How STUPID can some employees be??!?

LindaS

Let me begin by stating this is going to be one heck of a day!!

First I wake up this AM to find a message from our 2nd shift supervisor on my home answering machine. Since I didn't hear the call, I came in to work this AM to find out the supv. felt someone "put something" in her soda last night. She was instructed to take it to the polce station to be analyzed - haven't heard anything yet.

I'm here 15 minutes when I find out our union president (you may remember him from previous posts) was late this morning. Our flextime policy allows flexing once per week, with prior approval from the supv.. He flexed yesterday and did not talk to any management person about flexing again today. When he was asked why he was late, his reponse was, "I've got things going on". Based on our attendance policy, he will probably be terminated today!!

Then we have anothe EE who was instructed by myself, along with other management personnel, not to read magazines while his machine is running. The decision was made last week to give him an oral warning with written documentation. There is an area on the form for the employee to write their remarks. Well his remark was, "Linda should mind her own business, she can put this where the sun don't shine...". I'm thinking a 3-day suspension AT MINIMUM is required!!

Waiting for the Manufacturing Director to get here before any final decisions are made.

Some days...

MS HR

wow, talk about insubordination!!!!!
does your union contract provide for termination is such a case; if so, that's the route i would go.

Margaret Morford

I'm with the guy above - fire the third guy and pleeeeeeeeease tell us the expression on the hearing officer's face when you show him the warning that tells your supervisor to put the magazine "where the sun don't shine." I'd add a little icing on the cake about your concern about this man's hostile attitude and that not only is he insubordinate, but you have a concern about violence in the future. Do not miss this opportunity to send a message to the entire work force that this is not acceptable conduct. You can bet he's told everyone what he said and you'll gut the authority of everyone in management if you allow this man to continue working after doing that.

Let us know what happens

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

Balloonman

Linda I think the answer to your question is........very!!!!! Hey, look at it this way, you have a wonderful opportunity to eliminate 2 problems in one day :-D It is all in your perspective.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

LindaS

Update...

We FINALLY terminated the union president. Somehow he was actually amazed that we were going through with it. After he was escorted to his car he came back and demanded to talk to the president and the manufacturing director. Both obliged although neither reinstated him.

Now we start the grievance process but, hopefully, we have enough documentation to support the termination.

Next up, dealing with the employee with the attitude problem...

psrcello

Here's the situation I'm in the middle of right now ...

We went through a permanent reduction in workforce effective July 5, which put 38 mostly good, but low seniority, employees on the street.

The following week, on Thursday, three machine operators in one department suddenly got "sick" and had to leave work at 6:00 pm. As a result, we had to send four other employees home, without pay, since three machines weren't running.

They all called in "sick" again on Friday afternoon. At about 5:30 pm, several of our management employees spotted all three of the "sick" employees at the horseraces (they were about 4 hours into their assigned shift at that point). Again, we'd had to send home four other employees because the machines weren't running.

Turns out that the three employees had been bragging on the floor that they were planning to do this - they said that they were "entitled" to do it, because they still had room on their attendance "points" totals to take off from work just for the heck of it. Their fellow employees, who were busting their butts (can I say that on the Forum?) to get production out with a smaller workforce, were needless to say not amused.

We fired all three of the culprits last week for "interfering with production" - and they were totally dumbfounded! The union may fight this all the way to arbitration, but meanwhile, we've been able to call three other employees back off the RIF list, and production is going very well.

Don D

....."Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"

Pork

Terminate, Terminate, & Terminate There is no better relief when you rid the organization of bad apples and rotten Unions are defeated when the company can prove to the employees that you are truly their best representative for all phases of work. But I bet you Senior Leadership will not stand up to the task and do the right thing. Keep us posted this can get very interesting! PORK

ray a

My 2 cents.... termination all the way.