Company laptop refused
Discussion
Weird thing happened today. We have recently had some new CRM/sales software installed, our sales team have noticed it takes longer to work quotes out but overall it speeds up the whole process from sale through to manufacture and delivery so we can live with it and no doubt will get quicker.
All the team are salaried and do about 3/4 hours additional overtime a week, however recently due to the backlog more was needed. One individual has not really pulled her weight.
Because of the dark nights and to give the staff some flexibility I ordered top end lap tops for them all and gave them out today, so they can catch up on their quotes from the comfort of their own home.
Everyone was over the moon and saw it as a generous move by myself. However, I am dumbfounded by the attitude of one individual who has said she does not want to do additional work at home, the same individual who is not pulling her weight
I would be interested in any views
All the team are salaried and do about 3/4 hours additional overtime a week, however recently due to the backlog more was needed. One individual has not really pulled her weight.
Because of the dark nights and to give the staff some flexibility I ordered top end lap tops for them all and gave them out today, so they can catch up on their quotes from the comfort of their own home.
Everyone was over the moon and saw it as a generous move by myself. However, I am dumbfounded by the attitude of one individual who has said she does not want to do additional work at home, the same individual who is not pulling her weight
I would be interested in any views
Edited by Birkin1932 on Friday 13th December 21:53
I'd equate this with me giving my wife a set of saucepans or a mixer for Christmas, it would not be appreciated and not a gift of the heart either. If you have employees you should pay them for all their work in money not saucepans. I say this as someone who was an owner of a business for almost 10 years.
Unless I've read it wrong, you are saying you have someone who isn't pulling as hard as the rest of the team, who doesn't want the laptop at home.
I get the impression that they probably work exactly their contracted hours, and not a minute more. Maybe take more outside calls than others... maybe a recent shift in behaviour?
It's a real shame when a team gets someone like this, however, and actually lets make it a really clear HOWEVER, there can sometimes be really big personal life reasons for this. Best example being someone who worked in our office, and hadn't told anyone that their mother was dying of cancer, and wanted to spend every minute possible at their bedside.
Once we established this, and realised just how serious it was, at our discretion we gave paid special leave for the individual to focus on that. They simply weren't functioning in the office and it felt at best the right moral decision to try and support them in what felt like the best way possible.
If I ever have 'under performing' staff I always try and find out why. Even if it just gives them a chance to air their views on something, it usually helps either build an understanding of why, or deal with the why there and then. Sometimes however you can just have a 'bad egg' and then your work life suddenly becomes nothing but dealing with that issue.
I think the gesture of giving them a laptop might have been misunderstood. Make it clear that you don't see this as 'the way forward will be loads of work in your own time' and its' we are under pressure at the moment, you can take your work home instead of sitting here till 8pm each night and do it with your feet up watching corrie' or whatever.
Just my 2 pence as a junior lad
I get the impression that they probably work exactly their contracted hours, and not a minute more. Maybe take more outside calls than others... maybe a recent shift in behaviour?
It's a real shame when a team gets someone like this, however, and actually lets make it a really clear HOWEVER, there can sometimes be really big personal life reasons for this. Best example being someone who worked in our office, and hadn't told anyone that their mother was dying of cancer, and wanted to spend every minute possible at their bedside.
Once we established this, and realised just how serious it was, at our discretion we gave paid special leave for the individual to focus on that. They simply weren't functioning in the office and it felt at best the right moral decision to try and support them in what felt like the best way possible.
If I ever have 'under performing' staff I always try and find out why. Even if it just gives them a chance to air their views on something, it usually helps either build an understanding of why, or deal with the why there and then. Sometimes however you can just have a 'bad egg' and then your work life suddenly becomes nothing but dealing with that issue.
I think the gesture of giving them a laptop might have been misunderstood. Make it clear that you don't see this as 'the way forward will be loads of work in your own time' and its' we are under pressure at the moment, you can take your work home instead of sitting here till 8pm each night and do it with your feet up watching corrie' or whatever.
Just my 2 pence as a junior lad
Birkin1932 said:
I agree. I really look after my staff. They signed these contracts. They get paid very well. However, all companies need flexibility.
How often are you expecting this "flexibility"?Are you being reasonable of is it becoming expected that people will do all you give them regardless of how long it takes?
At what point does the workload require extra staff?
Thank you.
No issues like that.
Other staff members have questioned why she seems to be fighting the changes we have introduced.
Simply going from a written paper driven system to a computer driven system.
I just think she has a negative out look. I find anything I currently do is opposed or questioned by her.
I must point out these are just subtle changes tightening up our processes.
Her attitude has me baffled to be honest
No issues like that.
Other staff members have questioned why she seems to be fighting the changes we have introduced.
Simply going from a written paper driven system to a computer driven system.
I just think she has a negative out look. I find anything I currently do is opposed or questioned by her.
I must point out these are just subtle changes tightening up our processes.
Her attitude has me baffled to be honest
Birkin1932 said:
Thank you.
No issues like that.
Other staff members have questioned why she seems to be fighting the changes we have introduced.
