Articles

Well-liked Employee Leaving
by Dr. Lynne Curry

Question:
I supervise an employee who hasn’t been doing a good job. He’s given his notice. While he’s well liked by his fellow employees, I frankly can’t wait for him to leave. I feel like celebrating.  Since he is well liked, I’m concerned that my other employees will notice how genuinely happy I am that this particular employee is leaving. What should I do to handle this situation?

Answer:
Rise above your personal feelings. Give your employee a positive sendoff. Employers damage themselves with their current employees when they insult a departing employee. When a long term employee leaves your organization, consider hosting a going away potluck for him. If you speak about him, make positive statements such as "I truly wish him well." Above all, don’t obviously rejoice in his departure.

Question:
I recently fired an employee who’d been a trouble maker from day one. Yesterday, I learned that he had taped the meeting at which I fired him. He’s threatening to sue our company based on what is on that tape. My question is this – did he have a right to tape a meeting? If so, does this mean that I should have a right to tape future meetings in which I terminate other employees?

Answer:
An employee has a right to tape a meeting, unless a meeting is over the phone. According to Federal law, we have to advise others when we intend to tape telephone conversations. We are, however, allowed to tape face to face meetings.

Because many employees call me for advice after reading newspaper columns, I frequently receive calls from employees who have been terminated. A significant number of them have taped termination meetings. As a result, I’d urge all supervisors to realize that every word they say is "on the record."

I’d never advise a supervisor to tape a meeting. It is hard for a supervisor to guarantee in advance of such a meeting that every word he or she utters will be professional and appropriate. If the supervisor tapes a meeting, and if that is later learned, the supervisor will have to produce the tape. As a result, it could be that a supervisors own words on a tape he or she made, will be what will hang them.

If you’d like an example of a national situation in which the folly of taping meetings was brought home to all Americans, consider what happened to Richard Nixon.

Question:
I have an employee who regularly calls in sick. Although our personnel policies clearly state that the employee needs to advise his or her supervisor when sick, this employee continues to simply leave a message with our company’s receptionist that she is sick. Can I terminate or suspend her for this breach of policy?

Answer:
First of all, don’t assume that an employee knows what your company’s personnel policies state. Many employees never read their company’s personnel policy. Thus, if you have an employee who violates personnel policy, consider your first step to meet with the employee and let them know what your company’s personnel policy states. Then bring your employee into your office and let her know that the next time she’s sick you want her to let know personally.

Employees should realize that they lose when they don’t read their personnel policies. Many employees never learn of significant company benefits they could receive or rights they have because they don’t read their company personnel policies.

Can you terminate your employee for this breach of policy? That really depends. What have other supervisors in your company done with other employees who had similar problems? If other supervisors have let situations like this pass by unnoticed or with only oral counseling, and you terminate an employee for this, an arbitrator, judge or jury may easily say you are being too harsh. And, they may be right.

What if this employees decision to call the receptionist and not you was intentional? If so, you have an employee who has a bad attitude towards you. If so, bring the employee into your office and ask him or her what led the employee not to call you personally. If the employee says they were truly too sick to do anything more than talk to the first person who answered the phone, seriously consider this. Sometimes, any one of us can be so sick that we truly can’t call anyone other than the first person who picks up the line. If, however, you think that the employee is lying through her teeth, let her know that you’ll let this first incident go. But if she neglects to call you personally the next time, she will have breached the company policy. Let her know that an intentional breach of policy may result in a more serious disciplinary action.

Supervisors can’t afford to neglect situations in which they supervise employees who have a bad attitude toward them.

If you are an employee and have a crummy attitude toward your supervisor, you can’t afford to ignore it either. You’ll never do your best work working for someone you don’t respect. Do your own career a favor and look for a job working for someone you trust, respect and will do your best work for.