Hi Guys,
Please look at this extract from an US prespective(mentioned below brand names/companies are all US), but bullying in work place is common everywhere.
Essentially, the main reason an employer hires an employee is to solve problems.
Each employer has its own set of problems, be it not enough people to do a certain job, obstacles that must be overcome, or decisions that must be made. People are hired to solve those problems by using their muscle-power, brainpower, or both.
Sensibly, most employers have a “code of conduct” that must be followed. Examples of this are safety rules, dress codes, and other policies such as no fraternization, no abusive language, no drinking or smoking on the job, etc.
Up to this point, the employers are on perfectly safe footing. But now some employers are starting to dictate what employees can and can’t do during their time off, and this is where they are crossing sacred lines.
As an example of dictatorship, earlier this month a Miller beer distributor in Racine, Wisconsin, fired one of its employees because a photo of him holding the “wrong” beer appeared in a newspaper pictorial.
Mind you, the employee was not shown endorsing the offending ale; he was simply out on the town on a Saturday night, drinking his beer of choice when a photographer happened to snap his picture.
Now if this guy was part of the company’s executive board, I could see it raising a stink. But this employee was a forklift driver – not necessarily the front lines of customer service. I’m guessing most customers didn’t even know he worked for the “right” beer company.
But somehow, the “right” beer company thought that being seen drinking the “wrong” beer was an egregious error, and the employee got the boot.
Let’s look at this scenario through the same lens, but in different situations. Let’s say you work the jewelry counter at Wal-Mart. Should you be fired if you’re seen shopping at a K-Mart, Target, JC Penney or Sears?
What if your job is on an assembly line putting tires on Cadillacs, and your picture appears in the paper with you getting out of your Dodge pickup?
No employer should have the right to dictate where you must shop or what kind of beer you must drink. (Can you tell I’m just a little bit passionate about this?)
But dictatorship is also going beyond using the “wrong” product. Some companies are banning their employees from smoking, anywhere, anytime, period. The reason? Save on health care costs.
One such company, Michigan-based Weyco, Inc., has already fired employees for refusing to take a test to see if they use tobacco products.
Yes, this is a fact: Weyco employees are not allowed to smoke - ever. Not even in the privacy of their own homes.
How fast is your head spinning? Smoking cigars and cigarettes is legal. What’s next?
With companies adopting (and getting away with) this “save-on-health-care-cost” mentality, it won’t be long before they’re banning obese people from their ranks. And those who ride motorcycles, go hunting, kayaking, scuba diving, or rock-climbing will also be forced to give up their “dangerous” (but legal) activities.
When it gets to this point, which “sin” of yours will be put on the chopping block?
Don’t misunderstand: There is no problem with employers banning certain activities from company property, enforcing drug or alcohol testing to make sure employees are sober at work, or banning conflicts of interest.
But when employers dictate what employees can or cannot do on their own time, either in the privacy of their own homes or in other, private establishments, I believe they have crossed the line. Big time.
Employees show up, they solve problems for the employer, they collect a paycheck for their time and efforts, and then they go on with their lives. “Employer” is not a synonym for “dictator.”
If employees don’t stand up to this new onslaught of bullying, it won’t be long before the workplace Gestapo is knocking on your door while you’re hiding in the crawlspace, wondering if those cookies your neighbor gave you are considered contraband.
Regards :D :D :D
From India, Madras
11Please look at this extract from an US prespective(mentioned below brand names/companies are all US), but bullying in work place is common everywhere.
Essentially, the main reason an employer hires an employee is to solve problems.
Each employer has its own set of problems, be it not enough people to do a certain job, obstacles that must be overcome, or decisions that must be made. People are hired to solve those problems by using their muscle-power, brainpower, or both.
Sensibly, most employers have a “code of conduct” that must be followed. Examples of this are safety rules, dress codes, and other policies such as no fraternization, no abusive language, no drinking or smoking on the job, etc.
Up to this point, the employers are on perfectly safe footing. But now some employers are starting to dictate what employees can and can’t do during their time off, and this is where they are crossing sacred lines.
As an example of dictatorship, earlier this month a Miller beer distributor in Racine, Wisconsin, fired one of its employees because a photo of him holding the “wrong” beer appeared in a newspaper pictorial.
Mind you, the employee was not shown endorsing the offending ale; he was simply out on the town on a Saturday night, drinking his beer of choice when a photographer happened to snap his picture.
Now if this guy was part of the company’s executive board, I could see it raising a stink. But this employee was a forklift driver – not necessarily the front lines of customer service. I’m guessing most customers didn’t even know he worked for the “right” beer company.
But somehow, the “right” beer company thought that being seen drinking the “wrong” beer was an egregious error, and the employee got the boot.
