I made the director of parks and rec cry today

[flex]

I represent a group who work for a really small Southcentral Alaskan city government.  I flew over there yesterday, and this morning I had a meeting with the city's HR director and the director of parks & rec about an employee I represent.  I'm doing an investigation of my member's three-day suspension.  

The parks/rec director is her boss.  The boss was complaining about this employee working her own schedule, which the director had given her free reign to do in the past, but she made it sound like she was powerless to stop this employee from doing that.  I'm like, "Well, I guess you need to stop it, right?  You're a manager--you need to manage!"  I was merely stating a fact (management does have the right to manage), and I didn't raise my voice nor did I accuse her of being a crappy manager.

She got all emotional and teared up and her voice started quavering.  I mean, really?  I had no intention to deride her or anything like that.  We're supposed to be professionals here.  I can't decide if I should feel bad or be pleased with myself.  lol 

THERE'S NO CRYING IN MANAGING!!!  /said in a Tom Hanks voice

[Moe]

I thought this was going to be about the show. LOL.

[flex]

No, it's just me preening. lol

[flex]

She told the employee that I "ripped her a new asshole!" lol

[livinitup]

I think she was probably fragile before you got there.




So, just to be clear, this boss suspended her for 3 days instead of mandating a schedule change? Isn't that a little bit of a huge over-reaction to what could have been a conversation.

[flex]

No, the schedule thing was brought up while we're talking about her 3-day suspension. I wanted the boss's version about the conversation that the two of them had which ultimately led to the discipline. I strongly believe that the supervisor handled it improperly and that eventually the employee will get the three-day pay back.

I didn't have to interview the boss--I did it as a professional courtesy.