Manager Is Stumped by Her New Hire’s Constant Tears: ‘Crying and Vanishing Is Starting to Cause Serious Issues’
“If we say she’s done a good job, she cries. If her work is criticized or something slips … she cries,” the manager explained
Getty
An employee crying at work (stock image)A Mumsnet user is asking people for advice on how to get her new hire to stop constantly crying at work
The manager is trying to figure out what triggers her employee’s emotional reactions to incorrectly completing tasks and being complimented for doing well
Readers on the Mumsnet forum suggested she fire the new hire, while other people encouraged the manager to be kind as they figure out remedies for her behavior together
A manager is out of ideas to help a new hire from “crying and vanishing” at work — and their human resources department has been “unhelpful.”
The manager chronicled the work issue on Mumsnet, describing her efforts to remedy the situation amid the employee’s ongoing tearful behavior and requesting advice from readers of the U.K.-based forum.
“That’s it. My new hire keeps crying. If we say she’s done a good job, she cries. If her work is criticized or something slips … she cries,” the woman explained. “If she gets stressed or anxious, she cries. She often steps away from her keyboard as she’s overwhelmed for upwards of an hour.”
“I’ve tried to be supportive and to find out what’s triggering it,” she continued. “She just seems to be worried about doing a bad job — but the thing is, 90% of the time she’s not and we always say she’s doing well.”
Getty
A woman crying at work (stock image)Without going into detail about their line of work to protect their identities, the manager noted that “our work is politically difficult and fast-paced.”
“I don’t expect perfection … but I do expect some level of resilience," she emphasized. “But I don’t know what more I can do and the crying and vanishing is starting to cause serious issues at work.”
The employee’s “vanishing” moments, during which she is “completely uncontactable,” have caused workflow issues and her colleagues have had to step in to complete some of her work to keep things moving, according to the manager.
“She’s lovely. Not work-shy. It’s not laziness,” she further noted. “That makes it all worse because it’s untenable and if it was laziness I feel like I’d have more grounds to PAP (performance action plan) her.”
“But how on earth do you PAP someone whose entire issue is lack of confidence and anxiety?! It’ll just make it worse, but I feel like I’m out of options,” the manager said, adding that “HR [has] been more than unhelpful.”
Getty
Two colleagues meeting at work (stock image)The manager’s March 24 post promptly garnered mixed responses.
On one hand, Mumsnet readers suggested she fire the new hire, who has been there for three months already, while other people encouraged the manager to continue being kind as they figure out remedies for her behavior.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“She’s not ‘lovely’ if she cries at everything going,” one person replied. “Seriously, sack her off and get her replaced with someone who has less emotional baggage. Life is too short to pander to this sort of s--- show.”
Mumsnet users also suggested a gentler approach, pointing out that the new hire might need to address her mental health outside of work.
“I would also do a stress-risk assessment and refer to occupational health. Sounds like severe anxiety or depression or any other of a number of mental health conditions could be going on,” another reader wrote. “Either way you need to make clear to her she can’t just disappear for lengthy periods.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Read the original article on People
