disappointed in a friend/coworker

[focusondisney]

Why - do you not expect people who are better workers to get additional perks?

I do!

If I recall correctly, in her previous post the OP said this down sizing was to be across the board due to decreased business. She has not said that any of the other employees were "BAD" employees. Only that this one was the best of 3 in her position. The original down sizing was not competency oriented. It was to be 'across the board" & was presented to all the employees as that. To change it after it is announced would indeed be a slap in the face to other good & loyal employees.

I'm sure there are other job titles in the company that have their own "best" workers. What about them? Should the best employee in each job title stay full time?

The time for the doctor to have spoken up was BEFORE it was announced to the employees. OP, I'm wondering what this doctors status is in the business? Is he an owner/ partner or is he an employee too? If he is an employee, I wouldn't think he should have much to say about the full time/ part time status of other employees.

 

[MiniGirl]

Why - do you not expect people who are better workers to get additional perks?

I do!

I do and I don't. It depends. When I was in the workforce, we received perks based on seniority. It didn't matter one whit who was best. I'm not saying it was right, I'm saying that's how it was. In that instance, then no. I would not expect to get more vaction or a better schedule or more time, just because I was better at my job. If I was brought into a company and negotiated a contract based on my skill set, then my expectations are different. In lean times, the company would have to renegotiate my contract and I would expect to receive more than other in that instance.

In the OP's situation, it sounds as if everyone makes about the same -- with differences in salary possibly coming from seniorty or something. Of course, I don't know.

However, if it was already announced that everyone was taking a cut in hours, and later I found out so and so did not because she is so much better at what she does than I am, yes it would bother me. Is it right? Maybe. Maybe not. But it would bother me. It would also bother me if this person was good friends with the boss. I would definitely use that to justify why this person got to keep her hours. I certainly wouldn't want to admit it was because she was better at her job.

Again, I'm not necessarily talking right and wrong. I'm talking about perceptions/appearances.

 

[manning]

There is an old rule in the military for officers.

Do not fraternise with the enlisted men.

Why?? You will have to order them into combat and you cannot exempt anyone.

You have kind of gotten yourself into a situation like this. You should distance yourself as a friend.

The damage has already been done. There will be resentment in the ranks.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Why - do you not expect people who are better workers to get additional perks?

I do!

I have been doing this whole management thing for decades. There are ways to reward employees - but this one will back-fire. Of that, I have no doubt...

 

[HOGFAN]

all good posts and thoughts. The doctor has a contract with the hospital, not an owner nor employee.

If my friend does get to keep her hours, I WILL go on the record for saying that I disagree on principal and fairness. We have some folks in our department in a really bad way financially already and to ask them to sacrifice and not her is SO WRONG, in my opinion.

As far as my position, to be honest, some weeks I wont be able to(meetings, deadlines,etc) but I will try to contribute as much as I can.

I guess my main gripe is with my friend who so quickly jumped on the opportunity to dodge the cutback, especially knowing her coworkers are sacrificing. To me it speaks volumes about her character.

One thing that has been drummed into me time and time again at new managers meetings is that you have to treat everyone fairly.

 

[focusondisney]

I have been doing this whole management thing for decades. There are ways to reward employees - but this one will back-fire. Of that, I have no doubt...

I so agree with you. I have been at my job for over 30 years. I am a very good & hard working employee. My annual reviews are always excellent. I may not be THE BEST however.. I still feel I am an important contributor to my work place. If I found out something like this was going on where I worked I'd be furious! And my moral & desire to go over & above for the company would go way down. And then where are you? The company will suffer in the long run if 99% of the employees are feeling under valued & unappreciated. Plus losing pay on top of that! I hope the OP is going to get the backing she needs next week to make this stick.

 

[FireDancer]

It depends on the leverage the individual in question has. If she is good enough at her job and can go get another one if her hours are cut it sounds like she is using her skills to bargain from a strong position. It comes down to the free market. If the person is good enough that they want to keep her they will give into her demands. If she is replaceable they will call her bluff and cut her hours knowing they may have to replace her when she goes looking for a new job.

