Ygthkb

Background :

I'm newly hired in a Consulting Company (IT), recently I've met with a client where my employer would like me to go to work. I had an interview and met the team.

The problem is that I know one member of the team as I had worked with him for 4 years.

Let's call him Bill. Bill is an IT technician, not a good one, may I add. I'm an admin / engineer. During that time together, Bill never wanted to do something he didn't come with. Got a solution about that problem that bugs everyone for 6 months, too bad, Bill doesn't like it, Bill doesn't do it.

My work relationship with Bill went from bad to worse during this time.

But the worst part is that Bill has a history of sexual harassment. He has been fired for sending dirty texts to non-consenting female coworkers. He found their numbers by searching in HR files (which he had access to because).

After he was fired, several female coworkers on the office said that he texted them at some point.

That was 1 year ago, and Bill didn't show any remorse at the time.

To conclude, there is no way I want to, or will work with Bill again.

Question(s) :

1 - I'm newly hired, so I can't refuse a client without explanation. Should I be honest with my employer or should I find another reason?

2 - I'm quite sure the client doesn't know about Bill "past". Should I let them know?

I'll focus on the work-related issue.

Bill never wanted to do something he didn't come with. Got a solution about that problem that bugs everyone for 6 months, too bad, Bill doesn't like it, Bill doesn't do it.

As a consultant you're in a much better position to deal with this. If you ask Bill to do something, he's expected to do it unless he has a good reason not to.

His company is paying for your time and expertise, if Bill wilfully ignores your advice, then you document it, make the implications clear of failing to follow your advice, and ask his boss what they want you to do next.

In terms of 'Not wanting to work with him because he's a creep,' unless you believe you are personally at risk; I don't think it's a good reason, of course if you witness anything out of line you are morally obliged to report it. Unless you have hard evidence of his past misdemeanours, discussing them might open you up to being sued for defamation etc.

I would suggest that you have a meeting with your manager and HR and explain the situation - giving them your reasons is one thing - that should stay private between them and you.

However, what is said to the customer is up to your manager - he may say "oh, for X reason we have had to change engineer"...

I don't think you should tell Bill's employer your true reason.

Definitely talk with your HR or someone who can give you solid advice, step carefully... BUT definitely talk to someone; if Bill has changed his game (possibly for the worse...) you don't want to be around...

Best wishes...

You can't pick and chose who you work with, nor are you there to police peoples behaviour or provide "community service" by informing their employer of their past.

That last part might be confidential or private information btw.so bite your tongue!

If you have valid(!) professional reasons, inform your superior that those are why you can't work with the person.

If you have been harrassed by him, you can tell that your manager as well.

However, from what you said, I'm afraid you just need to be professional and suck it up.

You still can let your superior know that out of professional and private reasons you don't want to work with him.

If you're not the only one they can send and if your boss doesn't think you're being unprofessional you still might dodge that bullet.

Be prepared however that your managers opinion about you might shift negatively.

If you were personally harassed by Bill in a former job, and you have reasonable evidence of that fact, then you certainly have some grounds to tell your management why you don't want to work with him again. But your OP doesn't actually say that was what happened.

The fact that you think he will ignore your advice is irrelevant. Consultants are paid to give advice, not to enforce its use. (And considering the number of poor consultants around, it's just as well that some of them can't force their clients to follow their advice!)

If you can't handle the fact that clients often think consultants are nothing more than a time-wasting irrelevance imposed on them by their own managers who don't know any better, you are not going to have a happy working life as a consultant!

Managing Bill's behaviour is what Bill's manager is paid to do, and that is none of your business unless you are personally affected by it. Of course, if he does do something inappropriate, you know enough about his past not to ignore the first occurrence "in case it was just be a one-off and you don't want to cause any trouble" - go straight onto your manager (note, your manager, not his manager!) about it.