Black Monday

Black Monday

I told her that an employee, the litigator, came forward and made some very serious accusations against her. HR immediately asked me if she was fired. I said absolutely not, and proceeded to explain that I would investigate the issue, and if I determined there to be some validity to the complaint, that we would address it at that time.

Her attitude of being my right hand person and ally dissipated and she became very cold and solemn as our call concluded. As I hung up the phone, I felt like I was hanging up on a relationship. Many can’t distinguish between job position, and personal relationships and how the loss of one does not necessarily mean the loss of the other. I had a suspicion which category she would fall into.

I knew that she was now aware I would not bend the rules for anyone including my own, which was a very different experience from the prior directors. She could tell that her position did not guarantee immunity in my eyes, and I could see that realization had her on the defensive. I couldn’t control the circumstances, but only how I respond to them.
With the receiver back on its base, I thought quietly to myself for a moment or two and then resumed my weekend with my family.

Monday I arrived to find HR already there. It’s clear she had already expressed her thoughts on the situation by the time I arrived. The entire site was affected by a situation that they shouldn’t even know about. HR just didn’t seem to get it…

I brought HR into my office and recapped what we discussed by phone, and comforted her with the fact that the truth would prevail. I explained that I would be thorough as possible as I worked through the due diligence process. The fact that I would get to the truth didn’t seem to comfort her much. With it being a Monday, I decided to wait to begin the interviewing of the employees the litigator identified as witnesses to harassment until the following day.


The next day however, it was time to jump in…