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Last week I started a new Ann Landers-style advice service, which I am going to use one or two weeks a month. As a result of last week's column, I received this letter from a federal manager who is frustrated by a poor-performing employee.

Dear Kathryn:

This is not a resume question, but frequently comes up. I hope you can offer some advice.

You have heard the adage in government that it is nearly impossible to fire an employee. I now believe it. I inherited an extremely poor performer (union member) for whom two previous managers did absolutely no documentation on this individual's poor work habits, constant tardiness, extremely low productivity, poor conduct, and hostile people skills.

Thus, I am seen as the bad guy as the one who is trying to fire the employee. To an outsider, it could certainly look like I am constantly picking on this employee, because this employee daily violates regulations - it would appear almost on purpose, thinking that the union will be their savior.

I began the paper trail of documentation nearly a year ago, when this employee was transferred to my unit, and I had no say in the decision. In these past 11 months, I have documented tardiness, behavior and productivity problems. However, my supervisor, who avoids all conflict, says I might be too harsh on the employee. (Examples of the employee's behavior include tardiness of 30 to 40 minutes for a period exceeding four months; screaming at me on the workroom floor and being told to lower her voice almost daily!)

My documentation is solid, based on regulations and written policy - not a subjective opinion. This employee's pattern of insubordination and poor performance has reached a point where in any office in private industry, firing would have taken place months ago. The employee is incapable of doing the job - an observation confirmed by the union steward.

Yet I am getting nowhere with management above me and above my manager to do something. Retraining for an additional two months (for a job that takes less than a week to learn) has already been done, and the employee is still incapable of performing. The employee's work habits are abominable, and my work is suffering as a result (I am spending 95 percent of my time on this employee, and I have 22 others to supervise as well - I am a first-line supervisor).

What do you suggest in the way of coping skills for me, and how do I get management to get off square one and support me here? I am a 28-year veteran of federal employment, and all the skills I have learned and used in dealing with disciplinary problems seem to be worthless in my present environment.

Kathryn says:

It's awful hearing about an employee who earns good money, has good benefits, and does not care about his or her job.

I asked Dr. Paul Radde, a Washington-based psychologist, to respond to this letter. Dr. Radde is a counselor and professional coach who works with clients who have professional, personal and family-related problems. Here's what he had to say:

"You inherited an employee who, by others' admissions, is not capable of doing the job. The error was made in hiring and retaining them at that position. She needs to be terminated or put in a position she can perform.

The error is two-sided. First, the organization should never have hired this employee, should have caught the mistake during the probation period and still has the responsibility for making it right. If the job is a real one, then someone needs to fill it, or others are unfairly being held responsible for this person's assignments.

Second, the employee should never have consented to a job she cannot perform.

You are the first one taking responsibility within the organization. You can take some satisfaction in that.

Supervisors should always ask themselves: Is this employee capable? Can this person be trained into the job?

Remember, if an employee is deficient due to a long string of neglect, but is capable of learning in a reasonable length of time, then a supervisor should find training for them. An employee must be given a chance to improve before adverse action is taken.

In this case, it sounds like this person is not capable. So you need to review all your options. The Office of Personnel Management has a treasure trove of performance management information on its Web site at www.opm.gov/perform/index.htm. Get your human resources office involved, and be sure to have HR and the union representative involved as you move forward.

Review your documentation of the problems to make sure you've presented them in a factual way.

Getting someone fired is not impossible. Just put one foot in front of another, use positive discipline in which the employee's non-performance automatically puts them in a probationary status, with full consequences known for every action and omission.

You are not getting the necessary and required backing from your superiors. They owe you support or guidance in this matter. You have a right to it. Maybe it is time that you exercise adequate aggressiveness in securing that support.

Ultimately, a manager who delegates responsibility but not authority to front-line supervisors undercuts the supervisors' attempts to grow responsible employees. Clearly communicate to your boss that you don't have adequate authority to supervise this person. If he's not willing to give you that authority, you'll need to pass direct supervision of the employee to your boss. Make sure the reasons for passing supervision up are clearly stated in the records.

In this case, the organization, the union steward, prior supervisors, and the employee are to blame for the situation going on this long. You are the first breath of fresh air.

Ultimately, you do the employee a great favor getting her into a job she can honestly perform. Good luck."

- Dr. Paul Radde (DrPRadde@aol.com)

Thank you, Dr. Radde, for your helpful and thoughtful response.

Kathryn Kraemer has been the president of The Resume Place, Inc. for 27 years. Kathryn helps people get promoted and change jobs. She is the pioneer designer of the new "federal resume." She wrote and published the first book on federal resume writing and is a popular resume writing workshop leader in government.

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