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If sister's truly no thief, appeal unjust firing
Q: My sister was fired after being accused of stealing money. She supposedly was caught on camera, but the manager wouldn't show her the security tape. He pressured her to either admit the theft or go to jail. Not wanting to be arrested, she gave in and said she took the money, even though it wasn't true.
My sister believes the company wanted to get rid of her because a recent illness had affected her ability to walk. Although she was in pain, she reported to work faithfully and did the best she could. Is there anything she can do to clear her name? Should she sue for discrimination?
A: If your sister was fired because of a disability, she may be covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act. To find out, she should contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or an attorney who specializes in employment law.
I must admit to some skepticism about your sister's description of her termination. It seems odd that she would admit so readily to a crime she did not commit. In the absence of any evidence, her manager's threat of arrest seems completely toothless. And if she's innocent, the tape should support her story.
If your sister's account is accurate, she needs to demand a hearing with upper management. She should tell them how badly her manager handled the situation and insist on seeing the tape. If she is unwilling to do this, I think something is missing from her story.
I don't know your sister, so perhaps I'm not being fair to her. But I do know that when people are fired, they often alter the facts a bit when describing the event to others.
Q: I have noticed that you often tell people to take their problems to the human resources department. I think that can be a mistake.
For most of my career, I worked as an executive secretary in a large manufacturing company. After the company was sold to a new owner, the HR department was run by someone who had no business being in business. She was largely responsible for the company's demise. This woman doted on the misfits at the expense of people who knew what they were doing.
Competent employees quit out of frustration, and the company went downhill -- with only the dregs of the work force remaining. The plant now sits empty, and the HR director has moved along to a new victim.
So when you tell people to go to human resources, you actually may be directing them to the source of their problems.
A: Sadly, I am aware that bad human-
resources departments exist, and they can do a lot of damage.
In the situation you describe, I believe you are giving the evil HR tyrant too much credit. HR people don't have enough power to bring down an entire company. In any organization, HR policies and practices ultimately reflect the values of top management.
Enlightened executives use human resources strategically to attract and retain top-notch employees. Less-progressive managers mistakenly relegate HR to the status of a second-class function. And sociopathic executives tend to hire sociopathic HR people.
Although human resources is the logical source of help for many workplace issues, employees carefully should evaluate the quality of that assistance. If the HR staff is incompetent or untrustworthy, steer clear of them.
- 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.
