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Workplace drama
!!
This isn't about me, fyi. I am but a lowly bystander.
So, I started working at my current job about 6 months ago. I was introduced to the department and went through training, etc. One of the people I was introduced to was the head of Finance. After about a week, she disappeared. I asked where she was and people told me she was out on a leave of absence until September. The whole summer on a leave? Oof. I felt bad for her... maybe a surgery or an ailing parent or something.
So, September comes, and instead of coming back, her leave has been extended to November 1st. Okay. Interesting.
November comes along, and she returns! Not much fanfare, a pretty quiet return to work. After about a week, this post-it stack appears on her door. It looks like a countdown to something - like 9, 8, 7, etc. stacked on top of the other.
My good friend who works here has her office right next door, so she went in to chat and ask about the countdown. Well, the floodgates opened. Apparently, the reason why she had been out on leave wasn't medical or anything. It was because she had threatened to SUE the dean of our department.
Apparently, what started it was last spring. At that point, she was the head of the Student Services department, and they were going through a really busy period enrolling, grading, helping students. So, she authorized one or two hours of overtime for two of the department employees.
The dean went NUTS. TOO MUCH MONEYS! They had a huge fight about it, apparently, and she left on a "stress leave" and as she left she said she was going to sue him. For what - wage discrimination, unfair treatment, something like that.
So she comes back in November and has a meeting with the Dean and Associate Dean. She tells them they have two options: She can continue with the lawsuit and take them to court (and has had this whole summer and fall to build a case) or, they can lay her off with full benefits, pension, and a VERY generous severance package. They jumped all over the latter, and the countdown on her door is the number of days left until she's laid off.
She has worked at the university for 27 years. She also spilled a bit to me about how in the last 5 years, the way they've treated employees has gone way downhill, no raises, layoffs and keeping shiitty employees, etc. Definitely over-dramatic of her, BUT. I've heard a lot of stories that mesh with what she's saying. Those are probably for another post.
Last Friday, the finance woman had a meeting with the Associate Dean that lasted all of 10 minutes. She stormed out, threw a few things together in her office, called the Associate Dean a c*nt to a few coworkers, and left. For good. lol. She had, what, 5 days left or something?
Anyway, she called a coworker to get the rest of her things and bring them downstairs to her in an hour. And boom, she's kaput.
Of course, no one will discuss this out in the open. It's very hush-hush. We all know about it. I have a million questions. The overtime thing this spring can't have been the only tense moment she's had with the Dean - what's the background? What kind of case does she really have? What went on at that last meeting?
The Associate Dean let us out early on Friday. I think she didn't want us to see her as a biitch. heh.
This is long. Sorry!
Re: Workplace drama
So she will not be getting her severance package?
At my work they have to give you like a year's notice if they are non-renewing you. I know people this has happened to. I can't imagine going to work every day knowing they don't want you there.
I think she was just happy to be leaving, didn't care who knew that she hated the dean. Oh yeah, she's getting her severance package.
Oh, also forgot to mention, the day she left she was planning on calling the whistle-blower hotline on campus, to report non-ethical activity anonymously. lol! I don't know if she actually did it, though.
How many days does she have left?
This could make things interesting for a while.
Currently Reading: Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes
Oh, she's done. When she left after that meeting with the associate dean, she walked out and is gone forevah. No more working here.
Yeah, imoan, I think she's sooo frustrated about a few things that she's like a verbal geyser. She's made a problem that could be real into this overblown, personal vendetta. It makes the real problem look puny, compared to how she's acting.