Workplace Harrassment

[FurryPiglet]

What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania

My wife works in a restaurant with a very bitter woman whose primary objective seems to be making others around her miserable. She mistreats the guests and says nasty things about them behind their backs. She also constantly causes trouble with her coworkers through her incessant profanity, physical threats, offensive remarks, defamatory accusations, and general rudeness. My wife and others have spoken to their supervisors on several occasions, but no one seems to want to do anything about it. My wife is considering going higher up the management line. But every attempt to deal with the problems usually backfires, with the supervisors accusing my wife of not trying hard enough to get along. Is there any legal recourse which would force the employer to deal with this problem and provide a more suitable workplace for the other employees (not to mention a better atmosphere for the guests)?

 

[cbg]

Quite frankly, no. What you describe is unprofessional but not illegal. If upper management chooses not to deal with the problem, they cannot be compelled to legally.

It may make a difference to them when staff (and guests) start walking out over this woman - it may not. But unless her behavior reaches the point of illegal harassment, which by your post it has not, they are not obligated to do anything about her if they don't wish to.

 

[FurryPiglet]

Reply

Thank you for your response. Although not what I had hoped to hear, it is good to understand the facts.

While there is no legal action which we can take, could you recommend a practical approach which can be taken so that my wife and the other employees can deal with this extremely challenging situation?