Lunch Breaks,O/T, Etc

HR Pam FL

Okay I have a problem that needs to be taken care of right away and I need some input from you all.

I have received numerous complaints about a department not taking their lunch times when everyone else does or gets spoken to about it. So this department gets to leave early because their time is in before normal. Plus they manage to get overtime from this deal also by coming in too early and no lunches.(However they do eat most of the time)

The only problem their boss signs off on it and approves the missed lunches and overtime. He is pretty high up in the company. Not only is this unfair to the others it is an abuse of the system.Without offending him completely how would you suggest I get his attention to the problem?

Any Suggestions?????

SMace

It sounds like you have a manager that is allowing his ee's some flexibility. I like that. The problem that you have, though, is that everyone else is rigid and wants the flexible supervisor to do the same as them. How productive is his department? Is it more productive than the rigid one's? If you don't know, you should find out before you go down the "conform to rigidness road". HR should support decisions that improve and maintain productivity. Not doing that is the reason some HR folks have no credibility in the "real" world.

If you want to have everyone do it the same way, you should talk to the supervisor and tell him how it is affecting the other departments. Then ask him for suggestions on how to deal with it. He sounds like he cares about people, so he should respond to that angle. Enough rambling, I'm done.

pork1

HR pam FL: Welcome to the forum. Your post does not identify any action which breaks the law. The ees who are eating lunch and get through early, may be considered to be abused by the company for allowing the ees to work without a meal break. However, if they are paid for their breaks and lunch period, so be it. I for one got out of the business of policing the time elements within all companies in which I have worked as the HR. Department managers and senior leaders are the ones responsible for the execution of operational situations. The department heads manage their department, they give us the time to pay and all personnel status changes which we execute without fail, that is our job. If there are complaints in other departments about how one department is managed, I refer the complaint to the individual's department manager for resolution.

If there is serious violation of company policy I will take it to my boss for his action and guidance. I suggest you attempt to do the same. I would not confront the other department manager.

PORK

Rockie

Generally, I agree with Pork. If you become the "time police" all your time is going to be taken up with these type issues. This is one reason you hire supervisors and managers - to manage their employees. If you have no policy regarding lunch hours and leaving early or staying late, then it's pretty much up to the supervisor to run their own departments. (As long as they don't break the law).

When we were smaller, we tried the "one size fits all" philosophy, but this doesn't fly any longer in this society or in our particular workplace.

E Wart

YOur responsibility in this is to make sure no laws or company policies are "broken". I don't know if FL has any required "break time" like CA, CO, TN and others. You need to check this first. If so, you have a legal duty to talk with whomever is breaking this law. If not, does it break a company policy? If so, why is the company policy there and does this change in company policy cause any hardship? (In otherwords, is it time to change the policy.) I don't know what the department that leaves early does, but do they have to have folks there when the other people are there or does it cause any hardships for any one else int he company because they leave early? If not, sounds like this manager is being creative (either for himself or some of his employees) and hats off to him. It may be something other areas could offer. The only thing that may need to be pointed out is the cost of the overtime and is it absolutely necessary or could folks leave early and not hit the over 40 hours?
If other employees are griping, maybe they should transfer to this department or talk with their Manager about changing their times. Even go on some type of flex time or alternate work schedules if it might work.

E Wart

Whatever

This sounds like there is "jealousy" involved. A good manager has to be allowed a certain degree of flexibility. First of all, it is not my job to micromanage other departments (and I can guarantee, I don't want other manager telling me how to run mine). Unless there is a question of a violation, I would steer clear. Finally, if it ain't broke, why fix it.