Witch hunt is over...

In my jobs I have managed people for the past 13-14 years. They are professional types, engineers and technicians, and have mainly been and are a distributed workforce located all over the US. I inherited some and hired others. Going back and counting, I have hired 13 people over the years. Well lucky number 13, turned out bad.

He started right when I started follow up chemotherapy after surgery for colon cancer. His peers were responsibile for his OJT and turns out were very reluctant to throw him under the bus for just not cutting it. I began hearing the rumblings of a problem and had a big problem back in January of this year. I documented it and went to HR requesting a formal performance improvement plan. HR is in California and turns out they had never done one and needed to clear it through legal. More problems in the field and I finally get a "Letter of Concern" delivered to him in June. He failed it, and we went to a 60 day "performance improvement plan" or PIP. He failed to meet the requirements and I wanted to terminate. That's when the accusations came out.

First, I didn't pay him OT per California guidelines and we owe him $20,000. All action on the PIP ceased until an audit could be done of his time entry and payroll. Turns out there was bug in the system and we had been overpaying him. Next, my issuance of the PIP created a hostile work environment. HR cleared that up because I don't think he knows what that means. Next, he self identifies as disabled and as a veteran we haven't made the necessary accommodations. There is no diagnosis, just self identifying and this is the first we have heard of it. We continue the meetings, I assign him tasks and he fails to deliver on commitments.

He hears the foot steps of termination and drops the bomb, I have discriminated against him because he is Hispanic and his grandchildren are part Hispanic. I won't use his real name, but it is the equivalent of something like Patrick Thomas O'Leary. I would have said he was Irish and I didn't even know he had grandchildren. Everything stopped and I am called to the carpet. The accusation and investigation was one of the most unsettling and embarrassing things I have ever done in my life. I was treated like I was the most vile, disgusting piece of human garbage. My direct reports, peers, manager and division leadership were interviewed.

I was completely exonerated and the claim was proven totally false and the HR manager called to apologize to me. Then, HR informed him the investigation was complete and wanted a face to face meeting to discuss it. He never showed to the meeting and e-mailed his resignation. He's gone.

I was beside myself after the accusation, I think I'm an ethical and professional person and to be accused hurt. I'm dismayed that this is the world we live in now, someone doesn't do their job and all they have to do is make an unfounded accusation and play a victim.

It worked out, it was more difficult than it should have been, but it is over. Thank you for letting me vent and rant. It actually did help to write it out and release the frustration.