In any salary or compensation negotiation the outcome will depend on who has the power to get concessions from the other party. That is why Derek Jeter negotiates his contract from a very different position then the 3rd string catcher.

 

[Magic Mom]

I don't understand what your friend did wrong. The doctor and nurse asked to have her hours remain uncut due to her performance. Did you expect her to say "no?" I'm all for being a team player to an extent. The bottom line is I have to look after my own best interest and if I were in her posistion I would want to keep my hours too.

Now do I agree with the doctor and nurse that there should be an exception for just one person? Probably not unless there is some circumstance I don't know about. But their request isn't your friends fault is it?

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I also think the situation is about culture.

During the downturn in the market, everyone made sacrafices at our offices in Syracuse, our attrition rate dropped dramatically (about 50% of the prior year). Now you could say well people just couldn't find jobs and were miserable, and that may be partially true on the former, but for the latter, we actually saw our employee surveys increase in ratings (dramatically), customer centricity skyrocket and overall employee engagement increase. In the end everyone buckled down to "make it work" even though everyone had to make sacrafices.

Now compare that to our other offices, various things happened, from increased attrition, decreased customer service results, poor employee morale, etc. It really came down the culture of our office (and our office is quite large) that made it very successful, and now that things have improved our success is on everyone's radar and people are trying to emulate what we have.

 

[disykat]

It doesn't sound like it was necessarily her choice, it was the doctor's choice-- your boss's choice. Did you really think that she should volunteer for a huge pay cut and to forego summer vacation because you are her friend? Are you maybe hurt that the doctor and nurse insisted that she be excluded and not you? She's good at her job, and they are rewarding her. It's the American way.

I agree.

This thread reminds me of one I posted last year when I had a friend who thought one of her coworkers should retire early so that a new employee would not be laid off. She thought she was not being a team player. (no incentives for early retirement were being offered, she seriously thought the older coworker should just give up several years of income, benefits, etc.)

I think there are times when you get to reap the rewards of having done a good job. This sounds like one of them. To me, it sounds like the boss offered her a chance to stay at full time and accepted it.

I don't fault HER in the least. However, if she doesn't have seniority the boss is probably in for big resentment from his/her staff with this management decision.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

all good posts and thoughts. The doctor has a contract with the hospital, not an owner nor employee.

If my friend does get to keep her hours, I WILL go on the record for saying that I disagree on principal and fairness. We have some folks in our department in a really bad way financially already and to ask them to sacrifice and not her is SO WRONG, in my opinion.

As far as my position, to be honest, some weeks I wont be able to(meetings, deadlines,etc) but I will try to contribute as much as I can.

I guess my main gripe is with my friend who so quickly jumped on the opportunity to dodge the cutback, especially knowing her coworkers are sacrificing. To me it speaks volumes about her character.

One thing that has been drummed into me time and time again at new managers meetings is that you have to treat everyone fairly.

I have to agree with you. This is so wrong on several different levels. It will backfire for sure. Have you set down with the Dr. and talked to him about your concerns, without her there? Also, I would back off of the friendship with her.

 

[PattnFmly]

If she gets to keep her hours, while everyone else sacrifices, the "team" will suffer. Why? Because the "team" will have gone out of "teamwork". The morale will go down, and people may gang up on her, just because she's the "teachers pet". I see it daily where I work. And unfortunately, once that ball starts rolling, it doesn't stop. Preferential treatment only causes hard feelings which fester and take on a life of their own. The OP said this was originally presented as "everyone's sacrifice" - it should stay that way.

 

[Minnie824]

I don't understand what your friend did wrong. The doctor and nurse asked to have her hours remain uncut due to her performance. Did you expect her to say "no?" I'm all for being a team player to an extent. The bottom line is I have to look after my own best interest and if I were in her posistion I would want to keep my hours too.

