Today was my co-worker R's last day. We encouraged him to write to our Human Resources ladies about his issues with Manager before he left, since that was the main reason he had started looking for work elsewhere -- and I'm SO happy to hear that he did.

He BCC'd another co-worker n' myself with his letter to HR, and I'm very proud of him. His letter is so well written, that I wanted to share it with all of you,(even if only to prove that I'm not the *only* one who feels that Manager is incompetent. Ha!)

Obviously names n' such have been altered...

Hello FakeNameHRLady, (cc: OtherFakeNameHRLady)

As you are the FakeNameCompany Human Resources Director I am directing this e-mail to you as an equivalent to an exit interview. This, in light of the fact that I have not had an exit interview as of the writing of this communication, and that it appears that such is not forthcoming. I find this unfortunate and it is something that in my opinion speaks volumes with respect to FakeNameCompany attitude and consideration towards their employees.

As you are aware, today, March 20th, 2008 is my last day of work at FakeNameCompany. It is my belief that when an employee ceases employment with a company that he/she has a responsibility to their fellow co-workers to relate any suggestions and/or issues that may provide assistance or insight into improving the way that the company operates and the overall work environment. It is with that intention that I write you today.

The employment opportunity that awaits me in my new job is very exciting and will be a very rewarding one, both financially and professionally. Those are two very important factors in my decision to terminate my employment with FakeNameCompany.

Another significant issue that factored into my decision was the relationship with my direct manager, Manager. I would characterize it as 'below-par'. Over the 10 years of my tenure at FakeNameCompany I have worked with many different managers and I have been able to work well with their different management styles. After observing and interacting with Manager for the last 2 years, it is my opinion that he does not have the skills and characteristics that a good (and successful) manager requires. His below average interpersonal skills and micro-management technique make him very difficult to work and interact with -- not just for myself but also for my fellow co-workers.

The difficulties in working with Manager were previously brought to the attention of FakeName(when FakeName was Vice President of Marketing) by all of the staff who work directly under Manager’s management. Subsequently a meeting was setup with Manager and FakeName to discuss those issues. A temporary improvement was seen thereafter, but old-habits die hard and I'm afraid, in my opinion, nothing has changed and the difficulties remain. This results in a frustrating and undesirable work environment for everyone involved. I do not discredit Manager's work ethic and dedication which are far above average, but I do not think that Manager is cut-out for management and I think it is a detriment to FakeNameCompany to keep Manager in a position where he is managing personnel. Manager is a hard worker and a smart worker, but keeping him in any position involving management of other staff will only result, I believe, in additional turnover of Marketing department staff.

It is my hope that this communication sheds some light into the reasons why I would seek employment elsewhere after a long and successful term working at FakeNameCompany. As well I hope that it provides assistance and insight into improving the way that the company operates and the overall work environment for my fellow co-workers at FakeNameCompany.

As this e-mail address will no longer be accessible to me after today, I can be reached at ###-###-####, if you would like to discuss further.

Sincerely,

R

Whoo! Way to go R!!! Naturally, I don't expect to see any improvements made with Manager whatsoever, but it's still nice that R let his voice be heard and addressed the issue before he left. So many people would've just turned their backs on the company and thought, "F*ck it. It's not my problem anymore." But not R -- what a great guy! :o)He will most certainly be missed.