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Employment Today™


"STEALING EMPLOYEE TRIES TO ONE-UP EMPLOYER, TWICE!"

Dear Kathryn:

I've got the craziest employees anyone's ever had the bad luck of employing. Here's the latest.

I fired an employee as he was caught stealing office supplies and using company accounts to re-stock his at-home office supplies. He's been gone for two weeks and has now filed a claim with the Labor Department. He's claiming we're keeping him from getting a job because we chose to fire him! The letter we received from the Labor Department outlines his claim of "defamation" as he's having to tell potential employers he was fired and the cause and the result is, he's been forced by us to give himself a bad name!

Here the rat steals and has the gall to put it on us that we are giving him a bad reputation when we told no one about his thievery!

How can we be brought up on charges by the Labor Board or anyone else when all we did was rid ourselves of this rotten employee?!

PETER R., Rockville, CT

Dear Peter:

Remember the old saying : "There's many out who should be in and many in who should be out!"

With people always hearing "sue", your money-hungry employee decided the imagined injustice he experienced, (all due to his own making, he forgot), could be worth a buck or two.

You are not alone in your experience as there have been many cases claiming "self-defamation." The good news is that a CT State Supreme Court decision states that cases of "self-defamation" to be hogwash and not ones to hold up in court. Have your labor attorney, savvy to this recent decision, respond to this irresponsible claim.

Dear Kathryn:

Since when did employer take on the role of financier, family counselor, credit agency and now babysitter?! It's bad enough to deal with the petty issues they bring into the work environment, but I'm not putting up with their kids.

Snow season brings the normal tardiness and moms staying home with sick kids. This year every flurry caused the schools to close. Employees call me saying that they've no other outlet for their kids and drop the bomb in my lap, "so what would you like me to do?" What I'd like them to do is to figure out how to be here daily without interruption and to have a backup plan for their kids' snow days!

I'm stuck either telling them to stay home or allow them to have the kids come in to the office. The first solution is impossible as we're short staffed to begin with. Bringing the children to the office allows for about a 50% efficiency rate.

I've asked candidates in interviews about child care arrangements and they always assure me they've "got it under control." The first snow day proves differently.

I can't add to staff right now and can't run a company with having half staff absent due to their own sickness, their kids or dragging their kids into the office. HELP with this major problem that's causing me major upheaval.

SUE R., Middletown, CT

Dear Sue:

Here are a couple of things you can do to help with your attendance and production problems. Know, however, that nothing is going to alleviate it entirely unless you hire robots with no kids.

It's critical you set the ground rules from the beginning and that means before employing them.

First, in your interviews, specifically state that a key requirement for employment is an excellent attendance and punctuality record. Impress the employee that a tardiness and attendance issue is unacceptable due to the size and busyness of the office. Tell them that other very good employees have been terminated due to an inability to adhere to this policy. By emphasizing this as a vital issue for employment and success in your company and specifically asking as to whether they have any conflicts in complying with this requirement sets up the employment relationship in the direction you require.

Next, tie their compensation to their attendance. No paid sick or personal days for the first six months of employment. Thereafter, keep them minimal, dock the employees for days not worked and instead increase their vacation time. Note in your employment policy that vacation days are considered such only when planned and approved in advance. This will allow for the employee to enjoy some decent time off but will limit it to what you've approved and planned for.

Last, pay half time for every allotted sick/personal day not taken at year end coupled with a little something extra for perfect attendance. I know of one employer that rewards a year of perfect attendance with a trip to Aruba for two!! The motivation of an extra bonus for great attendance is a strong pull for those that entered into the relationship knowing attendance and punctuality is a hot button for you. Institute this now and while you may experience some flak and turnover initially, the core team you'll develop will be on your page.

Good luck.

Dear Kathryn:

I took this inside sales job and a pay slash as my home life required me to limit the travel my outside sales job required. My kids were becoming delinquents, my marriage had fallen apart and I figured that conventions and overnight sales calls weren't helping my attitude toward family life.

Today, my boss adds to my already screwed up life by telling me I'll be attending the next four conventions as a rep during the next three months. This would require three overnights in each case. In addition, he indicated I'd be doing a few client calls monthly which will entail overnights. I told him this is impossible and I had specifically accepted this job because it didn't have travel.

His answer-be flexible, and represent the company at the conventions as I'm the only trained sales assistant that's available to attend. He indicated that if I didn't comply with the company directive, I could get a job elsewhere.

I can't afford health care insurance interruption or be out of a job right now. I'm being thrust into an impossible position and resent my job duties changing so radically given the fact I made clear my desire not to travel when hired. What are my choices?

SHERRIE P., Bridgeport, CT

Dear Sherrie:

Here are a couple of things you can do to help with your attendance and production problems. Know, however, that nothing is going to alleviate it entirely unless you hire robots with no kids.

It's critical you set the ground rules from the beginning and that means before employing them.

First, in your interviews, specifically state that a key requirement for employment is an excellent attendance and punctuality record. Impress the employee that a tardiness and attendance issue is unacceptable due to the size and busyness of the office. Tell them that other very good employees have been terminated due to an inability to adhere to this policy. By emphasizing this as a vital issue for employment and success in your company and specifically asking as to whether they have any conflicts in complying with this requirement sets up the employment relationship in the direction you require.

Next, tie their compensation to their attendance. No paid sick or personal days for the first six months of employment. Thereafter, keep them minimal, dock the employees for days not worked and instead increase their vacation time. Note in your employment policy that vacation days are considered such only when planned and approved in advance. This will allow for the employee to enjoy some decent time off but will limit it to what you've approved and planned for.

Last, pay half time for every allotted sick/personal day not taken at year end coupled with a little something extra for perfect attendance. I know of one employer that rewards a year of perfect attendance with a trip to Aruba for two!! The motivation of an extra bonus for great attendance is a strong pull for those that entered into the relationship knowing attendance and punctuality is a hot button for you. Institute this now and while you may experience some flak and turnover initially, the core team you'll develop will be on your page.

Good luck.