shipperx | Ding Dong the Bastard's Gone!

It's a lovely Friday isn't it? The lilputian bastard has been fired! Packed up and thrown out before noon, and I now have his chair.

And, I also feel a bit more free to print out exactly what was the cause of my wrath. The following is the letter I handed to my bosses yesterday at 5pm:

Dear [insert boss's name]:

In regards to what we spoke about this morning, I honestly do not know the answer. I am not a confrontational person not only because it is not my personality, but also because I do not think it is conducive to a work environment. I dislike criticizing people and feel uncomfortable doing so. That said, I realize that [insert company name] utilizes a team approach. We prefer "we" to "I." With that being the objective, I am unsure how to proceed with Doug whose "team approach" largely features himself as "I." Not being overly possessive, I really have little problem with him in Monday morning
meetings saying that "I" have done x, y, and z, when truthfully Jen and myself have done much of the work and are not mentioned in the "I." I realize that his concept of team is himself as team captain and therefore assume that "I" can possibly be interpreted as a "we" (at least I hope so.) It is more important to me that the work is done than that my personal name is assigned to it.

Where the "team" falls down is that I don't feel that we are treated as a "team" but as something less. Situations that foster that feeling are not unique to myself. I had some trepidation in this regard last fall when Doug treated Edmond in a way that I thought was demeaning. I was quite disturbed the day that he told Edmond that Edmond was not allowed to do anything but what he told him to do, even if asked by Joyce or yourself. Additionally, Edmond wasn't
allowed to get up from his desk without Doug's express permission. Certainly such a statement would have to be taken as an exaggeration. I most certainly hope that it was, but, even as an observer I was extremely uncomfortable with the attitude that essentially reduced a co-worker to such a subjugated status.

Another incident which caused me great concern was a day when Davis was out of the office for a site visit. Doug noted that Davis was out of the office and asked where he was. I said I wasn't sure and that Davis was probably on a site visit. Doug asked whether Davis was "off seeing his girlfriend" then proceeded to say rather shockingly "You know, the Bible says a man should marry if he can't keep himself out of whores."

During the final phases of Equine, I could hear Doug on the phone saying to someone that he was finished with the job and just killing time by creating additional details. I was working on something for Davis at the time and both Jen and Edmond were out of the office. Doug pulled me off of what I was doing for Davis three separate times that day to make extremely minor revisions in the computer drawings that anyone else in the office could have easily done by him or herself. While I am more than happy to help anyone and any project in the office, I admit that I found it a bit ludicrous overhearing
Doug say to someone on the phone that he was creating superfluous details as a way to spend time then pulling me off of something else
I was doing to then put those changes in the computer for him, thereby not wasting just one person's time, but two. I have always
made an effort to help anyone when they need any help on a project, but it is perhaps understandable where I was less than enthusiastic
when hearing him say to someone on the phone that what he was doing was pointless then pulling me off of something else to do what he had
termed "pointless" on a job which was already way over budget for time having been spent on it, especially when I had something from
Davis to do. When I mildly suggested that perhaps Doug might learn a bit about CAD so that he could make minor drawing changes himself
rather than being dependent upon or waiting on someone else to make the changes, his response was that he never intended to learn CAD and
that his job was simply to tell others what to do.

At a later date both Jen and myself overheard Doug in a discussion with someone (presumably Morton Building Company) saying that if they had another project Equine come up to call him and he would give them the plans and specifications for Auburn Equine. (And in this case,
Doug again used the word "I" and not "we.")

