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I will be meeting
with my employee to confront his tardiness. There have been five late
days this month and it is unacceptable. I don’t want to specify a
“number” of days late as being too much because it will just encourage
going to that limit. Are there any creative suggestions? |
Every
organization has
its unique history
in dealing with and managing tardiness. Unfortunately, employees
quickly respond and adapt to leniency shown in this area. Even some of
your best and brightest, and hardest-working employees, will come to
work late if it appears that there is no consequence for doing so.
Check with your organization and its preferred approach to this
problem. Sometimes managers aren’t aware of existing solutions for
problems of this type. If you want to get creative, use a percentage
rate in the discussion with your employee. For example, if there are 21
workdays in a specific month, and your employee is late 5 days, divide
the workdays in the month into the number of late days. This will
produce a “tardiness score” of 24%. Call this unacceptable. Require
satisfactory attendance to be a tardiness score under 5%. Sometimes
numbers like this make an impression on employees and they “get it.” |
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I suspect one of
my employees is experiencing spousal abuse at home. I have seen bruises
and this person often comes to work upset. Is this any of my business
as a supervisor? How can I help without feeling like I am butting into
the employee’s personal life? |
Your employee is
demonstrating
the signs of
domestic abuse. From your description, and experience with her, you
have a strong rationale for inquiring whether help is needed and telling
your employee why you are concerned. This is not intruding, playing the
role of amateur diagnostician, or acting inappropriately. Responsible
authorities on the subject of domestic violence encourage involvement by
others and admonish those who remain silent in the face of obvious need
for concern by others and the repetitive pattern of disruption to the
work situation. It is appropriate to make a supervisor referral to the
EAP, if necessary, based upon the effect on the work environment, and
who knows, you may save a life doing so. |
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I called my
employee “narcissistic” in a corrective letter because it describes the
behavior that I and others witness. I think this word is not
diagnostic, just descriptive. Am I wrong? Will it cause problems in my
documentation? |
There are many
health-related terms that have found their way into everyday language.
It is easy to forget that these words usually imply diagnostic
labeling. They fail to sufficiently describe behavior, and therefore
are inappropriate for documentation. They can undermine administrative
or disciplinary actions. Words like antisocial, neurotic, or
depressive, for example, may be familiar terms used in conversations
with others, but they will interfere with your goal of correcting
performance. They may also invoke considerations under the Americans
with Disabilities Act. Senior management is likely to reject your
documentation if it includes this type of language. This will leave you
frustrated. If your employee inflates his or her accomplishments, or
fails to consider the needs of others, devalues others’ contributions,
or is often inappropriate and boastful, then say so. Support statements
like these with examples. When you find yourself making a judgment
about an employee’s behavior, say to yourself, “By this I mean
_______.” This will reduce your tendency to use labels, and instead
discover clearer descriptive terms for what you have seen, heard, or
witnessed. |
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My employee holds
a key public safety position, and I received a report from a co-worker
that he is not cooperating with the EAP’s recommendations since his
formal referral. My last report from the EAP is good, so should I
ignore this hearsay information? |
Your first
consideration
is the safety of
others, so approach this issue from that standpoint. Start by asking
your employee in a follow-up meeting if he is still cooperating with the
EAP’s recommendations. This isn’t a personal discussion of his issues.
It is a business matter related to the agreement you have with him. Let
your supervisor be aware of what has been reported. Also, let the EAP
know what has been reported. The EAP will likely take some extra steps
to follow up in a way that further verifies cooperation. Your question
is a good one because it requires some deliberation about how to respond
to hearsay information. Some supervisors might presume hastily that
such a report can be dismissed outright, but the safety issues require
that it be handled in a different way. |
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Should I pay
attention to my hunches and “gut feelings” that tell me my employee is
using drugs on the job? There are no signs or symptoms, but he acts
like he is proud that he is getting away with something. It’s
unsettling. Perhaps my dislike of him is my problem. |
It’s not unusual
to periodically
have suspicions
about employees you supervise. Nearly all supervisors experience
hunches or worries about the ulterior motives of employees from time to
time. If consistent and ongoing, you could use some confidential
discussion about them. Don’t dismiss them yet, but meet with the EAP.
Several outcomes could emerge from such a meeting. These could include
gaining clarity on what is bothersome or perhaps valid about your
concerns. You may even discover signs and symptoms you have overlooked
that could be documented and acted upon later. You could also learn
more about yourself, and how and why you respond to your employee in the
way you do. The EAP will help you consider changes in your supervision
style or perspective could improve this relationship. |
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