Co-Worker With A Clean Fetish Could Be Mentally Ill

Dear Tazi:

I have a co-worker who I will swear is obsessive-compulsive. "Alfred" is constantly cleaning around the office. I don't mind when he cleans the common areas (our lunchroom microwave is spotless) but I do have a problem when he comes over to my desk when I am not around to "straighten up" the area. More than once I have had to hunt for important notes and files, only to discover that Alfred threw them away because they were not written neatly, and therefore looked like "doodles and scrap". Yesterday, Alfred threw away the iced coffee I had just bought on my lunch hour because it upset him that the cup was "sweating" onto my desk and making a ring on it.

I have tried to talk to HR about Alfred, and they in turn have tried to correct his behavior, but apparently Alfred has a disability, and the law requires he be given reasonable accommodations. The company is afraid to censure him for his behavior, which makes me think it is related to his disability.

I am ready to completely lose it on Alfred! His presence makes me anxious, and I am afraid to even get up and use the ladies' room out of fear that my important projects are going to disappear! Can you think of a polite way that I could deal with Alfred? Overall, he is a very sweet gentleman and I realize that he means well, but he is driving me batty!

Signed,
Frustrated Slob

Dear Frustrated Slob:

Your signature tells me that your desk must look like an eye-sore to Alfred. While it is your business to keep your desk in a way that you can manage to get your work done, it is businesslike for your desk to look like a hurricane just hit it. While this does not excuse Alfred's behavior, it does explain it. For the sake of sanity for the both of you, I am going to suggest a compromise.

If there is any form of paper or notes that are important to you, put them in a clearly labeled folder (you might even ask Alfred to make this folder for you, so he will recognize it when he sees it). Make it clear to Alfred that anything that is in this folder is not to be thrown away! The next time Alfred is unable to resist the urge to clean your desk while you are at lunch, he will understand that the contents of the folder are important; he may try to organize the folder, so if you have the contents in a particular order let Alfred know that everything is in place and the most he is allowed to do is align the edges of the papers.

If there is anything else that you do not want Alfred to touch - your iced coffee, for instance - let him know. Explain to him that rather than throw out your coffee he could wipe down the sides and create a coaster out of napkins or paper towels. While Alfred probably cannot overcome his basic urges to clean and tidy things, he can redirect these desires into healthier and more appropriate reactions. Please understand that Alfred does not mean to drive you "batty"; mental illness - if that is what is affecting his behavior - can be extremely difficult to overcome. Patience, understanding, and instruction are what is needed.

Snuggles,
Tazi

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Lazy Co-Worker Leaves Hard Worker In A Spot

Dear Tazi:

I have a co-worker who does absolutely nothing. Our jobs are pretty autonomous, so we don’t have to report to the boss or have him check in on us very often. While I take this level of trust as a compliment and work hard to prove I am worthy of it, my co-worker “Eliot” takes advantage of it.

Eliot and I are on salary, so we do not have to punch a time clock – we just fill in a form at the end of the week with the hours we worked. While I arrive early every day to settle in, grab my coffee, etc. Eliot comes in an hour late and immediately takes an extended coffee break. If someone has a question he ignores them, so people have learned to come to me instead which puts the bulk of our workload on me. Eliot then leaves an hour early every day, and puts in for a full eight hours on his time sheet.

I want to say something to my boss about Eliot, but we are union workers so the most that would happen would be that Eliot gets a verbal warning, and then a written warning if it happens again. In the meantime, I would be stuck working with him in a very uncomfortable environment – I am the only one who knows what Eliot does (or rather doesn’t) all day, so he would know it is me who reported him. I love my job, but Eliot is making me miserable!

Signed,

Worthy Employee

Dear Worthy Employee:

You don’t have to tell your boss what is going on in order for your boss to see what is going on; there are ways of alerting him without coming right out and telling on Eliot.

The next time Eliot starts shirking his duties, coming in late, or leaving early, contact your boss with a reason why his presence is immediately needed. Your boss will probably notice Eliot’s absence, even if he does not comment on it. After a few times, your boss should catch on that you are trying to get him to take notice of Eliot’s absences and may ask you about it. If he does, don’t cover for Eliot; tell your boss that he “always does this” but you were not comfortable complaining about him because you have to work with him. Form there your boss can make it look like he discovered Eliot’s poor work habits without any help from you.

Union or not, you have the right to a harassment-free workplace. If Eliot starts acting hostile towards you in any way, report it to Human Resources and they will see that Eliot is punished for his retaliatory acts. It is workers like Eliot that give union workers a bad name!

Snuggles,

Tazi


Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with Bachelors degrees in Communications and in Gender and Women's Studies. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.