Situations such as these have become a constant irritant. Working with him is a less than rewarding experiences with his making
statements such as:

· "Do you know what a woman's place is?"
· "God created women to be mindful of their men."
· "You can't tell me that my God doesn't exist" (and to be
clear here, I had never said any such thing).
· "You have to believe in creation. How can you believe in
evolution? I'll start collecting car parts in a box for you, dump
them out, and you can have a car? (and then refusing to let the issue
drop, despite my saying repeatedly that this was an extremely
inappropriate conversation to be having at work. Let me restate, I
repeatedly told him it was inappropriate and said it loudly enough
that many people in the office heard me make the statement that it
was an inappropriate conversation, and still he continued to pursue
the topic for a full hour, returning to my desk more than once during
the time period. This conversation was also one quite populated with
the concept of God created women to serve men).
· The statement I referenced earlier regarding Davis and how "a
man should marry if he can't keep himself out of the whores" also
occurred during this conversation.
· "You can't challenge me, I'm your boss." (With the
underlying threat that he could have Jen or myself fired.)
· "You can't question my intelligence" (which, in point of
fact, I had not done.)
· When Davis came to Jen's and my desks to discuss Wenona, when
Davis leaves Doug says that Davis doesn't know what he's doing and
that Davis "shouldn't poke his nose in our business" regarding
Wenonah.
· Insults Davis behind Davis's back and says that
Davis "doesn't know what he's doing."
· Insults the firm at large on the phone to any number of
people saying how terrible the firm was before he came here.
· "They have hated me from day one. But they haven't hated me
to the fullest yet." (a statement he made just this morning).

He says all these things and more as if Jen and myself cannot hear them over the partial wall between cubicles. And, of course, the sexist statements are made directly to us. When asked how to make this situation better, I have to say that I honestly do not know. I have bitten my tongue repeatedly. I have refrained from making any number of statements as to how offensive his conduct toward myself and others can frequently be. I have, as I have always done, tried to work as harmoniously as possible with co-workers, to help where I can. But the situation has become exceedingly stressful and, quite
frankly, a misery. I haven't slept well in weeks due to the unhappiness of the current situation.

I am willing to do whatever you wish to try to make this a workable situation. I understand that the priority of the firm is to be a productive environment, and I wish to do all that I can to facilitate this. I do not wish to cause trouble or to make the situation in the work place difficult for anyone. I wish McCauley to be the stable, pleasant environment that it has been in the last 12+ years.

Thank you for your time, concern, and attention. It is appreciated.

Sincerely,
[insert my name]

I also didn't go into this alone, but instructed a female co-worker of mine to do the same thing ant that we would co-sign each other's letters verifying that what we said was true. Her letter:

Dear [insert boss's name]:

You obviously know the situation concerning Doug has been going on for some time now. All of the issues that I have with Doug are
things that have been present in some form or another since he began quality control of {insert project name} . All of the
problems have worsened since Lisa and I have been put in a team led by Doug.

The idea of a team for me is a group of people who work together, offering support, encouragement, and advice to one another on a regular basis. A team may have a single leader but should be built from the minds of many, not just one. A team leader is a person improving the team. He or she does not use his or her position as an oppressive power base in any situation or discussion ranging from a woman's place in a marriage according to God or other religious
views, or whether Davis has rights to inquire on our team's progress on the Wenona High School Construction Documents.

while the team approach is something that I embrace, I have always done whatever I can to promote a positive team atmosphere, it has become a near impossibility to look forward to coming to work each day, much less attempting to support a team atmosphere. This is not just something that has been brewing within this team. On many occastions I hve spoken with more than a handful of co-workers that feel the same way. The feelings of the other members of this firm are not without their own reasons, which, I, and the rest of the production staff have witnessed.

Working with Doug is difficult at the best of times and a many times hostile. Most of the reasons, I feel are long standing personality traits which cannot be altered. Others are problesm of general disrespect, or a serious elitist attitude, both of which are things that will never be seen as faults in Doug's eyes. Therefore, never addressed or corrected.

On several occasions, Doug has made statements that are degrading to {company name}, Mac, Davis, Peter, Edmond, Janice, Lisa, and myself to
other co-workers, clients, contractors, product representates as well as employees of other firms. Doug has repeatedly insulted just about
everyone that works for McCauley Associates, Inc., as well as {company's name} reputation. In this situation, I have attempted to (and
done a very good job so far) hold my tongue, respect Doug's knowledge and experince in architecture, as well as encouraging Doug to support
a true team system. It seems that the efforts I have made has neither improved Doug's treatment of his team or his cowaorkers, nor
improved the overal morale of our work environment. I have no suggestions of how to improve the situation, and I am hoping that you
do because quite frankly, I am miserable. More importantly, I am unable to work as productively, learn as quickly, and progress as I
would like to in such a hostile work environment.

