How to deal with a phony new co-worker?

Parent Cafe
1

We think she’s managing up.

Her first 2 weeks in the job, she’s boldly joining discussions on corporate issues. She’s sharing her ideas in our social network, joining townhall contests. However, she doesn’t do her own job well. She’s late running some macros, and her work needs to be reviewed constantly for errors. She’s also taking lots of breaks, and eat at her desk.

We don’t have a strict policy regarding that, and others do freely use their phone and eat at their desk, but as a new person, she shouldn’t be doing that.

She posted about her so called trading system, but I have a friend at HR, and we look into her transcripts. She have never taken an advance mathematics, stats or programming. It’s really just an excel sheet, with what look like some seemingly persuasive explanations of why her idea is unique.

We tried talking to her, to elaborate some of her posts, and it doesn’t seem like she knows her topics well.

There’s gossip about top management liking how persuasive her arguments can be - how Ethereum is similar to Bitcoin when it’s first introduced - and it pretty much will face the same challenges as most other cryptocurrencies.

It’s all smoke and mirrors!

It’s laughable because she doesn’t speak English well, and it seems she’s avoiding deep conversations.

She causes drama in our workplace. Crying that she felt harassed by the attention she’s receiving. It’s her fault because while she didn’t claim to be an expert, or claim to have directly made suggestions, she blogged as though she’s an intellectual when in reality, she can’t hold a conversation.

Can someone get fired for being phony? We can’t stand her smooching up. It’s like she knows she won’t make it past the probation, so she’s overcompensating, making herself useful in some other way.

2

We are friends with HR, and they think she’s being obnoxious too! She was gaslighted many times for her concerns about privacy, and accusing us of making a hostile environment. She thinks our jokes are insulting, and acts so dramatic everyday.

When HR ignored her plea, and no one at work helped her coz we all think she’s phony, she used her social media account to confront us.

Should she be fired for badmouthing her colleague in her own social media account?

We are all in agreement that she can’t hack it at work, and is now using the hostile environment card to stay in her job that she can’t handle !

3

I don’t know if this co-worker is a “phony,” but you and your cronies sound extremely petty and jealous.

4

“We don’t have a strict policy regarding that, and others do freely use their phone and eat at their desk, but as a new person, she shouldn’t be doing that.”

What’s wrong with eating at your desk? What makes it okay for someone who has been there awhile but not a new person?

If you are getting your “friend in HR” to snoop around on her, that sounds really inappropriate. Sounds to me like you and your coworkers need to be more welcoming, less threatened, and focus on your own jobs. If she truly is “all smoke and mirrors”, the truth will come out eventually. Stay out of it and MYOB. If it isn’t “all smoke and mirrors” and management likes her, she could be your boss one day so better to be helpful not creating drama.

5

At low level jobs you are not allowed to eat at your desk. The government mandates breaks and lunch periods. Sitting at your desk during that time may give the image that the employer is breaking the law.

6

I agree with doschicos. If she can’t do her job, it will soon become apparent. In the meantime, assuming you’re not depending on her to do things so you can do your job, just mind your own business.

7

Good heavens, i feel sorry for the new employee - sounds like a perfectly dreadful work environment with very unpleasant coworkers. I would not want to work there. And the person in HR should be fired - certainly would be if they worked for me.

It does sound like a hostile environment. Makes me very thankful for the people I work with!

8

People are free to act knowledgeable about bitcoin and use Excel instead of fancier statistical packages. You don’t have to be buddies with everyone in the workplace. I suggest being as helpful to this new person as you are to other new people and not spending so much time discussing her with other people so you can write about what “we think” about her.

9

She can’t eat at her desk? I’m a consultant who has worked at (counting on fingers and toes) about 20 clients over the years. I’ve never worked someplace where you weren’t allowed to eat at your desk (okay, 1 where they liked you to eat in the lunchroom to socialize, but it wasn’t really enforced, and managers did it all the time).

You come across as petty and jealous. If she doesn’t do a good job, it will likely come out without everyone in the department trying to undercut her.

10

She may be making a lot of missteps and she may be terribly annoying but I agree that she’s ALSO in a hostile workplace.

11

Where I work, this invasion of privacy could get both of you fired.

12

I would also argue that you aren’t going to curry favor with the higher ups by criticizing her. Remember when you criticize her you are criticizing a decision your boss made in hiring her. That’s not usually look on by management in a kind way. You and your coworkers could be seen as the problem.

13

Good grief, if this was going on at my company people would be fired - first the HR person for leaking personal info, and secondly you for gossiping.

14

Releasing PII would get you fired in my place of employment. Looking at PII for a reason other than something official would get you fired. Looking at PII without a need-to-know would get you fired.

I take it you don’t like her. She doesn’t speak english. She has to have her work reviewed. She eats at her desk.
All new people need to have work reviewed. If you aren’t, it can only make things worse down the road. As long as she stops her work and is eating her lunch/reading/surfing/whatever, no one is going to rake her over the coals for thinking she’s working

Stop what you’re doing and get to work yourself. Geesh.

15

Another thing to think about - if you HR friend is loosey goosey with one person’s personal info you can bet your bottom dollar he/she will be the same with everyones - including yours. Ditto the co-workers who are gossiping and trashing the new employee behind her back - she won’t be the only victim.

16

Ironic…I noticed that in your one other thread you posted about being intimidated and bullied in your last job, that the harassment followed you to your next job, that you have been surveilled for the last two years, and you fear that this will result in prison.

Hmmm… since these are your only posts I do kind of wonder what you are doing on a college-related forum (though, admittedly the parent cafe’ does expand quite a bit beyond college discussions…)

17

OP, why is this woman’s “phoniness” any of YOUR business? Unless you have to do extra work (to screen for her errors, for example) her background and relations with upper management (“managing up”) shouldn’t in any way concern you.
PS… has anyone told her she’s not supposed to eat at her desk? And has anyone given her a timeframe when she, like others and presumably you, can start breaking that regulation?

18

@AIsince2016

Judging from this and your only other thread on this forum, it seems like you have a lot of issues at your workplace.

May I boldly suggest that you get some outside counseling to help you deal with work related issues.

19

I’ve worked many low level desk jobs. Food has always been allowed. Looking through personnel files however would be grounds for immediate dismissal at every job I’ve ever had. Even when I’ve been the supervisor/ manager, looking without a legitimate reason would earn a severe reprimand if not termination. P

In looking through your posts, I sincerely recommend talking with a mental health professional.

Isn’t disclosing personal information without permission or necessity illegal in many states?

20

Do your job. Don’t worry about the co-worker. If she asks you for help or to do her job, just say “oh, that’s not within my job description, please see XXX (your supervisor) for help with your project.”

Of course, being nice to the new guy/girl makes for good karma.