Dear friends,
I am facing a very typical problem in my office for the last few months. There is a lady employee in our office who is a trainee. For the past few months, I have noticed that the employees are not maintaining the time of coming to the office. I gave a notice to all, and everyone obeyed my order except for this girl who kept coming late. I warned her repeatedly. One day, as I mentioned that she could face consequences for her lateness as per the notice, she answered back, "If I am late, you can take any step (you can deduct my half-day salary)." I didn't say anything, and that was the end of it.
Last Thursday, she called me in the morning and informed me that her mom was unwell, so she wouldn't be coming to work. I agreed. Then, on Friday, she called again to say she wouldn't be able to come in because her mom was still unwell. I told her she had to come as her absence was affecting our project, which she was handling alone. She said she would try. The first half of the day passed, and when I called her, she didn't answer. After multiple attempts, she disconnected the call.
Today, she came to my room with the same attitude (all employees have to come to my room to sign the register). I asked her why she behaved that way the previous day and brought up past examples. After our conversation, she left my room. Later, when I went to her team's room for another task, I couldn't find her. I asked her teammate, who informed me that she had left the office.
I immediately called her, and after initially not responding, she finally answered and said she wouldn't work, etc. I talked to her and made her understand, and she returned to the office.
Now, I seek advice on what steps I should take to prevent such behavior of walking out, etc.
PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME........... I WILL BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS
From India, New Delhi
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65I am facing a very typical problem in my office for the last few months. There is a lady employee in our office who is a trainee. For the past few months, I have noticed that the employees are not maintaining the time of coming to the office. I gave a notice to all, and everyone obeyed my order except for this girl who kept coming late. I warned her repeatedly. One day, as I mentioned that she could face consequences for her lateness as per the notice, she answered back, "If I am late, you can take any step (you can deduct my half-day salary)." I didn't say anything, and that was the end of it.
Last Thursday, she called me in the morning and informed me that her mom was unwell, so she wouldn't be coming to work. I agreed. Then, on Friday, she called again to say she wouldn't be able to come in because her mom was still unwell. I told her she had to come as her absence was affecting our project, which she was handling alone. She said she would try. The first half of the day passed, and when I called her, she didn't answer. After multiple attempts, she disconnected the call.
Today, she came to my room with the same attitude (all employees have to come to my room to sign the register). I asked her why she behaved that way the previous day and brought up past examples. After our conversation, she left my room. Later, when I went to her team's room for another task, I couldn't find her. I asked her teammate, who informed me that she had left the office.
I immediately called her, and after initially not responding, she finally answered and said she wouldn't work, etc. I talked to her and made her understand, and she returned to the office.
Now, I seek advice on what steps I should take to prevent such behavior of walking out, etc.
PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME........... I WILL BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS
From India, New Delhi
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Hi,
Try to have a friendly meeting with her for a few minutes and suggest to her how her attitude is going to affect the work and how her career will have a negative impact because of this behavior. You can do all this only by interacting with her in a friendly way and understanding her problems from her side.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
From India, Hyderabad
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Try to have a friendly meeting with her for a few minutes and suggest to her how her attitude is going to affect the work and how her career will have a negative impact because of this behavior. You can do all this only by interacting with her in a friendly way and understanding her problems from her side.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
From India, Hyderabad
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Dear,
First, give comfort to settle. Ask her to come down to your cabin. Treat her as your friend. Ask her about the feelings of the company since the day she joined, any problems with colleagues, peers, work, and operations. Share your views about the company and about her. Speak about the positives you find in her work and as a person, and expect punctuality. Ask her about personal problems as a friend; inquire if there are any issues in family, personal life, or traveling that may be causing her to be late. Provide solutions for these issues and emphasize the importance of punctuality. The effectiveness of this approach depends on your interaction with her.
Hope this approach can provide more comfort and care to encourage sharing views and resolving this issue.
I faced the same problem, and this approach helped me a lot. Now, I do not have any issues with attendance, timing, or leaves.
