Facing Manager's Harassment During Medical Leave: Can They Really Ask Me to Quit?

Dear All,

I met with an accident last week and informed my reporting manager about it immediately. I had injuries and was advised bed rest by the doctors. Unfortunately, it was during the time of a project delivery, and my entire team was on it. There was no call or response from my reporting manager. There was sarcasm in all the emails and messages she sent during that time.

On the second night at 9:00 pm, she called me and said that it would be better if I put in my papers. She went on to sarcastically talk about my accident and also about how other employees of mine are working hard, discussing my performance, etc. I was shocked for a moment and said that we would discuss this when I am back in the office. After that, she sent messages saying that she is glad that I could not come to the office and praising my team members, etc. She also started spreading rumors in the office, saying I was asked to leave.

I escalated it to my senior management as I could not understand what the issue was. If it was related to performance, our appraisal just concluded in December, and there was no mention of it, and my ratings were good. I am in the process of discussing with the BU head and HR head of my company, with whom my boss shares a good rapport. They were trying to link it to performance, which I did not agree with. It seems my boss has now denied the fact that she asked me to leave verbally. I could not record the conversation either. My salary component was not released as she said that I have not reported to the office despite all the emails I have sent.

Questions Regarding Managerial Conduct and Salary Withholding

My question is this: Can a reporting manager ask an employee to leave by calling on the phone when the employee is on medical leave? Can the company hold back the salary component while an employee is on sick leave? How do I prove my innocence in this case?

Regards

Addressing Unfair Treatment During Medical Leave

The story is from one side, and therefore, it is not prudent to come to a conclusion on this issue based solely on that. However, it is not fair for the administration to ask an employee to leave the job during their sickness, especially when the employee wants to return to work after recovery.

Now the question is no longer relevant since the reporting manager has denied it. It is better for you to discuss the issue with your functional head as well as the BU, who are supposed to have a good rapport with her, and find out the reasons for the R.M.'s behavior. Thereafter, clear the misunderstanding with the reporting manager by taking the help of mediators like your functional head and BU instead of directly engaging with the R.M.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
Mumbai

Dear CiteHR friends,

As Mr. Saikumar has said, this post represents one side of the story. Without hearing the other side as well, it is not possible to comment on it. Nevertheless, even if we assume that 20% of what has been written is true, it still serves as a case study for HR professionals. The post highlights the following points:

- The organizational culture of the company. The policy on employee separation is not well defined.

- The weakness of HR and how it gets overpowered by Operations managers.

- The lack of knowledge in HR regarding labor laws when salaries are withheld.

- Poor manpower planning. Contingencies such as employee sickness were not taken into account while designing manpower specifications.

- Lack of communication protocol.

- Administration based on individual whims rather than systematic processes.

- The reason Operations staff view HR as a useless department. HR should stand for employees in cases of unfair treatment, but they often shy away from doing so in crisis situations.

- The indifference of HR and Ops towards employee attrition due to their inability to calculate the cost of attrition.

This case study is also relevant for Training Managers. When organizing training programs, they should consider the above factors and assess whether the training can address the issues mentioned. There is much discussion on "leadership" and "team building," but this post demonstrates how these concepts fail in execution.

For the original poster: Possibly, you and your reporting manager did not have a good relationship. If your manager was dissatisfied with your performance, she may have used your accident as an excuse. Did you directly communicate with her after the accident? If you were unable to speak, did someone from your family inform her about your condition? Do you have evidence of your communication with your reporting manager? As a resolution, request the release of your salary. If they refuse, you may consider approaching the labor officer in your area. However, this is a risky option, so think about your career as well.

Regards,
Dinesh V Divekar

In addition to what Dinesh and B. Sai Kumar have contributed, please find my thoughts. The medical reports that state the requirement for bed rest remain your only respite. The communication with the manager is lost. Please don't hunt around for sympathy. Keep the discussions with the management team genuine and request an option on humanitarian grounds. Seek guidance from leaders you know have always been supportive.

A 'Stop-Payment' on the salary is initiated when the employee doesn't report for a fixed number of days. It's a legitimate process with most firms. It's often automated, hence might not have been entirely targeted to harass you. Take the supportive leaders into confidence and let us know how your communication proceeds.

When communicating with your reporting manager while you are away from work, please email the discussion and copy it to your personal ID. Send registered letters to your employers hereafter. Wish you all the best!

If you were on leave on medical grounds, then I am sure you would have all the required medical documents to prove your medical condition. Secondly, how did you inform about your leave—verbally, through text, or email? If you have texted or emailed, then I am sure you have the proof. Regardless of how your RM spoke, if you provide all the necessary documents along with evidence of keeping all concerned parties informed, I am sure your situation will be considered reasonably.