I agree with this. Even though everyones hours got cut, she has to look out for herself! Now, whose ultimate decision is it? The doctor/nurse? Or yours? What happens if you don't increase her hours? Are you at risk for losing your job? So then it would come back to the same thing your friend is doing...you may increase her hours to make sure you're safe in a job. If its their decision and you have no choice, theres nothing you can do. If you have a choice...leave it as is and don't increase her hours then.

 

[Heidict]

HOGFAN- I'm confused about something. Did she go to the doctor and request that her hours not be cut or was this the doctors idea from the beginning?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Not yet by the person that matters. I will not be able to approach her until monday. Friend is one of 3 that does her particular job. Granted, she is the best of the three and the doctor trusts her judgement the most. BUT, IMO she is part of a team and wont be doing her part. So basically, she will get a summer vacation when nobody else gets to, get full pay when nobody else will. I am so angry, I could spit. I just want her to be in the same room when I have to tell someone else that they have to be laid off, hours cut some more, etc. Because it WILL happen, our company is soo numbers driven.

That is unfortuanate. I am not a manager so don't know how all this works. As an employee, I would be ticked to have my hours cut.

As an outsider who has had her husband laid off from a job where I felt that some more prudent budgeting over the prior year would have prevented or at least greatly delayed the layoff....

Someone's personal financial strife should have no impact on decisions a company makes. The company is not at fault when an employee has to beg to keep their hours due to their own financial dilemmas at home.

They should be concerned--but they should never favor one person over the other for that.

While she may be the best--in a time of cuts, that doesn't really allow for her to be treated special. When performance is better for the company, then perhaps she can be one of the first ones who earns her former terms back.

But in this economy--y'all just played a game of survivor and gave her the immunity idol and that is going to reflect poorly on the rest of team morale.

Does she have a right to negotiate? Sure she does? Is she entitled to getting her way at the expense of the rest of the team? Only time will tell.

Cuts like this should be across the board or solely merit based--doing it as a combination will only cause strife.

But the good news is--since her hours are not cut, she will have the privilege of working even harder for no increase in pay.

 

[jen0610]

well, I told staff today that I was cutting them back to 32 hours/week. They took it better than I thought they would. To be fair, it affects everyone, including me. Later I had the doctor who 'oversees' our clinic and a nurse tell me that a certain individual should be excluded because she is exceptionally good at her job. I, the doctor, the nurse, the individual, and I had an impromtu meeting to discuss. The individual agreed with the nurse and doctor that her hours should not be cut. She is my best friend. I am not disappointed that she didnt back me up as much as I am disappointed that she is acting in her own best interest(so she wont have to use up her vacation time) and not being a team player. So I may not have to 'cut' somebody elses hours(or layoff) more to support her being able to keep hers. I am questioning her character and wondering if she is really someone I want in my life.

So, have you been told that you cannot cut this person's hours as you just did to the rest of the staff?

Not yet by the person that matters. I will not be able to approach her until monday. Friend is one of 3 that does her particular job. Granted, she is the best of the three and the doctor trusts her judgement the most. BUT, IMO she is part of a team and wont be doing her part. So basically, she will get a summer vacation when nobody else gets to, get full pay when nobody else will. I am so angry, I could spit. I just want her to be in the same room when I have to tell someone else that they have to be laid off, hours cut some more, etc. Because it WILL happen, our company is soo numbers driven.

If I am reading this correctly, the directive to reduce hours did not come from either the DR or the Nurse who requested that the employee be able to keep their 40 hours. This came from someone else - the person you can't talk to until Monday. I also take it, from another post, that neither the DR or the Nurse are in an administrative position to know the fiscial reasoning behind the reduction of hours.

Are they asking to have the hours for this person retained, because the position requires it or just because of the person? If they are requesting it do to a need for the position, then it needs to be spread out over the 3 who hold that position. Every 3rd week, one of them will get the additional 8 hours. Now if they are asking, just so the person can keep their hours, then that is wrong and sets the office up for failure.

