMENT what he's been "coached" about, though, so you'll have ammuntion if you want to file a complaint.

[workerbee222]

I would be very careful not to insinuate myself where I didn't know all the facts.

I remember hearing of a situation at one job in which an older, dependable employee was "being forced to quit." Well, that turned out to be the Readers' Digest Condensed version.

He wanted to take another one month leave of absence, the fourth one in a twelve month period. He had managed his finances very carefully, and was in a position to take month long cruises and vacations several times a year. HR had determined it wasn't fair for him to keep taking leaves, as his seniority continued to accrue during his absence. In other words, he got another year's worth of seniority for eight months of work.

He was told he would need to quit his job from this point forward, and get re-hired when he came back. They'd be more than happy to have him back, too. But those agitating in his behalf didn't know the whole story, or evaluate the impact on the morale of other employees who might have asked for, (or have been denied) a leave of absence.

[marasbaras]

Based on what the OP posted and ONLY that ... I'd say, no, that's not a hostile environment. It's pefectly acceptable for a corporation to go through standard procedures (which HR is) ... sucky as they may be.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I wouldn't go making complaints on your co-worker's behalf. Not unless I wanted to be fired because management saw me as a troublemaker and my co-worker to be fired simply out of spite (I am assuming you have a corporate HR to contact because you mentioned HR at your restaurant, which probably answers to a corporate HR department and I don't think most mom and pop kinds of places would have that)

Corporate HR doesn't always handle complaints with confidentiality, and sometimes they will collude with store-level managers to conceal evidence and get rid of people making complaints, or at least give them enough information to do so.

And as mentioned before, there may be things going on behind the scenes you don't know about.

This is a battle your co-worker will need to fight himself. And any complaints he may make should be directed to the local department of labor.

[Caveat Emptor]

That is almost precisely what happened to me six years ago, the only time since high school that I have ever been fired. I would be called in on misspellings, ticket notes being too short, failing to notice minor differences that required different procedures, etc etc etc. I was GLAD to be fired. Supervisors and management in general were major pricks. Within two years after I left, that company fell from #5 in the Top 100 Companies in the city to number 83 and finally off entirely, not yet to return, and they lost several large call center contracts after being warned NOT to outsource any part of those desks to the companies Indian offices.

[friendofjimmyk]

I do not believe this constitutes a "hostile work environment". A hostile work environment is one where the employee feels threatened - such as fearing for their safety or well-being...

I agree with another poster who states that you don't know both sides of the story and although it's frustrating to see a great co-worker go through it...it's his battle. Don't take on something that is not yours to begin with.

[powerboy]

I do not believe this constitutes a "hostile work environment". A hostile work environment is one where the employee feels threatened - such as fearing for their safety or well-being...

This is what I was going to mention. Have your friend/co-worker go to the labor board or where he/she needs too. You can be a witness along with your other co-workers.

[marasbaras]

Yes, I forgot to mention: labor board. Your friend should go there to seek help if he feels that he's being unfairly treated.

You need to stay out. Your management WILL resent your involvement and your work life there will suffer (or end) for it.