anger – Ask the Workplace Doctors

What Should I Do About This Threat?

June 26, 2016June 26, 2016 Tina Lewis Rowe

A question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about an employee who
yelled a threatening remark.
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Question:
I’m a manager and a staff member got upset about some work I gave him and yelled at me, inches from my face, saying, “Don’t make me lose my shit or one of these days there’ll be nothing left here except charcoal!” What should I do about it?

Answer:

It sounds as though you have an employee who 1.) Is rude and disrespectful to his manager. 2.) Doesn’t control his temper. 3.) Makes threats that implies if he gets angry enough he will set the building on fire—and presumably anyone in it.

Can An Employee Be Fired For Justifiably Raising His Voice When Upset?

July 21, 2015July 21, 2015 Tina Lewis Rowe

A Question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about an unfair accusation of harassment.

A coworker of my husband’s came to our house to get free kittens out from under our deck, but she scared them so badly with a broom etc., that they disappeared. My husband took the carrier she was going to use back to work and she came to his work area to get it. He told her that it was stupid what she did and did yell at her but not crazy-like at all. She complained to the company that she can’t come on his floor “because she is scared” of him. He had a meeting with the Corporate Diversity Dept. They heard his side of the story, that he did nothing but raise his voice. However, she says it was harassment. Will he be fired or disciplined? His work record is spotless and his boss went into the meeting after him and had nothing but good to say. Your thoughts?

Employee Yelling At A Supervisor

November 5, 2013November 5, 2013 Tina Lewis Rowe

A question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about an employee yelling at a supervisor:

Question:

I am a supervisor. An employee lashed out and yelled at me in a disrespectful way. She says she is upset because she wants a phone call when I am coming for my zone visit. She is nervous alone in the building, but this is not our practice. How should I deal with this angry person?

Signed,

Concerned

Answer:

Dear Concerned:

The issue of the zone visit and the employee being alone in the building is not clear, nor is exactly what you mean by “lashing out”. But, the general situation seems to be this: You are a supervisor who was spoken to in a rude, very angry, voice-raised, disrespectful way by an employee. Assuming that you did not talk to her in a similar way, you have a situation that is very concerning. For one thing, if she is very angry (as you describe it) it could escalate to a much more volatile situation. If she is merely upset, but not out of control or near it, jt is still a serious problem to have an employee yelling at a supervisor.