[spaceid]

Hi all,

I work in higher education and I have a coworker who is constantly gossiping to the students about problems within the department. This coworker's contract was not renewed and he is understandably upset, but he is constantly saying bad things about our department and the people who work in it. I understand that he is upset, but it really annoys me that he uses the students to unload his problems especially since he spends most of the time bad mouthing the department. I'm unsure of what to do and I get really frustrated. I just wanted to write this down because I am so annoyed as I feel like the students are being taken advantage of and may not being told the exact truths about their current instructors.

[seesaw]

Is there anyway you can mention this to the department head or the dean? I know they don't look kindly on this kind of behavior.

It's okay to be critical of administration, but not to the students.

[leomama]

Talk to the supervisor

[spaceid]

The employee had a complaint against the department chair and won, so I try not to bother the chair anymore. I've worked at this department for a few years now and it has been continual drama for three years and I think the Dean is sick of us already. I may go to HR or my union instead. It is just too much stress, it is ridiculous.

[seesaw]

Originally Posted by spaceid

The employee had a complaint against the department chair and won, so I try not to bother the chair anymore. I've worked at this department for a few years now and it has been continual drama for three years and I think the Dean is sick of us already. I may go to HR or my union instead. It is just too much stress, it is ridiculous.

I understand, maybe it's best to just try and ignore it then. I understand the frustration though. Feel free to vent here. I do all the time.

I wish I had some sort of solution. The only thing I can think of is to show that you won't tolerate listening to it when the coworker comes to you with complaints by being straight forward that you aren't interested. Otherwise, unless it interferes with your work, just do your best to ignore it.

I don't work in higher ed, although I consult for a university medical center, and my mom and dad both work for a university, and I understand it can get very catty. Sort of the nature of big, bureaucratic institutions, it seems.

Glad to have you on the Work Forum.

Seesaw

[leomama]

Originally Posted by spaceid

The employee had a complaint against the department chair and won, so I try not to bother the chair anymore. I've worked at this department for a few years now and it has been continual drama for three years and I think the Dean is sick of us already. I may go to HR or my union instead. It is just too much stress, it is ridiculous.

Hr sounds good

[spaceid]

It is really hard and thank you all for letting me vent. To hear a coworker constantly complain that everyone is against him and then bad mouth everyone is really frustrating when no one else in the department does this to him. I'm pretty sure I heard my name come up and heard one of the students call my teaching "trash" and that my coworker should have been teaching instead of me (when I was actually covering for him because he was out sick). My coworker just lets them say this because it helps his case, but I notice that he seeks out the students that like to complain and not do the work. I think he is a manipulator and acts like everyone else in the department is so mean to him. But he is the only one that I have heard actually insult other employees behind their backs to the students. I'm so angry I can't even sleep. To the students, he is always the victim.

[hvert]

That coworker sounds truly pathetic. Some students may go along with him, but the majority will recognize that he is inappropriate and will take what he says with a grain of salt. I hope it gets better once he's gone.

[spaceid]

We had a day off from work today and I probably won’t see my co-worker tomorrow. I am thankful for the break, but the things that the student and him said I still can’t get out of my head. It just bothers me so much. I’m so angry, but then I always second guess every word I have said to him to figure out what I did to him that makes him so angry. My boyfriend and others tell me he is just a jerk and that I shouldn’t feel bad. I need to remind myself that this co-worker is an adult and makes his own decisions that ultimately led to his contract not being renewed. I guess more than anything I just feel bad for him. I believe he may have something going on in his head that he needs help for, but he would be the last person to ever admit it. I just cannot wait for this semester to be over. There was so much less drama when he was not here for most of last semester. I don’t know why he insists on making himself so unhappy.