Whining About The Dining

(I am our store’s lead trainer, and am also a licensed high school teacher. I don’t tolerate whining for very long. The coworker in question is a new hire I finished training a few weeks ago. He is a teenager who constantly whines for attention by putting himself down.)

Me: “[Coworker], make sure that when you bring clean dishes out, you remember to put them away. It’s not sanitary to leave them sitting on the counter.”

(My coworker heaves a huge, melodramatic sigh.)

Coworker: “I’m sorry; I know I never do anything right around here. I’m so bad at this job; I feel like I’m always messing up and you guys hate me and want me to quit. I’m trying really hard and—”

Me: “LISTEN HERE! You are a good employee who will be a great employee as soon as you stop second-guessing yourself! Nobody wants you to quit; everyone actually likes you! You’re not stupid; you’re not bad at your job, and you DO try hard! Now get back to work minus the whining this time!”

(My coworker stares blankly at me for a long moment, totally shocked, and then shuffles to the back to keep working on dishes. Coworker #2 is staring at me in amazement.)

Coworker #2: “That was the angriest string of compliments I’ve ever heard!”

(For the record, the coworker shaped up after that little incident and quit all of his attention-seeking whining. Just like I told him, he’s a great employee!)