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?

You are contradicting yourself. You said no evidence is needed and now you’ve said the complaints are evidence. Which is it?

No if you read my post and make very clear in that very post that evidence is NOt required

but if it was… then dozens of people impacted and multiple complaints would be evidence

You see… I make clear the not needed

Not strictly necessary, but due diligence - we evidenced we had supported them to improve and meet the required standard before terminating their employment, it's only fair and right.

And surely now… dozens impacted, multiples complaints, contravening policies… surely now that’s sufficient “evidence” to end a probation that doesn’t even need evidence to end

Guess the whole team needs to schedule that tea break before/ after the meeting then and ALL be on teams slurping. For sure he's a knobbo with no life.

It’s good policy and better for the team who remain, too.

I am privy to a situation where someone was released without explanation. They’d been absolutely horrible to many and not one person was sorry to see the back of them. But everyone was still shocked at how it was handled. Even when the person deserves to be let go, others need to see it handled fairly and professionally.

The team who remain that still have to endure him whilst this grievance process for someone who has been there 6 weeks and is still well and truly in his probation!

Had they been there 6 weeks?

Often the reasons for a person leaving/being dismissed are confidential and so all the circumstances can't be shared with the team; but it doesn't mean the reasons aren't sound or that the person was unfairly treated.

In the situation you describe, do you think it would have been better to have a longer process where the person continued to be 'absolutely horrible' to many other staff? It could have led to the victims of bullying leaving despite being good employees, submitting multiple grievances or becoming ill with work related stress. So how would that have been better for the team that remain?

I don't like 'hire and fire' culture but occasionally a dismissal is just necessary. It is unlikely that a brand new employee, after an expensive recruitment and induction process, is going to be fired without good reason. Upsetting multiple members of the team is a good reason imo and if they delay then things could get far worse.

Especially when we are talking about someone who’s been there just 6 weeks, still on probation and dozens of people impacted

Long story, but they were not fired for being horrible.

In the OPs situation, do you think it takes more than an hour for her to write up her complaint?

You may not be privy to all the reasons they were fired (unless you were directly managing the process).

I can't see whether the OP has said how long it will take to write her complaint, I may have have missed it. But due to HR's advice to gather as much evidence as possible and her reference to collecting evidence from the team, I can imagine it could take some time to compile from there.

HR don't have the "multiple complaints" until someone like the OP formally complains, and presumably a couple more people. People having an informal whinge can't be considered as evidence, it needs to be done through the proper channels in writing.

That is not accurate. If an employer ‘ends’ a probationary, whether early or at term, then that employee has been dismissed. They also don’t need to work their notice, it can be paid in lieu (PILON).

Sorry but if you wanna take a nap on an unpaid lunch break you can. He can’t control what you’re doing at lunch. And what your not allowed to make a tea or coffee on a tea break and take it back to your desk to drink whilst working? Doesn’t sound right to me next he will be timing toilet breaks or are those not allowed either