Direct report from the nightmare

[Anonymous]

A bare miminum you need to have a talk. This behavior is not typical or normal. It sounds like they're clueless since its their first job.

[Anonymous]

I agree not all these examples are the same. You need to prepare with someone less emotionally involved in the situation,document what is actually a rule violation and determine the specific outcome you are asking plus the potential consequences.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Agreed that I need someone less emotionally involved. I am annoyed at my direct report for these behaviors. I always give a heads up that I am booking PTO etc - I am a millennial but guess very old school and way too respectful of the hierarchy.

My boss likes them because they can dump admin stuff on them. My boss doesn’t have an admin assistant and perceives this person as their admin. And my direct report is too inexperienced to know how to manage this situation and they take on these admin stuff even it is not their responsibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of these things aren't like the other.

I've never been in a job where I needed to get PTO approved. Sounds like a nursing home.

so you just take vacation whenever?

DP, but even when I was at a much lower level than I am now, I'd plan ahead, propose how my tasks would be handled when I was gone, propose a backup if needed (which I worked behind the scenes with my network) and then advise when I planned to take my leave, and then take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Work product is mediocre. The big challenge is my boss likes them - not sure why - so this gives me a pause before I do anything.

Is your boss aware of all of these incidents? Is the employee also a big suck up in addition to being a slacker?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are they getting their work done? None of those things would be unusual or a problem in my office, as long as work gets done (and for vacation, has lined up back up for emergencies, if relevant).

+1 you sound like you're focusing on the wrong things

+1. Your report shouldn't be doing any of these things, but if your boss is going to tell you to let it go, then you need to tie it to performance.

You can also do the thing where you introduce a new group calendar or something like that and then counsel your report for not putting leave on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of these things aren't like the other.

I've never been in a job where I needed to get PTO approved. Sounds like a nursing home.

so you just take vacation whenever?

DP, but even when I was at a much lower level than I am now, I'd plan ahead, propose how my tasks would be handled when I was gone, propose a backup if needed (which I worked behind the scenes with my network) and then advise when I planned to take my leave, and then take it.

That’s the normal professional way to do it. You don’t just drop off the grid whenever…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of these things aren't like the other.

I've never been in a job where I needed to get PTO approved. Sounds like a nursing home.

so you just take vacation whenever?

Yes. Of course.

I put it on the calendar but nobody can tell me no, you can't do that. It's my responsibility.

This is an unusual. The point is not to “tell you no” but to give your colleagues an active heads up.

[Anonymous]

OP, are they violating rules and policies? That is what matters.

[Anonymous]

DCMom managers have so much brain capacity to worry about these things.

[Anonymous]

Document everything before approaching your boss. Make sure you’ve told the employee in writing that the office policies are XYZ and that’s what people in your organization do.

Figure out why this bugs you, whether it’s affecting the work or the running of the office, and then document that. When the employee comes in at 2:00 pm, are they claiming to have worked from home or did they take those hours off?

Document before approaching your boss. Feel free to go back in time to pull together lots of the examples but also make sure to give notice of the policies in writing (email) before gathering more examples, then discuss with the boss. If the boss likes them, then don’t make it about personalities, make it about compliance with policies. As a coworker, I’d be pissed if I saw a colleague getting away with stuff that I was expected not to do.

[Anonymous]

You need rules you can point to, then have conversations about these rules. Send an email stating them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a direct report who:
- takes a sick day without letting me know and only notifies me 2 day after such sick day occurred
- takes PTO and sends calendar holds without first letting me know and getting their PTO approved
- decides to work remotely from abroad and only lets me know once their travel is done and says “I already bought my tickets so I am going to work remotely”
- doesn’t abide with a 3day in office requirement (comes in at 2pm and says was busy in the morning)

Ehh - what are the best lines to use in a chat I need to have with them? It is their first job; a person is in their mid 20 but I am confident this is done on purpose.

My boss likes them, which complicates the situation. I need to run this concern by my boss first, right?

Yikes I wish I didn’t have to deal with people management.

I’m getting some entitled vibes from both of you, but you also sound a little competitive and micro managey and like a first time people manager, so check yourself. Are you threatened by this person for any reason and is that insecurity impacting how you are managing them?

These could have all been addressed in a 1:1 after they occurred. You don’t need to flag everything for your boss or make everything a big deal.

-For the sick day just tell her in the future that you would like her to send a note on the day she is sick, so you can cover anything that might come up.
-Why can’t this person take PTO when it is best for them? What this person did is standard in most corporate work environments unless you explicitly told her: “the end of March is very busy as we are doing XYZ and Kate is on maternity leave, so please don’t take vacation during those last two weeks.” Even so, I think forbidding people to take vacation because of projects is really not ok. My mom is a librarian, so I understand in her role that she coordinates with other librarians to ensure coverage. If your work situation is like my mom’s then make that really clear at the outset. But please note: if you have a habit of not approving PTO or delaying approving PTO your direct report will have to “sneak around” to make any plans. Please consider if your being controlling has anything to do with how this person is acting. Why would you not approve your direct’s vacation.
-Are they only working remotely from abroad because you wouldn’t approve their PTO? I would never make anyone work on vacation. Unless she doesn’t have any more vacation time for the rest of the year, go back and tell her to take the vacation time.
-Sometimes people come in late because they have appointments. I wouldn’t make it a power struggle though. Tell her to try to come in on time and schedule appointments for other days if possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of these things aren't like the other.

I've never been in a job where I needed to get PTO approved. Sounds like a nursing home.

so you just take vacation whenever?

Yes. Of course.

I put it on the calendar but nobody can tell me no, you can't do that. It's my responsibility.

This is an unusual. The point is not to “tell you no” but to give your colleagues an active heads up.

The direct did that. She booked flights and hotels and then put the dates on her manager’s calendar, hence the heads up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Agreed that I need someone less emotionally involved. I am annoyed at my direct report for these behaviors. I always give a heads up that I am booking PTO etc - I am a millennial but guess very old school and way too respectful of the hierarchy.

My boss likes them because they can dump admin stuff on them. My boss doesn’t have an admin assistant and perceives this person as their admin. And my direct report is too inexperienced to know how to manage this situation and they take on these admin stuff even it is not their responsibility.

And it sounds like as your direct’s boss you are not being a good manager by standing by and doing nothing to help your direct with this situation? Instead you are getting angry at them for taking PTO.

I’m an older millennial too (37) and Gen Z annoys me with their lack of deference and self-assured rule bending of flouting or maybe it’s just that they aren’t putting up with the same hierarchical BS we did. Identify what you expect because it’s a corporate policy vs a norm from a prior org that you follow. And don’t interpret everything as disrespect or taking advantage.