Employee too concerned with what i am doing and they report to me. Help!

[missingu]

I feel that I'm dealing with employee insubordination. I ask my staff to please do their jobs and all I cop is attitude and today I was screamed at in front of staff. I kept my calm and asked the person to please go in the office.

 

I got them in the office. They had a meeting with my bosses. I wasn't present. They apparently feel it is their right to watch everything I do and question my authority. Asking why the other manager can't do what I do instead etc.

 

Now to my way of thinking they have absolutely no right to question my authority. Let alone scream at me about it.

 

I'm thinking that this employee who is a troublemaker by the way, should get a written warning. She is using other people to gang up on and bully me.

 

I am a former peer of this worker and since i got this promotion she has been acting out toward me and going around me to my boss to dob on me for anything she doesn't like.

 

My question is am I crazy to think that this employee deserves a written warning?

[brigit87]

I feel that I'm dealing with employee insubordination. I ask my staff to please do their jobs and all I cop is attitude and today I was screamed at in front of staff. I kept my calm and asked the person to please go in the office.

 

I got them in the office. They had a meeting with my bosses. I wasn't present. They apparently feel it is their right to watch everything I do and question my authority. Asking why the other manager can't do what I do instead etc.

 

Now to my way of thinking they have absolutely no right to question my authority. Let alone scream at me about it.

 

I'm thinking that this employee who is a troublemaker by the way, should get a written warning. She is using other people to gang up on and bully me.

 

I am a former peer of this worker and since i got this promotion she has been acting out toward me and going around me to my boss to dob on me for anything she doesn't like.

 

My question is am I crazy to think that this employee deserves a written warning?

 

I'm going through something similar. Yes the person deserves a warning and yes you are being bullied. You need the help of your bosses to intervene. If they have your back then you'll be fine.

 

In my case I was just about to be hit with a written warning from these disgusting co-workers who were trying to get rid of me. My supervisor refused to write the warning knowing that it was ridiculous and I handed in my resignation giving them two weeks notice. Upper management talked me out of leaving and now they'e looking into getting me a better title. But if they weren't on my side I would have left. Working sucks.

[missingu]

I'm going through something similar. Yes the person deserves a warning and yes you are being bullied. You need the help of your bosses to intervene. If they have your back then you'll be fine.

 

In my case I was just about to be hit with a written warning from these disgusting co-workers who were trying to get rid of me. My supervisor refused to write the warning knowing that it was ridiculous and I handed in my resignation giving them two weeks notice. Upper management talked me out of leaving and now they'e looking into getting me a better title. But if they weren't on my side I would have left. Working sucks.

 

Thanks for the reply, I am having an awful time. I plan to go and see my bosses tomorrow and tell them that I am being bullied and that if nothing is done about it I will have to make a formal complaint. Or worse I'll have to resign from the position . Should I do this? I haven't said anything about being bullied yet but I think and feel like I am being bullied by this small group of women and I'm sick and tired of it, as I Just want to do my job and go home.

 

Do you think this is a good way to go. I'm sorry that you are going through this too, you are not alone, definitely not , unfortunately.

[brigit87]

Thanks for the reply, I am having an awful time. I plan to go and see my bosses tomorrow and tell them that I am being bullied and that if nothing is done about it I will have to make a formal complaint. Or worse I'll have to resign from the position . Should I do this? I haven't said anything about being bullied yet but I think and feel like I am being bullied by this small group of women and I'm sick and tired of it, as I Just want to do my job and go home.

 

Do you think this is a good way to go. I'm sorry that you are going through this too, you are not alone, definitely not , unfortunately.

 

You're being bullied and if your boss stands up for you then it will probably stop. If you don't have the support of your boss you should go. The bullying will only get worse. Get your resume together. Start looking at other jobs. But put in that formal complaint and if you're strong enough you can sue. Harassment at work is horrible but if your boss is on your side you'll have a chance. Definitively put in a formal complaint. Lots of ppl get bullied at work. It's a huge problem.

[Mr. Lucky]

Let alone scream at me about it.

 

Right.

 

Now to my way of thinking they have absolutely no right to question my authority.

 

Wrong.

 

missingu, have you seen "Saving Private Ryan"? Providing leadership, being the boss, means having your authority questioned every day, and having the management ability to provide answers to those questions. If your entire staff is "copping attitude", that may be because you don't ask them to do their jobs, you show them that performing their duties benefits everyone on the team.

