In a nutshell:
I’m a contractor, been here nearly 3 years moving from one contract to another because I’m pretty good at getting things done (which lots of the perm people aren’t)
Started a new role in Jan – 3rd person in the role in 6 months, the manager I’m reporting to having been hauled in front of HR at least once in recent times and a string of conflicts behind her…
She’s essentially out of her depth and very insecure so plays games to try and hide the fact she can’t do her job – same old same old that we’ve all seen many times before.
So she’s trying to get me to take work off one of her perm direct reports who she’s fallen out with and won’t hand over to me… as far as I can see because said manager has upset her so much.

So essentially I’m having to be an intermediary to two women who won’t speak to each other…

I’m now being told I have to ‘own’ this particular task even though the person currently responsible won’t give me the info I’m asking for…

So how on earth do you progress? My predecessor appears to have been scapegoated out of the role… I’ll be sending an email to the manager to show what I’ve done to try and get the info I need so that it’s documented but other than that, how do I get a handover from someone who doesn’t want to…?

Owning with Bombers and weeing in shoes not really likely to get me anywhere, sadly…

Threesome.

You’re old fella can be the olive branch that brings these two together.

So essentially I’m having to be an intermediary to two women who won’t speak to each other…

Only one way to solve that. And it involves a paddling pool and some baby oil.

Start looking for another contract

Walk into their office and ask for one, telling them if they fail to give you one you won’t take the task on and confirm it in an email to them.

This is the kind of situation that employers have grievance procedures to solve.

There should be some kind of formal process which allows mediation to take place between the parties to allow the company to move forward – this is easiest done on a “no fault” basis, so that the work can get done.

On the rare occasions that HR people aren’t idiots, it can work very well, however, it is often used as a starting point for disciplinary action (once the required information has been passed on) very often for the more junior colleague.

schedule a meeting with both in a little room and *ahem* thrash it out?

Baked bean wrestling.

schedule a meeting with both in a little room and *ahem* thrash it out?

All the offices have glass walls

Well, then you put a webcam just outside and put the “discussion” on pay-to-view…

Book the room. Sell tickets.

I always find exposing myself to women and poultry stuns them into silence

Walk into their office and ask for one, telling them if they fail to give you one you won’t take the task on and confirm it in an email to them.

Is that supposed to be a sensible answer, or one as peurile as all the others 😀

hora, you show your knob to chickens? did I understand that right.

CaptainFlashheart – Member
So essentially I’m having to be an intermediary to two women who won’t speak to each other…
Only one way to solve that. And it involves a paddling pool and some baby oil.

After your last thread, I am wondering…

Mine is the most effective suggestion

Thats fowl

Kick her in the fanjo.

All the offices have glass walls

Flash the lights on and off a few times, windows up for watching, windows down for touching, door open….

Keep it clean please! Don’t want the thread pulled…

Was hoping for some sensible advice! I might lose my contract if I can’t find a way to work through this…

I think the thread needs pulling tbh. Sorry OP, not your fault.

After 3 years there as a contractor you’d be better moving on.

Hora’s fantasy…

😉

Make friends with the woman you need to get the info off, enjoy bitching about your boss with her.

She’s probably totally sick of dealing with a useless boss and would appreciate working with someone who can actually achieve stuff.

When the job is done ensure she gets named as being enormously helpful to other managers around and above.

If she is as useless as your manager escalate above her.

It’s not someone else’s office politics, that’s the thing about office politics, it’s like wind- one person drops it but everyone gets a share.

If you’re completely confident that your interpretation is correct, I personally would advise her that you’re unprepared to take on the task as it stands as it’s clear you’re being asked to clear up a mess of “someone else’s” making, and it’s a poisoned position which is certain to cause you problems through not fault of your own. Straight and honest. Then bash out a solution that you’re happy with.

gonzy you are a sick man, seek help. Just showed everyone in my office and they agree. 😀

Is the work that you have been instructed to take on within the remit of your current contract with the company? If not, use that as a reason why it is not possible for you to take it on, despite wanting to. You may then be able to take it to HR or the contracting agency you work through for further action.

If it is broadly in the scope of your contract, then I would suggest that you escalate the matter to the responsible manager and let the company deal with it. Yes, it’s a cop out and not nice, but it may well be the only way for them to sort their differences out, preferably with HR in the loop to ensure that they play fair.

Keep written records of everything.

Gonzy it looks like someone has already kicked the backdoors in 8)

Maybe email them both confirming to the manager your acceptance of the task at her request, and asking the other lady for whatever information you need. If you don’t get a satisfactory response(s) then you can at least prove you’re not the bottleneck and hand it over to whoever ends up arbitrating the matter.

I feel sorry for the OP, nothing worse than getting caught up in someone else’s fight.
All comms via e-mail so you can document everything you’ve done to cover your arse and demonstrate what you’ve done. As long as the shit doesn’t come to rest on your desk, thats ALL that matters.

I have also been in similar situations, contracting and temping. And permie !

I decided to try my hand at some amateur mediation once. Summoned them both to a meeting, and rather than address the issue head-on asked them both to sit and make a list of things they think the other does very well.

One got it straight away and played the game, came up with a list. The other just wouldn’t take part at all. It wasn’t fair on her blah blah blah. Tears. Slunk off back to her old job, problem solved.

gonzy you are a sick man,

tell me something i dont know…. 😆