I got written-up at work...

[Drewthetexan]

That could get you in trouble, you gotta ask for premission to record people in Texas (I think?)

I don't think so. You can't record another conversation, but you can record your own whether the other person knows it or not.

GOnna get on Lexus Nexus in a bit and look it up.
I would also worry about if your company has a policy on it

Yeah, company policy might be another thing, but wouldn't you be in a heap of trouble if you needed it to begin with?

[chabouk]

I detect elements of gender and age discrimination on the part of management in your post. Keep us posted on future developments.

At the very least, it's worth voicing a concern with the EEO counselor, just to to make a record.

[karder]

Sorry to hear about your problem. What you have to do is use their own rules, regulations and political correctness against them. Go down and file a complaint with HR. Use lots of buzzwords, like "I feel like I am not empowered to assist my co-worker". "I am afraid that we are creating a hostile environment". Don't complaint about you manager, just express your concern over not being able to answer a co-workers question and focus on how the situation made you feel. The more buzzwords the better. This will light up HR who will have a consultation with your manager, who will determine you are a snitch and stay away from you. She is new herself, so a conversation with a concerned HR manager will cool her jets down a bit. Just don't be negative about your manager, be concerned over the situation and your inability to assist a new employee with a legitimate question. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

[Oldgringo]

...hostile environment...

That is the operative phrase.

[marksiwel]

Sorry to hear about your problem. What you have to do is use their own rules, regulations and political correctness against them. Go down and file a complaint with HR. Use lots of buzzwords, like "I feel like I am not empowered to assist my co-worker". "I am afraid that we are creating a hostile environment". Don't complaint about you manager, just express your concern over not being able to answer a co-workers question and focus on how the situation made you feel. The more buzzwords the better. This will light up HR who will have a consultation with your manager, who will determine you are a snitch and stay away from you. She is new herself, so a conversation with a concerned HR manager will cool her jets down a bit. Just don't be negative about your manager, be concerned over the situation and your inability to assist a new employee with a legitimate question. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

Ugh...fighting Fire with Fire. It just FEELS wrong.

[cougartex]

Stuff like this makes me glad I am retired.

[UpTheIrons]

Yes, use lots of talk about "feelings" and the buzzwords already mentioned. That will definitely go a long way to moving the discussion in your favor. Sure, you are a white male, but no one in HR likes to get "hostile environment" complaints from anyone.

[marksiwel]

Thanks for all the advice, guys - even the funny stuff ;)

I have zero problem getting nailed if I'm wrong, but this is just... lame. That said, it is kind of amusing in a Kafka-esque way to have something in my file saying "He tried to help someone! Aaaaaargh!"

You ever have any run ins with this lady before?
I mean, you're an adult, if you are talking to someone, they should scold you like a puppy and tell you to go back to your corner.

Last time I got written up at work was for Something that I'm not proud of, but boy was it fun.
Then again I dont work in an office environment, I work in a shop, get paid commission and am generally left alone by the higher ups. I generally only get in trouble when its slow and I'm bored (Fun fact, if you wrap someones car in Tin Foil, it never stops being funny)

[marksiwel]

Nope, not ever - I've been there almost 4 years and never even been counselled (apart from concerns about possibly not hitting my numbers at times) - so I'm pretty puzzled as to where this is suddenly coming from and why.

Bad Luck, Maybe they were trying to make an example of someone, maybe she is crazy.
Or Maybe you arent "Playing the Game" so they assume YOU are up to something (Happened to me once because I refused to bad mouth a co-worker who I had never met, so they assumed we were friends) Maybe they saw District 9 and are Pro-Bug

[jimlongley]

Hey, sorry you got treated so unfairly. I hate to say this, but some companies will find ways to build a negative file on good employees who have earned their way to a good wage so they can be canned to save some payroll. Watch your back.

You're so right about that. It happened to me too, once. I swear, sometimes I am convinced that middle management is the realm of the small minded.

Two words, "Peter Principle"

Ever hear of the Dilbert Principle? I think it sounds more fitting in this situation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dilbert_Principle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Dilbert Principle, on the other hand, claims that incompetent employees are intentionally promoted to prevent them from doing harm (such as reducing product quality, offending customers, offending employees, etc.) The Dilbert Principle draws upon the idea that in certain situations, the upper echelons of an organization can have little relevance to the actual production and the majority of real, productive work in a company is done by people lower in the power ladder. It is possible for both Principles to be simultaneously active in a single organization.

Scott Adams was a student of mine when I was an instructor at Bellcore, many of his early (before his retirement from the phone company) cartoons were based directly on his daily interactions with his bosses and co-workers in the Bell System. I grew up in the Bell System.

We had a guy, "Vin" for the lack of a better name, that used to get transferred after he screwed up enough on each job, thus becoming one of the best educated and well rounded employees the company had.

Several supervisors that I knew personally became supervisors not because they were otherwise qualified, but because they scabbed during strikes.

In 1974, the "Class of '74" came into existence. In our area 13 women were promoted to management to meet an EEOC settlement, and many more company and nationwide, the problem being that they were selected for one qualification only, being female, without regard for skill sets. As could have been predicted, gender notwithstanding, many of them failed as managers, but except for a few who actually quit or requested downgrades, the company left them in those positons.

When I got promoted, I tried very carefully not to fall into the mold.

[Wisewr]

I find it funny and sad at the same time that you got in trouble for helping another co-worker. Wouldn't they want the knowledge from a seasoned employee passed on to the new-hire? This a another example of corporations thinking they can write up operating procedures and as long as someone can read, they can follow these "simple" procedures and do the job effectivley and efficently. Wrong answer.

At my job we are currently cross training. Two sides of the unit are learning each other's side. The company encorages and in fact appoints mentors for you to learn the system from. So helping someone else with their work is required for out facility. Just a thought from the other end of the spectrum.