Unfair Treatment in Our Company?

Question

We have a women who does nothing but cause trouble. She is an overgrown child. She is never in on time, takes two hour lunches and leaves early, yet she is always worried about others work schedule. She causes conflict by telling untruthful stories, uses vulgar language towards other employees including her supervisors, but the Big bosses refuse to confront the situation, but reprimand us when we come in late or leave early. The situation has intensified now that she is pregnant. They claim they are concerned if they fire her she will file a lawsuit due to her being pregnant. Whether they fire her is not the concern for myself and my co-workers - we just want her to receive some kind of Corrective action and for our word to matter. For me I feel even more scorned because I have been a faithful employee for over seven years and she has been an employee for 8-9 months. I have never lied or cheated my company or done anything to lead them to mistrust - why is her word taken over mine or anyone else in the Company for that matter? I do I handle this - it's starting to effect my desire to work here. Also, the fact that she uses vulgar language - would that be consider a form of harassment?

Answer 1

Got a mini-cam? Catch her on video tape and turn it over to personnel. Maybe that will wake them up an get her fired. How about her immediate supervisor? does he/she take any action against her?  Maybe you and your co-workers should draw up a petition and present it to your boss.

Answer 2

can you tell me her name^^?..

i think i know her..

Answer 3

As politically incorrect as this comment may be -- many women in the work place who get pregnant suffer from hormonal issues.  The employer would rather just wait out the bad behavior for the 9 months, and then hope the hormonal employee decides to stay at home with the baby then actually do something than may tick her off.

While you may like the company you work for, this incident shows you a couple of things 1. The big bosses don't care how uncomfortable it is for the workers, their only concern is to not get sued.  2. The company has little or no loyalty to those who have worked there the longest.  Again they are more concerned with not getting sued.  3. The company bosses would rather take the easy way out by ignoring this woman, than actually have to go through the paperwork needed to justify discipline to an employee in a select group (pregnant). and 4. the company, like almost every employer in the US, has zero loyalty to its employees.

As for what you can do under the law, very little will be successful.  The pregnant one holds all the options here, even if you had proof that her vulgar language was directed at you due to discrimination by age, s*x, race, etc (www.eeoc.com) your complaint would go nowhere because she is pregnant.  HOWEVER, she won't always be with child.  The time for you to make a successful case is if she returns to work after the birth.  Then she will not have the blanket of pregnancy protection.  

Answer 4

Unfair, yes.  Illegal, or harassment - no.

Answer 5

IMHO, the only hook you have to hang a complaint on is the vulgar language. That is a specific, documentable thing.

I would keep track on paper of all the other stuff. But be aware she may have protectors in the executive suites, she may have sonething on somebody  or she may be a minority that they fear to cross.

But the vulgarity can be addressed.