Anonymous
12/12/2022 10:18
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
Anonymous wrote:Are you all allowing them to switch their telework days around? So if they came in on Monday, they could telework on Tuesday when they'd usually be in the office? If not, I wouldn't come in either.
I'm a millenial and my schedule can't be moved easily. I only have aftercare on T, W, Th. On the other days, my kids come home. I don't do anything with them and still work, but I have to be home because legally they're too little to leave alone.
Yup. I am a millennial (37 years old, so definitely not junior!), I have a long commute and an early schedule, and if you scheduled a 4-5:30 cocktail party on a Monday I'd have to make special childcare arrangements. I did it for a division-wide all day meeting the Monday after Thanksgiving, even though there was a remote option, because I thought it was important to be there in person. But a cocktail party? UGH. I'd go for the Friday lunch but not both.
Anonymous
12/12/2022 10:17
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
Anonymous wrote:Your boss is kind of awful for picking a Friday for a holiday party. My office actually polled people to find out which day most people will come in.
And either call it mandatory or not, but don't do one thing and then retaliate later. It's incredibly petty.
It’s weird how the boss feigned being apologetic over an event they had 100% control over. Don’t want to host an event on a Friday when it’s inconvenient for others? Don’t! Problem solved.
Anonymous
12/12/2022 10:15
Subject: Re:Disappointed in junior staff
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Millennials won’t work a minute longer than they are being paid to work. They have a time clock mentality.
And they should have that mentality. I'm not usually a fan of millennials, but on this, they are spot on.
Except we don’t have that mentality, at all. That’s a Gen X thing. Millennials are recession-scarred and are constantly doing something for nothing.
Anonymous
12/12/2022 10:14
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
Just mention it casually that the boss really looks at attendance at these events even though they are "optional." They may not know. I will say in this virtual/telework environment, I think it has been difficult for new employees to understand company culture.
Why is excuses in parenthesis? Do you think they made stuff up? Do they have young kids and need to rework pick up/drop off if they come in on a different day. Are evening things difficult for the same reason? Do they have some medical issue and prefer not to be unmasked eating and drinking in close proximity to a bunch of people?
Why is excuses in parenthesis? Do you think they made stuff up? Do they have young kids and need to rework pick up/drop off if they come in on a different day. Are evening things difficult for the same reason? Do they have some medical issue and prefer not to be unmasked eating and drinking in close proximity to a bunch of people?
Anonymous
12/12/2022 10:12
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
We are not doing any parties or large group gatherings due to Covid. V
Anonymous
12/12/2022 10:10
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
Anonymous wrote:My company allows working from home 2 days per week and we have to be in the office for 3 days, however employees are allowed to choose their days. That said, it has been made pretty clear that when there are business needs to be in the office the expectation is that you are.
Last Friday our team had a catered holiday lunch in the office that was put on by the head of our group, my boss. She apologized in advance for the lunch being on a Friday since it’s a day most people typically work from home, but asked everyone to please plan accordingly to come in if at all possible and she will make it fun and worthwhile for all. She did not want to make it mandatory though. On my team of 10 people, the 3 most junior employees did not come in on Friday and they gave me a variety of “excuses” as to why they HAD to work from home.
Today, our entire division has a cocktail party in the office from 4-5:30pm and again the request was made for everyone to please come in so we can celebrate all together. Well, 2 of the 3 people who didn’t attend on Friday are working from home again today and not attending this celebration either. My boss made a comment about it this morning and said she won’t forget who isn’t coming in for these things.
I feel like these junior employees don’t “get” that you do everything in your power to show up for these very few in person events to show face and be part of the team. I don’t know what they “had” to do that couldn’t be moved - these events had been on the calendar for at least two months.
Do I bring this up in their year end reviews? Any advice on how to best communicate that it’s very much noticed when they are not there for these things and why it’s important? I mean, it seems obvious to me.
