Quake42
Warrior Princess
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2004
- Messages
- 9,312
This woman sounds like a malingerer who - because she was an unpopular employee - relied on dragging everything out as far as possible and really irritating her employer. This kind of behaviour does tend to make one disliked by those around them. I'm not all that surprised she was depressed. I've read several cases in the news of disgruntled employees becoming embroiled in long-term disputes and then going on long-term sick leave as they are suffering from stress as a fallout. It's not always the employee's fault - certainly not - but all the numerous attempts at (failed) formal action make me highly suspicious.
You may of course be right. I just tend to be highly sceptical of employers who demonise an employee who is in dispute with them. I've seen a number of examples of hardworking, popular staff suddenly being accused of poor performance or conduct, generally on completely spurious grounds and almost always by a new (or newly promoted) manager who sees the existing staff member as a threat. When this happens a sort of groupthink seems to consume the employing organisation, which is usually incapable of admitting they have made a mistake, and will instead choose to string things out and make increasingly bizarre allegations against the employee who has dared to challenge them.
The organisation concerned can be private or public sector, it doesn't seem to matter - the pattern is always the same. And, as you say, the stress of this dispute often makes thiose involved with it ill.
All I'm saying is don't be too quick to rush to judgement in the case of Ms Laird.
*Edited for typo