Robin Carlin Robin Carlin

Insubordination vs. Inappropriate Behavior

It all begins with an idea.

Your employee yelled at you, told you this project is BS, and doesn’t seem to be doing his job. As the manager, you’re upset and you think they’re not doing what you told them to do and you’re ready to write them up for insubordination.

But is it insubordination? Or could it be something else, like a performance issue or disrespectful or unprofessional behavior?

Insubordination is a willful refusal to follow a direct order. Let that sink it. It is a willful refusal, not to be confused with simply disagreeing or being slow to perform or being upset by the assignment.

Let’s break this down.

Insubordination has three key elements:

  1. You are their manager and have the right to give an order to perform.

  2. You have given a clear, reasonable and legally acceptable order to engage in a task.

  3. The employee has refused to engage in the requested action or order. You explain in a calm, measured tone to the employee that he/she has refused to engage in a direct and reasonable order and ask that they understand that failure to do so will result in insubordination.

Bonus points if you state again to the employee to make sure they fully understand that they have failed to engage in the direct and reasonable order and they will be disciplined, up to and including termination, for insubordination.

Lastly, if you are faced with this scenario, be calm (as much as you can). Do not argue. Do not engage in any retaliation. And always document immediately after this has occurred.

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Robin Carlin Robin Carlin

Addressing an Employee with Attendance Issues

It all begins with an idea.

Having a conversation with an employee about attendance or absenteeism is a challenging conversation for most managers.

Research shows that 20% of workers are late to work at least once per week and nearly 1 in 10 workers are off work for an unscheduled absence at any given time. On a good day, it’s not easy to make sure you’re staffed properly.

So what do you do as a manager?

If you notice an employee is struggling with his/her attendance, follow these 5 steps to get them back on track:

  1. Gather data. When were they late or absent? How much notice did they provide? Has a pattern of absenteeism developed?

  2. Hold a meeting with the employee. Make sure you hold this meeting in a private location, being mindful that this conversation may be sensitive or confidential.

  3. Listen to what the employee is telling you. Is this a short-term issue, such as child care scheduling or car problems or possibly a series of medical appointments or is the employee defensive and making excuses.

  4. Explain the impact on the department or company. Absenteeism causes a decrease in productivity, loss of revenue, increase in customer complaints, decrease in morale, increase in overtime costs, and can cause employee fatigue for coworkers who are having to work harder due to the unscheduled absences.

  5. Set expectations. Be clear when setting expectations. Will continued absenteeism result in discipline. Is immediate improvement expected or the individual will be let go? If an accommodation is being provided, has it been outlined clearly in writing and properly provided?

Absenteeism is challenging for managers because you often hope it will get better on its own. But it requires your direct attention and also requires regular check-ins to ensure improvement has been made.

And of course, don’t forget to document all actions or conversations.

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