Nevertheless, be honest and transparent when you discuss with seniors. It is a normal practice for companies to "Stop Pay" when an employee proceeds on leave without intimation or is out of reach during a crucial time in the project. After all, we need to understand that when we are playing a crucial role, we have to be responsible enough to maintain timely communication and also, if possible, extend support in whatever way possible so that deliverables are not majorly impacted and the team does not get overburdened.

- Gia

Key Factors in Resolving Workplace Conflicts

Irrespective of whether the situation described is true or not, the solution to such conflicts is based on three key factors:

1. First and foremost, separate people and issues. An action from an individual or a response from them should not be used to judge a person. See the context and the actual issue, and then evaluate the response. For example, in this case, it is possible that the reporting manager's actions were driven by frustration at not having a key member available at the critical juncture of project delivery.

2. Resolution to issues is never achieved by trying to prove the other person wrong. The objective has to be to correct the impression and to subtly (no show-offs or victory thumps) make everyone realize that you were not at fault. Facts and documentary proofs may come in handy here.

3. Lastly, everything can be resolved through a candid discussion. The moment you escalate the matter, it becomes a fight to prove the other person wrong. In this case, no harm is done by proactively approaching your reporting authority and seeking her advice on what her expectations from you were and how such situations can be handled in the future. This will help remove any anger that the person may have towards you and at the same time give her time to reflect on how this could have been handled differently.

So the underlying theme is to focus on what is wrong instead of who is wrong.

Hope this helps you. Best wishes to you.

Regards,
Subramani.

Dear all,

Thank you for your opinions. I am going through a tough time after I sent the mail to senior management on this. I work in a middle management role and would like to further elaborate on what has happened. I have been working under this manager for only the last 6 months. I had a very good rapport with her as well. For the past 2-3 months, I have noticed some differences in her behavior. After my appraisal in December, I was given feedback that my juniors need to be more independent and that I need to focus more on client relationships, and I had started doing that. I stopped micromanaging my team and focused more on client relationships. I have noted that whenever a client has given me appreciation, my manager has ensured that she finds some fault with something else and unnecessarily brings it to the table.

Mine is a market research industry, and I was totally new to the field. When I was hired, the then-manager was looking for a person with operations experience and hired me since they did not need a core market research person. But as my job demands it, I have learned 70-80% of the analysis models. In fact, I only need to ensure the job is done as it is the job of my reportees to do all that. What I have noticed is that she sometimes directly comes and teaches something new to the team when I am not there and keeps saying that the team did not know it and she helped them. She was playing a lot of double games with my team members, like in my absence she calls them up and says things directly and then says to me why they are not coming to me and not her. Then she keeps saying the team does not respect me as I am weak in technical aspects. She also says that the team should be afraid of me. The fact is that I never felt that my team disrespects me. I do not like to have a fear-filled atmosphere in the team and believe that a congenial environment should be provided. If there is any lag, I give feedback immediately, and the issue is solved. I have, in fact, many times discussed my style of managing the team and told her that I will manage things in the right way. She keeps talking about this "Respect" and "Fear." She also plays a lot of politics with other team members to gain the appreciation of our super boss. She acts very pally with me too whenever she wants to get things done. I was aware of all the politics she did to my earlier boss to chuck him out of the company and kept telling all the clients that he was asked to leave.