There are some things that Doug can teach, such as building detailing and methods of construction. There are more things that Doug
exhibits that I hope never to adopt into my work ethic. The following are a few examples of conversations and/or statements I
have either been involved in or have overheard:

With regards to Davis being out of the office one day, Doug asked where he was. Lisa mentioned that he was probably at a job site.
Doug them asked if he was "out seeing his girlfriend?" with the implication that Davis would lie about wehre he was going. he
followed that by telling both Lisa and I that "St. Paul said that it is better to get marrid if you can't keep yourself *out* of whores."
Then once Lisa and I both repeatedly said that this was not a topic to discuss in a work environment, Doug asks us if we are
Evolutionists. After answering that we are, Doug says, "I will save my spare car parts, you can put them in a box, shake them up, dump
them out and MAYBE you will get a car."

Late in the above conversations, when Lisa and I were both attempting to convince Doug that this is not the time or place to have a
conversation of this nature, he tells us that we don't want to argue this with a boss because "you[Lisa and I] can't insult my
intelligence because I am the boss." This statement had an undeniable underlying threat that we would lose our jobs for arguing
his religious believes, when in fact neither one of us had even debated his stated beliefs.

On many occastions Doug has stated that "Woman was created by God *for* man, and should be behind her man's decisions."

There have been several times when Doug has said We [Lisa and I] "remind him of his wife becasue we can't remember what he tells us
to do."

At one occations Doug made statements of picking up after his wife and made comments about her dirty underwear. This is a statemnt
which is vulgar and far too private to be discussing at work, especially with a female employee.

He has also called Peter a "weak man" for going to see his wife and daughter before they left on a trip to Atlanta. Doug continued to say that "a MAN is the head of the household and not the woman. The man should TELL the woman what she is going to do and what is going to happen." After the Auburn Equine Facility project had been halted, Doug, while speaking to a representative of the Morton Building Company, said that if they "ever saw a project like this somewhere else, like on the West coast, to call him and he would send them the plans and specifications."

Just this morning Doug stated, "They [upper management] have hated me [Doug] from the word 'go.'" Then he went on to say, " They haven't hated me to the fullest YET." I promptly asked him what he said, and he repeated the statement. At this point I asked him what exactly did he mean by that. His response was that "it was sarcasm" which, quite frankly, I had not noted any sarcasm in his statement.

When Davis ((explaining to you guys -- Davis is the principal designer and architect overseeing the Wenona project)) had come to my desk to inquire about the work that I was doing on Wenona, Doug intervened in the conversation in a very defensive manner, clearlly attempting to shut down Davis's inquiry. Doug was then proceeding to explain door details and door frames to Davis as if Davis had no knowlege of the subject ((explaining to you guys -- Davis has worked at the firm for 20 years. And if you're wondering why Davis has never complained... he wouldn't. He's a sweet but anal and painfully, PAINFULLY shy person... and we all know it)) I attempted to bring the discussion back to a relavent topic and was promptly told with an outstretched (STOP!) hand that "You [I] didn't need to talk." Later I was told "He[Davis] has no business sticking his nose in what we are doing" as that Davis was "trying to horde his designs so that I [Doug] can't do what I'm supposed to do."

There are many other examples of degrading, insulting, and downright inappropriate comments that have been made by Doug aon a regular
basis. Many of which I am sure you are already aware of because they have been so sever that it was impossible for everyone who heard the
comment to keep their mout shut or not defend the victim of Doug's attack.

I am sure that with these examples and with knowledge of other encouters you can see how the situation has gotten to the point of misery for the people who work with Doug. If you have any suggestions on waht I may be able to do to help the situation, please let me know. I have exhausted any ideas and abilities I may have to prevent the situation from balooning into a more sereious state. I am more than willing to do whatever needs to be done to build a
better wrok environment, just let me know what to do.

Sincerely,
[insert female co-worker's name]