Regards,
Vidya
HR Generalist
From India, Ahmadabad
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First, give comfort to settle. Ask her to come down to your cabin. Treat her as your friend. Ask her about the feelings of the company since the day she joined, any problems with colleagues, peers, work, and operations. Share your views about the company and about her. Speak about the positives you find in her work and as a person, and expect punctuality. Ask her about personal problems as a friend; inquire if there are any issues in family, personal life, or traveling that may be causing her to be late. Provide solutions for these issues and emphasize the importance of punctuality. The effectiveness of this approach depends on your interaction with her.
Hope this approach can provide more comfort and care to encourage sharing views and resolving this issue.
I faced the same problem, and this approach helped me a lot. Now, I do not have any issues with attendance, timing, or leaves.
Regards,
Vidya
HR Generalist
From India, Ahmadabad
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Yes, you should definitely handle such nuts with a little friendly attitude, but then she doesn't seem to be in the friendly lot. She won't possibly budge. Strike a friendly conversation saying, you have pressure from above and so it's your job to ask her. If you think after you've made all this clear, and she still continues the same, then action needs to be taken. Escalate the issue to her reporting personality. If she is lucky enough and not reporting to anyone, then communicate this to any senior personnel. You should have warned her about legal action by now. But anyway, try this out. Hopefully, this way should work. But I can see her getting a termination letter if she is not a management's pet. :)
From India, Delhi
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From India, Delhi
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Thanks to all my friends...
Sitting with her and talking to her in a friendly manner, all these sessions are over in my office. Although I am the senior HR manager, I am so flexible with my employees that they come up to me even with their personal problems. Together we sort it out. But this girl is exceptional. I have talked with her several times. Even today, I sat with her, but you know what she said, "I am hurt. I don't want to say anything." You won't believe my patience. She kept on arguing, accusing me, but I remained calm. I didn't utter a single harsh word to her. Instead, I tried to make her feel comfortable, talked about her parents. But she... Just now, I went to her, asked her, "Are you okay?" She neither looked at me nor said yes.
How long can a senior management person tolerate all these from a trainee? I really don't know.
From India, New Delhi
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Sitting with her and talking to her in a friendly manner, all these sessions are over in my office. Although I am the senior HR manager, I am so flexible with my employees that they come up to me even with their personal problems. Together we sort it out. But this girl is exceptional. I have talked with her several times. Even today, I sat with her, but you know what she said, "I am hurt. I don't want to say anything." You won't believe my patience. She kept on arguing, accusing me, but I remained calm. I didn't utter a single harsh word to her. Instead, I tried to make her feel comfortable, talked about her parents. But she... Just now, I went to her, asked her, "Are you okay?" She neither looked at me nor said yes.
How long can a senior management person tolerate all these from a trainee? I really don't know.
From India, New Delhi
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Tell her that if she remains like that, you will communicate this to the person she reports to, or someone like her department head, or your company's director. Sometimes, employees have the audacity of frowning at HR professionals, no matter how senior they are. However, their own bosses can bring them back on track.
So, coming back to what I was saying, if she loves the job, she will start behaving. Most probably, she does love her job. And if she doesn't, I'm sure she is not required!
From India, Delhi
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So, coming back to what I was saying, if she loves the job, she will start behaving. Most probably, she does love her job. And if she doesn't, I'm sure she is not required!
From India, Delhi
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Hi Sohini,
All suggestions given by our friends are really good. :) If the matter goes beyond any of the above solutions, then give her one or two months' notice that, if she is not punctual, the company will discontinue her on the grounds of misbehavior. As you are a senior member, you should have this kind of authority. Just let her go and replace her by recruiting a new person. :icon1:
From India, Chandigarh
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All suggestions given by our friends are really good. :) If the matter goes beyond any of the above solutions, then give her one or two months' notice that, if she is not punctual, the company will discontinue her on the grounds of misbehavior. As you are a senior member, you should have this kind of authority. Just let her go and replace her by recruiting a new person. :icon1:
From India, Chandigarh
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Sohini, try to convince her in a friendly way. Make her understand your company policies and the ultimate result. Remember, everyone is different. You haven't made a decision yet, which is why she is ignoring you. She might think you won't take any action against her. Consider creating a backup plan for her and gradually transition her project to someone else. Then, have her sit idle for a few days. Hopefully, you will see results.