When I met with an accident last week, my sister immediately informed her as I was in the hospital. Even I messaged her after I was back from it. Subsequently, I have all mail proofs and doctors' prescriptions advising complete rest. She did not inform my commercial team that I had met with an accident and told them that I was not reporting to the office while she had all my mails with her. That was the reason they did not release my car hire cheque component which actually comes on every 10th. In our company, there is really no winding-up time, and we end up working 12-14 hours every day. Whenever I raise the point of the need for manpower in the team, she says that compared to our units in other locations, our business is very less, but the fact is that since our unit has a lot of new clients, we end up doing everything from scratch, and it is time-consuming. On the night she called, she was mentioning to others in my team working hard despite any problems. I was not sure whether she was angry with me that I was not available in the office when an urgent deliverable was there. But how can she expect me to work when I am injured and could not even move from my bed? Also, since I had already made all plans for the deliverable, her only job was to guide the team. Not even once did she call me up to inquire about my health. The only call I got was asking me to put in my papers. Also, the later SMSs she sent were very sarcastic. I wrote an email to the higher-ups asking what exactly is going on. I was going through so much physical pain, and this was giving me mental trauma too. Now after the discussion with the unit heads, they are saying it could be based on performance. On the night that she called (which was on my 3rd day of leave), she wrote about my performance and other things to the vertical head. During that night, I also got many emails saying the errors committed by my team, and I should have been careful. Had I been there, I would have surely checked it. I feel that she was using my absence to frame me up and ask me to leave. I don't even think that she has discussed it with anybody and was trying to push me out silently. Though she had given me okay ratings stating her expectations are different, my first boss had given me high ratings - put together, I had decent ratings. But even after repeated reminders, she has not yet shared the normalized ratings with me. But now when I have highlighted this issue, it is being framed as a performance issue, which I am sure is not the reason. When I showed them the sarcastic SMSs she had sent, they told me that I might be interpreting it in the wrong manner. There is no proper HR system or a grievance cell in our company. But I am surprised at the way the company is also supporting the unprofessional approach of my manager. Can a company just like that ask someone to leave without giving any indication or prior notices/warning letters? In the last discussion that I have had, they informed me that she has denied calling me up. But she has gone and spread rumors that I was asked to leave. I was shocked to hear all this when I was back in the office this week. Today she told me not to talk to any of our clients or deal with anybody. I feel I am being bulldozed by her for reasons unknown to me. She has asked my team members not to talk to me and also told them that I was asked to leave, while there are no such mails or proofs or anything. I know that she is very close to the senior management and now they are also just dragging this case unnecessarily. I feel that she wants me to get frustrated and quit and go. She has been sending some mails to senior management, but all after I have highlighted this issue to them. My question is, can a company support all this? If the management is also not giving a prompt response, what is the next step an employee can take? In fact, the CEO has been marked in all my mails, even then I don't seem to see any just response from them. Should I take it up with a labor commissioner as the only proof I have is that my payment was held back by the commercial team, now that she has denied she has asked me to quit. I need help here as this is the first time that I am facing such dirty politics in my 9 years of career.

Regards

Choices in Handling Workplace Challenges

You have two clear choices. First, fight till the end and present all the proof of what she is doing to someone in the leadership team who is willing to listen and might be able to bring about a change. However, it seems she is favored by the top management. Hence, please do not try to fix this, no matter the reason why they choose to turn a deaf ear. Begin with the premise that they are agreeing to buy her statement rather than the facts.

You can stay immune to all that she is doing and continue to work. No matter how much she tries, when things go wrong, the company will need you to perform. This wouldn't make your situation bearable, but of course, an option for sure.

Alternatively, you may just drop all that is happening or will continue to happen and create a career beyond the firm. This brings the stigma that she worked so hard. The choice is yours.

I am in total agreement with what (Cite Contribution) mentioned in her last response above. Frankly, I empathize with your situation since I have seen it happen earlier.

Like (Cite Contribution) mentioned, your top management's responses become very critical here. If you feel that they are favoring her, then just make your next job move. Whether they learn the hard way that they made a mistake or not of siding with her is not your problem.

With your present medical situation, I am not really sure if going on the offensive in this company is worth it. Maybe you could utilize your efforts and time better in hunting for your next job.

Having said this, you also need to meet someone at the company's senior management level for a heart-to-heart talk, especially since you need a reference for the BCs (and the Market Research sector isn't very large, so even if you leave the slightest chance for 'her' to be in the picture in any BC, you know the end result).

There can be another option if your company can move you to another division/department under a different boss and where your function wouldn't intersect with hers. That could, in a way, keep your options open as far as what (Cite Contribution) mentioned ["when things go wrong, the company will need you to perform"].

You haven't mentioned the duration of medical bed rest. To an extent, your next step would depend on this aspect too.

All the Best.

Regards,
TS

Both (Cite Contribution) and tajsateesh have guided you well on how to respond to the situation with maturity. The need of the hour is to act with discretion, but not to show off valor, considering that you may not receive any support from the management either. It is important to maintain calm and focus on your work without reacting to any provocation as long as you are there. You should aim for a peaceful exit from the company with relevant service certificates and then look for another job.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
Mumbai

Thank you for all your views. I know that I am fighting a hard battle. Thinking of moving ahead with a different job as I don't see a point in sticking on since the bad blood is now there. I was wondering if companies support such unprofessional practices, what employees can resort to in such cases?

It was indeed a harrowing experience you had been through. Upon reading through your detailed email, it appears to me that there is some prejudice you have against your boss, and vice versa. This prejudice has strained the relationship. You need to excuse me for finding loopholes in the statements made by you.

