Demeanor

Some people have a nice demeanor, some do not. They might be wonderful, kind and caring people, but the way they deliver their message falls short. After fourteen years, my main receptionist's demeanor has caught up with her. Since the big "shake up" in work, my boss' eyes have opened and she can no longer tolerate the abrasive way that my receptionist presents herself. Now we have a dilemma. For fourteen years she has been the most loyal, hard working employee and those qualities made up for her nasty tone. That can no longer be. How do we handle this? My boss wanted to give her a one month leave of absence at half pay, but I said that would not be good for many reasons. If she left for a month, she might not return and she is the main person responsible for time sheets, schedules, bookkeeping and payroll. I told my boss that I would not assume any of those responsibilities. We came up with a plan that hopefully will be the one that is the least hurtful. We can move her desk to the other side of the room so she has no direct patient contact and ban her from answering phones. She will also be told to keep her mouth shut around the doctors and not boss them around as if they are children.  I know there will be a lot of tears when she is told this, but she has a pension involved and a smart person would just accept the terms of the new position.