Let’s look at this scenario through the same lens, but in different situations. Let’s say you work the jewelry counter at Wal-Mart. Should you be fired if you’re seen shopping at a K-Mart, Target, JC Penney or Sears?
What if your job is on an assembly line putting tires on Cadillacs, and your picture appears in the paper with you getting out of your Dodge pickup?
No employer should have the right to dictate where you must shop or what kind of beer you must drink. (Can you tell I’m just a little bit passionate about this?)
But dictatorship is also going beyond using the “wrong” product. Some companies are banning their employees from smoking, anywhere, anytime, period. The reason? Save on health care costs.
One such company, Michigan-based Weyco, Inc., has already fired employees for refusing to take a test to see if they use tobacco products.
Yes, this is a fact: Weyco employees are not allowed to smoke - ever. Not even in the privacy of their own homes.
How fast is your head spinning? Smoking cigars and cigarettes is legal. What’s next?
With companies adopting (and getting away with) this “save-on-health-care-cost” mentality, it won’t be long before they’re banning obese people from their ranks. And those who ride motorcycles, go hunting, kayaking, scuba diving, or rock-climbing will also be forced to give up their “dangerous” (but legal) activities.
When it gets to this point, which “sin” of yours will be put on the chopping block?
Don’t misunderstand: There is no problem with employers banning certain activities from company property, enforcing drug or alcohol testing to make sure employees are sober at work, or banning conflicts of interest.
But when employers dictate what employees can or cannot do on their own time, either in the privacy of their own homes or in other, private establishments, I believe they have crossed the line. Big time.
Employees show up, they solve problems for the employer, they collect a paycheck for their time and efforts, and then they go on with their lives. “Employer” is not a synonym for “dictator.”
If employees don’t stand up to this new onslaught of bullying, it won’t be long before the workplace Gestapo is knocking on your door while you’re hiding in the crawlspace, wondering if those cookies your neighbor gave you are considered contraband.
Regards :D :D :D
From India, Madras
hie atom leaf.... thatz a big article....but good one...out of curiousty i ask u wat does atom leaf mean???? regards scare_crow
From India, Mumbai
From India, Mumbai
Your comments seem to be a broad brush indictment of management “everywhere”. I don’t think you can make that statement with any authority unless you have been “everywhere” and witnessed the “bullying” by dictatorial employers.
While employers have a “code of conduct” (primarily to prevent chaos), employees must have a sense of responsibility and loyalty to the employer. In both cases there is the goal of efficiency, productivity, safety and job security.
…some employers are starting to dictate what employees can and can’t do during their time off, and this is where they are crossing sacred lines.
In the United States, Capitalism is built on the “Golden Rule“- whoever has the gold makes the rules (within legal limits).
What are the so-called “sacred lines”? The employees’ free time, his (her) lifestyle away from the workplace? Ever think about what kind of lifestyle they would have if there were no workplace? They would have all the free time that they could handle. Of course, at that point they would be a burden on society; the taxpayers’ (of which there would be one less) problem.
As an example of dictatorship, earlier this month a Miller beer distributor in Racine, Wisconsin, fired one of its employees because a photo of him holding the “wrong” beer appeared in a newspaper pictorial.
Don’t you think that dictatorship is a little harsh? All you know about the incident is what was printed (and shown) in a newspaper. I don’t know if you are aware of what a beer distributor is or what they do. Assuming you don’t, I’ll explain it. We’re not talking Miller Brewing here, We’re talking small business. The owner is a small business person, who employs from 5-15 employees, mostly warehouse workers who drive forklifts and occasionally help walk-in/drive thru customers, and drivers, who make deliveries to retail outlets. Success of the business depends on customer satisfaction with the product - in this case Miller Beer.
Management has the burden of providing the consumer with a quality product at a reasonable cost, thereby providing a measure of job security, not only for his own employees but also those of the vendor and suppliers who depends on the distributorship for business. Of course, there is the “trickle down” effect - employees buy products from retailers who then must purchase more products from manufacturers.
What, to you may seem as an innocuous incident - even dictatorship - brings into question the employee’s loyalty. Are you aware of the facts/factors that contributed to the picture?
…..simply out on the town on a Saturday night, drinking his beer of choice when a photographer happened to snap his picture.
* Was the picture a candid shot, or “posed”?
* Did the employee actually drink Brand “B”, or merely hold it up as a “stunt“?
To have an employee “pose” for a picture with Brand “B” is to tell the world that Miller Beer is second rate.
The reasonable reaction of someone seeing the picture is, “Here is a Miller employee, drinking Brand “B”. What does he know that I don’t? I’m going to stop drinking Miller and switch to Brand “B”.
