Anonymous
Post 06/26/2013 12:33     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
Anonymous wrote:FMLA allows you to use sick leave to care for others, just ignore your boss, he's annoyed but he has to suck it up.


Only if it's a serious illness. The sniffles don't count.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2013 12:30     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
I guess I read your post differently than the other posters? I have had said something similar to one of my staff about getting an au pair, but not because I was annoyed. I was trying, in a subtle way to warn her that the project was starting to ask questions.

Anonymous
Post 06/26/2013 12:15     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
I'm so tired of sh*t like this. Everyone in my office acts annoyed when I have to take leave to take care of a sick kid. And we're in a government office where there's nothing happening. It's just a santimonius "work should come first no matter what attitude." I'm over it.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2013 10:59     Subject: Re:Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
Good grief. It's annoying when people miss work, even for perfectly valid reasons. He expressed that annoyance, and didn't cross any lines.


So let me make sure I understand this - you have a job that gives you a certain number of sick days that you can use. This is a benefit of your employment. But if you take one of those sick days, it is ok for your boss to express annoyance about it?
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2013 10:50     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I assume you used sick leave during your half work days? If not, then I would have to side with the boss.

You may have met your basic deadlines despite working half days, but if you are only working 4 hours in a job that requires 8 hour days, you aren't "getting all your work done." You are either cutting corners or failing to take advantage of downtime that could be used to get ahead or work on business development. There is no such thing as doing a full day's work in a half day; at best, you're just doing a very efficient half day. In other words, there is an opportunity cost to staying home with sick kids, and it isn't one that the employer should be asked to shoulder on anything but the most rare occasion.



And you are the polar opposite of me as a manager. I don't measure my team's output or value to the organization by measuring whether or not they worked 8 hours in a day. I don't care. I measure results. People who can deliver quality work time and time again and who build the business are valuable; people who think of 'time' as the objective function to maximize or otherwise optimize, are thinking about the problem set the wrong way. At the end of the year, no one is going to stand up and give anyone a performance evaluation that's normalized for hours worked. No one says "Sally did X, and Johnny did Y, but Sally took twice as long, so therefore Johnny is better." Time just isn't the issue. Rather - if Sally ACHIEVED twice what John did - thats what will matter. Or, if John achieved twice what Sally did.

And if someone is regularly KILLING IT *and* they are working 4 hours a day, then that means I'm not doing a good job as a manager in giving them stretch opportunities and fully leveraging their potential. I like to keep my team on the edge of their comfort zone - thats how people grow. Never negotiated a multi million dollar contract? Great. Go do it. Never presented to an executive? You're up. Never done a financial forecast? Your turn. Never figured out a marketing campaign? You take lead. Want to do it at 2am from home while snorting ground up coffee beans? Be my guest. Prefer to do it at 10am in a suit and tie sitting at your desk? That fine too.

And you know what? They all appreciate it because they know they are measured on the merits of their contributions, not on 'face time' or any other meaningless metric. If a long day comes up - they all put the hours in - and if something comes up for them - they all take the hours out.

You and you ilk are the old guard. I hope you eventually come to change your way of thinking.


How sanctimonious, and myopic. You pretend to be so enlightened, but then assume what works for you, in your workplace, in your industry, will work best for everyone. (And isn't that really what you're accusing others of doing?)

In addition, the time it takes to complete a task is absolutely a component of performance. And for anyone who bills time, finishing a task in 4 hours and then not working the rest of an 8 hour day absolutely is a problem. If you're finished workign, you need to get another project - otherwise, you're not earning.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2013 10:46     Subject: Re:Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
I have an excellent relationship with my boss but feel that he indicated his lack of support for the working parent in this situation.

Good grief. It's annoying when people miss work, even for perfectly valid reasons. He expressed that annoyance, and didn't cross any lines.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2013 10:39     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
Totally depends on tone. If he said it in the tone of "wow, so glad we could afford/had access to that au pair, it must be so hard to have to shuffle things around" then no big deal.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2013 08:17     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
Yes, he's an ass. "Unfortunately, it isn't possible for us to get an au pair, so from time to time, I'll have to use one of my sick days." (I hope you did use sick leave for the time you weren't there).
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2013 23:15     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
Anonymous wrote:I assume you used sick leave during your half work days? If not, then I would have to side with the boss.

You may have met your basic deadlines despite working half days, but if you are only working 4 hours in a job that requires 8 hour days, you aren't "getting all your work done." You are either cutting corners or failing to take advantage of downtime that could be used to get ahead or work on business development. There is no such thing as doing a full day's work in a half day; at best, you're just doing a very efficient half day. In other words, there is an opportunity cost to staying home with sick kids, and it isn't one that the employer should be asked to shoulder on anything but the most rare occasion.



And you are the polar opposite of me as a manager. I don't measure my team's output or value to the organization by measuring whether or not they worked 8 hours in a day. I don't care. I measure results. People who can deliver quality work time and time again and who build the business are valuable; people who think of 'time' as the objective function to maximize or otherwise optimize, are thinking about the problem set the wrong way. At the end of the year, no one is going to stand up and give anyone a performance evaluation that's normalized for hours worked. No one says "Sally did X, and Johnny did Y, but Sally took twice as long, so therefore Johnny is better." Time just isn't the issue. Rather - if Sally ACHIEVED twice what John did - thats what will matter. Or, if John achieved twice what Sally did.

And if someone is regularly KILLING IT *and* they are working 4 hours a day, then that means I'm not doing a good job as a manager in giving them stretch opportunities and fully leveraging their potential. I like to keep my team on the edge of their comfort zone - thats how people grow. Never negotiated a multi million dollar contract? Great. Go do it. Never presented to an executive? You're up. Never done a financial forecast? Your turn. Never figured out a marketing campaign? You take lead. Want to do it at 2am from home while snorting ground up coffee beans? Be my guest. Prefer to do it at 10am in a suit and tie sitting at your desk? That fine too.

And you know what? They all appreciate it because they know they are measured on the merits of their contributions, not on 'face time' or any other meaningless metric. If a long day comes up - they all put the hours in - and if something comes up for them - they all take the hours out.

You and you ilk are the old guard. I hope you eventually come to change your way of thinking.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2013 22:40     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FMLA allows you to use sick leave to care for others, just ignore your boss, he's annoyed but he has to suck it up.

OP didn't use sick leave. Was that the issue?


She didn't specify.

My boss gave me crap about being out when my mother was dying. True story. Bosses do not give a hoot or a holler about you. Plan accordingly but CYA and follow the letter of the leave rules. If you did that, OP, then just ignore your boss.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2013 22:26     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
Anonymous wrote:FMLA allows you to use sick leave to care for others, just ignore your boss, he's annoyed but he has to suck it up.

OP didn't use sick leave. Was that the issue?
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2013 21:44     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
FMLA allows you to use sick leave to care for others, just ignore your boss, he's annoyed but he has to suck it up.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2013 21:39     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
I'm not sure he crossed a line, but I can say I wouldn't be happy to hear that comment either. He could have said "I remember what it was like then my kids were young and prone to getting sick" or something else to signal support. Instead he chose to make you feel guilty. That tells you something.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2013 21:36     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
I would need more money and s bigger house to have an an au pair.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2013 21:33     Subject: Sick Kids--did my boss cross the line?
Tell him for much more money you will get an aupair but kids still need day care or preschool so between an aupair, bigger house, another car for the aupair, and preschool, it better be a pretty big raise.