Dear J.T. & DALE: We have flex time at our company. It lets us make time for doctor’s appointments and other life events without having to take vacation time. Our company is growing, and people are starting to abuse this benefit. People stroll into work late or take a long lunch and don’t count it. My boss says as she continues to see the lack of respect for the program, she’ll eliminate it. What can I do? – Sarah
J.T.: As companies grow, benefits get harder to implement and enforce. Management doesn’t want to have to keep track of abuse, so they come up with solutions to automate the process, like having time clocks.
DALE: Growth breeds bureaucracy, and a time clock is just automated bureaucracy. It’s the natural devolution of a freewheeling entrepreneurial environment. The solution is tough-minded leadership. Ideally, your boss would quit lamenting and LEAD. Here’s all it takes: She stands up at an all-hands meeting and says, “I’ve seen people abusing our flex-time perk. Those who keep doing it will be fired.” Sounds harsh, but it’s that or bureaucracy.
J.T.: That might work, but it sounds as though your boss is leaving a solution up to the team. If you try to go to individual abusers yourself, you look like the time cop. Instead, assemble the group and ask if they still want the perk and what they’d be willing to do to make sure everyone follows the rules. This way, you have buy-in.
DALE: Speaking of buy-in, I wouldn’t go it alone on calling a meeting. Get a few veteran employees together and start the conversation. You construct the outcome before setting the meeting.
J.T.: Once you have a proposed strategy, perhaps with a “three strikes” rule and other clear-cut enforcement mechanisms, take it to the boss and make it official.
DALE: Maybe that conversation will make your boss realize she’s defaulting on leadership and needs to step up and become an anti-bureaucrat.
Dear J.T. & Dale: I suspect my former employer is giving me a bad reference. How can I check?
– Gail
DALE: It’s interesting that the fear of a bad reference is one of the most common issues our readers raise.
J.T.: So we need to readdress it. The answer is to have someone you know call the company and pretend to be a potential employer. Then, you’ll know what’s being said. If your previous company is, in fact, saying things that are holding you back from getting hired, you could pursue legal actions. An attorney could draft a cease and desist letter, and send it to your employer. However, you’ll have to prove that what the company is saying is untrue. There’s a difference between fact and slander.
DALE: Yes, have someone call. Not so you can fire up an attorney letter, but so you can cease and desist with your worrying. Employers have gotten too busy to deal with subjective references and almost none are going around torpedoing ex-employees. They’ve already forgotten you.
J.T.: Yes and no. Almost no one is going around making up lies, but there still are employers who are willing to say why someone was fired or that they’re “not eligible for rehire.” If that’s the case with you, Gail, then you need to go on the offensive with potential employers. Be the first to tell them what happened and what they can expect when they call for a reference. Give your side of the story and express that whoever hires you will get an amazing employee who has learned and grown from the experience. There are plenty of employers who will give you a shot, especially if you get additional references to offset the bad one.
DALE: Good advice, if that’s the problem. Odds are, it not a bad reference holding you back; it’s the belief that a bad reference is holding you back that’s keeping you from dealing with the real issues of your job search. If you’re getting interviews but not offers, you need to do mock interviews and get coaching. Stop worrying and start improving.
– J.T. O’Donnell has coached, trained and mentored on a wide variety of career-related subjects since 1994. Her book, “CAREEREALISM: The Smart Approach to A Satisfying Career” is available at JTODonnell.com. Management guru Dale Dauten has written six books and is an authority on innovation in the workplace. His latest book, “Great Employees Only: How Gifted Bossess Hire & Dehire Their Way to Success” is available at Dauten.com. copyright 2013 King Features.
