I am the CO-founder and Director of a successful, medium-sized business.
One employee, who claims to have been self-isolating this past week has arrived to work unexpectedly on time today with an expression that says he feels he should be lauded for this accomplishment. He has form for taking credit for others’ work and while he is a capable, fun, and charming member of staff I do feel I need to have a word with him at some point re pulling his weight. He is also not dressed appropriately for the office.
Another employee has just been caught playing computer games on office time while ostensibly crunching numbers as part of a project for our client in the education sector. He claims to be able to multi-task but I need to oversee this tightly to ensure he can deliver on time.
My CO-Director is currently making a bloody mess Brownies for the staff in the office kitchen, to lift employee spirits in these challenging times. I feel his efforts should be directed to more essential projects but I’ve learned throughout 18 years in business together that I must pick my battles carefully with my partner.
Yet another employee keeps entering my department unbidden to show me photos from her office iPhone and ask my opinion on various guitars she wishes to purchase. Not only is this procurement not related to our business, but I do not actually care what colour guitar she chooses and wish she would leave my department and leave me to carry on with my own tasks, but she is our most reliable worker so I am giving her some slack today.
Finally, all staff seem to have forgotten our office policy of each employee being responsible for the clearing from their departments and washing up of his/her own items in our company kitchen as we have no designated admin to do this for them.