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.