Simply going from a written paper driven system to a computer driven system.
I just think she has a negative out look. I find anything I currently do is opposed or questioned by her.
I must point out these are just subtle changes tightening up our processes.
Her attitude has me baffled to be honest
Is she struggling with the work? Does she think that the computer system will 'find her out big brother style' or quite simply, is she not very good at using computers and too ashamed to ask?No issues like that.
Other staff members have questioned why she seems to be fighting the changes we have introduced.
Simply going from a written paper driven system to a computer driven system.
I just think she has a negative out look. I find anything I currently do is opposed or questioned by her.
I must point out these are just subtle changes tightening up our processes.
Her attitude has me baffled to be honest
Is there something unique about them (oldest/youngest/only female/etc)
odyssey2200 said:
How often are you expecting this "flexibility"?
Are you being reasonable of is it becoming expected that people will do all you give them regardless of how long it takes?
At what point does the workload require extra staff?
Not very often. Like I said before, it's simply for flexibility and the team are well paid and all the other members have no issue with this.Are you being reasonable of is it becoming expected that people will do all you give them regardless of how long it takes?
At what point does the workload require extra staff?
conanius said:
Is she struggling with the work? Does she think that the computer system will 'find her out big brother style' or quite simply, is she not very good at using computers and too ashamed to ask?
Is there something unique about them (oldest/youngest/only female/etc)
Actually, she's the most experienced of the group. PC use is normal within the office.Is there something unique about them (oldest/youngest/only female/etc)
No consultation as I didn't see it as a change as they currently work overtime. I saw it as an aid to their job. Some had been asking for this for a while to give them flexibility.
I see it the same as buying our fitters new drills that make their job easierI, but they still have use of the old drill
am I wrong?
I see it the same as buying our fitters new drills that make their job easierI, but they still have use of the old drill
am I wrong?
Birkin1932 said:
No consultation as I didn't see it as a change as they currently work overtime. I saw it as an aid to their job. Some had been asking for this for a while to give them flexibility.
I see it the same as I also wouldn't consult our fitters if I bought them a new drill
am I wrong?
Sorry, I meant to the computer based system from the paper based one. I see it the same as I also wouldn't consult our fitters if I bought them a new drill
am I wrong?
The laptops were specifically so that your employees could do the overtime (that they were doing anyway) at home, in their pyjamas, rather than sat in the office if they wanted? You are a nice boss and she's being a bit daft IMO.
But as the others have said it does sound like there's something specific here. Probably worth trying to understand what's going on.
But as the others have said it does sound like there's something specific here. Probably worth trying to understand what's going on.
Birkin1932 said:
Yes we had many discussions and noted all our competitors were using it.
Hmm. I'm obviously grasping at straws, and don't know the individual or your business, but if she was one of the best, and now has had an attitude change, I wondered if she had felt left out of it, and wasn't being as supportive of the changes as she could be, almost hoping they would fail.There is a proper term for this, but I always remember it wrongly as change terrorist. If she has seen newer staff get involved and suddenly appear more important, she might not be 'feeling the love'.
Granted, you have to share work out and give everyone a chance, so she might be being a bit silly really, but just a thought.
Certainly, I'd be getting her manager (is that you?) to have a chat, just like a 'regular 1-2-1 catch up over coffee how are things' chat and see how things are. See if anything comes to the surface, offer to discuss anything she wants to... etc
davepoth said:
The laptops were specifically so that your employees could do the overtime (that they were doing anyway) at home, in their pyjamas, rather than sat in the office if they wanted? You are a nice boss and she's being a bit daft IMO.
But as the others have said it does sound like there's something specific here. Probably worth trying to understand what's going on.
That's it exactly.But as the others have said it does sound like there's something specific here. Probably worth trying to understand what's going on.
I see it as a sort of 'Luddite' reaction to change and be a pain in the bum to deal with.
I suppose I could just say OK no probs. but then I have a 1000sq ft office with one person sitting in it. This opens all sorts of other problems for me.
If the employees are not being paid overtime then you cannot expect them to work it. Be grateful that they do.
The fact that you need this to happen generally points to a failure to plan effectively. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but perhaps a more effective way to deal with backlogs and extra work is to hire a few contractors in times of peak demand, rather than ask salaried staff to work longer hours.
I value my home life very much and hardly ever work more than my contracted hours. Unfortunately my wife is terminally ill and every minute I spend with her is precious; maybe the woman in the OP's post does have a similar situation. However unlike her, I make damn sure I work my arse off in the time I am there so nobody can ever accuse me of not pulling my weight.
The fact that you need this to happen generally points to a failure to plan effectively. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but perhaps a more effective way to deal with backlogs and extra work is to hire a few contractors in times of peak demand, rather than ask salaried staff to work longer hours.
I value my home life very much and hardly ever work more than my contracted hours. Unfortunately my wife is terminally ill and every minute I spend with her is precious; maybe the woman in the OP's post does have a similar situation. However unlike her, I make damn sure I work my arse off in the time I am there so nobody can ever accuse me of not pulling my weight.
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