I’d like to hear more about how your boss was going to make it fun and worthwhile. First job I had after college was great—consulting firm with constant happy hours full of 20-somethings eager to explore the city. The owner/boss paid for the annual holiday party. He rented a private room in a nice restaurant and gave everyone their holiday bonuses that week. Those parties were fun and very well-attended by clients and former employees. Heck, I still go every year.
Then I switched to a government agency with some of the most boring people I’d ever met. We had to pay to attend our own party that was somewhere walking distance from the office (which really limited options), usually the entire cost had to be $30 per person or less, no drinking, no holiday bonus, and if we were lucky, my immediate supervisor would give us a couple hours off after the party but tell us not to tell anybody. Those parties were full of painful small talk with people with poor conversational skills. If your junior employees don’t want to attend, maybe your parties are like this. You can be as indignant as you want that they should attend anyway, but if they’re not attending, clearly it’s not enjoyable for them.
Anonymous
12/12/2022 09:36
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
Did they do their job? Produced deliverables? Show up for client meetings?
What's the issue again?
What's the issue again?
Anonymous
12/12/2022 09:25
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
Not mandatory = not mandatory. I agree you and your boss sound petty.
Anonymous
12/12/2022 09:22
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
I don't work past the time you are paying me to work. Work is not my life. I bust my butt when Im on, but I'm not putting in extra. I'm good at what I do and my "time clock" mentality has not hurt me career wise. You want to penalize me for not reworking my tele work day to attend a lunch? Fine. I'll have a new job lined up before my 2 week notice is up. I did that just last year when my old company didn't respect my time.
Anonymous
12/12/2022 09:18
Subject: Re:Disappointed in junior staff
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If it’s obvious why it’s important to attend these events, then you should be able to articulate the negatives consequences of not attending them couched in terms of how it’s affecting their work, rather than their absence from the in-person events themselves.
This. Even if the work effects are intangible (ie, perception of being not a team player which would factor into promotions), that’s how to frame it. If you don’t feel comfortable staying that, consider your workplace practices around non mandatory events.
There has to be actual consequences though (not that I agree).
If face time is important to promotion regardless of work product, then show that by promoting just the ones who show up. Give all the good work and juicy tidbits just to people who are in person when the head honchos are.
I don't think that you should actually do this. You need to look at total work product obviously. But if there's no impact, then nobody cares.
Anonymous
12/12/2022 09:16
Subject: Re:Disappointed in junior staff
Anonymous wrote:Millennials won’t work a minute longer than they are being paid to work. They have a time clock mentality.
And they should have that mentality. I'm not usually a fan of millennials, but on this, they are spot on.
Anonymous
12/12/2022 09:15
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
Yuk germ events, nooooo thank youuuuu. If it’s not mandory and parties shouldn’t be, stop giving a crap. I’m a millennial and a leadership role as well. I thought you’d say they screwed something up not just not show up to a party.
Anonymous
12/12/2022 09:15
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
Do they have to make up their time for attending these mid day social events?
Anonymous
12/12/2022 09:15
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
Are you all allowing them to switch their telework days around? So if they came in on Monday, they could telework on Tuesday when they'd usually be in the office? If not, I wouldn't come in either.
I'm a millenial and my schedule can't be moved easily. I only have aftercare on T, W, Th. On the other days, my kids come home. I don't do anything with them and still work, but I have to be home because legally they're too little to leave alone.
I'm a millenial and my schedule can't be moved easily. I only have aftercare on T, W, Th. On the other days, my kids come home. I don't do anything with them and still work, but I have to be home because legally they're too little to leave alone.
Anonymous
12/12/2022 09:14
Subject: Disappointed in junior staff
Your boss is kind of awful for picking a Friday for a holiday party. My office actually polled people to find out which day most people will come in.
And either call it mandatory or not, but don't do one thing and then retaliate later. It's incredibly petty.
And either call it mandatory or not, but don't do one thing and then retaliate later. It's incredibly petty.