 

There are hundreds of great books on leadership. One you might start with is "The One Minute Manager" by Johnson & Blanchard. The issues you're encountering are very common...

 

Mr. Lucky

[missingu]

Right.

 

 

 

Wrong.

 

missingu, have you seen "Saving Private Ryan"? Providing leadership, being the boss, means having your authority questioned every day, and having the management ability to provide answers to those questions. If your entire staff is "copping attitude", that may be because you don't ask them to do their jobs, you show them that performing their duties benefits everyone on the team.

 

There are hundreds of great books on leadership. One you might start with is "The One Minute Manager" by Johnson & Blanchard. The issues you're encountering are very common...

 

Mr. Lucky

 

Just a question then. Is it ok for me to have 2 hours sleep last night because I was screamed at and I am being bullied on a daily basis. This has been going on for 10 months now.

 

You are right though they dont have to like me or my authority in any way, but what they do need to do is their job, And they do have to do what I say while they are on the clock.

 

Lucky, Everytime I ask them to do things they dont like it, no matter what it is. Things like can you please stop talking and do your work, can you please do a different job today (gives them a bit of variety and increases productivity.)

 

My colleague who is in the same position as me, has,told our bosses that no matter what I do it's always wrong and whined about by those same people. He said in their eyes I can't do anything right.

 

I have had other staff complain about this worker. Telling me she talks too much.

[bathtub-row]

You should’ve fired her on the spot.

[Art_Critic]

You should’ve fired her on the spot.

 

Yeah.. I think so too.. although maybe she didn't have the authority..

 

Certainly at times of stress at jobs people can butt heads and that is okay providing they come to terms with it and work it out however, undermining your authority would be an automatic firing in my book..

 

Can't have that kind of discord in the ranks

[bathtub-row]

If she doesn’t have the authority to hire and fire, that’s at least one reason why she’s being challenged.

[preraph]

I feel that I'm dealing with employee insubordination. I ask my staff to please do their jobs and all I cop is attitude and today I was screamed at in front of staff. I kept my calm and asked the person to please go in the office.

 

I got them in the office. They had a meeting with my bosses. I wasn't present. They apparently feel it is their right to watch everything I do and question my authority. Asking why the other manager can't do what I do instead etc.

 

Now to my way of thinking they have absolutely no right to question my authority. Let alone scream at me about it.

 

I'm thinking that this employee who is a troublemaker by the way, should get a written warning. She is using other people to gang up on and bully me.

 

I am a former peer of this worker and since i got this promotion she has been acting out toward me and going around me to my boss to dob on me for anything she doesn't like.

 

My question is am I crazy to think that this employee deserves a written warning?

 

You need to write all this up. She's undermining you and going over your head. I'd be getting rid of her any way I could.

[bathtub-row]

Once in a meeting with my team, one person continually kept going back to a subject that I said was a dead topic. She kept going over it again and again, even though I explained to her why I wasn’t doing whatever it was she wanted. After the meeting, I called HR, had the paperwork done and fired her when she walked in the following day.

 

If you let people disrespect you without repercussions, your entire team will disrespect you. If you’re in a position where your boss doesn’t back you, you’ve got bigger problems.

[d0nnivain]

Do not tell your bosses that you are being bullied. You will undermine your own authority.

 

Sit down with the bosses & tell them how this other person is being insubordinate & failing to respect your authority. Point to your co-worker's concurrence that these employees are always complaining. Have a suggestion about how to correct this. If you want the written warning to be the corrective action, fine but have a proposed draft with you to show your manager.

 

You are the manager. Act like it. Come up with a plan to fix the problem.

[some_username1]

Once in a meeting with my team, one person continually kept going back to a subject that I said was a dead topic. She kept going over it again and again, even though I explained to her why I wasn’t doing whatever it was she wanted. After the meeting, I called HR, had the paperwork done and fired her when she walked in the following day.

 

If you let people disrespect you without repercussions, your entire team will disrespect you. If you’re in a position where your boss doesn’t back you, you’ve got bigger problems.

 

With all due respect if you pull a trigger that injudiciously I can guarantee you your team disrespect you - they just don't do it to your face. I would have thought it would be far more tactful to exercise some people skills and have a meeting with the individual and give them a warning about their conduct? Getting on the phone to HR and giving them the boot without first making the employee aware of how seriously you viewed their conduct seems a very passive aggressive way of dealing with problems in the workplace.

