Hi Friends,
I have been asked a question in an HR interview. The question is: If a permanent and efficient employee in a company comes and asks for every Saturday off (Sunday is, however, a regular holiday), what would you answer, and what would you do? The company has a 6-day working week, i.e., Monday to Saturday. It would be appreciated if anybody could tell me the right answer to this question. I tried to provide a few answers, but the interviewer was not convinced.
Thanks.
From India, Mumbai
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1I have been asked a question in an HR interview. The question is: If a permanent and efficient employee in a company comes and asks for every Saturday off (Sunday is, however, a regular holiday), what would you answer, and what would you do? The company has a 6-day working week, i.e., Monday to Saturday. It would be appreciated if anybody could tell me the right answer to this question. I tried to provide a few answers, but the interviewer was not convinced.
Thanks.
From India, Mumbai
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You can talk to him with the company policy in place and the requirement of him working on a Saturday (may be due to client constraints) and can always tel that you will look into it. Regards Kannan
From India, Bangalore
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From India, Bangalore
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Hi Kannan,
One of my answers included the same as what you said. However, it is not the appropriate way to communicate with the employee who has requested a compulsory need for taking Saturdays off regularly. I also mentioned that we could propose for him to work on Sundays if he takes the holiday on Saturdays. Please note that it is not a leave or a weekly day off but a holiday similar to Sunday. How can this be feasible for a single employee? We cannot afford to lose this employee as he is a long-standing and efficient member of the team. I have considered all possible responses I know, but none seem to be suitable. Senior HR professionals should be familiar with the correct approach to this situation. I kindly request assistance from anyone who can provide guidance on this matter.
Thank you.
From India, Mumbai
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One of my answers included the same as what you said. However, it is not the appropriate way to communicate with the employee who has requested a compulsory need for taking Saturdays off regularly. I also mentioned that we could propose for him to work on Sundays if he takes the holiday on Saturdays. Please note that it is not a leave or a weekly day off but a holiday similar to Sunday. How can this be feasible for a single employee? We cannot afford to lose this employee as he is a long-standing and efficient member of the team. I have considered all possible responses I know, but none seem to be suitable. Senior HR professionals should be familiar with the correct approach to this situation. I kindly request assistance from anyone who can provide guidance on this matter.
Thank you.
From India, Mumbai
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Dear team,
First, we have to make it clear that one has to obey and respect the policies and guidelines of the company, which are made with the organization's growth in mind. An organization cannot depend on one person, even if they are very efficient. If we start by obeying one request, he will come up with another benefit. I hope my understanding is correct.
Thanks,
svsrao
From India
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First, we have to make it clear that one has to obey and respect the policies and guidelines of the company, which are made with the organization's growth in mind. An organization cannot depend on one person, even if they are very efficient. If we start by obeying one request, he will come up with another benefit. I hope my understanding is correct.
Thanks,
svsrao
From India
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Hi Friends, Who have the official Letters format Please Send me.(ex. Termination for Labor & Staff, request for vacation letter ordinary & Emergancy etc. Thanx..
From Qatar
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From Qatar
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I would like to know how many leaves are permissible for the company. Second, I would like to know the position of this person. i.e., I wouldn't want to take action on a CEO :-)
The answer would be to ask the employee to get approval from his superior in writing. In all likelihood, the superior will not give such approval. Even if he does, one must be "assertive" enough to say NO in case the employee has exceeded the permissible number of leaves that can be taken.
The fact is that there is no right answer. If there were, you would have found it in every book, forum, or would be taught in every management classroom. An employee may be a star in the company, but you have to remove the diseased chicken from your farm before it infects anyone else, even if it lays the most number of eggs. Your employee needs to be convinced not with your answer but with the fact that you can really do what you claim to do. Phrases like "I think I will..." or "I might do..." or "one option would be..." are not as convincing as "I'll have to take action..." or "I believe that one must follow rules...". Using power words also helps in convincing, such as "I will assertively tell..." or "I will definitely refuse if..."
Avinash Tavares
Trainer & Life Coach
youthempowermentsolutions.org
From India, Pune
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The answer would be to ask the employee to get approval from his superior in writing. In all likelihood, the superior will not give such approval. Even if he does, one must be "assertive" enough to say NO in case the employee has exceeded the permissible number of leaves that can be taken.
The fact is that there is no right answer. If there were, you would have found it in every book, forum, or would be taught in every management classroom. An employee may be a star in the company, but you have to remove the diseased chicken from your farm before it infects anyone else, even if it lays the most number of eggs. Your employee needs to be convinced not with your answer but with the fact that you can really do what you claim to do. Phrases like "I think I will..." or "I might do..." or "one option would be..." are not as convincing as "I'll have to take action..." or "I believe that one must follow rules...". Using power words also helps in convincing, such as "I will assertively tell..." or "I will definitely refuse if..."
Avinash Tavares
Trainer & Life Coach
youthempowermentsolutions.org
From India, Pune
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First, HR should find out why he is suddenly asking for Saturdays off because all these days, he was working on Saturdays. It might be some health-related issue or any other personal problem. HR can give him a chance to work from home temporarily or until the problem is solved. It depends on the nature of the job as well. If the employee's presence in the office is mandatory, then HR should convince him to work on Saturdays, maybe with flexible timings. If he insists on not working on Saturdays, either in the office or at home, then it depends on the company's policy.
@Prashantgk - If you can share your answers, it will be helpful for others as well.
From India, Bangalore
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@Prashantgk - If you can share your answers, it will be helpful for others as well.
From India, Bangalore
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Thank you, friends, for your comments!
@Avinash, the position of the employee, let's say a Senior Executive, who has been working for many years in the organization. If it were the CEO, wouldn't you take action on him? Lol :-)
As Avinash mentioned, I think the proper way is to ask the employee to obtain approval from their superior in writing. That's what we can do as HR. It also seems right that HR must be authoritative and direct in their actions. However, if the employee still insists on bringing their case directly to HR and asks, I believe we have to investigate the reasons behind it, as Telina Murugesan pointed out. These are very practical issues! Any more comments?
From India, Mumbai
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@Avinash, the position of the employee, let's say a Senior Executive, who has been working for many years in the organization. If it were the CEO, wouldn't you take action on him? Lol :-)
As Avinash mentioned, I think the proper way is to ask the employee to obtain approval from their superior in writing. That's what we can do as HR. It also seems right that HR must be authoritative and direct in their actions. However, if the employee still insists on bringing their case directly to HR and asks, I believe we have to investigate the reasons behind it, as Telina Murugesan pointed out. These are very practical issues! Any more comments?
From India, Mumbai
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See the possibility of deciding all Saturdays as holidays by convincing the management. This can be achieved by working extra hours every day (all 5 days), for example, working an additional 1.5 hours on top of the normal 8-hour workday.
Suresh
From India, Madras
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Suresh
From India, Madras
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Hi, here is a simple answer to your question. We keep the office open on alternative Saturdays. Employers also get a holiday on alternative Saturdays. One week consists of 6 working days, while the next week has 5 working days. We prioritize employer satisfaction over strict office rules because we believe that when employers feel free, they can fully concentrate on their work.
From India, Guntur
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From India, Guntur
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