“Marty, I need to speak with you a minute.” Your supervisor’s standing in the doorway to his office when you arrive for work, and your immediate reaction is “what now?”
The next twenty minutes are spent with you seated in a chair, in front of Bill’s desk, while he not-so-tactfully tells you about a complaint that was brought up against you from a group of your co-workers. He proceeds to state this group is concerned with a multitude of problems from everything regarding your hygiene, your driving, your patient care, your PCRs, and everything in between. When you ask who specifically brought the concerns to Bill’s attention, he says “I really can’t say. A letter was left in my mailbox without a signature, but the gist of it appears that there are at least two of your co-workers filing this complaint.”
You’re furious, and tell your supervisor that you’re disappointed with yourself for giving the perception that there is a problem. You also tell him that you’re disappointed your co-workers felt it necessary to leave an anonymous letter instead of either coming to you directly or identifying themselves in the complaint. Considering the grievances being levied against you, you feel it is your right to confront those accusing you of these misdeeds and defend your actions, if necessary.
Bill alludes that the letter mentioned your colleagues didn’t want to speak with you directly because “they feel like you’ll go after them” if they did. He mentions you do have a tendency to come across gruff, which you admit to, but also says those who know you best understand that and don’t take offense to it. He ends the discussion by asking you “stay on your toes” and re-affirms his belief that you are very good at what you do.
Is this situation right? Of course not, but it happens every day. Letters of complaint are filed regularly by people who fear reprisal, whether rightly so or not, and therefore wish to remain anonymous.
Persons filing legitimate concerns against an individual or an entity are protected by whistleblower laws, should use of those protections be necessary. Furthermore, maintaining a certain level of personal and professional integrity exists, especially in cases where accusations are levied that rules or laws have been violated.
Should you ever have the need to file a complaint, do the right thing: stand up in your belief that something unjust has occurred. Sometimes it takes one person making a stand to strengthen others to sit up and take notice.
