From the Mailbag Paul wants to know if it's OK to inform senior management when you work for a bad manager. Going over your manager's head brings a whole new set of risky workplace dynamics into play for the messenger. After all, the senior manager is the one who prepared your manager's performance appraisal. Here's what usually happens when only one person goes over the manager's head.
Senior management listens to the employee and then gets the manager's side of the situation.
The manager's performance appraisals are reviewed as are the messenger's. If the manager's appraisal doesn't mention problems like the one the messenger has brought up, then it's likely that the messenger's complaint will be taken lightly and the whole incident chalked up to differences in style or personality. If senior management decides further investigation is warranted, human resources will question other employees in the department. All rights reserved.