Performance Problems

Miss C · October 2003

We have an over-40 white female who has worked at our organization for 5-1/2 years. Has always received "solid performer" or better ratings and from 2.8% to 6.8% increases. Last review was 7/2/03 and she received 1 "needs further improvement" and the others were either "exceptional performer" or "solid performer" together with the 2.8% increase. Now we're told she's just not working out in the position and HR must do something about it. We are a religious nonprofit organization and most of our managers are former pastors who don't like doing reviews and feel they must be evangelical and not say anything bad. How do we address this problem and give the employee a chance to improve. Anyone with some type of form to work with?

Balloonman · October 2003

lol, tell them unless they can get spine a do their job, fair and honestly evaluate her performance, they are stuck with her. Or you can tell them to pray for her that she will improve!!!!
If they can't do that they have to live with the problem................
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman
Performing tonight at the free concert at Leawood Town Center.

Miss C · October 2003

Thanks for your $.02 worth. The individuals this person serves are the top leaders in our organization and committees that come in periodically. Think some of the problems come from extremely poor health this employee suffers from. If I had an opening in a lesser responsible position I could encourage her to post. No such luck. Would like to develop some sort of performance improvement plan. Any ideas how to start?

Miss C

mwild31 · October 2003

Hi Miss C - are you the HR manager or an office manager? I'd like to know so I can phrase my response appropriately. Thanks!

Miss C · October 2003

Hi--

I'm just the HR Generalist. No Office Managers at this place!

rad · October 2003

I can't believe they'd want to can this employee for a recent down turn in performance. The managers have to give you specifics on what the problem in performance is. Meet with her. Ask how everything is going. There could be a number of things that have caused her performance to slide. Sometimes employees just need a nudge. Address the performance issues and draw up a performance imnprovement plan and review said plan with very detailed expectations on performance and ramifications of what happens if they are not met.

Miss C · October 2003

Thanks for confirming what we were thinking all along. Have met with employee and she feels she is doing everything fine. However, she has been very ill the last couple of years and I feel this may be playing into the performance problems too. I can tell she's a bundle of nerves and concerned about losing her job. As I realize no assistance will be forthcoming from the people she works with, that leaves the problem back on HR's back. Where do I start with a performance improvement plan? Any suggestions?

If we had another position open that she might be interested in, I would suggest she post for that. However, that is not the case!

Miss C

rad · October 2003

We have very complicated performance management plans but if I were in your shoes without any such resources, I would compare the goals with the actual performance and identify your gap. From there you can work with her to set forth reasonable improvement goals, be sure to identify behaviors as well as set a reasonable - to both of you- time limit. Once you are both in agreement - you'll have to get the supervisor on board with this - you'll have your performance plan. Plan for a "temperature check" in xx months to see how things are going and at the end of the alloted time do a formal evaluation to see if the goals were met. In the interim, is there such thing as an EAP in a religious environment? If her illness is affecting her performance, she should really talk to someone about that. If she is sick, the last thing she needs to worry about is losing her job if it can be avoided without comprimising your organization. I think she atleast deserves a chance. As far as positions she is interested in, her interest may grow if she is faced with that new job as opposed to no job.

Miss C · October 2003

Thanks, will consider your suggestions. We have no EAP here. We have about 160 total ees. I think she trusts me and has confidence in me. I will meet with her initially. Work up a performance plan with her and then meet with her supervisor. I really appreciate all your help and will use your suggestions.

Miss C

SMace · October 2003

Sit down with her supervisor and discuss why they want her fired. That will guide your performance plan. Supervisors should be the one's to determine the improvement plan not HR. HR's job is to make sure it is not discriminatory and follows the organizations policies and procedures. Good luck.

rad · October 2003

SMace, you are so right about the supervisor's role, I mulled that very fact around for a while...In my company(which is HUGE)HR is responsible for developing the performance plan "templates" which everyone must use and the supervisor implements with their employees depending upon their needs (with HRs help when they need it). Sometimes it is hard for me to bring my thinking down to a smaller scale. This supervisor seems to not give a hoot.

Miss C · October 2003

Thanks. Supervisor is seldom here, but will try to track him down when he is. Maybe if he becomes frustrated enough, he'll take some time.

Miss C

Don D · October 2003

Managers are managers and supervisors are supervisors. Their being in an "evangelical environment" should not (cannot) give them any sort of special dispensation (a Catholic concept) from following the normal paths of evaluating, disciplining, coaching, mentoring and salvaging employees.

If your experience includes HR work in other types of settings, think of your HR role in those terms, not solely in terms of the environment in which you work. Seems she has 'slipped from grace' in the eyes of some person.

Miss C · October 2003

Thanks for your reply. I have worked in HR for 10 years in a banking situation, but never have run into a situation where things have dragged out so long. To make matters worse, this employee has numerous medical problems (which may be a reason for the quality of her work declining). This employee works for the top leader in the organization as well as policy-making committees. In all fairness I would like to set up a performance improvement plan and work with her on this (I believe this is the supervisor's job; however, it isn't likely to get done that way). I've never had to develop such an improvement plan. Where do I start?

