Hello. I need advice, and I feel like you are the people that I need advice from. I have an employee who was diagnosed years ago as Bi-Polar. For a long time,her coworkers, former bosses (I just recently came aboard as her boss - but have worked here a long time) have overlooked her transgressions because of her illness. When I was appointed as the boss - I was instructed from the powers that be, to take control of her because it was getting out of hand. I did that - as fairly and honest as I could - but she hates me and her family hates me (they hear her side of the story) and it is making my life miserable. Here are some of the problems that I am having from her -

She lies on her time sheet and steals time (but she thinks that this is okay, because her coworkers do it) In actuality this is false - no one else steals time.

She was chatting on the Internet 8 hours a day with men (she is married and was doing absolutely no work) But she claims that it is her coworkers fault that she did this. And she "has worked her butt off"

There is a great possibility that she is stealing money.

She bashes her place of employment inside the work premises and outside - every chance she gets - telling these fallacies of how she has been wronged.

When she comes in my office to confront me - she is downright mean - and says really cruel things.

She is convinced that everyone here hates her and has stabbed her in the back. She is cold to everyone. Everyone is fed up. They go out of their way to be kind and then she accuses of them of doing horrible things.

How can I make all of our lives better? I know this is probably a million dollar question - but I need help!

She's given you enough valid reasons to terminate her employment.
Why keep her? Do you feel sorry for her?
She's disrupting the work environment for others too. In my opinion, she's got to go.
Regardless of her mental illness, she's not doing what she's being paid to do, and that is......work.

She only has 1 1/2 years to go before she can retire! I want to help her to reach that goal. But yes, she has given me plenty of reasons to terminate her - but I really wish that we could see her through to her retirement.

I was going to tell you to document everything in the event that you decide to terminate her employment.
If you're planning on tolerating her for the next year and a half, you need to talk to her and set some ground rules and let her know what is acceptable and what is not.

Thank you for your advice. I am documenting everything just in case. Some days are fine, and then out of the blue catastrophe strikes. I have spoken to her several times on what is acceptable - but I really don't think she processes the info. Since I have been typing this message I just received a complaint that she went crazy Saturday and called someone ranting about our place of employment. She also told this person that she is documenting everything that everyone else does that she feels is wrong. I think we need lots of prayers.

I worked with someone like that and all of us were constantly walking on eggshells around her. She left us and went to work in another one of our offices and was fired shortly thereafter......I guess they didn't choose to take her craap like we did for so long. I understand you want to keep her and help her, but in the meantime, you are allowing a hostile work environment to continue. You may lose valuable GOOD employees in the meantime.....think long and hard about this.

Thank You - you are very intelligent & I appreciate all of your advice on this matter. I can tell that you are well versed in management! I just wish she would straighten up and fly right so we could move on to better days, but I am not sure that it will happen. Thank You!

Hi you two. I have an off topic question, but it is one that I think you both might be able to help me with. I have just graduated from college at 39 and have been sending out endless resumes. The problem is that I lost my last two jobs because of my illness. I get stressed, depressed, paranoid, hypomanic, you name it. Most of my problems are with the paranoia, though. It really interferes with my relationships with my coworkers and superiors.

My question is this, how open should I be about my illness when applying for a job? I know it is illegal to discriminate disabilities, but there are so many ways to decline an applicant that I am afraid to mention it. Should I wait until after I get a job? Should I tell human resources or my boss? Should I tell my coworkers? Should I mention that I lost my last two jobs because I was mentally ill?

I'm just really afraid to even look for jobs right now because I am almost certain that the cycle will repeat itself. I've been on disability since just after I lost my last job, but I would love to get back to work and earn my money. I am intelligent, personable, and energetic when not depressed, but am always afraid to disclose anything because I think it will be used against me. That means that coworkers don't really get to know me and I become an outsider, again and again and again.

Any ideas on how to handle reentry into the workforce would be appreciated! p.s the paranoia is always there, but I am able to function a little when I am not depressed.

Okie2