Narrative:

I was working the jackson low sector 66 (jan-left 66) alone with light traffic. Aircraft X was an overflt on his way to florida at FL190 and aircraft Y was a departure out of jackson approach airspace en route to baton rouge (btr); their rtes of flight became close south of jackson (jan). I climbed aircraft Y to his requested altitude of FL220 (through the en route altitude of aircraft X at FL190) because my initial judgement was that they would pass with sufficient lateral separation. I am sorry to admit that I became preoccupied; thinking of my prior counseling for violating the facility dress code. I have been dressing according to the new rules for almost 4 months now; wearing the same outfits week after week. I have been verbally encouraged by supervisors on a regular basis. But yesterday was taken in for a formal counsel session with a management team and prearranged natca representation. My supervisor counseled that my attire was entirely unprofessional and that I was to not wear any of it again. After 4 months of a seemingly happy professional relationship; I found myself being attacked for wearing the very clothes I was earlier encouraged to wear. We; as a controller work force; have been warned that 3 written records of counsel are grounds for immediate termination. This is the second time I have been subjected to an arbitrary change in dress code expectation that has resulted in official counsel. If I receive 1 more counsel I could be fired. To my regret; these managerial mind games were plaguing me as aircraft Y turned south; picked up a tailwind and gained speed. He was climbing well and already leaving 17600 ft as I noticed the imminent conflict; too late to stop him below; I turned him and told him to expedite his climb. The pilots lateral separation. I find myself worried about what will happen next or who will take a dislike my appearance. There are more than 8 supervisors milling around me at any one time; any of which can take me to task at their whim. I don't know what is expected of me; I don't know if I am doing right from one day to the next. Instead of simply helping me to stay focused on my primary mission of separating aircraft; the management is striving to interject distraction and confusion into the work place. I know that I should leave outside interferences out of the control room; but it is getting increasingly difficult to do so. I only hope I may continue to do so until I can retire; and rest assured I shall leave as soon as possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZME CTLR EXPERIENCED NEAR SEPARATION LOSS AT FL220 WITH CLBING AND ENRTE ACFT WHEN MISJUDGING SPACING REQUIRED.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE JACKSON LOW SECTOR 66 (JAN-L 66) ALONE WITH LIGHT TFC. ACFT X WAS AN OVERFLT ON HIS WAY TO FLORIDA AT FL190 AND ACFT Y WAS A DEP OUT OF JACKSON APCH AIRSPACE ENRTE TO BATON ROUGE (BTR); THEIR RTES OF FLT BECAME CLOSE S OF JACKSON (JAN). I CLBED ACFT Y TO HIS REQUESTED ALT OF FL220 (THROUGH THE ENRTE ALT OF ACFT X AT FL190) BECAUSE MY INITIAL JUDGEMENT WAS THAT THEY WOULD PASS WITH SUFFICIENT LATERAL SEPARATION. I AM SORRY TO ADMIT THAT I BECAME PREOCCUPIED; THINKING OF MY PRIOR COUNSELING FOR VIOLATING THE FACILITY DRESS CODE. I HAVE BEEN DRESSING ACCORDING TO THE NEW RULES FOR ALMOST 4 MONTHS NOW; WEARING THE SAME OUTFITS WK AFTER WK. I HAVE BEEN VERBALLY ENCOURAGED BY SUPVRS ON A REGULAR BASIS. BUT YESTERDAY WAS TAKEN IN FOR A FORMAL COUNSEL SESSION WITH A MGMNT TEAM AND PREARRANGED NATCA REPRESENTATION. MY SUPVR COUNSELED THAT MY ATTIRE WAS ENTIRELY UNPROFESSIONAL AND THAT I WAS TO NOT WEAR ANY OF IT AGAIN. AFTER 4 MONTHS OF A SEEMINGLY HAPPY PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP; I FOUND MYSELF BEING ATTACKED FOR WEARING THE VERY CLOTHES I WAS EARLIER ENCOURAGED TO WEAR. WE; AS A CTLR WORK FORCE; HAVE BEEN WARNED THAT 3 WRITTEN RECORDS OF COUNSEL ARE GNDS FOR IMMEDIATE TERMINATION. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO AN ARBITRARY CHANGE IN DRESS CODE EXPECTATION THAT HAS RESULTED IN OFFICIAL COUNSEL. IF I RECEIVE 1 MORE COUNSEL I COULD BE FIRED. TO MY REGRET; THESE MANAGERIAL MIND GAMES WERE PLAGUING ME AS ACFT Y TURNED S; PICKED UP A TAILWIND AND GAINED SPD. HE WAS CLBING WELL AND ALREADY LEAVING 17600 FT AS I NOTICED THE IMMINENT CONFLICT; TOO LATE TO STOP HIM BELOW; I TURNED HIM AND TOLD HIM TO EXPEDITE HIS CLB. THE PLTS LATERAL SEPARATION. I FIND MYSELF WORRIED ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT OR WHO WILL TAKE A DISLIKE MY APPEARANCE. THERE ARE MORE THAN 8 SUPVRS MILLING AROUND ME AT ANY ONE TIME; ANY OF WHICH CAN TAKE ME TO TASK AT THEIR WHIM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED OF ME; I DON'T KNOW IF I AM DOING RIGHT FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT. INSTEAD OF SIMPLY HELPING ME TO STAY FOCUSED ON MY PRIMARY MISSION OF SEPARATING ACFT; THE MGMNT IS STRIVING TO INTERJECT DISTR AND CONFUSION INTO THE WORK PLACE. I KNOW THAT I SHOULD LEAVE OUTSIDE INTERFERENCES OUT OF THE CTL ROOM; BUT IT IS GETTING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO DO SO. I ONLY HOPE I MAY CONTINUE TO DO SO UNTIL I CAN RETIRE; AND REST ASSURED I SHALL LEAVE ASAP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.