If I am correct that this came down from a corporate HR directive to individual clinics or departments, then you need to talk to whom that directive came from and let them make the call, including being present when all 3 parties are informed of the decision. If they agree that 40 hours is needed, suggest the rotating of the hours, before just giving the hours to 1 over the other 2. If for some reason, the person that the directivie came from makes the decision to let this 1 person retain their hours, then they need to be the one to address it with the rest of the staff and take any and all heat for their decision, not you. Also, if that is the decision that they do make, I would make sure that I get it in writting, so that it doesn't come back to bite you in the butt, that you were following the original directive.

 

[DawnCt1]

If she has a staff full of mediocre people, she needs to fire them and replace them with some of the very qualified people out of work right now. Now is not the time to cave to selfish employees. Now is the time to eliminate dead wood and strengthen your staff. Companies standing pat with weak employees will not survive in this economy...

I am not implying that the others are 'mediocre' or that they are dead wood, I am just using that as an example. It sounds like this particular nurse is exceptional. Not everyone is exceptional. That said, every employee's responsibility is to himself and his or her family, not to one's co-workers. If this particular company HAS a weak employee, and I am not suggesting that they do, perhaps that employee should be let go and let the stronger workers take up the slack. I think it goes against our nature to not be altruistic, but self sacrifice doesn't always work in the work place. It can result in all workers feeling unappreciated and the high fliers looking for another job.

 

[onyx8]

Business decisions are not based on employees' needs. Everyone needs to make money to survive. If she has the skills and they want her there full-time, then she gets to keep the hours. That's life. The business has to look out for itself and so does the employee.

 

[Mickey's Minion]

well, I told staff today that I was cutting them back to 32 hours/week. They took it better than I thought they would. To be fair, it affects everyone, including me. Later I had the doctor who 'oversees' our clinic and a nurse tell me that a certain individual should be excluded because she is exceptionally good at her job. I, the doctor, the nurse, the individual, and I had an impromtu meeting to discuss. The individual agreed with the nurse and doctor that her hours should not be cut. She is my best friend. I am not disappointed that she didnt back me up as much as I am disappointed that she is acting in her own best interest(so she wont have to use up her vacation time) and not being a team player. So I may not have to 'cut' somebody elses hours(or layoff) more to support her being able to keep hers. I am questioning her character and wondering if she is really someone I want in my life.

So if I am reading this correctly you...

Told everybody their hours were being cut and then...

1. A Dr. and Nurse approached you and asked that Friend keeps hours
2. Without making a mgt decision, you called the Friend into an impromptu meeting with dr and nurse where she had two people advocating for her to keep her hours
3. Instead of being honored that she was so highly thought of by Dr. and Nurse, you are ticked because she didn't say "Oh no, I will take a cut because I am such a good friend of Hog Fan?"

This is the real world. When you are called into a meeting and told by two people how great you are and that you should be the exception and not lose your hours, you don't refuse the offer. It was 2 against 1 in that meeting and I would think any employee of mine would be crazy to refuse the offer, not be angry at them for not siding with me.

Unless she badgered the Dr. and Nurse to go to bat for her, then I agree with some of the other posters that this just sounds like sour grapes.

 

[fairestoneofall]

i'm still not 100% clear on how everything went down. but i will share an experience my DH had last year. he is the boss, with one person over him. their department had to cut their budget. so, they implemented voluntary furlough days (four over four months). they were trying to avoid making the furlough days mandatory and having to cut jobs.

my DH and his boss BOTH took their furlough days, even though they didn't have to and even though nobody under them expected them to do so. they took their furlough days to not only be a good example, but to also be team players. to show their coworkers that they were willing to do their part to help the budget. it went a long way towards department morale.

i think that, even though we can be inclined to be selfish and look out for #1, it's also important to be a team player. if she is the ONLY one being kept at 40 hours, then that is simply not right. and, regardless of who delivers the news, the others are going to think she's getting special treatment for being your friend.