How does one handle this situation?

[designerart]

My husband has been made to work with someone for the last ten months who has become increasingly irrational. This person was initially employed by the company to do a creative job which in fact never got off the ground so now he finds himself doing a more manual job which to be frank, he is useless at - he usually ends up ruining the job and my husband has to start it again. He has had to be sent home from the job on a couple of occasions from sheer frustration of him messing up the work. He often leaves work in the middle of the day with different excuses and has been found sleeping in his car on a couple of occasions. He has recently divulged to my husband (the company it seems new about this) that he is on medication for depression. The thing is they all have to work with very sharp implements in this job and the other day when one of the workforce took issue with his lack of dexterity on a job and he shouted while holding a knife. It is a very small company and invariably someone has to work with this man but obviously they are now all very weary of him. The main boss is always absent and the manager is loathe to question the boss's judgment in hiring this person. Where does the workforce stand in a situation like this?

[plowter]

Use the company's grievance procedure. You could do this formally - with a written complaint and a meeting, or informally - with a meeting with your manager followed up by a written record of what was agreed at the meeting.

You'll have to be clear what your complaint is. The co-worker is affecting the productivity of the rest of the team? The co-worker is a disruptive influence? The co-worker is treated more leniently than other members of staff? The co-worker poses a danger to himself and other?

You'll also have to be clear what you want the manager to do. Have the manager more closely supervise the co-worker? Put the co-worker on sick leave? Help the co-worker get treatment? Have the co-worker disciplined? Give the co-worker tasks appropriate to his skills?

If you use the grievance procedure the company has a duty to take action. Since the grievance will be recorded it can be used in case of constructive dismissal.