Pages missing from the Boss Manual.
Jan. 15th, 2011 08:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusMy boss is missing a few pages from the Boss Manual. There's a section under Sick/Injured Employees (page 22):
Employee: "I can't come in today."
Boss, recommended action --
Step one: express concern for the employee (fake it). "Oh dear, I hope you're okay."
Step two: segue into finding out the seriousness of the employee's condition (ask for details because employees do lie) and see if they can come in.
Step three: if employee appears reticent and their condition does not seem serious, express your need for them.
Step four: if they employee still can't come, tell them how much they'll be missed. (Yes, guilt works.)
Step five: if the employee still can't come, ask if there are any specific responsibilities that need to be taken care of in their absence. Many employees are more than happy to arrange their responsibilities, saving you the trouble. Then you don't have to a) find out what they are, and b) work out how to handle them yourself. The employee knows his/her job best.
What not to do --
Do not yell at the employee. Then they won't care if they've inconvenienced you. You've handed them justification.
Do not assume you know what the employee's condition is before you've asked (very embarrassing if you order them to work due to sleeping in, only to discover that they've been in a car accident).
Especially do not yell at the employee before you've asked what the employee's condition is. Said car accident becomes doubly embarrassing.
Do not try to make your problems the employee's problem. "What do I do to cover your [X] duties?!" makes you sound inept. In fact, it is the manager's responsibility to handle employee emergencies and sick time. This is why managers are paid more than employees. Your employees know this.
So if you have an hourly employee who has not come in, or who has called in sick: breathe. Put on your best phony smile. And remember that you get benefits, and they don't.
This message is brought to you by an employee who fell down a flight of stairs, and had her manager do everything wrong this morning. Which she has done both times I've been sick the last 15 months. I've left out her phone call waking up my mother (I don't live at my mother's and my boss knows this) and her showing up at my door this evening, letting out my indoor cats as I sagged to floor in pain after trying to chase them down, because that was a one of a kind experience.
Employee: "I can't come in today."
Boss, recommended action --
Step one: express concern for the employee (fake it). "Oh dear, I hope you're okay."
Step two: segue into finding out the seriousness of the employee's condition (ask for details because employees do lie) and see if they can come in.
Step three: if employee appears reticent and their condition does not seem serious, express your need for them.
Step four: if they employee still can't come, tell them how much they'll be missed. (Yes, guilt works.)
Step five: if the employee still can't come, ask if there are any specific responsibilities that need to be taken care of in their absence. Many employees are more than happy to arrange their responsibilities, saving you the trouble. Then you don't have to a) find out what they are, and b) work out how to handle them yourself. The employee knows his/her job best.
What not to do --
Do not yell at the employee. Then they won't care if they've inconvenienced you. You've handed them justification.
Do not assume you know what the employee's condition is before you've asked (very embarrassing if you order them to work due to sleeping in, only to discover that they've been in a car accident).
Especially do not yell at the employee before you've asked what the employee's condition is. Said car accident becomes doubly embarrassing.
Do not try to make your problems the employee's problem. "What do I do to cover your [X] duties?!" makes you sound inept. In fact, it is the manager's responsibility to handle employee emergencies and sick time. This is why managers are paid more than employees. Your employees know this.
So if you have an hourly employee who has not come in, or who has called in sick: breathe. Put on your best phony smile. And remember that you get benefits, and they don't.
This message is brought to you by an employee who fell down a flight of stairs, and had her manager do everything wrong this morning. Which she has done both times I've been sick the last 15 months. I've left out her phone call waking up my mother (I don't live at my mother's and my boss knows this) and her showing up at my door this evening, letting out my indoor cats as I sagged to floor in pain after trying to chase them down, because that was a one of a kind experience.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 03:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 03:25 am (UTC)Letting the cats out was just icing on the cake.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 03:39 am (UTC)How are you and the cats doing? She did at bare minimum round them up for you?
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 04:43 am (UTC)My boss did try, but she seemed too startled and confused to be all that effective.
My mom's of the opinion that they were trying to get her to leave. I agree.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 03:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 04:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 08:23 am (UTC)Sorry you got treated badly AND that you got hurt. Hope you feel better ASAP.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-18 05:40 am (UTC)