Entitlement Mentality
Parabeagle
3,085 Posts
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-05-04 AT 05:44PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Curious about your thoughts.
I have a receptionist (doesn't report to me) who has racked up 8 unscheduled absences between a half-day and a full-day in the month of September (all earned, paid time off). She has requested of her supervisor that she be given tomorrow off because she is "tired and needs some rest" (she also has a part-time job as a waitress at Hooters in the evenings).
Supervisor came to me and asked for advice on how to address the absenteeism issue with her in light of the fact she has the paid time off available to her. I suggested she point out to the receptionist the fact that she's had eight unscheduled absences/tardies and just had the whole day off last Thursday. Explain that when we didn't object to her taking on a second job, we expected this job to remain her number one priority. Explain to her that we are in a very busy time and that it impacts the jobs of the asst. controller, the office manager and HR when she's out because we have to make sure her duties get done (mail, phones, etc.)
Supervisor just told me that her chat with the receptionist didn't go well. The receptionist feels that if she has the time available she should be able to take it whenever she wants it. Supervisor asks me if she can deny the request. I tell her yes she can, if we're too busy to afford having her gone.
What is it with this entitlement mentality? Am I out-of-date here and "if-I-have-it-I-can-take-it-whenever-I-want-it" is the new working reality?
Thanks for letting me vent. And if I'm all wet, I'm sure you guys'll let me know. x:-)
EDIT: It occurred to me I'd better fill in the blanks in this situation:
1. Yes, she does have sufficient vacation time available to her.
2. Yes, we have a moonlighting policy that states if an employee takes a second job and that job begins to affect their performance here we will address the issue.
3. Yes, our time off policies specifically require supervisory approval "which may be approved or denied by the supervisor depending upon work schedules or other considerations..."
I fully expect she will call in sick tomorrow and then we will have to deal with that issue.
This would be a great job if it wasn't for the employees... x;-)
I have a receptionist (doesn't report to me) who has racked up 8 unscheduled absences between a half-day and a full-day in the month of September (all earned, paid time off). She has requested of her supervisor that she be given tomorrow off because she is "tired and needs some rest" (she also has a part-time job as a waitress at Hooters in the evenings).
Supervisor came to me and asked for advice on how to address the absenteeism issue with her in light of the fact she has the paid time off available to her. I suggested she point out to the receptionist the fact that she's had eight unscheduled absences/tardies and just had the whole day off last Thursday. Explain that when we didn't object to her taking on a second job, we expected this job to remain her number one priority. Explain to her that we are in a very busy time and that it impacts the jobs of the asst. controller, the office manager and HR when she's out because we have to make sure her duties get done (mail, phones, etc.)
Supervisor just told me that her chat with the receptionist didn't go well. The receptionist feels that if she has the time available she should be able to take it whenever she wants it. Supervisor asks me if she can deny the request. I tell her yes she can, if we're too busy to afford having her gone.
What is it with this entitlement mentality? Am I out-of-date here and "if-I-have-it-I-can-take-it-whenever-I-want-it" is the new working reality?
Thanks for letting me vent. And if I'm all wet, I'm sure you guys'll let me know. x:-)
EDIT: It occurred to me I'd better fill in the blanks in this situation:
1. Yes, she does have sufficient vacation time available to her.
2. Yes, we have a moonlighting policy that states if an employee takes a second job and that job begins to affect their performance here we will address the issue.
3. Yes, our time off policies specifically require supervisory approval "which may be approved or denied by the supervisor depending upon work schedules or other considerations..."
I fully expect she will call in sick tomorrow and then we will have to deal with that issue.
This would be a great job if it wasn't for the employees... x;-)
Comments
Linda Emser
On the other hand, it does sound like she might have other socially redeeming qualities. Hmmm.
It is the same with employees feeling entitled as it is with beneficiaries of some of our social programs feeling entitled. We, collectively or individually have taught that feeling by our systems of rewards and giving them what they want.
Employment situations that encourage or allow loose policy enforcement, lax structure and minimal responsibility to the organization foster an entitlement mentality. We teach people to feel entitled. It's cultural. I would encourage you to examine your culture to see if that is not what has occurred. If it is not the case, someone needs to have a 'come to Jesus meeting' with the Hooters Gal. Here's a good approach: "Watch my lips. NO"
Why didn't I think of a 'come to Jesus meeting"? Don can put things so succintly!
>What is it with this entitlement mentality? Am
>I out-of-date here and
>"if-I-have-it-I-can-take-it-whenever-I-want-it"
>is the new working reality?
I've done newsletter articles and I give the speech to all new employees on the accumulation of time off and absenteeism; for all the good it does. If you can't get your managers to see it as a benefit and not an entitlement, you'll never get staff to see it that way. Scheduled time off should only be approved if it's requested in advance and does not conflict with a business need. Sick time is nothing more than income protection insurance, NOT an entitlement to time off with pay. Accumulation of sick time has nothing to do with the number of absences in an absence policy and accumulation of PTO is not a guarantee the the employee get's it when she wants to take it. It may be a fruitless, uphill battle if your managers don't get it either.
We had one guy scheduling 4-5 appointments off a month, I put a stop to it. He had already used up his FMLA plus two weeks. He eventually was fired for other reasons.
Just clamp down and tell her, these things are not going to be approved until she deomonstrates that she can be there consistently. To tired.....geez.....I think I would have stayed home if I thought that was a legit reason.....:-)
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman
(Taking family to Disney World can'w wait)
My $0.02 worth,
DJ THE Balloonman
MY $0.02 worth,
DJ The Balloonman
Of course, they all (servers and bartenders) report 100% of their earnings so the fact that much of these earnings is in cash and the income tax situation can be under reported would not come into the picture.8-|
I share this because she may now be making enough money at Hooters to consider that her primary job.
All of that said, we are fairly lax with administering our time off policies. Lots of moms work here and they seem to bear the brunt of staying home with sick kids. We are a "family friendly" work place and bend over backwards in this area. Most of the work force uses the sick time as needed, but many abuse the situation just as you describe. Trying to discipline one EE for doing the same things that another gets away with is a no-win situation.
Our philosophy centers on job performance, which will suffer when an EE abuses the time off policies. These terminations are harder to argue with, but take longer to get to.
The ees knowing that we are busy are using that as a tactic to get more money and for us to bend over. I am LIVID. Because it has taken me a LONG time to get this review process to a managable state and now this will set it back to the ees demanding or else scenario.
Sorry just venting.
Lisa
Anyway..on the 5th unexcused absence, they are charged a penalty PTO day. This has cut down on the abuse of unscheduled.
Just because an employee has PTO does not mean they can take it when they please. It has to be worked into the schedule of the department and around other folks who may also have PTO they would like to take.
We have an employee who has been with us less than 3 months and has probably taken four or five unscheduled (sick) days and they all just happen to fall on a Monday. Supervisor has cautioned him one time about this. I told her the next time it happens to tell him if it happens again, he will be shown the door. (I would have advised him of this when I talked with him the first time).