Employee always has a conflict when they need to travel or present

[Anonymous]

I still think COVID anxiety is the most likely explanation here. Is she *still* travelling extensively for personal reasons? Not like just to visit family (the plane itself is relatively safe masked), but to public places generally?

Another possibility is childcare. Does she have a DH? Is it possible that there's some reason she can't be gone overnight?

If there's any chance it's medical (and about her) and that's she's fundamentally telling the truth, I would be inclined to test it by saying something along the lines of "is there any date that will definitely work?" and scheduling something, anything, on that day. If it's something medical but where she can't travel at all, then don't feel bad... she needs RA and if she won't do it, you need to let her go.

An related explanation could be mental health challenges in a child or spouse? Medical isn't exactly a lie and not wanting to leave them at home? I could also understand a desire not to be forthcoming about the specifics here and even empathetic about lying... especially if you know her family.

If she's just flat out lying (most likely if she won't get an RA), don't feel bad. She doesn't have to lie and you've given her lots of leeway and she still isn't doing anything to ameliorate the issue. This would be something like the childcare (could DH have moved out?)...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was this employee. I was doing multiple rounds of IVF and having repeat miscarriages. I had no control over the timing of procedures and I was terrified to travel because the first miscarriage happened on a work trip and I was so scared it would happen again.

I was the only woman on an all-male team and people assumed I had no plans to have children. It was the kind of office environment where sharing I was trying to get pregnant could have cost me promotions - something I didn’t want to risk if I might never have a successful pregnancy. And as you might imagine, I didn’t want an accommodation for this reason either.

I flew under the radar as long as I could, finally had a baby and then left because yes as expected it impacted my promotion opportunities.

Just to give you some insight into an employee side of things…

I’m not sure why any of this matters. You were entitled to your privacy. Your employer was entitled to an employee fulfilling the job requirements. If your job required travel, you failed to perform. Of course you didn’t receive promotions. Did you really expect them?

I had to do the same - had some issues with IVF and miscarriages - but I told my boss and it was fine (after he asked me to travel with 24 hours notice and I could not. I explained. We worked it out where I covered his presentation for that day, and he went on the trip). But italso didnt happen EVERY SINGLE TIME I had to travel or present. It happened a few times (like three) so that is why this is suspicious. The employee could say - I can't travel right now - but there is no excuse for missing every single zoom presentation.



+1 you should’ve spoken to HR or your boss or suffer the consequences.

Stinks. I did multiple ivf rounds as a single person, recognized it would affect my work hours and had to tell my boss.

+2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is travel part of the position description? Or are you trying to send people off to stupid conferences to make yourself look important? In the zoom era, most travel isn’t necessary, and of it’s not part of the PD, you shouldn’t be trying to make her do it. Most agency HQ jobs don’t actually require travel - it’s a choice by the management level. You will lose what sounds like a smart employee this way.

We work with a lot of communities that don't have high speed internet (rural, indigenous). It's also culturally inappropriate with some of the commuities we work with to meet by Zoom unless needed. We try to minimize costs by using technolgy but honestly we have people who do not have access to high speed internet or other connectivity issues. In some of the cultures we work with, it is really important to meet face-to-face and visit the community. I hope that makes sense?

Oh you are sending her to rural, poor communities with poor cell service — does she have a bodyguard? Is she a POC? I’m a white man and don’t feel super comfortable in WV — it’s much worse post pandemic, poorer with rampant drugs and shrinking police departments.

[Anonymous]

If she doesn't have an ADA accommodation and won't give you an explanation, you're going to have to do a PIP. What else is there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she doesn't have an ADA accommodation and won't give you an explanation, you're going to have to do a PIP. What else is there?

But he needs to balance what kind of replacement employee he will get. He will come out behind on this deal.

[Anonymous]

I am dumbfounded by all the posters working so hard to find an excuse for this employee. That is exactly the problem with today’s working environment, particularly in the federal service. People believe that teammates and managers should walk on eggshells to accommodate vague and never-ending complaints by subpar employees. Why do we put up with this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My HR wants me to send her a memo about leave restriction for unscheduled leave. I think that is a little excessive. She has no performance issues and I see this as a conduct thing. However, she is placing me in a bad position as another team member has to present and many times, I have presented for her. Most people on my team enjoy traveling, so that is not as big a deal. What would you do?

I don't know how you could possibly think this isn't a performance issue. She's not doing her job, and others are forced to pock up the slack, including her supervisor. That's the definition of a performance issue. And if it's legit, there's no reason to not seek an accommodation - that's the whole point of an accommodation.

You should involve HR.

It seems hard to imagine someone saying an absence was “life or death” without it being a significant thing unless the employee is really wacky in which case you’d probably know that already. If she’s otherwise a levelheaded seeming person it dies sound like there’s something significant going on / the person mentioning IVF might be on to something.

Is she absent other times that don’t correspond with needing to present or travel? If not…that’s a little weird it it’s more than 2-3 times and only on those occasions. If she’s just been out a lot in general, could you limit her role on some of these things for a while - especially travel, since it sounds like others would be happy to do it, but it’s hard to sub someone in at the last moment.

