Ask Ash: Attitude problem

Dear Ash,

A junior college reporting to me recently decided to move on to a new role, but before leaving he seemingly told some in the department that he had an issue with not having greater autonomy in some of his cases. I had assumed he was moving on for career progression reasons as he never expressed any issue with me directly. However, one of the support staff, who seemed particularly supportive of him, now seems to have changed her attitude towards me since he left. She has been making excuses for not doing certain key tasks for me, and when she does provide support it normally includes obvious errors. It seems she has adopted a passive aggressive stance towards me since our colleague left and I’m not sure how to address this.

Ash replies:

Dealing with passive aggression is challenging, as the behaviours are deliberately obtuse to essentially mask anger, and this can then be difficult to confront. 

Passive aggression can be more common in the workplace, as we have to conduct ourselves in certain professional ways, which restrict overt anger or emotion. Passive aggression can take many forms, including procrastination, sulking, sabotaging key tasks, withdrawing, and controlling behaviours. Some of these are clearly being acted out by your admin staff member.

However, it is important that you call out such behaviour, as it is unacceptable and frankly unprofessional. As tasks are not being appropriately dealt with, you have the right to question her directly about this, and to highlight the need for improvement. There is no need to delve into any office gossip about what your former junior colleague may or may not have said. Keep it strictly about the work and about your dissatisfaction about the lack of appropriate support. Your relationship with your former junior colleague has nothing to do with her.

If her behaviour persists, then look to highlight this to your own line manager, or take advice from HR about disciplinary measures, as she is paid to do a job by supporting you and if she is looking to sabotage tasks, this may have commercial implications too. Good luck!

“Ash” is a solicitor who is willing to answer work-related queries from solicitors and other legal professionals, which can be put to her via the editor: peter@connectmedia.cc. Confidence will be respected and any advice published will be anonymised.

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