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lax hours for timesheet employee
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lax hours for timesheet employee
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Our quite talented graphic designer seems to be have trouble coming in on time. His manager has been trying to work with him on this. She'll keep track and show him, he agrees, says he'll try harder,
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Forums » Topic Forums » General Forum » lax hours for timesheet employee
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lax hours for timesheet employee
posted at 6/7/2011 7:38 AM EDT
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Posts: 28
First: 2/21/2007 Last: 6/9/2011 |
Our quite talented graphic designer seems to be have trouble coming in on time. His manager has been trying to work with him on this. She'll keep track and show him, he agrees, says he'll try harder, and does for awhile, but then slips back. One excuse is that he has to get his son to school, something his manager also has to do, yet she's able to make it in on time. The manager gets frustrated, but doesn't want to keep griping at him over the same issue over and over again. One solution was that he would come in later, and leave later. But she leaves after him, and has heard that he sometimes doesn't stay the full time. (though I think he usually does.) Plus, even with a later arrival time, he still shows up late. It's frustrating.
We don't want to release him, he does good work, and is generally very likeable. Does anyone have any out-of-the-box solutions to this dilemma? He's on a time sheet, takes an hour lunch (which he's entitled to). I know this sounds obvious, but we don't want to keep harping on him. And we also don't want this situation to create a hostile work environment or create a negative attitude within the team. |
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lax hours for timesheet employee
posted at 6/7/2011 8:11 AM EDT
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Posts: 562
First: 11/12/2009 Last: 9/14/2011 |
Discipline if appropriately applied does not create a hostile work environment.
Start progressive discipline. You've already verbally counseled this person. Next step is to give the person a written warning. Outline his tardiness incidents, cite previous verbal counseling sessions, specify what behavior he needs to conform to (start time, for example) and what the consequences of failure to do so will be, something along the lines of "Failure to comply with this warning will result in further disciplinary action which may include termination of employment". Keep in mind that your other employees are watching and wondering when someone is going to take some action. And while he may be very talented, the impact of his lack of adherence to workplace rules may outweigh that talent in the long run. |
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lax hours for timesheet employee
posted at 6/7/2011 8:19 AM EDT
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Posts: 2146
First: 2/15/2006 Last: 9/14/2011 |
As long as you all keep allowing it with no true consequences it will continue to happen.
Personally I think Graphic Designers/Artists are their own breed and that they tend to be very creative which tends to not fit the same mold as other job positions. The one we had on staff for years basically worked to the beat of his own drummer, but always got the jobs completed accurately and on time. What could be a consequence? Any day that he is late, his hourly rate for the day drops by $1 if he is an hourly employee. If he is salaried, you have less options to deduct from pay and it would be harder to calculate and follow through. Or if he is on any incentive/bonus plan, he looses that if he is late more than x days in the calculation period. I suspect the only possible thing will be a financial move. And even that may not work. It sounds like this is a good employee except for this one aspect. Is this aspect worth fighting for? Are other employees allowed flexible schedules? Is this employee truly performing at or above standards? How does it impact the work of others? Is he late to meetings, etc? Is it truly affecting the attitudes of those around him? I think you have a decision to make about how large an issue it really is....either he is a great employee or he is not. |
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lax hours for timesheet employee
posted at 6/7/2011 8:22 AM EDT
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Posts: 1103
First: 3/16/2007 Last: 8/19/2011 |
I agree with Nork on all counts. This is either something you want to change or it isn't. If it isn't (that means the course of action you seem to be leaning toward) then let it go. However, be prepared to deal with the consequences of that inaction when others start to behave the same way.
Now out of the box.... Couple of things come to mind. 1. Work from Home (WFH) 2. Flexible hours (split shift, weekend, etc) Just random thoughts that could provide a solution. |
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lax hours for timesheet employee
posted at 6/7/2011 12:50 PM EDT
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Posts: 544
First: 9/27/2004 Last: 9/13/2011 |
I agree, you have to do what is best for your culture. If you are a strickly 9 to 5, "face time" culture then allowing deviation from one person will affect how others behave. They will expect similar options.
But that isn't neccesarily a bad thing. The workplace is changing and it is changing for a reason, people are looking for more flexibility in when and where they work. Many of the space and time boundaries we put on people are artificial and arbitrary and have nothing to do with performance. And there is something to be said for the particular function each person plays within an organization. A graphic artist is much different from a receptionist, they both have different needs and demands. His job demands creativity, he probably "works" all the time. |
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lax hours for timesheet employee
posted at 6/9/2011 4:42 AM EDT
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Posts: 28
First: 2/21/2007 Last: 6/9/2011 |
Thanks! Pretty much, this all sums it up for us. I just wanted to hear from others, and see if there was something we were missing, or if someone else had worked through a similar situation.
Or graphics person is valued, he's creative, and one of our personalities. Being a small office, we always seem to be dancing around something like this. We strive to keep our culture business-like, but a pleasant experience (fun even) for everyone. Nothing new there, huh? Thanks for all your advice and thoughts on this. It's very helpful! |
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lax hours for timesheet employee
posted at 6/9/2011 11:10 AM EDT
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Posts: 544
First: 9/27/2004 Last: 9/13/2011 |
I studied flexible scheduling in graduate school and one of the focus group participants said that he approached his employer with the option to be a contract worker. He said it was scary, but his wife was sick and he needed to be able to work around her doctor appointments and care for his children. He never thought to ask for permission to work irregular hours but they offered him that option instead.
What we found in our research was that talented people will find a way to get what they need, even if it means giving up job security and other benefits. We also found that co-workers tend to be less upset than we think they will be. The key was to be honest about what everyone needs and fair about how you apply a policy. It is especially important to formally recognize everyone's contributions - remind people that just because Jack isn't here at 8:00 AM doesn't mean he isn't home working on your project. Point out that he is doing better work because he is less stressed. Actually this kind of work arrangement can work better in a small company than it does in a larger one because relationships and teamwork are usually stronger. And it can sometimes strenghten these relationships and teamwork. But again, it depends on the culture. |
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