If a coworker threatens to fire you is that harassment? Even if she says she has the authority?

Question

This person is also accusing of padding hours when it is not true. Said "you're on thin ice".

Answer 1

If she doesn't have the authority to hire and fire, then it could be considered harrassment - and probably would be, as it can make for an unpleasant work environment. If this is the case, you need to speak to a real supervisor and/or your HR department.

But, for the moment, let's assume she does have the authority to fire you. Even if you are doing something wrong, it might be considered harrassment if she's not also giving you written warnings, per company policy, state, local and federal laws.

At this point, you are on thin ice, whether or not you really are doing something wrong. Even if she doesn't have the authority to fire you, if she has the ear of someone who does, you could still be on thin ice. In order to protect yourself, you need to start taking some serious steps.

1 - First and foremost, find out what your company policy is on firable offenses, and any warning/notification polices that are in place. Also find out what your local and state laws are in your area. If this is a small company without any formal HR department, talk to the boss to see if there are any written policies. Don't approach this combatively - say something like "I'm a little worried about knowing the policies and standards I can be held to - I'd like to see whats in writing so I can have something to reference for awhile to make sure I'm following the rules."

2. Follow company rules as best as you can. If the disagreement is over hours worked, do what you can to accurately document your hours not only by the time clock but by other methods. For example, if your building has an entrance with a security camera, try and walk by that entrance at the beginning and ending of every shift. If your company doesn't have a time clock, suggest they buy one to help resolve disputes like this.

3. Don't be combative - it only hurts your case. That doesn't mean you have to lie down and take it - but try and be consturctive with your criticism, and don't immediately take offense in a hostile way.

4. Begin documenting every hostile interaction with this co-worker. Hostile means any time she intimidates, or attempts to intimidate you, whether or not voices are raised. I would recommend that you DO NOT DO THIS ON THE JOB or in the building, as it will probably lead to more problems if this coworker, or the boss finds out you are doing so. When you leave the site for lunch, or immediately after work, write down everything you can remember about each encounter, staying as factual as possible. Write down what was said by you, by her and be sure to note any co-workers that were present. Be sure to reference any company rules or state/local laws that were referred to in the conversation. And also note any steps you are going to take yourself to rectify your "bad behaviour" - things like: Note to self: Be ten minutes early from now on, not five.

5. Also note any instance in which company policies are not applied equally to you and others - for instance, if there is a rule that anyone wearing shorts is sent home immediately without pay, and it was used on you, but not on another coworker - be sure to note date time, and people involved - don't dispute it right there, just note it.

Hopefully, the first two items will help resolve the problem. If they don't, 3 & 4 will at least show that you were aware of the situation, and were taking steps to try and deal with it. 5 will show any inconsistancies in company policies. If you get fired, it could be the difference between you receiving unemployment insurance or not. If it gets so bad you feel your only recourse is to quit, it could be allow you to still claim unemployment for a hostile work environment (but that's tough to prove, even with documentation.)

There are some bosses who simply will not fire people, but instead make their lives hell until they quit. Or they'll push your buttons until you do something that is blatently a fire-able offense, and then fire you - then it's an open and shut case at the unemplyment office. They think it's easier on them, because then their unemployment insurance premiums don't go up. Nine times out of ten, the employee in question will simply quit, rather than deal with it. The more often this happens, the bolder these employers get. Some may even inadvertantly or even blatently bend or break the law to get rid of "undesirables." Unfortunately, if you have a boss like this, there is little you can do about it but either quit, or grin and bear it until they do something you can take action for. Knowing your rights and responsibilities can help you reap some benefit if it gets too bad.

Answer 2

if she is a coworker is she your lead? if not, then no. Now keep documentation of your hours worked. start to document the things that you work on. keep a journal. i had this very thing happen to me in a professional setting. the person was trying to intimidate me. i kept records, journal of all of the items i worked on, i kept track of all of the details minor or not of what transpired between myself and this co-worker. these are the steps if she is a lead. you want to document her erratic behavior. if she isn't go into your boss/manager and let them know that she has threatened you. keep track. as you may this documentation as proof to her harrassment. by the way..... I WON. and my coworker no longer works there... she cut her nose to spite her face.....

Answer 3

Talk to your supervisor or manager or your HR Department to see what this person's authority level is. Creating a hostile work environment is just as bad, and usually is grounds for termination. Wouldn't that be something if it backfired on them? Good luck to you.

Answer 4

Is this co-worker your supervisor? From whom did she get said authority?
If your co-worker isn't your direct supervisor, go see your supervisor and file a complaint against her. It sounds like it might be harrassment but in order to get anything done....start documenting.

Answer 5

I'm not sure if it is harrassment, but it may be. I do know that life is too short to work with morons. You may be better off looking for another job that has civilized employees. You never know you may even get better pay.

Answer 6

the only person who can fire you is your boss or bosses assistant if the business is that big. a coworker can't do anything just ignore them. They are just trying to scare you.

Answer 7

That's not harrassment. If it's a co-worker I doubt she has the authority. Now if it's your supervisor, you better watch yourself.

Answer 8

You should find out first if she does have the authority.
If she doesnt then yes its harrassing and you should tell your boss.

Answer 9

if you company has the Human resource department, go and talk to them.

Also, talk to your real supervisor about the incident

Answer 10

Only if she is your manager. She can if she feels you are not following rules.