When you expected your boss to call you to inquire about your health, which she did not, on the same token, you also did not call her personally to convey your accident. You passed on the message through your sister. I do agree that you could not communicate while you were hospitalized, but you could have always called and informed her personally after you were discharged from the hospital. Text messaging does not establish a personal rapport; it is just one mode of communication that lacks the emotional angle.

Working for 12-14 hours a day is not uncommon when one has projects to complete. The work-from-home concept also allows you to work for long hours, which is not always apparent to the external world.

Another aspect that I observe is that you stated you had worked out a plan and expected the boss to carry out the plan in your absence. I am not sure how critical your injuries were. If you were okay enough to speak to your team members, then you could have communicated with them via mobile or other means.

If you are convinced that you cannot establish a cordial relationship with your reporting boss, the workplace you are in may not be conducive for you to work.

My only request is that before we start pointing fingers at others, we need to reflect on our own actions that may have contributed to the situation.

Regards,
M.V. Kannan

Thank you for your comments. From the time I have started working with her, there have been many instances where she behaved very rudely and sarcastically. I never used to bother myself much because that was her nature. Maybe, as you suggested, this could be an outcome of all the unspoken things between us.

I just wanted to correct some points. In fact, once I was back from the hospital, I immediately sent her an email stating my health status as she did not pick up my call. In parallel, I was in touch with my team members over the phone, guiding them. It was then she called and told me I needed to quit and that she would manage all the projects by herself. I was taken aback by her sudden change in behavior. Whenever I tried to help in any way possible within the restrictions of my health, she started showering me with sarcastic messages and emails. I did not have a choice but to keep quiet.

The plan which I had worked out was being followed by my team members. I did not expect her to take on the trouble of execution. They had to approach her only in case of doubts as I was not in a position to sit and review due to being on bed rest.

Also, as per our company policy, if an employee is involved in an accident, they are supposed to inform our commercial team, which she did not do, and also informed them that I was not reporting to the office.

I have handled bigger teams and have been a part of larger projects. As you mentioned, there is no time limit to the job, precisely because you end up working 12-14 hours in the office and then another 2-3 hours at home. But when I met with an accident and was not in a position to even sit, I was perplexed by the way the company was behaving.

Regards,

Dear all,

Thank you so much for all the valuable suggestions and feedback. With encouragement from all of you and support from my family, I decided to approach my CEO on this matter.

After further discussions, it was very clear that the HR head and my super boss were of no use in this matter and were only favoring my boss, stating that they knew her for 3 years and nobody had raised any such complaints against her until now. On the point of my salary being stopped because of the rumors spread by my boss, the HR head simply wrote an inconvenience note and tried to close it. When I asked for a transfer to some other unit, they just told me that currently there are no vacancies in the company that would meet my expectations. So my only option was to quit and go. I knew that I was not at fault and mustered all my courage and wrote to the CEO of my company. To my surprise, he actually responded to me and inquired about what had happened. He directly conducted an investigation from his end on this matter and got to know the facts. Then my boss and team played a different game to tarnish my reputation in front of him by saying that my performance was weak. But he, being a rational person and taking into consideration the circumstantial evidence, directly offered me an opportunity to work in a different department. Now everybody in the organization knows that my boss has done wrong, but since she is handling some very important accounts, they will not take any action against her.

I will be joining the new team tomorrow, and now nobody has a say, as the CEO has directly taken this up. Now I have a chance to prove myself again to all of them who pointed fingers at me. Because of all this, I also got an opportunity to interact with another very senior person in my company, and it was his advice to me not to quit if I was right that encouraged me to stand up against all odds. I was fighting a lone battle and going through such mental trauma, but his guidance really helped me to do the right thing. Today, when I got the call from the CEO's office congratulating me on the team movement and on having the guts to bring it to his notice, I just thanked God for being with me.

Lessons Learned

This incident actually taught me a few lessons too, i.e.

- Approach any situation rationally and not emotionally.
- If wrong is being done to you, have an open discussion with your boss and let him/her know your feelings if possible. (In my case, I was silently taking all the nonsense as I did not have the courage to openly talk and at the end had to suffer like this.)
- It is very important to discuss such things with someone senior in the organization, as they would be able to guide you through this or at least would be able to tell you how your organization would deal with such instances.
- Finally, believe in yourself and make a real effort; then, truth will finally win.

Thank you.

Absolutely, TS. Now I realize that I really have him with me. Otherwise, such a turn of events is quite unexpected. It is a surprise to everyone in my organization. I never wanted to leave this organization as it was my dream job. But I did not really know how to handle such a situation. I really appreciate the genuine comments and responses from all you seniors as it really gave me some food for thought. I am thankful to everyone who has given me the courage and strength to hold on till the end.