Why is new boss being such a knob?

[Buggeroffboss]

Our old boss took ill suddenly in December last year and died shortly after. They been the boss for 20+ years, so appreciate we were all very used to them.

Following their illness I became interim boss. In April I was offered the role permanently but declined as it would mean returning to full time work. I'm bitterly regretting not taking it due to new boss!

We're a remote team, have been since many years before COVID. New boss clearly hates remote working. We do have an office, but it seats 10 people and us open to the whole business (approx 300 people) not just our department (40 people). New boss wants everyone in the office 2 days a week. HR have told him to go whistle - we are all on remote contracts and live across the whole of the UK, including channel Islands and 2 in France!

New boss is now insisting we schedule any "coffee breaks" (you know, where you brew up between meetings) and that under no circumstances are we to appear on screen with tea/ coffee if it isn't adjacent to our scheduled break. In addition he's put an embargo on lunch time errands, such as laundry, popping to the post office or collecting the car from the garage. All time is to be accounted for.

As you can imagine, morale has gone down the pan. We're a high performing department, there is 0 issues with productivity. Our work is largely invisible most of the time, lots of thinking time and idea generation which makes monitoring our day to day workloads difficult, but we always exceed our targets at quarter and year ends - so people are clearly working. In the 6 weeks he's been in there's been a noticeable change in how people are working, fewer people on early or late, most just working to their hours.

AIBU to think he's being a bit of a dick and just needs to chill the fuck out?

And also perhaps because access to water is a basic human right :-D

If this manager's job is definitely a full-time post and he's spending such a huge amount of time micromanaging you all to the nth degree, there must also be quite a lot of other tasks in the role that he isn't doing.

You've covered the job, so you are best placed to know the things he isn't doing that he should be. I wonder what they are...😉

I've just shown this to my hubby. He has WFH for 30 years in a senior technical position either split WFH 3 days & 2 days office, or as he has for last 15 years full time WFH (unless going to conferences or clients in Europe or US).

My hubby got quite angry when he read the OPs post.

He said you should go over the head of this new boss, report and question what is going on. The new boss is creating an abusive work environment which is damaging and disrupting the morale & work effiency of an established and successful department.

You don’t have to have access at your desk though. Different WFH and he’s being a knob but we aren’t allowed any drinks at work stations, we have to go out and get one if thirsty

I’m the “ boss “ of a similar team and that will destroy your team very fast and once members stay jumping out it’s a nightmare to solve .
When I was on maternity leave the person substituting me tried a similar set up and it went so bad that people where taking time off work due to stress .
I am completely honest and say I don’t care if you are doing the laundry picking up the kids , shopping , I do t even care if your kids are with you at home as long as you can do your meetings , as long as work targets are meet then 🤷🏻‍♀️.

I think I would ask him straight out whether he had a problem with trusting his team?

Unless you're in a clean room environment or similar, that's batshit.

A bog standard computer setup doesn't require this for H&S purposes (the usual excuse crap managers hide behind for crap policies they don't understand how to change).

She did. It's all in her updates.

Brilliant...and slurping from it loudly 🤣

God, he needs to get a life.

Good for you raising it firmly but professionally, OP. I'm glad Big Boss has a handle on this man too.

I agree with a pp about using a coffee mug for juice/Coke to mess with him

That comment is nearly on a level with putting butter in your tea instead of milk during covid.

The pp would be horrified, I am eating a salad while being on MN!

I WFH and lead a team across multiple time zones, some WFH, some hybrid. It’s not hard to manage based on output and it’s very easy to tell when someone is not performing or putting the work in. Any experienced leader who knows what they are doing should be able to manage a team like that.

Where it doesn’t work is when the manager disagrees with the policy either because they are not very competent or they like making peoples lives miserable (I’ve seen both, neither lasted)

Boss sounds absolutely batshit crackers!

What does HR have to say about this stuff?!

Oooh you focking rebel, off with your head 🤣🤣🤣

Sounds like a bleeding nightmare all round. Appears HR have an exit plan forming lol

Your initial post gave me the rage OP, can't understand how someone could get to this level and think this is an effective way to manage a team, its painful. My company sounds very similar to yours - alot of flexibility, you work a certain number of hours a week and if you want to take a long lunch to go the gym and work longer that day, its fine. Would just block it out in your diary and not even mention it. I couldnt cope being managed this way and really glad it sounds like the higher ups have realised hes a bad fit. Hopefully won't be around much longer..

There is that but having worked in HR for 20 years, you can absolutely have a drink while working and you can what you like on your lunch break.

Earlier this year I had to fire someone in their probation period and HR told me the more sources of evidence the better.

your Hr need to do some training.

You don’t “fire” someone on probation. You end the probation early. That person then works their probationary notice.

Pedantic
Semantic
Don’t be so romantic
Result is the same

But the point is… you don’t need to “gather evidence”!!! So HR need training if they think it’s necessary.

You are talking about legal requirements. However, every place I have worked also has policies and procedures.

OPs company is ensuring their reasons for terminating employment are documented rather than reacting to verbal complaints or whispering campaigns. That may not be legally required but it’s solid policy indicative of a thoughtful, well-run workplace.

If an employee is causing this level of dissatisfaction to dozens of people, with multiple complaints, then that is the “evidence” (not that needed”, to end the probation.

It is the very benefit of probation. During that period you can end it and the employee only
works the much shorter probationary notice (usually just a week) Likewise beneficial to the employee himself as they can end it and only need to work the much shorter probationary notice.

And that is the entire point of the grievances being submitted.... But they need people to come forward with the complaints to be able to act. Not rely on mutterings or third party reporting of mutterings.

NOT if on probation!!!

I agree with this. There is no need to have a long drawn out process once they have received several employee complaints, that is sufficient evidence of his unsuitability to bring things to a swift close. I don't really understand what the management & HR are waiting for, dragging things out will only compound the damage.

They don't need to have the person working during notice provided they pay him in lieu....a small price to pay in these circumstances.