I guess it had to happen. With funding cuts and the change in emphasis from 'gimme a grant' to 'how can I help you', cannibalism was perhaps to be expected. However rather than the nice friendly mergers I was expecting, folk are fighting dirty. It's a shame.
To avoid compromising what is actually quite a delicate situation, I'll not name names; however if you can guess who I'm talking about feel free to tweet - as we now know - even super-injunctions can't stop that!
So to the story. Imagine two young men, let's call them Less and Able. They've moved around the sector for years, working together at least twice. Able is very good at his job, gentle and passionate about making a difference. Less is not quite so bright and struggles to to settle down - deep down he means well, but somehow, never quite has the credibility of Able.
Like the similarly named Biblical brothers, tension grew and Less had an idea. He accused Able of using information gained at a previous employer in his current job. He did this by 'tipping off' the former employer with whom ironically both had worked and arguable Less had abused more!
Rather than tell Less to piss off, the former employer stormed into the new employers offices demanding retribution. Ironic again as the two organisations work closely together with the aggressor in this case being the one with the most to lose - the supplier.
Able is now under investigation and I suspect, looking for another job. Less is hoping he'll go so he can feel more secure.
The trouble is that when people and organisations fight each other everyone loses. Less will become far less popular once word gets out that he's tried to 'eat' Able. The two employers are in a no win argument from which nothing good can come. And this is the so called caring sector, there to help the weak and vulnerable in society get along. What would you do if you found yourself caught up in a situation like this?
2 comments:
sadly I have been caught up in a situation like this, but it was several years ago...
legally, all I can say about how I handled that situation is just document everything: every phone call, every conversation, and treat any contact with the person (or anyone else for that matter) as if you're dealing with another driver who's just driven into you - admit/deny nothing, make no judgement comments, just keep your head down, don't stir things any further and let everyone know that you're keeping a log for legal hearings (should things get to that stage)
those less able will always conspire to make you less than you are, the challenge is to try and find ways to rise above it all...
I'd recommend a great series of cartoons by 'Hugh' to this end - http://www.gapingvoid.com/
Although I work in the private sector, I have been referred to this article by an acquaintance in the third sector.
Issues like this would normally be resolved by the individuals talking any concerns through over a pint ....... before acting like a big girl's blouae and escalating it to a formal complaint.
However as I think I have some idea of the identification of both LESS and ABLE, I have a feeling that this would not work. My personal experience of LESS is that he would happily cadge a drink off everyone else and then announce that, as he is in the third sector, he has not got even enough money on him to buy a ginger beer for himself.
ABLE must feel aggrieved at the lack of support given by his current employers, who rather than follow ACAS guidelines and suspend him on full pay, whilst gathering evidence to support or reject the claim, prefer to give in into the bully boy (or girl) tactics of the previous employer.
Their tactics of sending ABLE to Coventry in the hope that he commits employment Hari-Kari could prove to be a stalemate of some proportions
What a crass example of people management by both the current and previous employer of ABLE.
ABLE should spend as much time as he can forging new links with more ethical employers.
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