From India, Calcutta
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From India, Calcutta
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Dear friends,
I am facing a very typical problem in my office for the last few months. There is a lady employee in our office. She is a trainee in our company. For the past few months, I have observed that the employees are not maintaining the time of coming to the office. I gave a notice to all, and everyone obeyed my order except for this girl who kept coming late. I warned her repeatedly, and one day she responded, "If I am late, you can take any step (you can deduct my half-day salary) as I mentioned in the notice." I didn't say anything, and that was the end of it.
Last Thursday, she called me in the morning and informed me that her mom was not well, so she wouldn't be coming to work. I agreed. Then again on Friday, she called and said she wouldn't be able to come because her mom was still unwell. I told her she had to come because our project was suffering due to her absence (she is handling the project alone). She reluctantly agreed to try. The first half of the day passed, and when I called her, she didn't answer. After multiple attempts, she disconnected the call.
Today, she came to my room with the same attitude (everyone has to come to my room to sign the register). I asked her why she behaved that way the previous day and reminded her of previous examples. After the conversation, she left my room. Later, when I went to her room for some other work, I couldn't find her. I asked her teammate, who informed me that she had left the office.
Immediately, I called her. Initially, she didn't answer, but eventually, she did. She expressed her unwillingness to work, and after a discussion, I managed to convince her to return to the office.
I seek advice from all of you on what steps I should take to address these behaviors of leaving work abruptly.
PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME. I WILL BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS.
Some people may be experiencing personal problems that they cannot express to others, affecting their ability to concentrate on their job. In this case, the employee is facing a genuine personal issue, which is why she expressed her indifference towards any actions taken by the company. It's essential not to intrude on her personal life or assume the role of a friend. As an HR professional, it is crucial to acknowledge that not all problems can be solved, and one should not overstep boundaries.
It is important to respect her privacy and allow her to take leave. If she exhausts her leave balance, consider converting it to Leave Without Pay (LOP) but refrain from termination unless she chooses to resign. Compassion and understanding are fundamental aspects of being human.
Regards,
Ravi
From India, Pune
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I am facing a very typical problem in my office for the last few months. There is a lady employee in our office. She is a trainee in our company. For the past few months, I have observed that the employees are not maintaining the time of coming to the office. I gave a notice to all, and everyone obeyed my order except for this girl who kept coming late. I warned her repeatedly, and one day she responded, "If I am late, you can take any step (you can deduct my half-day salary) as I mentioned in the notice." I didn't say anything, and that was the end of it.
Last Thursday, she called me in the morning and informed me that her mom was not well, so she wouldn't be coming to work. I agreed. Then again on Friday, she called and said she wouldn't be able to come because her mom was still unwell. I told her she had to come because our project was suffering due to her absence (she is handling the project alone). She reluctantly agreed to try. The first half of the day passed, and when I called her, she didn't answer. After multiple attempts, she disconnected the call.
Today, she came to my room with the same attitude (everyone has to come to my room to sign the register). I asked her why she behaved that way the previous day and reminded her of previous examples. After the conversation, she left my room. Later, when I went to her room for some other work, I couldn't find her. I asked her teammate, who informed me that she had left the office.
Immediately, I called her. Initially, she didn't answer, but eventually, she did. She expressed her unwillingness to work, and after a discussion, I managed to convince her to return to the office.
I seek advice from all of you on what steps I should take to address these behaviors of leaving work abruptly.
PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME. I WILL BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS.
Some people may be experiencing personal problems that they cannot express to others, affecting their ability to concentrate on their job. In this case, the employee is facing a genuine personal issue, which is why she expressed her indifference towards any actions taken by the company. It's essential not to intrude on her personal life or assume the role of a friend. As an HR professional, it is crucial to acknowledge that not all problems can be solved, and one should not overstep boundaries.
