Cathy – Nasty Attitude Meets World

Once upon a time at a workplace, lived a domineering, palm slamming on the desk harpy. As we live our life’s path, it’s impossible not to pick up life wounds. Most of us take the lesson from the encounter, learn from it, and move on. Not Cathy. To sustain her level of rancor, bitterness, and on a good day, indignation required a lot of work.

A simple little fruit fly that dared to buzz by, could have Cathy go ballistic. Using a thick binder to smash it, instead of a hand swat or piece of paper. Everything was to the extreme, not one normal reactions to the level of the issue that occurred.

Very set in her ways, which made it challenging to ask her a question or have her train others. Would never give all the information or steps; which meant she could gloat about it when it was wrong. It was the only game she enjoyed. In an office of 80, only two individuals did she like or tolerate. Everyone else was a simmering disaster for her to comment on what a mess they created or were as a human. In Accounting, there must be rules and those rules need to be followed. Cathy’s rules were how she did it.

Cathy wanted to retire, which meant she’d have to train others. Hand over her knowledge, verify they understood it and make sure all tasks were handled to keep the flow of the department going. Erica and Sandy never stood a chance. Erica was hired first; young, sweet, and newly out of college and into the workforce. Six months into the hire, big financial billing problems were causing a major cash flow issue.

Erica would avoid coming into the office, calling out ill, making excuses about why she was behind, and hiding her work. Her portfolio was multi-millions in invoicing behind.

So, to help with Erica’s backlog, Sandy was hired. Older, years of experience, and could quickly help Erica and others in the small department keep moving. With the major goal of pushing Cathy to retirement and out of the building soon.

Cathy was known to run individuals out the door. Hearing how individuals left would have been funny, except it was sad. One escapee placed all her work belonging to a garbage bag and placed it outside the employee entrance. Three separate escapees choose the ‘went to lunch and never came back’ approach as the easiest. According to Cathy, no one wants to work anymore and harshly claimed that one was only trying to get the goods on how to run a pickleball business. Major flaw with that was it was a consulting firm, nothing related to pickleball – Cathy, if that’s how you want to justify why they left, okay. The final one, sent a letter by mail, said that she wasn’t returning.

Everyone was hoping that Sandy would be the permanent fix. Cathy didn’t like Sandy at all. Cathy was informed that she needed to stop all her poor behaviors and successfully train Sandy and Erica.

The working environment was comparable to an eggshell mine field. If you didn’t or did say good morning – infraction. If you wore a similar top, Cathy would go on rants about how her clothes were better quality – trespass violation. If you asked a question – infraction. If you didn’t ask her a question and went to someone else for the answer – she would quietly target you to come up from behind or around a corner to palm slap your desk and hiss at you. It was caught on camera. She refused to be written up for it. I'll repeat, Cathy's refused to be written up as those she was offered a choice in the matter.

For Erica and Sandy, it was unnerving. Neither encountered this type of unhinged human behavior in the workplace.

Cathy’s manager made excuses. A personal relationship. As well as something about fabricating documentation that got the former head of the department terminated. Then suspiciously the HR team all quit as well. It won’t be surprising that it was true; either one would have the motive and behavior to pull it off.

Cathy had been allowed to go unchecked for so long. New HR and senior management all avoided Cathy. New HR found out immediately that Cathy could hear everything said in their offices, so they moved down farther away. Cathy would constantly give her unasked opinion on anyone who left their offices. All were pretty sure, HR, knew they had a time bomb on their hands with her.

Then, at the tipping point, a custom chair arrived in the area and was at Sandy’s desk. No one told Cathy about it. Cathy was never asked if she wanted a new chair. Cathy had needs that a new chair would solve. It didn’t matter that it was for Sandy’s medical accommodation. To Cathy this was war, in her delusional mind. How dare someone be allowed to have a new chair. It’s important to state that entire building was renovated, including all high-end desks and chairs four years before.

The nasty notes would be left on Sandy’s desk. Copies of errors, Sandy’s didn’t even make on her desk to fix. If Sandy was chatting with another co-worker, she was reported to their manager with a narrative that was farfetched. Sandy and Erica both had to deal with questions about how long it took them to complete an assignment. It went on from there, if Sandy was on lunch she would be tracked down by her manager, asked about this or that.

The day Cathy came up quietly behind Sandy’s desk, tossed a heavy binder that caused a sound so loud it startled all in the area, including the senior managers coming out of their office. In total seven either witnessed or heard it. Cathy claimed she tripped. She didn’t because there had clear view of it and all stated it was intentional act.

Sandy took a piece from all those who had come before her and had to work with Cathy and behavior that should have led to immediate termination years ago. All her equipment, keys, welcome bag of goodies, all completed work and an envelope with a simple note inside that read: Cathy - People leave you for a reason. You aren’t smart, perfect or right. You are toxic. May all the poison you spew on others internalize and end the misery you cause others.’ HR called Sandy. It was a long detailed conversation that ended with Cathy still employed.

According to another employee, Cathy broke down and cried. She was deeply hurt by the words. All she’s ever done is to support others. Everyone hurts her.

The sequel: Good luck