aibu....or am I the boss from hell?

[Emmon]

I run an office cleaning company and have been doing for 11 months. Obviously I am new to being an employer and will openly admit that I have a lot to learn when it comes to managing cleaners.

2 weeks ago one of my staff, who generally does an excellent job, had to put his dog to sleep for health problems. He asked for the day off which I gave him and went in myself to clean the site but as he had taken the key to the cleaning room home with him (where all the mops, vacuums etc are kept) I had to go home and leave the site not cleaned that day. I could have gone round to his house to get the key but decided to leave it as he was obviously having a dreadful day and did not want to add to his stress.

I raised a credit note to my client for work not done.

I also offered him three days PAID compassionate leave as I am a dog lover and know how horrible putting a pet to sleep is. He chose not to take me up on the offer of leave.

Today was payroll and I ask all my staff to get to me with a time sheet. On his time sheet he had claimed for every day and told me he did this as he had tagged 20 minutes extra cleaning on to make up his hours. He did not get my permission to do this.

I spoke to the client who said they were not prepared to pay for this unauthorized overtime as it did not get round the fact cleaning was not done for this day.

I contacted him and told him I would pay for these extra hours as he had done them in good faith but he could not do this again as the whole episode has now left me out of pocket. Legally I do not have to pay him for these extra hours.

He has now emailed his resignation and told me if I give him any more trouble he would not bother working his notice.

I am in shock... offering compassionate leave for a dog! Paying him for time the client will not refund me for. I feel that I have bent over backwards for him.

Is he out of order or am I?

Regarding the reference I'm not certain you can do that. You arent dismissing him for cause. You don't have to write a glowing 8 pager, but you may find you're required to confirm the dates of his employment

The OP is not under any obligation to provide a reference, even a basic one. I don't think I would in her position.

I think the OP was going to cover his work for him so they would still get paid by the client for the 3 days but be sues be took the key home she could t work so they couldn't get paid.

To be fair you should have given him a call about the key and given him the chance to turn it over.

He does sound an arse though.

He hasn't worked overtime, he's made hours up, so he's not asking for EXTRA payment, just his normal salary which you've already generously agreed to pay him.

The £30 credit that you've had to give the client is unfortunate. I'd put it down to experience.

You cannot deduct the cost of cutting a new key from the other employees salary. Them going home with a key is a disciplinary issue. I would take legal advise on what you have done so far and how to address in the future.

Telling someone 'umpteen times' about something rarely stands up to tribunal. Basically, asssume that if its not written down and signed for, it didn't happen! Same applies for any other training.

As for the toughening up, you might want to do some reading about influencing styles. Most books talk about assertive v's responsive. You have a responsive style. Once you understand your style better, you can use it to your advantage. You CAN be a 'nice' boss and get results.

It sounds like they're all getting to you a bit. You might want to find yourself a mentor that you can rant at and see the funny side and solutions with. (or maybe just MN with some wine!!!)

Yes, but it's a business.

3 days work needed doing.

Day 1 - the day that the employee took off (unpaid). Was going to be covered by OP, but was unable to.

Day 2 - the first extra day. Was going to be covered by the OP, but employee presented for work.

Day 3 - as Day 2.

The employee made a mistake. The OP could have rectified it, but chose not to - 1 day of lost earnings.

But days 2 & 3 would also have been lost earning potential, because although the client paid, the OP would have worked there, being unavailable elsewhere.

The employee saved her money.

Oh and did I read it right that he has falsified his time sheet???

It does sound as though you are 'an employer' but you see the staff as almost freelancing. The whole point of employment is that you are responsible for the contracts, you get the money and make a profit by paying your employees less than you get.

If you want the profit, you have to accept the risk.

Can I ask - there's a bit I don't get.

You said he could have the day off, you covered his shift yourself but couldn't do it all properly so had to raise a credit note.

He then claimed for not only working the day but for extra time too when he hadn't even been there?

Was the day off supposed to be paid? Would it have normally been unpaid but maybe he assumed that you would pay him as you had offered 3 days paid compassionate leave, which he had declined? I wonder if you were so generous he felt entitled to what he would have earned on that day too.