It is important to respect her privacy and allow her to take leave. If she exhausts her leave balance, consider converting it to Leave Without Pay (LOP) but refrain from termination unless she chooses to resign. Compassion and understanding are fundamental aspects of being human.
Regards,
Ravi
From India, Pune
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Hi Sohini,
I can understand your position in this regard. Before I give you a suggestion, I would like to share my experience from a few years back.
I was the factory manager at an Electronics Industry which was a 100% EOU. I had very tight schedules, and we were working 3 shifts, i.e., 24 hours. There was one operator who used to abstain himself very frequently. His supervisor used to come to me to complain about his irregular attendance. I told him to remove him from the job and appoint a new person in his place. He said that the person is very good at his work but his only problem is his absenteeism. I asked that supervisor to bring that person to me once he comes back to work. The next day when the operator came to work, the supervisor brought him to me. I asked him why he is so irregular to his work. He very arrogantly said that this is the way he will come and if I want, I can remove him from the service. Though I was taken aback by his arrogant reply, my sixth sense was telling me that he should be handled in a different way. For the day, I just told him not to abstain like this and to continue working. Again after two days, the supervisor came back and told me that the operator is absent!
The next day when he came back, I only called him to my cabin, spoke to him in a gentle way, and told him that he is a good worker. I asked him to tell me whether he has any problems at home because of which he is irregular to his work. For a moment, he kept quiet and later he said that his mother is a heart patient and there is nobody to look after her at home, and only he has to take her to the hospital whenever she is not well. I consoled him and suggested him to make some arrangements to take care of her with the help of his relatives/neighbours, etc., and asked him to attend work regularly. I also told him that I will pray to God for her health.
Believe me, within a couple of days, he came to me and told me that he has made arrangements with his neighbor to take his mother to the hospital if required and promised me that he will attend the factory regularly. He became very close to me, worked very hard, and he started telling everybody that I am God to him!
So, Sohini... don't get disturbed by that girl's irregularity. Speak to her, giving an impression that you are her well-wisher, and try to help her out in whatever way you can! Even if you have to go beyond some rules and regulations, please help her out. I am sure and confident she will be an asset to the company.
- Srinaren
From India, Bangalore
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I can understand your position in this regard. Before I give you a suggestion, I would like to share my experience from a few years back.
I was the factory manager at an Electronics Industry which was a 100% EOU. I had very tight schedules, and we were working 3 shifts, i.e., 24 hours. There was one operator who used to abstain himself very frequently. His supervisor used to come to me to complain about his irregular attendance. I told him to remove him from the job and appoint a new person in his place. He said that the person is very good at his work but his only problem is his absenteeism. I asked that supervisor to bring that person to me once he comes back to work. The next day when the operator came to work, the supervisor brought him to me. I asked him why he is so irregular to his work. He very arrogantly said that this is the way he will come and if I want, I can remove him from the service. Though I was taken aback by his arrogant reply, my sixth sense was telling me that he should be handled in a different way. For the day, I just told him not to abstain like this and to continue working. Again after two days, the supervisor came back and told me that the operator is absent!
The next day when he came back, I only called him to my cabin, spoke to him in a gentle way, and told him that he is a good worker. I asked him to tell me whether he has any problems at home because of which he is irregular to his work. For a moment, he kept quiet and later he said that his mother is a heart patient and there is nobody to look after her at home, and only he has to take her to the hospital whenever she is not well. I consoled him and suggested him to make some arrangements to take care of her with the help of his relatives/neighbours, etc., and asked him to attend work regularly. I also told him that I will pray to God for her health.
Believe me, within a couple of days, he came to me and told me that he has made arrangements with his neighbor to take his mother to the hospital if required and promised me that he will attend the factory regularly. He became very close to me, worked very hard, and he started telling everybody that I am God to him!
So, Sohini... don't get disturbed by that girl's irregularity. Speak to her, giving an impression that you are her well-wisher, and try to help her out in whatever way you can! Even if you have to go beyond some rules and regulations, please help her out. I am sure and confident she will be an asset to the company.
- Srinaren
From India, Bangalore
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