Entitlement Mentality

Parabeagle

[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 Am I out-of-date here and "if-I-have-it-I-can-take-it-whenever-I-want-it" is the new working reality?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;-)

LindaE

I don't think you're all wet! I just had an employee come in my office, an hour late for his shift, and ask a "favor"! How much notice do you require for time off in non-emergency situations? If she's aware of your policy regarding supervisory approval and denial, she's S.O.L.
Linda Emser

Hunter1

Couldn't agree more! I had almost the same conversation with one of our supervisors just yesterday. In this case it's an employee who lives to hunt. Wants everyone else in the department to change their schedules so he can have all the time off he wants in the fall. "Schedule it in advance, or be at work."

On the other hand, it does sound like she might have other socially redeeming qualities. Hmmm.

Don D

"Entitlement Mentalities", like so many other things, are a product of teaching. People learn to feel entitled by the actions and reactions of the systems or persons who have the power to provide what it is they feel entitled to.

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"

Shadowfax

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-06-04 AT 07:37AM (CST)[/font][br][br]Of course you are right. But, isn't the real problem that mgmt has alowed this situatin to get to the point where it is getting under your skin. If your policy is pto, except sick, must be apporved in advance, and her supervisor is just ignoring the policy and repeatedly letting her call in unscheduled, well, who is the problem? If nothng else, make her use her sick time, assuming it is differnt than other pto, for each unscheduled time off, then she will have to pay the price for additional unscheduled time off. And if you don't believe the sickness, can you request Dr's slip? These things do get abused, but generaly we also have a hand in permitting them to get out of control (I do it too, but it's always easier to give advice than to take it - even our own). iT WAS A GOOD VENT THOUGH, AND ONE WE CAN ALL RELATE TOO!

Why didn't I think of a 'come to Jesus meeting"? Don can put things so succintly!

System

>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.

Balloonman1

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-06-04 AT 08:10AM (CST)[/font][br][br]We are pretty easy going when people schedule unpaid time off. However, once someone starts abusing it, then I tell the supervisors, NOT to approve anything. Usually they are already in attendance trouble.
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)

System

Have a wonderful time at Disney World! Great time of year to go. Enjoy your family!! Tell us about it when you get back.

Balloonman1

Just booked the trip this week......going in December........... entirely paid for with funds from my balloon twisting hobby/side job..... x:D
My $0.02 worth,
DJ THE Balloonman

szemcumo

I think it is also a good time to go over the moonlighting policy again. Obvisouly the second job is getting in the way of her getting her rest and her position with you is suffering for it. She stays the 2nd job goes.

Balloonman1

What is the address of her second job, maybe we should stop by and see if she is as tired at it. :-)
MY $0.02 worth,
DJ The Balloonman

marc

I feel your pain. Just a little sidebar though - some of these jobs earn an amazing amount of money. At one point my daughter could not get a "real job" because she could not afford the pay cut. She was a server at a local brew/pub and really pulled in the tips. My son's girlfriend just got her marketing degree - also a server at a local establishment. She works 4 nights a week and makes too much money to stop and get her Masters degree.

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.

Crout

I would deny the request for time off, citing her excessive absences/tardiness as the reason. Tell her up front that if she calls in sick anyway she'd better have a doctor's note and let her know you will be verifying it.

Leslie

I have two employees who have been with the company more than 10 years. They earn 6 weeks of vacation and two weeks of sick per year, plus the various and sundry holidays. One of them uses every ounce of it - and has had hours unpaid. She'll never be able to take a real vacation. She'll call at 6:30 am and say she "forgot" her kids had doctors appointments. I just appraised her - her next write up is a week suspension whether or not she has the time. Unexcused is unexcused.

lnelson

Not to take this in another direction but I just got a request from upper mgmt to do a wage review on 2 ees who are threatening to quit IF they do not get a raise. I informed mgmt that the 2 ees just received increases and are schedule for another review in Jan & Feb.

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

Rockie

We have an unscheduled absence policy where we give employees four unscheduled absences each year (unscheduled means not approving in advance). This is per episode, not per day. Ex. If an employee has the flu and it last five days, we just charge one unexcused.

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).