Posted on 29/04/2021 by Liz Willett
How can a radiator make two people who have worked together for years to suddenly be at each others throats?
Is it because the person who sits next to the window wants the radiator turned off? They have menopause symptoms and are experiencing hot flashes…
Maybe the other person is upset because they’re cold due to the window being open? Even though the fresh air is reducing risk of Covid transmission at work…
Or did the manager’s suggestion to swap places upset them both colleagues? They’ve sat in the same place for ten years after all…
These are the triggers that have caused a fall out, but they’re not the root cause of the fall out. They have slowly built up anxieties and annoyances which have finally come to a head over the radiator issue.
When the manager called me up to initiate a grievance investigation, I proposed we find out more detail first. We talked about listening to what they are telling us (not just what they are saying) and responding to support them.
I found that the colleague who sat by the radiator had been shielding at home and had only recently returned to the office. She had felt lonely, isolated and forgotten by her colleagues. Though she had been keen to return, she had expressed on several occasions fears of being unsafe. Her feeling was that her colleagues didn’t seem to appreciate how difficult it had been for her.
The other colleague had worked in the office throughout the pandemic, only being at home when required to self-isolate. They had helped deliver frontline care services and been very flexible in their duties and hours to keep open. It had been a very uncertain and busy time and they felt that the people at home had no idea how difficult it had been. A comment they’d made included: “I wish I could have stayed at home and got my housework done like some others have”.
When people in the workplace are tense, tired and frayed, employers can utilise kindness strategies to avoid escalating complaints and grievances.
I advised mediation for the co-workers and I set that up for them. I also advised the manager on other measures of support, including enhancing wellbeing during Covid.
The result was that the manager still has two experienced staff who have repaired their relationship. The employer was also able to provide support during a difficult time, much to the appreciation of the staff.
Kraft HR Investigations are always available for a quick chat to help talk through the situation and explore what would be best for each individual circumstance. Contact us whenever you need support and a fresh perspective: Contact us | Kraft HR (frogspark.agency).
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After decades of working together, a venomous falling out between healthcare colleagues escalated into a HR issue. How did menopause symptoms and covid pressures trigger stack a crisis?
