bad management?

[badnews]

Help, I am nearly at the end of my teather with my job. I am one of 5 sales managers in a telesales company. Each manager has a team of 7 staff. As managers our job is to "manage" staff also to motivate them. Our company does not have a HR department. I am having a problem with my team. We have a few breaks during the day and at the end of each break staff are expected to be at their desks, ready to make a phone call (headsets on etc) some of the staff come back slightly late from their breaks, (I am talking a minute or so or just getting back on time). My director expects them to be ready to make calls "just before" their breaks. end. I am getting in lots of trouble for some of my staff coming back slightly late or just on time and I dont know how to deal with it, I tell the staff they MUST be back and ready to make calls on time, but still some of them are late! My director expects me to be responsible if they are not back on time. Apart from physically finding them and rounding them up, how else can i deal with this?

[buildersmate]

Here's 2 possible approaches - one carrot, one stick.

Carrot - get them together, ask what they think happens to customers if no-one is at the end of the sales phone lines - customers get frustrated waiting for calls to get through - sales maybe goes somewhere else. How do they feel when they are left hanging on the phone endlessly.

Stick - it's company policy that everyone is back on shift - the next person that is late gets a Warning.

[badnews]

Unfortunatley we do not have a HR department, so the normal "3 strikes and your out" doesnt work at our place. There isnt a structure in place at all!! The director has told us to fine each member of staff �20 each time they are late, they have also said if staff are late the manager will also get the same fine!

[Tups]

With respect, I suggest you start looking for a new job. You are obviously not respected, either by your boss (the lout) or by your staff. Find a job when you are rewarded for being nice!

[WhiteBear]

why have you posted this twice???

[another-view]

I've noticed some people repost their questions if they do not get an answer they like.

[badnews]

I posted it on Chatterbank because I wanted more opinions and help with this.

[buildersmate]

So you are saying there is no disciplinary process/procedure in your company? There doesn't need to be an HR department doing this - just a (good) senior manager / director who knows a bit about good employment practices.
One wonders what happens if an employee does something really stupid - do you dismiss the person and wait to see if he claims for unfair dismissal? Geez.
Time to get another job if HR procedures are that poor.

You just can't go taking �20 off employees if there's nothing to back it up.

[R1Geezer]

Just dock their wages, 1 minute late = 15 mins docked, even dumb animals learn eventually.

[Scarlett]

I would approach the ones who are the worst at getting back on time individually and quietly. Say that you are in a difficult position and don't like having to tell people off, but YOUR manager has told you to fine people! Say to them that it may only seem like a minute or 30 secs to them, but others are noticing and you can't make up your own rules re. breaks in this job. Ask them if the understand, and then let them get on with it. Say that they must consider that their breaks are now 13 mins long, not 15, so they get used to getting back on time. It may be petty, but all those minutes add up, business-wise!

[badnews]

Hiya, thanks for all your advice, I went to work and had a meeting with all my team. I explained that the director will be fining managers if the staff are late back from breaks, therefore u need to be back from ur breaks on time or you will get fined �20. One of my staff were late back from lunch by 1 minute, so I fined her, I dont feel good about it though, I am just doing what I have been told to do. Surely it cant be legal?

Our director doesnt care about HR, these staff are also self employed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[buildersmate]

Oh no they aren't - not if you are controlling their time to the nearest minute.
HMRC will have a field-day when they find out.
Your director will find his company liable for all their employers' NI and PAYE tax payments. He's obviously never come across IR35. Google it.

[Scarlett]

You can't fine them- that is illegal. You may well end up with no staff at all! I would go to Citizen's advice on this one.

[another-view]

If you don't go to Citizen's advice, I'm sure the people you are stealing �20 from will.

[R1Geezer]

Finning is illegal so don't call it a fine, just dock their wages!