Comments on: Why You Should Never do an Employee a Favor http://dontstepinthepoop.com/never-do-an-employee-a-favor How to Avoid Screwing up Your Life and Career Thu, 17 May 2012 02:54:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Richard Groff http://dontstepinthepoop.com/never-do-an-employee-a-favor/comment-page-1#comment-1294 Richard Groff Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:24:00 +0000 http://dontstepinthepoop.com/?p=390#comment-1294 Ok, but time off is part of one's overall compensation package as a full time employee. I have seen this both as an employee and as a manager and supervisor. When I took over a department for a large law firm in NYC, I sat in on a meeting with the Head of HR and asked "what is the company policy regarding scheduled and unscheduled absences?" You know what? They didn't have a set policy. Why? Because they wanted to pretend you should be happily willing to not use part of your compensation and if they fail to outline your responsibilities, you will (out of fear, of course) err on the side of "prudence" (i.e., just be bullied into not calling out). If an employee's review is to be negatively impacted by taking half of their allotted time off as unscheduled, then I want them to know that up-front. If they don't get any un-scheduled paid days off, then they should know the penalty of taking them. If, on the other hand, you are receiving excuses for why someone is out, it is most likely because you have not clearly outlined company policy with regard to time and attendance. I'm sorry, but it isn't any of your damn business why someone calls out unless it is policy to produce a doctor's note for even a single unscheduled absence. If I call out, I'm just "taking and unscheduled day" and make no further explanations. The reasons are personal, no matter what they are. We have labor laws that govern paid time off and the reasonable use of temporary employees (and cost benefit of their use) who do not get compensated for time off. Show me a company that is overtly impacted by time and attendance and I'll show you where ineffective managers are inadequately analysing their resources. I'm sorry to break this to you, but there isn't any time machines to take you back to the 1910's and you don't owe them "a favor," you owe them a clear outline of the complany's time and attendance policy. I might also recommend that you ensure your policy is consistent with the labor laws of your state. You may not like it because you might actually have to do your job as a manager, but then again, they might be hiring in some third-world shit-hole where governments are more "agreeable" to "private enterprise." I'm just glad I don't work for you. Ok, but time off is part of one’s overall compensation package as a full time employee. I have seen this both as an employee and as a manager and supervisor. When I took over a department for a large law firm in NYC, I sat in on a meeting with the Head of HR and asked “what is the company policy regarding scheduled and unscheduled absences?” You know what? They didn’t have a set policy. Why? Because they wanted to pretend you should be happily willing to not use part of your compensation and if they fail to outline your responsibilities, you will (out of fear, of course) err on the side of “prudence” (i.e., just be bullied into not calling out). If an employee’s review is to be negatively impacted by taking half of their allotted time off as unscheduled, then I want them to know that up-front. If they don’t get any un-scheduled paid days off, then they should know the penalty of taking them. If, on the other hand, you are receiving excuses for why someone is out, it is most likely because you have not clearly outlined company policy with regard to time and attendance. I’m sorry, but it isn’t any of your damn business why someone calls out unless it is policy to produce a doctor’s note for even a single unscheduled absence. If I call out, I’m just “taking and unscheduled day” and make no further explanations. The reasons are personal, no matter what they are. We have labor laws that govern paid time off and the reasonable use of temporary employees (and cost benefit of their use) who do not get compensated for time off.

Show me a company that is overtly impacted by time and attendance and I’ll show you where ineffective managers are inadequately analysing their resources. I’m sorry to break this to you, but there isn’t any time machines to take you back to the 1910′s and you don’t owe them “a favor,” you owe them a clear outline of the complany’s time and attendance policy. I might also recommend that you ensure your policy is consistent with the labor laws of your state. You may not like it because you might actually have to do your job as a manager, but then again, they might be hiring in some third-world shit-hole where governments are more “agreeable” to “private enterprise.” I’m just glad I don’t work for you.

]]> By: Anonymous http://dontstepinthepoop.com/never-do-an-employee-a-favor/comment-page-1#comment-1184 Anonymous Sun, 05 Dec 2010 10:58:00 +0000 http://dontstepinthepoop.com/?p=390#comment-1184 An interesting article. Thanks for sharing. You can send me a message through the form on my about page and I will get your email. the form is popular with my hate mailers. I don't post my email address because of spammers. Or you can follow me on Twitter and send direct messages. Either way, I'm pretty easy to get a hold of. An interesting article. Thanks for sharing. You can send me a message through the form on my about page and I will get your email. the form is popular with my hate mailers. I don’t post my email address because of spammers. Or you can follow me on Twitter and send direct messages. Either way, I’m pretty easy to get a hold of.

]]> By: Deborah Cory http://dontstepinthepoop.com/never-do-an-employee-a-favor/comment-page-1#comment-1183 Deborah Cory Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:48:00 +0000 http://dontstepinthepoop.com/?p=390#comment-1183 Hi Carlon, Thought you might be interested in an article about businesses that are having executives get "help" for their positive well-being. Here is the link http://www.economist.com/node/16536912 By the way is there another way to send you messages? Hi Carlon,

Thought you might be interested in an article about businesses that are having executives get “help” for their positive well-being. Here is the link
http://www.economist.com/node/16536912
By the way is there another way to send you messages?

]]> By: Carlon Haas http://dontstepinthepoop.com/never-do-an-employee-a-favor/comment-page-1#comment-165 Carlon Haas Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:47:42 +0000 http://dontstepinthepoop.com/?p=390#comment-165 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">Why You Should never do an employee a favor http://ow.ly/194bl</span></span> Why You Should never do an employee a favor http://ow.ly/194bl

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