Would you tell a co worker when you know that the boss is getting ready to "demote" them and on what date?
My boss has hired another nurse to come in and take the place of a friend of mine, but has not told my friend because she wants her to continue working at her position until we get through the state survey.
She then has plans to change her position to floor nurse or ask her to leave. I feel this is wrong on so many levels, and I would want to know if I were in her shoes.
I once worked for a company so toxic, I expected the EPA to come walking in any minute.
My friend was the "golden child"; didn't have to do much driving, the supervisor did half the SOC work for her, etc. I didn't begrudge her, she got lucky.
When she saw how I and others were being harassed and targeted, guess what she did? Told them "I can't in all good conscience continue to work here" and turned in her notice.
I turned mine in the next day.
When I asked her about it, she said "There are other jobs. Besides, we've been friends a lot longer than they've been my employer."
Now THAT is a friend.
P. S. The bosses blamed US for making my friend leave. Some people just make you wonder how they sleep at night, right?
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Would you tell a co worker when you know that the boss is getting ready to "demote" them and on what date?
My boss has hired another nurse to come in and take the place of a friend of mine, but has not told my friend because she wants her to continue working at her position until we get through the state survey.
She then has plans to change her position to floor nurse or ask her to leave. I feel this is wrong on so many levels, and I would want to know if I were in her shoes.
Should I tell her? Not tell her?
Is this a co-worker, a friend or a work friend? Your obligations to a BFF are different from your obligations to a co-worker or even a work friend. Unless this person has been your best friend from childhood, I'd stay out of it.
Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.
I don't think it is relevant how long this person has been your friend, either they are your friend or not! Before I decide to act or make a decision I will often play out in my mind the possible outcomes of my actions. If you tell your friend what is likely to happen. Maybe she hates the job and it will be a good thing, a new start for her. Maybe it will be devasting and she will not handle it well.Prepare for the likely consequences if you do tell!
I would tell my friend but I would request that she protect my interests. She will not be able to confront your boss or she will know you told her and that may have a negative impact on you. So tell your friend but she must keep it a secret. That way she has time to figure out what she wants to do. You know her, will she stay and take the demotion or jump ship? You can help her make a plan. If I knew ahead of time I was going to be demoted I may just go out on stress leave for awhile...use up my sick leave and then give my notice. The least I would do was plan to be ill during the survey...serves the manager right for being so conniving!
I knew once they were going to fire my friend over embellished communication issues! We beat them to the punch since she was close to retirement anyway. The whole thing was stressing her out horribly and she believed they were out to get her so I told her you must go out on stress disability and she did that for an entire year. That gave her income for one full year that she would have otherwise not had and the majority came from her sick leave bank.She worked for them for 42 years and I could not stand by and watch them treat her this way!
Everyone else in this thread is wrong; don't stay out of it. Tip the employee off anonymously. Leave a note for her saying what you heard and why. That way you can feel satisfied knowing you did the right thing without compromising yourself. It'll also help to sabotage this boss and cause some unrest within the unit, which is always amusing.
Is this a co-worker, a friend or a work friend? Your obligations to a BFF are different from your obligations to a co-worker or even a work friend. Unless this person has been your best friend from childhood, I'd stay out of it.
It would probably depend from me how far away the date of the person's demotion is. If it was months/weeks away, and this coworker is someone I trusted, I'd absolutely let her know - that would give her time to line up another job so she didn't have to have getting fired/demoted on her resume.
However, if it was three days from now, I'd probably keep my mouth shut. I'd paint a target on my back for unnecessary reasons, because three days' notice is not enough time for her to line up another job. If it was me and I was being demoted in three days, I wouldn't even want to know about it. It would just make those last few days of work exceptionally difficult emotionally.
Cripes that's a tough call. I guess if it was a close friend that you actually see outside of work I'd say something. If it was a work friend, probably not. The risk of fallout on you is too great so unless you plan to leave also it's better for your job security to stay out of it. Even if you left an anonymous note and the boss knew you were the only person this demotion was mentioned to then it is not so anonymous after all.
I would hate to be in that position though. It must suck knowing that somebody you are friends with is about to get bad news. And what a schmuck that boss is for thinking your friend is good enough to get through survey but not good enough to stay in that role. Another consideration is if this boss is as unpredictable as it sounds maybe your friend will do so well getting through survey that the demotion doesn't even happen.
Jensmom7, BSN, RN
1,907 Posts
I once worked for a company so toxic, I expected the EPA to come walking in any minute.
My friend was the "golden child"; didn't have to do much driving, the supervisor did half the SOC work for her, etc. I didn't begrudge her, she got lucky.
When she saw how I and others were being harassed and targeted, guess what she did? Told them "I can't in all good conscience continue to work here" and turned in her notice.
I turned mine in the next day.
When I asked her about it, she said "There are other jobs. Besides, we've been friends a lot longer than they've been my employer."
Now THAT is a friend.
P. S. The bosses blamed US for making my friend leave. Some people just make you wonder how they sleep at night, right?