Power play

Last night, I worked the desk at the paper, preparing the Sunday edition. It didn't start out well -- I had to finish up SIX PAGES of stuff that should have been done on Friday, but our new editors just don't seem to get how much of a burden that is for the one person who puts together the news section.

Anyway, I didn't get started on the Sunday news section until about 5 p.m., about three hours after I got in to the office. I was really worried I wouldn't make deadline. About 8:30 p.m., the jerk who runs the mailroom, where they stuff all the advertising flyers and such into the paper, comes up front and asks us (me and the sports editor) when we think we'll be done. The sports editor knew he'd be done early, since the winter-like weather canceled all the local sports events. I wasn't sure when I'd be done, so I said I didn't know. He pressed for a time. I said "probably the usual time," which would be between 11:30 p.m. and the midnight deadline. Didn't think much more of it, and just pressed on with getting work done.

Well, things went well, and the press ran at 11:35. Mailroom jerk comes back shortly after and says to me "If you'd given me a more accurate time when I asked, I wouldn't have to wait a half hour for my guys to come in in. Thanks a lot."

I just looked at the sports editor and kind of threw up my hands. He just shook his head. The mailroom guy is one of those people who has to find something to complain about. And if I'd been able to give him an exact time, to the minute, he probably still would have found something negative to say.

Thing is, if I say something to my bosses about this, they'll just tell me to shake it off, don't let it bother me, etc, etc. But why should I be the one who has ignore him? Why should I have to be the one who shakes it off? Does anyone bother to tell him to just forget about it and go on with his job? Just shut up and deal, because this business is never a sure thing? Probably not. So just because he's an asshole, the rest of us have to adjust our attitudes? That's not right. By not dealing with him, telling him to tone down, the bosses are reinforcing his behavior, giving him the idea that he's in the right and the rest of us have to adjust to him. It's giving him power, and making the rest of us step down in status in his eyes.

I know this kind of thing happens all over the place, but why? It doesn't make for the best work environment. It isn't productive in the least. Sure, you can't fire someone for being a jerk, but why verify their behavior by ignoring or tolerating it? We don't want kids bullied in our schools, but in the workplace it's OK? We encourage kids to stand up to bullies, because, we tell them, bullies just pick on those they think are weak, and if you show you're not weak, they'll leave you alone. But what if stand up to a bully at work. Guess who's probably going to get the lecture.

Bosses need to stand up and be bosses. Just don't dismiss an employee who complains about the office jerk. 'Cause if the boss doesn't even stand up the jerk, then the jerk just thinks he's even more powerful than the boss. And he's probably right.