The Miller Brewery spends ten of millions of dollars each year in advertising its product as a premium beer, one of the best in the country. An employee of a Miller Distributor is pictured as drinking, and even possibly enjoying, Brand “B” beer. A million dollars of free publicity for Brand “B”.
Such conduct is detrimental to the employer’s (Miller Brewing as well as the distributor) interests and is reasonable grounds for termination.
We’re not talking about GM, or WAL-MART, or SIEMANS, or NOKIA. We’re talking about a small business, and a thoughtless prank that has the potential of causing jobs to be lost.
[b]Some companies are banning their employees from smoking, anywhere, anytime, period. The reason? Save on health care costs. [/b]….Michigan-based Weyco, Inc., has fired employees for refusing to take a test to see if they use tobacco products.
Weyco, Inc. has a policy of hiring non-smokers, such a policy is outside the Equal Employment Opportunity laws, since they have no bearing on “protected activity”. In fact, NO SMOKING is “public policy” in the US.
If you apply for employment at Weyco, Inc. you are made aware of the policy. The choice is then yours - work for the Company and quit smoking, or apply somewhere else. (Remember the “Golden Rule”?)
As for your statement: “… companies (are) adopting (and getting away with) this “save-on-health-care-cost” mentality…” I really don’t think you know what you are talking about. (Excuse my bluntness, but I have passion too!!)
It is not intrusive for a company which pays for nearly 80-90% of the health care costs (premiums range, conservatively, US$ 800-1200 per employee per month, with increases in double digits each of the last five (5) years) to set rules which will hold down these controllable costs.
Remember that Management has a fiduciary responsibility to provide for the success of the Company and to ensure, as much as possible, its growth, which provides job security for its employees.
How can a company be competitive and seek to grow with such burdensome costs? What are the options?
* Shift costs to employees ? (Wage adjustments would be taken up with medical costs.)
* Reduce benefits? (Unacceptable from a moral point of view).
* Promote wellness/preventative programs (stop smoking (I forgot you’re opposed to this one), eat right, exercise more).
* Pass the cost to the consumer in higher product costs? (consumer will search out cheaper products, thereby jeopardizing the company’s future).
* National (socialized) medicine? (Not in the US; we‘ve seen Canada's experience.)
* Outsource work to countries with lower overall costs? (Globalization!! What do you do with the citizens that have lost jobs? Society becomes fractionalized - “the haves and the have nots”.
Finally, addressing your concerns about: “….when employers dictate what employees can or cannot do on their own time……I believe they have crossed the line. Big time.”
This is something else you may not know. There are Companies - Time-Warner, Sony, Viacom, to name a few - that restrict what “stars” can and cannot do on their own time, including riding “….motorcycles, go hunting, kayaking, scuba diving, or rock-climbing..” in the name of the “Golden Rule”.
Before you label conscientious employers dictators understand their responsibilities toward employees, stockholders, stakeholders, the community, the state, and the country at large.
“Be patient and analyze things instead of hoping to a hasty decision”.
“You just have to think from your boss‘ point of view”.
Take your own good advice.
From United States,
While employers have a “code of conduct” (primarily to prevent chaos), employees must have a sense of responsibility and loyalty to the employer. In both cases there is the goal of efficiency, productivity, safety and job security.
…some employers are starting to dictate what employees can and can’t do during their time off, and this is where they are crossing sacred lines.
In the United States, Capitalism is built on the “Golden Rule“- whoever has the gold makes the rules (within legal limits).
What are the so-called “sacred lines”? The employees’ free time, his (her) lifestyle away from the workplace? Ever think about what kind of lifestyle they would have if there were no workplace? They would have all the free time that they could handle. Of course, at that point they would be a burden on society; the taxpayers’ (of which there would be one less) problem.
As an example of dictatorship, earlier this month a Miller beer distributor in Racine, Wisconsin, fired one of its employees because a photo of him holding the “wrong” beer appeared in a newspaper pictorial.
Don’t you think that dictatorship is a little harsh? All you know about the incident is what was printed (and shown) in a newspaper. I don’t know if you are aware of what a beer distributor is or what they do. Assuming you don’t, I’ll explain it. We’re not talking Miller Brewing here, We’re talking small business. The owner is a small business person, who employs from 5-15 employees, mostly warehouse workers who drive forklifts and occasionally help walk-in/drive thru customers, and drivers, who make deliveries to retail outlets. Success of the business depends on customer satisfaction with the product - in this case Miller Beer.
Management has the burden of providing the consumer with a quality product at a reasonable cost, thereby providing a measure of job security, not only for his own employees but also those of the vendor and suppliers who depends on the distributorship for business. Of course, there is the “trickle down” effect - employees buy products from retailers who then must purchase more products from manufacturers.