OP here. I hate to comment on someone's mental health, but this employee can be a bit dramatic. Once she was upset that we were asked to provide pictures for Zoom conference. Yet she is very active on social media. She often balks about providing her bio for conferences and speaking sessions, yet she is constantly bragging about her past experiences in the private sector and high profile boss on the Hill.

She’s working multiple jobs.

That’s why she doesn’t want her pic and bio out there and google able.

[Anonymous]

You need to start putting it in her written evaluation. At a minimum, note that you she hasn't done any presentations. I'd also loop in your HR. It would be one thing if she was willing to discuss a RA with them; if she's not, you're stuck with what you have, which is an employee who's unreliable, who leaves her coworkers and supervisors to pick up her slack last minute, and who's not doing a thing that's a major part of her job and the work of the component. I'm very flexible and accommodating, but I'm not a doormat. If she's doing this *every time,* and every time is once a month or more, then she's not doing her job and it's not fair to others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a decent HR dept? I'd check with them.
Next question: are these presentations and site visits an essential part of the job? If so, she is not meeting performance standards.

Yes, they are part of her position description and essential parts of her job. Training is one of her primary job responsibilities.

In that case, I’m sorry OP, you need to fire her. She is unable to perform her job.

[Anonymous]

Rule out:
Fear of flying
Fear of public speaking
Anxiety disorder
Other medical issue

If none of those, just put in a performance standard for the whole group - everyone must deliver X conferences per year. When she falls behind, doesn’t deliver you have a legit reason to fire her. But she may go on Leave first so be ready for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a decent HR dept? I'd check with them.
Next question: are these presentations and site visits an essential part of the job? If so, she is not meeting performance standards.

Yes, they are part of her position description and essential parts of her job. Training is one of her primary job responsibilities.

In that case, I’m sorry OP, you need to fire her. She is unable to perform her job.

OP is a Fed and it is almost impossible to fire a Fed subordinate, especially if she is a woman and POC. It might even backfire on OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She may be afraid to fly.

Ha! She flies at least 2x a month to visit her family in another state. She loves to travel and goes on at least four international trips a year. She was really risk adverse about COVID, so I thought it could be related to that?

No, she is not risk averse or she wouldn’t travel for personal reasons either. She is work averse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If people don't mind picking up the travel for her, I would leave it. Obviously she's going through a health issue and doesn't want to discuss it. If HR wants to meet with her, that's on them.
.

If other people on the team are getting upset that they have to travel more, I think you need to have a frank conversation with her.

+1 She could be experiencing health matters that should only be discussed with HR, be in an abusive situation at home, or suffering crippling panic attacks related to travel/site visits (which of course cannot be scheduled in advance). If others on your team love to travel and have no issue with picking these assignments up, is it a big deal impacting your team? Should the JD and responsibilities be amended and updated?

It's an essential job duty. We can't rewrite her job description without it going through the union and she has to apply to other jobs. We don't have non-competitive job postings. Yes, we don't mind doing it, but people are starting to get a bit burnt out doing their job on top of hers. It's not that simple. People don't mind helping, but for the last six months, it is always something. I don't think it is a health issue. This employee shares openly with the team at our meetings what is going on. She has an ongoing medical procedure that she has managed, but this is something different and unrelated. She has shared in vague terms. I do not want to press as it is really none of my business other than how it is impacting the work.

I think you have to have a blunt conversation with her and indicate that this issue is about to move to HR level of restricting leave and urge her to seek an accommodation if she needs it. You sound like a caring manager/supervisor, but this has been going on for several months. Unless she's about to move on to another position within 90 days I think you have to move forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was this employee. I was doing multiple rounds of IVF and having repeat miscarriages. I had no control over the timing of procedures and I was terrified to travel because the first miscarriage happened on a work trip and I was so scared it would happen again.

I was the only woman on an all-male team and people assumed I had no plans to have children. It was the kind of office environment where sharing I was trying to get pregnant could have cost me promotions - something I didn’t want to risk if I might never have a successful pregnancy. And as you might imagine, I didn’t want an accommodation for this reason either.

I flew under the radar as long as I could, finally had a baby and then left because yes as expected it impacted my promotion opportunities.

Just to give you some insight into an employee side of things…

I’m not sure why any of this matters. You were entitled to your privacy. Your employer was entitled to an employee fulfilling the job requirements. If your job required travel, you failed to perform. Of course you didn’t receive promotions. Did you really expect them?

+1 you should’ve spoken to HR or your boss or suffer the consequences.

Stinks. I did multiple ivf rounds as a single person, recognized it would affect my work hours and had to tell my boss.

Oh please, have you ever been a fed? There is no "HR" that you can talk to about anything or that you would share this with. Just a bunch of incompetent people with group email addresses and numbers.

I was a fed doing IVF and I did tell my manager but that was a personal choice because we had a good relationship.

PP, I also wondered if it was something like that with this employee. Not being able to travel and not knowing when things pop up.

[Anonymous]

If she is required to travel 25 percent of the time, and she is traveling 0 percent of the time, isn’t that cause for dismissal? Why aren’t you working with HR to document a case against her? Her behavior will poison your team and impact your credibility as a manager. You need to get rid of her to save your team. She is dead weight and your team is at risk.