What to do regarding a new employee at my office?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I’m leaving for college, and my boss at work has hired a replacement for me. However, having spent the past few weeks training her, I have found out some things about her that I don’t think my boss would appreciate…I can’t decide whether to keep out of it or inform the owners.</p>

<ol>
<li>I took a gap year after I graduated high school and worked at my job, and I am leaving for school in a few weeks. The owners knew about this all along, and it was our agreement when I was hired that I would be leaving to go back to school.</li>
</ol>

<p>However, this time around, I know that they would prefer to hire someone who is going to stay longer.</p>

<p>The person that they have hired told me that she is trying to go back to school, but was denied admission to college for fall quarter, and is now reapplying for winter quarter.</p>

<p>The owners apparently have no idea that she is planning to go back to school - especially that she may be leaving in only a few months. Basically, she will barely be trained before she leaves and they have to start all over training someone else.</p>

<ol>
<li>The other day, she said that she had to leave early to “take her mother somewhere” but I found out (from a website that she accidentally left open on my work computer) that she was actually at an interview for another position at another company. Of course, it isn’t illegal for her to be considering several job offers at once, but still, like I said, the owners would prefer someone who wants to stay long-term.</li>
</ol>

<p>I can’t decide what to do about telling them or not. Right now, I am feeling inclined to tell them that she is planning to go back to school shortly, but maybe leave out that she is considering several offers.</p>

<p>—So, tell them about her plans, or stay out of it?</p>

<p>Thanks for any advice. This is my first job and I just don’t know what to do in this situation.</p>

2

<p>Honestly it really isn’t any of your business and I would stay out of it. It is of course up to you but I really won’t recommend it.</p>

3

<p>I wouldn’t mention it. You were asked to train her – not to pass judgment on whether or not she should have been hired. Moreover, you have no proof that she does not intend to stay at the job. What happens if she denies it?</p>

<p>Right now, a top priority for you should be to leave this company on good terms so that you can get recommendations from your supervisor later on. An unpleasant situation with your replacement will not help you to reach this goal.</p>

4

<p>Did your employer ask you to investigate your coworker?</p>

<p>What outcome would you expect from your intervention? Few employers give bonuses for tattling. </p>

<p>You have no expectation that the employer would keep your communication private. Is it worth the possibly/probability of making a life long enemy?</p>

<p>Planning to leave for a better job is something everyone should be doing continuously, whether they are the lowest of the low or the CEO.</p>

5

<p>I’ve got 40 years of work experience under my belt, so I know whereof I speak.</p>

<p>Do. Not. Say. Anything.</p>

<p>Your loyalty to your employer is admirable, but things have a way of changing. Believe it or not, you might someday wind up with this employee again – she might even be your boss one day!!</p>

<p>This situation is now between the new employee and the employer, and is none of your business.</p>

<p>Edit: It sounds like we’re unanimous in this opinion.</p>

6

<p>It is your employer’s job to do a good job in interviewing to determine whether or not the person is suitable. We typically spend 8 to 14 hours interviewing a candidate with a wide variety of staff to get a lot of different looks at a person.</p>

<p>It is also your employer’s responsibility to provide salary and benefits to make the position attractive to the employee to keep them from looking elsewhere (or moving if they do find better compensation). She might announce that she’s leaving and they might come back with a counteroffer with higher benefits and an arrangement to fund her going to school part-time.</p>

<p>The other posters echo my feelings on whether or not to say anything.</p>

7

<p>It isn’t going to benefit any 3 groups if you tell. What will it do for you? It won’t keep you working there because you are definitely leaving! It won’t help your employers because what are they going to do, fire her for hearing from an outside source that she might possibly leave? And it won’t help the new person, it will only make things worse for her. Plus, maybe she is just exploring options yet won’t jump on them.
I think it is respectable that you have the company in mind and looking out for them. I love the company I work for as well! But, in this situation, no one is able to do anything.</p>

<p>Good luck heading off to school! I will be interested to hear if you go back to the company during holidays and breaks to help out. Sounds like you found a good fit there!</p>

8

<p>Do not say anything. You are presuming much and cannot predict the outcome or any future behavior.</p>

9

<p>I can’t think of one positive thing coming out of this if you inform the boss.</p>

10

<p>You have that lovely, idealistic whistleblower thing, with a dollop of “loyalty to first job”. You sound like a person of excellent character, and I hope you hang onto your ideals all your life.</p>

<p>So since you asked this in the Parents’ section you want wise old people to comment, so the chorus of “keep your mouth shut” might seem totally wrong to you, thinking we have all lost it entirely.</p>

<p>But the advice everyone has given above comes from long experience of workplace dynamics, and we all know what a work bonfire can be caused by spreading supposition, innuendo or “putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5”.</p>

<p>I would suggest that if you want to do anything at all you might have a chat with the newbie. She surely regards you as something of a mentor. You could say “are you SURE you will be on this job for the long haul, because that’s what they think, you know”. And if she says she doesn’t want to tell them she’s looking for other jobs, you could say that any prospective employer will want to contact her present employer, and she should forewarn them so as not to get any surprises! Advise her to level with the bosses, for her own sake.</p>

<p>And then just forget about it, and concentrate on your own future! Good luck dear!</p>

11

<p>This is a time to bite your toungue really hard. Its clear from the post that you’re inclined to bring this up. Don’t do it.</p>

<p>A lot of the advice you’re getting is arising from mistakes that people have made in the past, or watched others make in the past. Don’t become an example of the old saying about “experience keeps a dear school…”</p>

12

<p>Let me add to the voices recommending you do NOT say anything.</p>

<p>I do not think your associate has acted very professionally either; they also should have kept their mouth shut … but for a second fast forward to your future. Do you think you will ever be in position where you will consider leaving a job for another “better” job? How will handle that? Will proactively tell your employeer you’re looking for another job? Will you resign your first job before looking for a new job? Or will continue in your current job without telling your employeer until you know definatively the new situation worked out (e.g., until you resign to head to your new job). OK, now what exactly did you expect your co-worker to do; never look for another job while in this job? Second question about your job hunt … so now you’ve got an interview for the hot job you want to move to. What are you going to tell your boss … “Hey boss I need some time off this afternoon to interview with Company B” … or … “Hey boss I need some personal time off this afternoon to take care of some personal time”. </p>

<p>Hopefully both those questions are obvious. People look for new jobs all the time … they are not tied to their current companies … they owe those companies honest work for their pay while they are there … and reasonable transition time when they leave.</p>

13

<p>It’s normal to ask for personal time off when one interviews for another job. Only a stupid employee would say, “I need time off to interview for another job.” That would make them first in line to be laid off, and they might not even get the job they were interviewing for.</p>

<p>While your co-worker plans to leave their job and return to college in Jan., many plans don’t come to fruition. </p>

<p>My advice is to keep your mouth shut. No one likes tattletales.</p>

14

<p>I agree, don’t say anything. Her plans to leave may not work out, and if so when she stays on you’ll look like you were trying to torpedo here. Your loyalty to your employer is admirable, but since you’re leaving very shortly and she’s already been hired and semi-trained there’s not much that could be done at this point anyway.</p>

<p>If you had known this info before they hired her, that would be a different story entirely.</p>