Or maybe he thought that the day he had off was one of those 3 days and when he declined the offer of paid compassionate leave he was actually declining the second and third day, believing he had had the first one.

Either way, you have done nothing wrong and are well shot of him.

BalloonSlayer, I interpreted it as:

OP offered 3 days paid

Employee turned that down.

However, employee claimed for day not worked, because he had made the time up (of his own volition) over the remaining days.

OP is annoyed because now she feels she has to pay him, despite the client refusing to pay for time not contracted.

I see that as a peril of being an employer.

Either have a policy and stick to it, or expect things like this.

I read it as she offered him 3 days, he took only one.
He happened to make that one day up which is neither here nor there because no-one asked him to.

Although if the OPs story is accurate this guy is obviously a bit of a prat, it really isn't right to try and screw up his chances of ever getting a job again by witholding references. Just confirm the dates of employment and add nothing else, as a lot of employers do this day.

It's bad enough the hoops people have to jump through to get even the most basic job these days without employers using references as revenge.

The employee took it upon himself to work extra hours without clearing it with anyone. The client wont pay for these hours, so thats why the OP would be out of pocket if she paid him for these hours.

I mean who takes it upon themselves to work extra hours without permision ?

But he hasn't worked EXTRA hours.
He's worked the same hours that he normally does.

Agree, if the OP's story is accurate he sounds a bit of a knob.

Exactly, MrsBonkers, he isn't asking for more money. He's simply saying 'look, I've claimed my usual hours because I made up the hours that I missed on Monday by working an extra so long each day.'

Now, if the OP has a policy that this is not acceptable, all well and good. Otherwise, the employee has just tried to make up for his absence another time.

My bosses use Penninsula too, and my bosses are very good bosses, so their guidance must be good.

Obviously starting a new business is a learning curve.

You need to make sure you have a spare copy of all keys. You need to have a clear policy for taking leave whether compassionate or sick.

Keep at it though. Starting your own business isn't easy but it seems you are doing really well so far!

OP you sound like a good boss who's learning how to be a better boss. I agree with all the 'write it down' otherwise it didn't happen advice. Following this I'd instigate an 'overtime' procedure clearly covering the must be agreed in advance and must be signed off issue. I'd get all staff to sign to say they have received a copy

Can I ask you Emmon, in relation to the keys to the cleaning supplies areas, are the cleaners sub-contractors that you hire on behalf of clients or are they your direct hire staff? If they are direct hire staff you should probably make sure that for each cleaning supplies area you have a 'master' key that stays with you at all times and the staff have copies of it. I think you should make sure that you always have access to the cleaning supplies areas.

I think you went above and beyond in relation to this employee.

But it's irrelevant that he made up the extra hours as the office still didn't get cleaned for one day, therefore it was dirty the following day for the staff.

Doesn't matter how many extra hours he does on other days, there is still one day the office was left dirty...

One of the books I would really recommend you read is 'First break all the rules: What the worlds Greatest Managers do differently'. It's not too expensive off Amazon and I really learnt a lot from reading it.

I manage people and my opinion is, you can't 'change' how you are deep sown inside - e.g. if you're a nice and kind person then you shouldn't look to change that. I appreciate (and agree) that you need to still have your employees respect and that you need to demonstrate your authority, but there are different ways and means to do that, so whilst you should certainly look to not be a 'pushover' DON'T stop trying to be nice and kind as I really do think that my team respond better to 'me being me' and perhaps being a little soft sometimes, than someone who is a complete bitch, only interested in money / performance and someone who doesn't care about them as people.

When my cat was put to sleep last year I took a days holiday and worked at home the Monday after, I emailed my Boss and informed him that these were my plans and not to talk to me about it as I would likely cry - he was fine with the holiday, the home working and also not talking about it. I have far more loyalty to him for appreciating how cut up I was and accepted my requests than if he had turned them down.

You sound like a nice and kind person and you sound like a lovely Boss. Don't lose 'you' in trying to be a better Boss

It's very hard to tell because you have not provided the necessary detail and instead given copious irrelevant information.

If Lougle's interpretation is correct, not only are you 'YABU', but have also gone to extensive lengths to mask your YABUness.