Among Friends

[Happiness Is Inside JOB]

Hey QVC Friends - I want your opinion on how to handle a problem at work. First off this is not a private sector job so I have more security from immediate firing.

I'll give a quick summary.  I assist managers with OHR issues including vacancy annnouncements. Employee A and Employee B were hired for the same job.  Employee B's family is friends with senior leadership.  Hence she has been promoted several times and has not had any increase in duty.

Employee A and Employee B are on the same postion description but Employee A is given a 80% more work than Employee B. 

Hence Employee A filed an EEO Compliant.  She listed me as a witness and several other employees.

I never said anything to anyone that i knew she listed me as a witness.  Now that the case is moving forward, the EEO Compliants Investigator met with Employee A.  The EEO Investigator sent her an email that he has to meet with management prior to meeting with her witnesses.

Now here is the sticky part.  I never discussed with anyone and I KNOW my supervisor knows I am listed as a witness.  I say that because I'm sure they were contacted by now. 

So I have just kept working as normal, and made come comments about the issue.

Well on Tuesday my immediate supervisor asked to have a meeting with ME on today.  He did not say the topic.  So on Wednesday, I sent him a professional email and just inquired the topic and possible attendees so I can prepare and bring the appropriate OHR files.  I can't confirm that he wants to talk about the EEO case.

Now here is my question and need for advice.

If he asks about it, what do I say. 

I DO NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH HIM. 

I don't want to give any statement.  If he says something like, tell me what you will say or plan to say in the EEO Case?  Or he might say, you work for management and we don't want you to talk to the EEO POC.

As a side comment:

Also, the Employee A can later do an EEO complaint against me that I conspired with management when I knew I was listed as her witness.In the federal government, one employee can file a complaint against another.

SO....

What should I prepare myself to say? 

Can I say I'm a hostile witness and dont want any retailation so I don't want to speak about this matter with him. 

I want to hear all comments and suggestions.

[ValuSkr]

I would ask Human Resources what they'd recommend.  If you are Human Resources (that wasn't clear), then just be honest.  You have to live with your conscience.  It seems government workers have all kinds of protection that poor private sector folk do not, so I wouldn't fear for your job.

[Happiness Is Inside JOB]

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@ValuSkr wrote:

I would ask Human Resources what they'd recommend.  If you are Human Resources (that wasn't clear), then just be honest.  You have to live with your conscience.  It seems government workers have all kinds of protection that poor private sector folk do not, so I wouldn't fear for your job.

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Thanks

Our OHR Office is not in our state, so I work with them to get things done but I'm not in the OHR Office. 

I'm hesitant to call OHR because they or at least many of the people....to get ahead....they go RIGHT BACK and tell management.  I need to get legal advice from an outside source who can't come back and tell the same managers I work with.

[Imaoldhippie]

You are inbeween a rock and a hard place.  I am sorry that you are in this position.

However, if it were me and if they ask I would tell them that I am going to tell the truth.  You will feel good about yourself.  It is the companies fault that you are in this position, not yours.  If you fib to cover the facts how will you justify that with yourself?

You could consider recording the conversation just to CYA.

Sounds like this company needs a comeuppance and not be allowed to continue with unfair treatment of their employee's.  If they would do this to others they would not hesitate to do this or worse to you.  

I wish you the best.

[RinaRina]

When you said "Employee A and Employee B" and "gov't" followed, I didn't need to read past paragraph 3.  You must go to EEOC and ask them what to do if your supervisor asks you questions about the case.

If EEOC does not get back to you in time, then tell your supervisor, you have to check with EEOC before you can say anythying.  In the meantime, you'll have to be evasive.

If I were you, I'd just say, "I can't talk about it."

BTW, knowing how the gov't works and how EEOC works, I'd tell Employee A to transfer to another agency.   

[CelticCrafter]

Unless he's involved directly in the investigation I would politely tell him that you don't care to discuss the situation with him?

[Eileen in Virginia]

Your assumption that he wants to discuss the EEO claim might be wrong. But if it isn’t, if I were in your shoes, I would tell my supervisor that I don’t know what I’m going to tell the investigator because I don’t know what they’re going to ask me. Until you’re in the room with the investigator, you really don’t know the questions they’ll ask you. Also, it may be in your best interest NOT TO KNOW beforehand. Midway through my Federal career, I and about 5 other women were named in an EEO complaint that someone who shared work space with my organization had filed against his supervisor. The only thing we knew was that we would be interviewed by the EEO investigator. The shocked expression on my face, coupled with my exclamation of “He said what?!!” was all the investigator needed to determine that the guy was lying about me. Of course, he asked me some other questions, but it was clear that I didn’t do/say what the guy had alleged. Up until that point, I thought this guy and I had a decent workplace relationship, so you could have knocked me over with a feather.

Do you have any official responsibility for supervising and/or assigning work to either of these employees? If not, you don’t really know about performance that may have led to Employee B’s promotions and Employee A’s lack thereof. Sure, there’s the rumor mill, but  that’s just gossip. If I were you, I’d keep good notes about your meeting with your supervisor. If higher management pressured him into promoting Employee B before she was eligible and qualified, he’ll need to provide his own documentation for his actions. Just tell the EEO investigator the truth and let your supervisor take care of himself. 

[hayseed00]

I know you're in management, but do you belong to a union, because they could give you some guidance.  I worked for the state of NY and I know most individuals in supervisory position didn't belong to a union.

[CAcableGirl2]

@Happiness Is Inside JOB  I would have the meeting and if asked about this situation, tell him/her that you don't know what they will ask you, but you will be honest.  You never know, this meeting request could be something entirely different. 

If they start grilling you about this EEO complaint, then tell them you don't feel comfortable being asked those questions (that should be the clue for them to stop hounding you).  And then STOP TALKING about the situation - the fact that you don't feel comfortable in their questioning should stop the meeting.

And depending on how it goes from there, I would notify the group that will be doing the investigating of the meeting and go with their advice.

I have found in many years, that honesty is the only way to go, otherwise, you will start to dig a hole for yourself and won't be able to stop.

Make sure you arrive to your meeting with a note pad and a pen.  Take notes of what was asked.  Those who are asking/doing things that they don't like won't like the fact that you will be taking notes. 

I once had a meeting with a HR person that was pretty high up there regarding something that the company had done that was legal but I felt was not right for my department.  When I whipped out the pen and paper and started to take notes, her entire attitude changed because she DID not want a record of what she was asking and talking to me about. 

[Sooner]

Get a lawyer.