Miss C

Pork · October 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-09-03 AT 11:33AM (CST)[/font][p]MISS C: Welcome on board the forum. PRECEDENT, PRERCEDENT, PRECEDENT & FOLLOW YOUR ORGANIZATION'S published disclipinary procedures in your employee handbook is my suggestion. Precedent has been set and actual written documents are the facts that support the ee's defense of a "personality conflict with her current supervisor". I would circle back to her supervisor/manager and show him/her the history of the ee's past record given he still disagrees with the historical record of her abilities, then I would make arrangements or have discussions with his/her boss and seek a transfer of this ee.

If we truly do have a difference in her work performance, a new fresh start with counselling and an understanding of performance issues that have been raised that must be corrected is in order.

With this move, there needs to be an action plan with goals and specific behavioral expectations written, discussed in detail with her new supervisor/manager, and "sunset" dates for observation of each specific behavior change expected. With this plan must be a notice of consequence for the failure to change each specific behavior that has shown a downturn in performance. All of this must be signed and dated by the ee/supervisor/manager/witnessed by a third party. There should be no doubt in any one's mind as to "who is in charge of demonstrated quality specific behavior"! It is the ee and any backsliding by the ee against the plan will cause the demize of the ee's future by the ee and not the superviosr/manager.

Additionally, I would encourge the new supervisor/manager to use his/her talent for counselling and jump on every opportunity to compliment the slightest positive change and further enhancement of her previous positive behaviors that were not ever lost.

Hope this helps, PORK

WOW, everyone's jumping on board with this post from a new poster!

Miss C, you might wait to read several response posters before you respond to every one of them. Having read several responses including yours I now lean even harder on checking out the feelings and impressions from her supervisor/manager. You may have FMLA or an ADA situation facing you, which a performance action plan can help but the medical issues may be a greater concern for how your organization should proceed.

PORK

Miss C · October 2003

PORK

Thanks for your suggestions. I would love to move this ee to another position; however, with budget cuts we have also been holding back on hiring (and we have no open positions at this time). This ee also has numerous serious medical problems and is a bundle of nerves. I think she's also concerned about losing her job. We have no policy on progressive discipline at the current time nor did we ever have a case like this in the past that I can draw from precedent. This will be setting precedent. By the by, we are redoing our staff handbook and will be including progressive discipline in it.

I think we in HR will have to draw up some type of performance improvement plan for this ee and work with her on it. Her immediate supervisor is the top leader in this organization and gone most of the time so it's not a top priority of his. I'm sure he'll support anything we draw up. Now where do I start?

Miss C

mwild31 · October 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-09-03 AT 11:27AM (CST)[/font][p]Hi Miss C.

Okay - let's roll up our sleeves and get to work.

I would go first to my written review for inspiration. Typically, reviews contain topics such as accuracy, quantity of work, attendance, etc. Use these topics as the headings of your action plan. Like this:

Action Plan:

Knowledge
Quantity
Accuracy
Judgement
Innovation
Appearance & Habits
Orderliness
Courtesy
Cooperation
Initiative
Reliability
Perserverance
Stability
Attendance
Alertness

Now, under each of these headings (and by all means you don't have to use all of them - just the ones that apply), include specific statements you would like to see her improve on. For example, Under Knowledge, (employee name), your knowlege of the job is limited in these areas: (enter areas). During the next (enter time frame), you will be required to increase your knowledge in these areas. The company offers tuition assistance, HR has training materials, etc. to assist you in your efforts, but you will have to do the work. (Or something to this affect).

Finally, I'm concerned about the posts in which her medical condition & her being a bundle of nerves keeps reappearing in the posts. Unless this person is on FMLA, covered under the ADA, somehow under a doctor's care & your aware of it, etc. this over concern about her physical/mental condition really needs to be relegated to 'concern for a fellow human being' and not showing up in her performance plan - and if she is covered by FMLA or ADA - it definitely shouldn't be showing up! Here's my bottom-line on this issue: If her manager is so out of touch with her & how to get the performance he/she requires, they shouldn't be a manager - period. If they are expecting HR to do it all, then you should bring this manager in & explain that you folks are not just paper-pushing administrative types - you are strategic partners in the company & a plan of action needs to be developed whereby HR and this manager are working hand in hand to ensure performance expectations are met. Otherwise, after all the paperwork is accomplished - you'll be back to square one - do we let her go or not - within short order. Good luck to you.

marc · October 2003

I may have missed this in the posts above, but have you considered the FMLA impact on this situation? You have mentioned medical issues several times, but no mention as to FMLA status. You may need to add this to your list of things to consider. Like some of the others, I have a difficult time understanding how HR alone can address the performance issues and come up with a reasonable development plan in the absence of the supervisors involvement. It seems obvious that the ee is aware of some of the issues if she is concerned about losing her job. If her performance is at issue, would moving to another job just be avoiding the problems? That does not sound like a good choice. Face the performance issues straight on and deal with them openly and honestly, otherwise you will likely deal with bigger issues later.

Good luck.

Performance Problems

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