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Beware of dog (and careless owners)
Man's best friend not always best co-worker
Q: The owners of our company bring their dog to work every day. When this animal bit an employee on the face, the owners implied that she should have known not to get too close. The employee who was bit said no one ever told her that the dog was dangerous.
After this incident, the owners said the dog never would be allowed in the building again, but within a month he was back. He usually stays in their office behind a doggie gate, but sometimes he gets out. New employees always are introduced to the dog but never told that if they get too close, he might decide to take chunks out of their faces.
Why would otherwise-intelligent businesspeople continue this practice? You would think that the medical and financial liability would scare the heck out of them.
A: I have no idea why these self-centered owners are exhibiting such complete disregard for their employees, but people are seldom rational when it comes to their children or their dogs.
Obviously, you should continue to stay away from Fido and advise all new hires to maintain a safe distance. For everyone's benefit, you also might consider chatting with the owners.
In a calm, businesslike manner, express your concern about the legal risks presented by their failure to control a dangerous animal. Remind them that a lawsuit could cause them to lose the business. And the dog.
Although an attorney would have to explain the specifics, common sense should tell the owners that they have a potential liability problem. Of course, the main problem is that they have no common sense.
Q: My supervisor, "Crystal," is also one of my closest friends. Sometimes it can be hard to separate the friendship and the work. Most days we chat about family news, the job and our co-workers. However, if one of us does something to upset the other, we stop talking altogether. Until we can move past our differences, this makes the work atmosphere very uncomfortable. I don't want to leave my job or lose my friend, so how can I balance this situation?
A: When a friend is also your boss, you do not have a relationship of equals. As a supervisor, Crystal has to oversee your activities, give you feedback and write your performance review. To maintain the friendship, you must be able to handle this without feeling resentful.
You also must recognize that Crystal's management decisions cannot be influenced by your close relationship. If they are, she will be accused of playing favorites — and rightly so. And don't expect her to share confidential information about co-workers or business issues.
In fairness to your colleagues, you and Crystal must not let personal disagreements poison the work environment. When the two of you stop speaking, everyone around you undoubtedly senses the tension. Despite your feelings, you need to maintain a civil relationship at the office.
Managing this balancing act can be extremely difficult. To pull it off, both parties must act like mature adults. And anyone who punishes friends with the silent treatment may have difficulty passing the maturity test.
- Marie G. McIntyre is an Atlanta-based workplace coach. Her weekly column is syndicated by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. Send questions at www.yourofficecoach.com.
