Problem with a co-worker

[Real36]

History...I am a social worker. A couple of months ago I intervened in an incident where a co-worker of mine verbally abused a person with ID (intellectual disability). I stood between them and tried to stop the incident while it was going on but at the time, my co-worker was so angry that she wasn't in control of herself. It was like she was on another planet! Screaming and wagging her finger in my client's face while the client turned bright red and tried not to cry. After the incident I discreetly reported it and asked my supervisor to talk to the co-worker's supervisor about it.

 

Now, the co-worker's supervisor is very unpredictable and moody. During this time period she was being very stand-offish with me and I did not feel comfortable reporting the incident to her myself. That is why I asked my supervisor to do it.

 

Forward to last week...the same co-worker has another incident with another person with ID that erupted into a near physical altercation. I was not available to intervene so the co-worker came to me and demanded that I call the police so she could press charges against the client. She was again, not on this planet with anger! It took a while but my supervisor and I calmed her down. She said several times that if the client bothered her again she would hit him and that she thought he was "out to get her". The whole incident is considered abuse on her part and was caught on video tape. It shows her getting in the clients face and wagging her finger and then another staff intervening and getting between them after he took an aggressive stance. Her supervisor was not at work that day to handle the situation. At the time this whole, huge incident was reported to our director who did not handle it at all. For 2 days the co-worker was rude to me and my supervisor because, in her words, "we didn't support her". My supervisor and I both tried to explain to her that she was out of line and that our jobs are to support the clients but she did not agree.

 

When her supervisor came back to work she talked with me about the last incident and what happened. By this point I am certain that this co-worker's behavior is causing lots of problems for the clients so I mentioned the previous incident from a few months ago. Her supervisor acted like she didn't know anything about it. So, I think that my supervisor never told her about that incident. Well, the co-worker has a meeting with her supervisor and our director. They talk with her about her behavior and assign more training and disciplinary action so that she can keep her job. They also addressed the incident from a few months ago. Now, she knew it was just me and her there when the previous incident happened, so she knows I reported her.

 

The day of the meeting I was off of work on vacation. The co-worker calls me bawling her eyes out saying that my supervisor threw her under the bus and stabbed her in the back and that she thinks that my supervisor is the one that reported her. I think that she only said that to prompt me to confess, she knew that I was the only person who witnessed it. I felt really uncomfortable and never told her that it was actually me, but I am 100% sure that she knows. I did tell her that when she is angry she loses her ability to be rational and that what she did was opposite of what we are trained to do.

 

The following work day I warn my supervisor about the call and that the co-worker is blaming her for back stabbing. She says that she did address the first incident with the co-worker's supervisor when it happened. This means that her supervisor knew the whole time but didn't do anything about it.

 

Since we have been back to work she has been very standoffish with all staff and clients. She didn't talk to me at all at first but now she is making very rude/snide comments. I am having a hard time dealing with this because she is making my work days very uncomfortable. I've never been in a situation like this before and I don't really know how to proceed. I can stay away from her most of the day but her little comments in passing are making me feel like a little kid. I want to address it with her instead of continuing to go to the higher ups but I don't know a smart way to do it. This whole thing has been very stressful and I feel uncomfortable being around her. She has already been reported for bullying another staff member once. Any advice on how to proceed?

[preraph]

First, you can't assume she has to know it was you on the first incident. I mean, she did it to the ID guy and he has family and I'm sure he tells them things or if not, even his behavior changes might be telling those close to him something happened. So you're not the only one who could have alerted her boss.

 

Since this seems to be the first action that was "officially" taken on her, they can't just line her up and fire her, so you're going to have to simply maintain your composure and adhere to a strictly professional relationship with her. Avoid her when you can. Don't let her suck you into her hystrionics or get personal. But always smile and be professional, especially around others in her presence so they don't notice any tension coming from you and try to blame you for something. It's not easy. It's an acting job. If she cares anything about her job, she will at least try to be on better behavior and not cause a big stink. If she loses it again with an ID, don't hesitate to report it.