[Timshel]

If you let people disrespect you without repercussions, your entire team will disrespect you. If you’re in a position where your boss doesn’t back you, you’ve got bigger problems.

 

 

Yes ma'am, this 100%.

 

 

Make an example of her. Period. There are probably other issues to deal with but if you go higher up to complain about being bullied; you have let higher ups know that you can't handle the job.

 

 

You are not being bullied, you are not being a supervisor.

[bathtub-row]

With all due respect if you pull a trigger that injudiciously I can guarantee you your team disrespect you - they just don't do it to your face. I would have thought it would be far more tactful to exercise some people skills and have a meeting with the individual and give them a warning about their conduct? Getting on the phone to HR and giving them the boot without first making the employee aware of how seriously you viewed their conduct seems a very passive aggressive way of dealing with problems in the workplace.

 

I spoke to that person privately in my office afterwards and she continued to argue vehemently. My decision about the issue at-hand was based on a directive from the corporate office so I wasn't able to change my decision, nor did I plan to. She wasn't seeing the big picture, no matter how many different ways I explained it to her. When an employee isn't in a decision-making position, there's a limit to how much they get to argue with the boss before they lose their job. That's just common sense. There was nothing injudicious about my decision. It was also backed by my boss and the president of the company.

 

After she was terminated, my team told me that I absolutely did the right thing. They said they had become very uncomfortable with the level of disrespect the person was showing me in the meeting and said they couldn't believe I tolerated it. I had warned her over and over but she persisted. It wasn't like it was the first time she was a problem but it was the first time she was that pushy. Yes, she deserved to be terminated.

[Simple Logic]

Some of your options are based on your authority as a 1st line supervisor. It is not uncommon not to authorize 1st line supervisors to fire people. Just about all first line supervisors are authorized to suspend an employee pending a disciplinary decision by higher management.

 

The reason for this is warranted. Most 1st line supervisors are not trained in labor law. What you may see is a clear case to terminate an employee may be seen as a potential law suit by your HR manager. If you catch employees stealing, reporting to work drunk or on drugs, engaging in sexual conduct or sexual harassment, or other severe violations of company policy, you generally have the authority to send the employee home. You also are responsible to document the cause for your decision.

 

Lesson #1 of management, if you are having a disiplinary meeting with an wmployee, have a reliable witness. Ideally your boss.

[bathtub-row]

Some of your options are based on your authority as a 1st line supervisor. It is not uncommon not to authorize 1st line supervisors to fire people. Just about all first line supervisors are authorized to suspend an employee pending a disciplinary decision by higher management.

 

The reason for this is warranted. Most 1st line supervisors are not trained in labor law. What you may see is a clear case to terminate an employee may be seen as a potential law suit by your HR manager. If you catch employees stealing, reporting to work drunk or on drugs, engaging in sexual conduct or sexual harassment, or other severe violations of company policy, you generally have the authority to send the employee home. You also are responsible to document the cause for your decision.

 

Lesson #1 of management, if you are having a disiplinary meeting with an wmployee, have a reliable witness. Ideally your boss.

 

Having a witness is something I used often while I was a manager, as well as documenting. However, when a company is an 'at will' company, lawsuits are much less of a concern. And 'at will' is extremely common nowadays. It means a company can terminate an employee for any reason or no reason. Not giving a manager the authority to hire and fire is a form of tying their hands. It's not a great idea.

[Mr. Lucky]

Just a question then. Is it ok for me to have 2 hours sleep last night because I was screamed at and I am being bullied on a daily basis. This has been going on for 10 months now.

 

You're not losing sleep over being screamed at, you're losing sleep over not having a solution to being screamed at.

 

Management is a skill, leadership is an art. Both can be learned, developed and enhanced, just as you can lower your half-marathon time or build your number of Twitter followers.

 

missingu, if your having problems with your entire staff, the issue isn't with them...

 

Mr. Lucky

[missingu]

You're not losing sleep over being screamed at, you're losing sleep over not having a solution to being screamed at.

 

Management is a skill, leadership is an art. Both can be learned, developed and enhanced, just as you can lower your half-marathon time or build your number of Twitter followers.

 

missingu, if your having problems with your entire staff, the issue isn't with them...

 

Mr. Lucky

 

 

Mr lucky sorry you must have misunderstood me, it's not the entire staff, it's a select few. I have staff who were witnesses and backed up that what I said was and has been happening was true. I have staff who are great workers and will do anything I ask without a complaint.

