Posted on 08/06/2011 8:08:16 AM PDT by redreno
The story is almost old hat these days.
Despite constant warnings to be careful what you post on Facebook, a disgruntled employee who is irritated at a boss, a customer or a co-worker, takes to the social networking site to vent some spleen — and ends up getting disciplined or even fired.
It’s a fate that has befallen a North Carolina waitress at a pizza restaurant, a Philadelphia Eagles stadium worker and a group of airline workers in recent months.
But what if it’s the boss who decides to use Facebook to complain about an employee?
(Excerpt) Read more at lasvegassun.com ...
Name TRUELL, SHERRY T
Position UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE REP 2
State of Nevada
Year 2010
Base Pay $34,877.08
Overtime and
Callback Collected $2,176.49
Other Pay ($679.63)
Total Pay $36,373.94
Benefits Accumulated N/A
Total Pay & Benefits $36,373.94
This is the employee or the boss?
She’s the one who self-identified and takes up to 36 days a year sick leave. What’s that work out to - about 15 % of her time for “a stress-related medical condition “. That’s on top of her vacation and holidays. She must take off an average of at least one day a week.
I do not see how anyone can legally approve use of FMLA for sick self. Only for sick family members. She is abusing FMLA and her employer is going along with it.
Who does she think she is?.....Shepard Smith??
I too work for a government agency in Nevada. I can tell you some real horror stories about sick leave abuse. One person in my department takes an average of three days a week off, for migraines. Runs out of leave time, FMLA each year. Then asks co workers for donation of time.
Must be nice because she stated that she usuall takes two or three days off every month under FMLA. Fire her sorry butt.
This manager is as dumb as a box of rocks.
You are correct that FMLA cannot be used for personal sick days, only to care for family members, and the manager should know that. What this manager should be doing is documenting that he has brought up that fact to the employee and charging the absence to her sick leave. If the employee still insists on claiming FMLA days, then a meeting should be set up with the union to discuss the issue since even the union rep will not back up an illegal claim.
Yes, that takes time and effort and aggravation on the manager's part but that is what a department manager is paid for by his employer.
By publicly trashing the employee on the Internet, the manager has put his employer at risk for a lawsuit.
The irony is that the employee will probably be let off with a warning that FMLA may not be used for personal sick days but the manager may be fired for his extremely poor judgment and his incompetence.
What? She expects her coworkers to give up their own sick time for her? I hope they tell her to stuff it.
I had a coworker who took off three to four days per month, at least. I was, thank goodness, very healthy and not the type to call in and fake being sick when I'm not, so I very seldom took time off. Finally, after several months of perfect attendance, I took one vacation day. When I returned, this coworker snapped at me, saying sarcastically, "Well, I hope you had a nice day off yesterday, because we were really busy!" Never occurred to her how hard *I* might've had to work during HER numerous days off. Ever since then, I have zero sympathy for people like that. They are selfish jerks who force their coworkers to pick up the slack for them.
It is not just government employment where it is hard to fire people. It’s in the private sector as well.
I fired an engineer after only three days. First he failed to show up for site safety training on his first day. I gave him an ultimatum for his third day - show up for safety training, or he’s out. So on the beginning of his third day he shows up for safety training, and then gets to work. That day I was hearing from other workers that he smelled of alcohol.
Toward the afternoon of that day, he disappeared. He left his jacket and his briefcase, he had not badged out. I swepted the office building, not there, Sweort the parking lot for his car, not there. I wound up having refinery security sweeping the plant for him. That’s when I decided his timewas done.
He shows up the next morning (I had security out front to meet him), and he is steeeeenkin drunk. He was given his notice, with security and another manager present. The police was called since he was in no shape to drive.
I wound up getting the third degree from the HR type, with the line that I did not make him feel welcome. I was supposed to meet him at the door each day until he get his safety training (excuse me, I had meetings with refinery operations and maintenance types, and I am supposed to guide him by the hand?!?!?).
Does that mean it is hurtful, hateful, narrow minded, mean spirited, and judgemental to:
1. Expect someone to show up for work on time?
2. Safety training is a requirement (written!) for working on the jobsite (not me, the refinery and OSHA!)?
3. Expect someone to show up for work not in an impaired state (BTW, he finally took his drug/alcohol screening on the third day. The refinery requires it. He failed)?
Good riddance, Minnesota. Go to Hell, I am going to Texas.
Kids are stupid about that, adults are supposed to be a little more savvy; but by the stories I hear about Facebook gossip blowing up in everybody's face, that's obviously not so true.That's why I don't do Facebook.
I Guess the manager should consider this a "learning experience", because I predict that his headaches from this malingerer aren't over.
It sounds like someone needs to have a talk with this HR type's boss.
Let's assume that you guided that engineer by the hand and did everything you could to enable his dysfunctional behavior. What would have been the end result?
A drunk engineer working in a refinery who is not only unproductive but also dangerous to himself and others.
Such HR types needs to be told, in no uncertain terms, that their first responsibility is to the financial and physical safety of the company and not to the job security of individual employees.
Good riddance, Minnesota. Go to Hell, I am going to Texas.
Slow down. Slow down.
You had a bad interaction with a single idiot in the HR Department, not the entire State of Minnesota. You were right. The idiot from HR was wrong.
Don't leave. Take the issue up the chain of command and put the HR type in his palce. If the company sides with the HR idiot, then leave.
On the other hand, after reading your profile page, it seems that your upcoming move to Texas has nothing to do with that HR type.
Living on the Left Coast, I know how you feel.
Be that as it may, I would still go after that HR type.
you betcha. every discipline write up from this boss will be grieved to the union.
Well, there is certainly some truth in the old saying "KNOW THYSELF"....."I'm a lazy, work-evading asshole....BUT, he ain't got no right to discriminate me!" Bwaaaa haaaahaaahhaaaa!
I described an incident that happened a number of years ago. It does however illustrate the mentality of doing business here. It has a lot to do with the entitlement culture here.
If I break a business relationship with a supplier company (equipmment or services) due to documented performance shortfalls, I get the “I’m sorry you feel that way” line.
I have worked in plants on the Houston Ship Channel. Blowing off safety policies there not only gets one fired, but also unemployable anywhere on the Gulf Coast.
As for my last line, I was somewhat quoting Davy Crockett.
My business is already in the process of moving to Texas. Already signed an office lease, clients lined up.
That's nothing.
I used to work with a woman who would take a week off every month for PMS.
And the other employees probably considered that a fringe benefit for them not to have her around the place.
FMLA can be used for your own illness. I used it when I had surgery. I have known other employees to use it when they had cancer or maternity leave. It can also be used if you have continuing medical treatments, i.e. chemo, physical therapy.
The employee very well may be abusing both her sick leave and her FMLA but the manager is probably not the one doing the approving. My supervisor has nothing to do with whether my leave is approved as FMLA. If my documentation meets the requirements of the Family Medical Leave Act, according to Federal regulations my company has to give me the leave.
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