Posted by Racer on September 14, 2006, at 13:56:43
In reply to Re: objections » Dr. Bob, posted by alexandra_k on September 14, 2006, at 10:02:52
If this were an office, a company with employees -- government offices included -- having unverified complaints against employees made public would create a hostile working environment, and would therefore not be allowed.
Say I worked in accounting, and I had a complaint against someone in sales. Say I had a complaint about that someone's behavior, but no complaint against the person, or that it is was a complaint about the person him/herself. If I stood around discussing that issue in the break room, I'd be disciplined, not the person from sales.
The proper procedure is for me to go to the accounting manager, who would consider the validity of my concern. Should the accounting manager find my concern valid, the next step would be to notify the sales manager, who would then also consider the validity of the complaint. If the two managers disagree, the complaint moves up the food chain. If the sales manager agrees that there's a valid issue raised, it's his/her responsibility to address that issue -- privately.
Despite the fact that I made the initial complaint, by the way, I have no special right to know the outcome. Frustrating for me? Sure. Unless the sales dept employee is fired or otherwise singled out publicly, I may never know that anything was done. (Although a good manager would let me know that it had been addressed and might let me know something about the outcome.)
But the bottom line is that if I make my complaint publicly, I will be the one punished, for creating a hostile work environment for the person in the sales department. In that case, it matters not one whit whether I had a valid concern or not.
Babble is not analogous to a government entity. It is much more analogous to a private company. I think the private emailing of concerns to Dr Bob and the Deputies is a proper way to address concerns and complaints -- including complaints against deputies, and calls for the removal of a deputy.
I also think that "Dr Bob and the Deputies" would make a good name for a rock band.
poster:Racer
thread:685492
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20060826/msgs/685937.html