need advice for a complaint letter

[nick101181]

Hello.

I need some advice on the wording of a complaint letter. Basically a manager where I work comes in a lot of the time in a bad mood and takes it out on the staff. He'll be argumentive and really nasty and make comments that are unfounded just because he has a bit of authority. Not only myself but other employees have complained about this manager in the past and even other managers have made complaints too. It seems like maybe he is brining his personal problems to work and is taking them out on everyone around him. There has never been an official complaint filed against him but there has been talks between employees and other managers. The thing is this guy is a total control-freak and he documents every single thing that happens in the day, from the time a person went to the bathroom till the time they came back,etc ,etc. He does this quiet often, enough that it's pretty common actually and a lot of the employees are tired of his pissy attitude and antics. I'm considering getting a petition together and get current and former employees to sign it and submit it to humans resources at our head office. How can I word the document and have it still sound all intellectual and make it have sound really serious. I thought of using something along the lines of something saying how his attitude and temper makes him not maintain the level of professionalism that a manager who works for that company should have,... but I wonder what is a good example of a letter of complaint for a situation like this without it sounding vindictive, but I want it to get my point across of how this guy really is?

Thanks

[lordsmurf]

Write a letter, put it here, and let people tell you what to change.

[teegee420]

I suggest that you focus less on your personal grievances with this individual and more on precisely how his actions are affecting productivity in a negative manner. The big-wigs couldn't care less if a person is an *******. They will care if he's affecting the bottom line.

[ZAPPER]

Ooooh. Tricky subject.

Draft your petition, get it signed, noterized, copied and sealed in advance. Then take the guy off to the side with one witness and explain to him that you have a signed, dated and noterized document meant to protect you and your fellow workers from any preceived fallout from this conversation. Then explain to him that as leader of the team that he is part of the team and all of that other goodie two shoe jive. Basically let him know that you are willing to help him work things out but that you and the others are not going to endure discomfort other than that wich is required to perform you jobs.

IMO, the odds are against you and things are gonna get worse no matter what tactics you try. I also agree with TG, that is bottom line comes first. I also don't think that people should be miserable at work. I have gone toe to toe with my uppers and have had my men go toe to toe with me. It is uncomfortable both ways. Sometimes good will come out of it, but what a hard way to have to do things.

Good luck

[SquirrelDip]

Zapper's right about things getting worse before they get better.

It's been my experience that if this manager is making money that those above really won't listen. Sad but IMO people are going to have to quit and state that the reason they are quitting is this manager. Hopefully not too many will quit before something is done.

If people aren't quitting then those above simply think that it can't be all that bad...

I was with a firm for 5 years (quit about 4 years ago), head of the group was a misserable prick - but he made a shitload of money. He's still there - and only one or two that still are from when I was with them.

[AlecWest]

Go to an out-of-town flower shop. Pay in cash so there's no paper trail and order a dozen white carnations sent to this guy. Do not sign the note - but leave a note indicating you represent a "group" of employees (both subordinates and managers) who notice his "bad attitude." And be very descriptive of this bad attitude so he'll know how he's perceived by the people around him. Then, tell him that this gift of flowers constitutes his last chance to reform himself ... that if he doesn't change his ways, a signed petition will be delivered to every manager superior to this guy requesting he be referred for "counseling" or terminated.

Sending him flowers will catch him off guard. And with no way to trace their origin, it'll bug the hell out of him, too. If it works, great. And, I have a feeling that it will work ... especially if its worded in a serious but polite tone.

True story. A few years ago, I worked as a claims analyst for a medical insurance company. We were just making the conversion from claims processing on paper to computer processing. For me and most others, the transition was welcome. But one lady who'd been with the company for years had no computer experience at all and didn't even know how to type. She went from being the fastest and most knowledgible claims analyst on staff to being the slowest. And in the computer world, being fast is more important than being smart sometimes.

Anyhoo, our supervisor was a creep. And once, she berated this woman's slowness in front of co-workers ... leaving her in tears. The woman left before the end of the day and retired less than a week later.

My entire section was majorly pissed at the supervisor. But no one had the cojones to speak up. So (evil grin), I went to an out of town florist and ordered a dozen yellow roses sent to her in an ornate vase. I paid in cash so there'd be no paper trail. And the unsigned note simply read, "Lighten up, bitch!"

After receiving the flower delivery, it bugged her for at least a week or so ... and, eventually, she did "lighten up."