Tips on dealing with employee who constantly has issues?

[Anonymous]

I’m a new manager and my office is hybrid. My direct report, whom I hired three months ago, has a pattern of being sick, kids being sick, or car problems almost every time we have an in-office day. They have been to the office 3 times out of 8 possible times. This is obviously not acceptable but how do you deal with it when it’s something that can’t really be proven or disproven; for example “my car is in the shop because I hit a deer, I need to work at home today.”

What tips would you have for me to talk to this person? I want to get better at leading people and I feel like this person is taking advantage of me. This is the first person I have managed.

[Anonymous]

^^I should also add that our HR department doesn’t have any policies like requiring a doctors note when someone is WFH on an in-office day.

[Anonymous]

Tell them to come in a different day as a substitute. Every time.

[Anonymous]

I honestly would let it go, focus on their actual work not BS RTO metrics, unless you are being held to the fire by your management

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell them to come in a different day as a substitute. Every time.

This. And hold them to it. Bc Otherwise who’s the boss in the relationship, OP?

[Anonymous]

Well if the employer is sick, she shouldn't come in. If the kids are sick, the employee takes leave to care for them. If the employee is unlucky enough to have a deer strike, on top of all this illness, cut her some slack. And like the PP wrote, give the employee a choice in substituting her in-office day. If it's important to be in the office 2x a pay period, then let there be a make up option.

[Anonymous]

I assume if the employee is sick or home with a sick child they take leave because you can’t productively do you job in those two scenarios. The car situation I would switch the WFH day.

[Anonymous]

This employee isn't sick y'all, and they didn't hit a damn deer.

OP, tell them they will need to make up in-office time if they take time off on in-office days. And hold them to it. I'm guessing no more run ins with wildlife after that.

[Anonymous]

I have a person who does work for me and she also does work for a friend. She always has some excuse to change days. My friend grumbles but lets her change, so she is constantly at the mercy of which day she will work. When the person does it to me, I say fine, don't come until the next week, which means she goes a week without pay. As a result, she always comes to me on the designated day.

All to say that people take advantage if you let them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^I should also add that our HR department doesn’t have any policies like requiring a doctors note when someone is WFH on an in-office day.

So then follow the current policy of letting them WFH on the days they tell you they're sick. If you start creating policies that are not in the handbook you may find yourself facing a discrimination claim.

[Anonymous]

Given the frequency, I would tell the person that calling out for any sickness means taking sick leave, not WFH. And like others have said, skipping a WFH day means making it up.

You need to break this cycle. Have a 3 mo. check-in and point out the frequency and outline the plan to move forward so there is no question about the expectations from here on out.

[Anonymous]

Require that they take leave or leave without pay. When they call just remind them to put in a leave slip. You can always have them make up the office day if there is time remaining in the pay period. But I don’t gone gone pay periods. Make sure your manager is aware.

[Anonymous]

Isn't there a core expectation in their evaluation that has something to do with dependability or interactions with others?

[Anonymous]

WTF, are they doing their job or not? Or is their job kissing your butt and showing face.

Focus on what matters. Maybe they are a scofflaw, maybe they get stuff done but hate their commute, or maybe they just had bad luck.

I had a couple years where I had chronic illness requiring 3x weekly therapy, both parents died, a broken arm, a new baby, and of course existing kids. Some people have a season of life. I worked nights and weekends to make sure I didn’t fall behind.

It’s hard to hire people still, look at companies hoarding employees — look at managing your employees work product and results not the time codes on their

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WTF, are they doing their job or not? Or is their job kissing your butt and showing face.

Focus on what matters. Maybe they are a scofflaw, maybe they get stuff done but hate their commute, or maybe they just had bad luck.

I had a couple years where I had chronic illness requiring 3x weekly therapy, both parents died, a broken arm, a new baby, and of course existing kids. Some people have a season of life. I worked nights and weekends to make sure I didn’t fall behind.

It’s hard to hire people still, look at companies hoarding employees — look at managing your employees work product and results not the time codes on their

+1. Does being in office truly matter? Are they not able to complete their work without being in office? Is their work product consistent and good quality, if so, would let it go. People go through tough stages of life. Have some empathy, and hope that the same would be given to you, should things come up in the future.