People are MEAN!

Managing people is a thankless job. Don't get me wrong, I feel blessed to have a good job that pays well. Most days here are tolerable since I know I will be leaving eventually. I try really hard to treat my staff fairly. I have worked for a boss who sucked. I don't want to be that boss. I address them respectfully, in a professional manner. I don't throw things at them when they piss me off. I don't yell. And yet I still get shat on occasionally. Yesterday morning there was a big pile of it waiting for me. (peee---uuuwww!) Here's the background....There is a person on my staff who has numerous health issues...since I've known her she has had lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema and numerous problems with her back. She's in her 60s but she looks about 95 from smoking at least a pack a day for most of her life. She really needs to retire. But she can't afford it because she spent her 401k on an expensive house in the suburbs. So she has resorted to pressuring the company (mainly me) to let her work from home. My boss's boss informed us a long time ago that because we are a support group, part of our job is to be here. No one can work from home. period. After a lot of meetings and debates, the company decided to offer her an alternative work agreement so that she could work from home one day a week. She signed the agreement, but she is not happy about it. I understand her frustration but my hands are really tied. Yesterday her frustration erupted in an unhealthy and disrespectful outburst towards me. She was working from home and she asked me to call her. When I did, she proceeded to tell me that she was working from home because her blood pressure was elevated. I asked her if she went to the doctor or if she's taking medication for that condition. She said no, that she self-monitors it. Then she went on to say that it is high because I am a terrible manager and my poor direction is stressing her out. She said the whole group thinks I suck, but they are just scared to tell me. I think SHE was high. on crack. and pain pills. Needless to say, the conversation went downhill from there and long story short, we now have a meeting with my manager and HR today to discuss her gripes. ugh. Whatever happened to the days where the fear of being fired kept a person in line? When I consulted with the HR manager, she asked me if I could look past the ridiculous things that she said and recognize that she was talking from a very painful place. She wants me to try to sympathize with her. I did sympathize with her until yesterday’s personal attack. Now I just want her gone. More to come after the meeting....