What, to you may seem as an innocuous incident - even dictatorship - brings into question the employee’s loyalty. Are you aware of the facts/factors that contributed to the picture?
…..simply out on the town on a Saturday night, drinking his beer of choice when a photographer happened to snap his picture.
* Was the picture a candid shot, or “posed”?
* Did the employee actually drink Brand “B”, or merely hold it up as a “stunt“?
To have an employee “pose” for a picture with Brand “B” is to tell the world that Miller Beer is second rate.
The reasonable reaction of someone seeing the picture is, “Here is a Miller employee, drinking Brand “B”. What does he know that I don’t? I’m going to stop drinking Miller and switch to Brand “B”.
The Miller Brewery spends ten of millions of dollars each year in advertising its product as a premium beer, one of the best in the country. An employee of a Miller Distributor is pictured as drinking, and even possibly enjoying, Brand “B” beer. A million dollars of free publicity for Brand “B”.
Such conduct is detrimental to the employer’s (Miller Brewing as well as the distributor) interests and is reasonable grounds for termination.
We’re not talking about GM, or WAL-MART, or SIEMANS, or NOKIA. We’re talking about a small business, and a thoughtless prank that has the potential of causing jobs to be lost.
[b]Some companies are banning their employees from smoking, anywhere, anytime, period. The reason? Save on health care costs. [/b]….Michigan-based Weyco, Inc., has fired employees for refusing to take a test to see if they use tobacco products.
Weyco, Inc. has a policy of hiring non-smokers, such a policy is outside the Equal Employment Opportunity laws, since they have no bearing on “protected activity”. In fact, NO SMOKING is “public policy” in the US.
If you apply for employment at Weyco, Inc. you are made aware of the policy. The choice is then yours - work for the Company and quit smoking, or apply somewhere else. (Remember the “Golden Rule”?)
As for your statement: “… companies (are) adopting (and getting away with) this “save-on-health-care-cost” mentality…” I really don’t think you know what you are talking about. (Excuse my bluntness, but I have passion too!!)
It is not intrusive for a company which pays for nearly 80-90% of the health care costs (premiums range, conservatively, US$ 800-1200 per employee per month, with increases in double digits each of the last five (5) years) to set rules which will hold down these controllable costs.
Remember that Management has a fiduciary responsibility to provide for the success of the Company and to ensure, as much as possible, its growth, which provides job security for its employees.
How can a company be competitive and seek to grow with such burdensome costs? What are the options?
* Shift costs to employees ? (Wage adjustments would be taken up with medical costs.)
* Reduce benefits? (Unacceptable from a moral point of view).
* Promote wellness/preventative programs (stop smoking (I forgot you’re opposed to this one), eat right, exercise more).
* Pass the cost to the consumer in higher product costs? (consumer will search out cheaper products, thereby jeopardizing the company’s future).
* National (socialized) medicine? (Not in the US; we‘ve seen Canada's experience.)
* Outsource work to countries with lower overall costs? (Globalization!! What do you do with the citizens that have lost jobs? Society becomes fractionalized - “the haves and the have nots”.
Finally, addressing your concerns about: “….when employers dictate what employees can or cannot do on their own time……I believe they have crossed the line. Big time.”
This is something else you may not know. There are Companies - Time-Warner, Sony, Viacom, to name a few - that restrict what “stars” can and cannot do on their own time, including riding “….motorcycles, go hunting, kayaking, scuba diving, or rock-climbing..” in the name of the “Golden Rule”.
Before you label conscientious employers dictators understand their responsibilities toward employees, stockholders, stakeholders, the community, the state, and the country at large.
“Be patient and analyze things instead of hoping to a hasty decision”.
“You just have to think from your boss‘ point of view”.
Take your own good advice.
From United States,
Hi Paladin,
I have posted an summary but you have given the clear picture... really nice.... actually i should have posted this in humour section... my views doesnt match the article i have posted... accidently i found this from a site... wanted to share with u guys..thats it...sorry for posting this kind.... as a HR person I always wanted my family/employee in my company/friends to be positive always and if u see my other posts at this site...it would strongly reflect positive attitude...
Thanks Paladin
:) :) :)
Regards
From India, Madras
I have posted an summary but you have given the clear picture... really nice.... actually i should have posted this in humour section... my views doesnt match the article i have posted... accidently i found this from a site... wanted to share with u guys..thats it...sorry for posting this kind.... as a HR person I always wanted my family/employee in my company/friends to be positive always and if u see my other posts at this site...it would strongly reflect positive attitude...
Thanks Paladin
:) :) :)
Regards
From India, Madras
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