E.V.R.M. asks:
A few years ago, I started as a manager at a large scientific institution, a dynamic role with many challenges. I began this job with great enthusiasm and felt right at home.
My world was turned upside down when I became the victim of a violent crime. An attempt was made on my life, which I barely survived. I was ambushed on my driveway by a stalker armed with a butcher’s knife. I was stabbed multiple times in my arms and neck. Despite being severely threatened, my partner managed to escape.
Out of a sense of responsibility, I returned to work relatively quickly after the incident. I found the support of my colleagues to be particularly healing. At the same time, ever since my new director joined, I’ve experienced no active coordination regarding my workload capacity. In all honesty, I found this to be distant and painful.
As a result of the attack, I began experiencing PTSD symptoms: diminished concentration and energy levels, a state of constant hypervigilance, and flashbacks. Furthermore, I’ve been declared partially unfit for work. Alongside this, I’m undergoing an intensive trauma treatment program that demands a lot from me, both mentally and physically.
At the beginning of this year, my new director invited me to his office to talk about an administrative issue. This ultimately turned out to be a bad-news meeting of sorts. He was dissatisfied with my performance, and to him, the only logical outcome was the termination of my employment. A settlement agreement (VSO) was presented as the best way for me to minimize career damage.
To be honest, I was completely stunned. I’ve always received good performance reviews and even served as interim director for a period before the current director was appointed. To date, any relevant substantiation for his perspective has been withheld, even after my repeated requests for it. Additionally, my partial disability and personal situation were explicitly dismissed as irrelevant.
A few days after the meeting, I received a draft settlement agreement, even though I had immediately indicated that I had no interest in one. The director subsequently pushed for mediation on short notice. However, this too was moving far too fast for me, as preparing for the criminal trial demanded a great deal of my time and energy.
Judgment has now been passed in the criminal case. My attacker was sentenced to a long prison term and mandatory psychiatric treatment – a small ray of hope in the darkness. However, he’s filed an appeal, which means the legal process could drag on for years to come.
What’s your advice?
The headhunter answers:
Clearly, your new director wants to get rid of you. It’s also evident that he knows very little about HR and possesses a staggering lack of empathy. As for the reason behind his actions, we can only guess: budgetary or personal? We’ll never know.
Legally, you stand on firm ground: You can’t be dismissed while you’re unfit for work. Should your employer decide to go to court in the future, everything that has transpired so far will hang like a millstone around his neck. I can also imagine that coverage in the local press could prove fatal to his position, as the organization you work for will certainly not want to end up in the news for something like this.
On the other hand, reintegration into your current role seems like it would be an uphill battle, even after potential mediation. When someone has demonstrated such utter incompetence, their word holds no value – even in mediation. And you’re right: The appeal in the criminal case could drag on for years. You need to ask yourself how much time and energy you’re willing to invest in this toxic relationship. That said, your manager’s fit with the scientific institution seems suboptimal at best, and he may very well leave sooner than you think.
