One of the characteristics of the work environment of legislative staff that makes their jobs different from most others is the large number of bosses--legislators--that they may have to respond to. When staff come into conflict with one or more of their principals, difficult situations can result. From an AP story in the The Herald (Everett Washington):
A Senate Republican senior attorney is seeking a $1.75 million settlement from the state, saying a hostile work environment has been created by allowing a controversial senator back into the GOP caucus and restoring her access to staff in exchange for a vital budget vote.
In a document obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, an attorney for Republican Senate Counsel Mike Hoover says that Hoover felt pressured to quit so that the caucus "could more easily make a trade with" Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn....
Roach was banned from the Republican caucus two years ago after an investigation concluded that she had mistreated staff. GOP leaders wrote in a letter to her that they had concluded that she should be physically separated from other members and staff.
They implemented policies barring Roach from the caucus room and deemed her ineligible to participate in caucus votes. The letter did say the policies could be re-evaluated in one year with the mutual agreement of the caucus and Roach.
The punishment followed numerous incidents with Hoover, culminating with an "unusually vicious attack" in 2009, according to the 15-page document sent Monday to Tom Hoemann, the secretary of the Senate. In that incident, the document says, Roach yelled at Hoover during a meeting with the rest of the caucus....
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