Frivolous Documentation

shackmorris

I need help discerning if documentation requested by a supervisor to be put in an employee's file is frivolous. We have a particular manager who cc's almost all of her emails to her staff to HR. This supervisor has a reputation for sending so many emails that her staff complains they cannot get their work done for answering all of the emails. Most of the documentation is only her side of the story but she claims is proof that they are not doing their job. I've heard at several seminars that frivolous documentation can be just as harmful as not enough documentation. The best I can say is she does apply it to all of her staff. Since the start of writing this post I have already been cc'd on six of this supervisor's emails. We have four other supervisors in her position that do not practice this. Needless to say, this particular supervisor has about quadruple the turnover of her peers. This has been brought to her superior's(president) attention several times with no results. HR has suggested sending her to management training courses but was told that this is her way of doing business. We've also suggested she provide more training to her employees since she can best tell which areas her staff is lacking. Any suggestions and guidance would be helpful.

AnneHa

This sounds like a supervisor who likes to carp but not provide effective input to help her employees.

I would not place any of the emails in the personnel file unless they were attached to a written warning. The written warning would have to include documentation of a formal verbal warning (clearly stated as such)before going anywhere else with it. Tell her you will discard any emails you receive without other documenation.

I do hope you have a discipline policy in effect.

mbeam

A couple thoughts on this - what is listed on her performance review as to objectives - would look to add retention to the list and compare hers to the company average with the expectation that she improve to the average this year and to the rest of her fellow managers for the next.

What if you start copying the company president on all the e-mails you receive so he/she gets a flavor for how distracting/non-productive this is making the team?

Lastly, would echo the sentiments of the other person who responded - when we updated our company personnel files, I tossed all e-mails that didn't include the signature of the person who they were written about. We no longer allow this to happen. The way I explain it to our supervisors was "how would you like it if we did this to you without your knowledge?" Not to mention that it wouldn't hold much credence in court.

gillian2

You are correct - this type of documentation makes a supervisor look like they are just out to do a job on the employees. If a lawsuit were to take place, it would harm the company.

shackmorris

Thank you for the suggestions. I informed the manager that HR will not include emails in ee's files unless they are written or verbal counselings.

Concidentally, this manager has just given notice and asked to see her personnel file before leaving the company to make sure there isn't something in her file she was unaware of. Isn't this ironic?

Thanks again for your suggestions.