 

I had a meeting with management and they told me they support me 100%. They told me they took care of the issue and I shouldn't have any further issues and if we do then they will be on the verge of being sacked.

 

I am very happy with the outcome currently as today I didn't have a single issue. Everyone had their heads down and were actually working compared to stopping and standing in the corner talking in a group.

 

I had never taken anyone in the office before for anything and I was told by my management that I should , and I finally got the courage to do it.

 

I have been putting up with bad behaviour for way too long and am glad I nipped it in the bud.

[Simple Logic]

Having a witness is something I used often while I was a manager, as well as documenting. However, when a company is an 'at will' company, lawsuits are much less of a concern. And 'at will' is extremely common nowadays. It means a company can terminate an employee for any reason or no reason. Not giving a manager the authority to hire and fire is a form of tying their hands. It's not a great idea.

 

So as A first line manger, the person earning $2000 more a year than the people you supervise, you believe you should have the authority to fire your whole staff and hire all new employees or add 25 additional employees if you believe you need more help? Not at my company, go work else where.

[some_username1]

I spoke to that person privately in my office afterwards and she continued to argue vehemently. My decision about the issue at-hand was based on a directive from the corporate office so I wasn't able to change my decision, nor did I plan to. She wasn't seeing the big picture, no matter how many different ways I explained it to her. When an employee isn't in a decision-making position, there's a limit to how much they get to argue with the boss before they lose their job. That's just common sense. There was nothing injudicious about my decision. It was also backed by my boss and the president of the company.

 

After she was terminated, my team told me that I absolutely did the right thing. They said they had become very uncomfortable with the level of disrespect the person was showing me in the meeting and said they couldn't believe I tolerated it. I had warned her over and over but she persisted. It wasn't like it was the first time she was a problem but it was the first time she was that pushy. Yes, she deserved to be terminated.

 

Ah that paints a bit of a different picture then to how you initially described it- if someone has been pulled aside and is still continuing to be belligerent then they are painting a target on their own back and can't be surprised if it costs them their job. They do however deserve to have that chance to realise that, whatever the merits of their argument, they need to let it go and get on with the job which appears to have happened in this case.

[bathtub-row]

So as A first line manger, the person earning $2000 more a year than the people you supervise, you believe you should have the authority to fire your whole staff and hire all new employees or add 25 additional employees if you believe you need more help? Not at my company, go work else where.

 

If you have a manager obtuse enough to decimate the entire function of the company by firing everyone at once, then that would be the last time that happened because I would hope you’d fire such an incompetent manager. And I’d hope you’d never hire someone that lame to start with.

 

I probably made about $10k/yr more than the people working under me. But I think that if a manager doesn’t have the authority to fire and hire, then that person isn’t anything more than an assistant.

[bathtub-row]

Ah that paints a bit of a different picture then to how you initially described it- if someone has been pulled aside and is still continuing to be belligerent then they are painting a target on their own back and can't be surprised if it costs them their job. They do however deserve to have that chance to realise that, whatever the merits of their argument, they need to let it go and get on with the job which appears to have happened in this case.

 

Yeah, I had forgotten about that until I started responding to your post. I talked to her, she was still belligerent about it and that was the end of the line. I can’t even remember what she was so pissed about. She sucked up to me a lot and I think she was trying to prove to the others that she could convince me to change my mind.

[bathtub-row]

So as A first line manger, the person earning $2000 more a year than the people you supervise, you believe you should have the authority to fire your whole staff and hire all new employees or add 25 additional employees if you believe you need more help? Not at my company, go work else where.

 

Ok, I see what you’re saying. You know, everything went through Corp before a move was made so even though I interviewed and made the decision to hire that person or not, corp approved it first and ran a background check on them. So, yeah, I think we’re talking about two different things here. Even my immediate boss who was the highest in the branch had to ok any hiring through Corp.

 

As far as firing, of course anything I did had to be answered for and if that answer wasn’t a good one, I’m sure I would’ve heard about it. The majority of the time, I let my superiors know what I was doing before I did it. But insubordination wasn’t something they expected me to tolerate.

[Mr. Lucky]

I had never taken anyone in the office before for anything and I was told by my management that I should , and I finally got the courage to do it.

 

I have been putting up with bad behaviour for way too long and am glad I nipped it in the bud.

 

An important first step, glad you've taken it. Again, you'd be well served to avail yourself of some of the business and management knowledge out there, in Internet or book form. A night or online Business class is also a nice thing to have on your resume...

 

Mr. Lucky