[masraum]

Originally Posted by Jeff Hail

Not sure what the hierarchy structure is but..I am tempted to ask what type of business this is out of curiosity? Within the scope of the scenario my answers may differ slightly from say a production house, aerospace/ manufacturing, hospital, ranching, warehousing, grave digging etc.

Who does A report to? I assume not to B.
Does A have the authority to reject a new project without management approval and load level to B or others? What is A's delegation authority?
What is A's project load? Is it equal to others (B) or teams involved? Is A overloaded or top heavy?

If A has delegation authority and by doing so did not cause the train to stop or the wheels to fall off was any harm done to the company or customer? Was A just being a squeaky wheel at this time or have issues surfaced in the past?

A sending a broadcast email to everyone was out of line.

B was following instructions from A. B was managing then delegating. If it was out of step with the workflow process B needs to answer to why? It may not accomplish anything now but are clear responsibilities defined on who does what and when. If a structure exists for new projects why did the deviation take place?

A crossed the line with the " I found out, ...sex, race part". That was clear and open discrimination and grounds for termination in this day and age as the company now has exposure.

What wrong doing did B commit? Assigning to C who may have been assigned the project anyway?

A crossed the line again sending emails to multiple management folks that were accusatory. Should have been to direct manager only. Is A going through something outside of work that may be impacting the work side? Is a sit down discussion warranted with A. I would think so.

A appears to be an instigator but is hard to determine for sure based on the scenario given. Has this type of behavior happened before with A? I would review with HR for recommendation. If no HR review with key management/ owner if possible to consider all facts. A may need counseling or "training" in areas of discrimination and fair treatment. Management should have access to A's emails and should probably take a look if something is present that could cause harm to the company. In my experience a small issue that turns into a disruption is a good indicator a larger issue exist under the surface or good chance of.

B and C appear to work well together. Why does A not fit into this group without friction? Does A need to be foot printed elsewhere or shown the door? A has issues, communication and tact appear poor and affecting project health, others in the long term.

Taken into account the prior failed project by A why was it not owned by A the second time around? Shame, fear of failure, embarrassment? If it was a requirement that A finish what they start the manager/ owner above A has now failed or let it happen on purpose to prove a point. Possibly more to this than the scenario provides.

Is A now or in the past been banging B or C? Does any relationship in any of the three exist outside the work place?

I'd say that pretty much covers it. If there really was mention of sex and ethnicity, then yes, I would think at the very least HR would come down on them like a ton of bricks, and at most, A would be canned.