AIBU to expect to be asked about shift swaps?

[SeizureSalad]

It's a work related AIBU but I'm putting it here for more relevant replies and maybe less vipers?

AIBU to expect my team to check in with me before they swap shifts?

Trying to keep it succinct, I manage a team of 4 and our business opens weekend mornings, so one of them is rostered to work the morning each week. 3 of them are full time contracted employees and get half a day off in the week (generally of their choice) for each weekend day worked, the other is part-time and weekends are paid in addition to usual hours. They work on average one weekend day a month each.

Last weekend the person rostered for Saturday morning happened to speak to the part-timer on Friday afternoon, said they weren't feeling well, so part-timer offered to work Saturday instead, which they did. I came in to retrospective advice of this yesterday.

I thanked them for covering the shift, but asked if next time they could just run it by me first. I could have covered the shift myself (I work weekends anyway so just a case of juggling hours about). One of the full-timers owes some hours and might have been happy for the chance to work them back. And it's just a courtesy to let your line manager know, isn't it, especially when you're expecting to be paid for the extra hours worked? For context we're currently fully staffed so I have had a decree from above not to roster any additional hours over and above contracts.

The part-timer has lost their MIND about it, I'm being unreasonable, they've never heard anything like it, why should they have told me, they were just helping the company out, everyone would agree with them, they'll never work another minute over their hours, even when we're in the shit.... I could go on. This was all basically yelled at me across the office this morning, and then continued when I moved the conversation to a private room.

They're so ADAMANT that I'm being wildly unreasonable to suggest I'm kept informed as the team manager that I'm starting to doubt myself... Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Nope, no different than needing to be aware of holidays etc.

But even more important when a cost factor is involved, as a Manager it's your responsibility, so no, they cannot just swap shifts without involving you as a Manager.

I would have immediately suspended her.

Insubordination, refusing management requests and I would have done the same to the sick person who failed to inform you - their manager, of their reasons why they couldnt work.

Gross misconduct - I would at the very least sack the part timer and a formal warning on file for the sick person who caused this mess.

I would take advise from your line manager but I would be arranging a 1:1 with both staff members ( possibly have your manager in as well) to remind them of policy and best practice going forward. U would give a formal warning to the shouty staff
membwr.

Have shift swaps always needed approval? They shouldn't have shouted at you, however if it's never been the case of needing approval in the past and nothing has been communicated about changes id also be pretty pissed off at being told off for it

I spoke to the former manager of the team this afternoon (she’s still in the company) to sense check and she agreed with me / you all that she’d have expected to be asked, especially when it involves an overtime payment, and doesn’t ever remember an instance where she wasn’t asked (although it is quite a rare specific scenario).