DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a co-worker who consistently spreads misinformation in order to get out of doing her job. She often makes up policies that don’t exist to try to trick other departments into doing her work (even when that means the work gets done incorrectly by people not trained for it).
In the past, I’ve tried printing out policies and coming to her with physical evidence that what she’s saying is not true, but she gets very aggressive and always has an excuse for why she shouldn’t have to do her fair share of work.
Since we work in the same department, it makes my job much more difficult when I have to explain to others what the real policies are. I’m unsure of how to respond when co-workers ask me why they’ve heard differently from what I tell them. I don’t want to speak negatively about my co-worker, but she is being untruthful.
She has a significant amount of seniority, and others have made complaints before me, so I doubt she’d face any corrective action if this was brought to HR. And with her aggressive personality, I know I need to be very careful so as not to incur her wrath.
Can you suggest a way to graciously explain to co-workers why they’ve received incorrect information?
GENTLE READER: “My colleague was unfortunately mistaken. I have the policy right here.”
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(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
