Aug. 14, 2017 "How can I stop my new manager from pushing me out?": Today I found this article in the Globe and Mail:
THE QUESTION
Shortly after being hired, my second-level manager was let go and the replacement restructured the team. I was skilled and successful at my job, but he redesigned my role to fix project errors that others had made.
Normally, the responsibilities I handle are done at the managerial level in other teams, and I mentioned that in my development plan. The new second-level manager was promoted, and that’s when things got worse. Before presenting a project to his replacement, I would receive feedback from two other managers and incorporate their suggestions.
Nonetheless, she criticized my work as not up to standard. There is a constant pattern now, and I feel it is part of an orchestrated effort to push me out. I received my first bad performance evaluation and feel eventually they will terminate me. I don’t know how to protect myself.
Nonetheless, she criticized my work as not up to standard. There is a constant pattern now, and I feel it is part of an orchestrated effort to push me out. I received my first bad performance evaluation and feel eventually they will terminate me. I don’t know how to protect myself.
THE FIRST ANSWER
Doug Ewen
Certified Human Resources Executive, Midland, Ont.
Is this really a performance issue or do they just want you out? Either case is worrisome. Fortunately, you can deal with both issues using essentially the same process. Let’s look at this in terms of both performance improvement and protecting you in case of termination. You will need to document, document, document to protect yourself.
First, review your performance evaluation. Meet your manager to really understand the improvement requirements. If you disagree with any points, discuss your concerns (don’t debate or argue). Keep the meeting positive and constructive.
While working on projects, continue to get input from other managers. Given that your second-level manager has concerns, meet with them to validate your approach. Pro-actively review your approach to show them that you are taking ownership.
Use e-mail to your advantage by summarizing the details and reiterating your desire to succeed.
Finally, plan for the possibility of termination. Record details of pertinent conversations, including dates, times and anyone present during them.
In the end, either you will see improvement in your performance or you will have documentation that will be important for future negotiations.
THE SECOND ANSWER
Bill Howatt
Chief research and development officer of work force productivity, Morneau Shepell, Toronto
You can look at your situation through a few lenses. One is a legal lens to determine with an employment lawyer what your rights are.
The other lens is considering how this is having a negative impact on your mental health, which can affect your overall quality of life.
Regardless of your life situation, you own your mental health. You may not be able to directly control what’s happening at the workplace. However, what you do have control over is taking steps to improve how you’re coping with it. A recent article in the Harvard Review explores how to use stress to your advantage.
Regardless of your life situation, you own your mental health. You may not be able to directly control what’s happening at the workplace. However, what you do have control over is taking steps to improve how you’re coping with it. A recent article in the Harvard Review explores how to use stress to your advantage.
When we learn how to positively manage our stress load, we’re able to change our focus to looking for opportunities and solutions.
In your case, you have some choices to consider, such as do you want to work for an employer you don’t trust or respect?
This may be an excellent time to explore your options with an EFAP counsellor, trusted peer or family member.
The more energy you can spend focusing on things you can control, the more you can develop your resiliency to push through life’s potholes. The catch is, you have to do the work.
In your case, you have some choices to consider, such as do you want to work for an employer you don’t trust or respect?
This may be an excellent time to explore your options with an EFAP counsellor, trusted peer or family member.
The more energy you can spend focusing on things you can control, the more you can develop your resiliency to push through life’s potholes. The catch is, you have to do the work.
Aug. 26, 2017 "Emails often good fodder if looking to terminate a difficult employee": Today I found this article by Howard Levitt in the Edmonton Journal:
Even the best legal argument is only as strong as its weakest link. An employee suing for wrongful dismissal may have a stellar employment record. That is, until the employer discovers her penchant for circulating disparaging emails about her employer.
As I frequently tell my employer clients: It takes only one good ground to terminate an employee for cause; you just need to secure it.
In 2017, that ground is often found in an email. Often some innocuous, apparently innocent correspondence sent to a colleague can lead to an employee’s undoing.
Although workplace emails are hardly new, many employees still approach their work email accounts as their personal soap box,
sending email to colleagues disparaging that employee everybody despises;
email disparaging management or their employer;
email with inappropriate comments and images;
emails containing confidential information;
and vast quantities of personal email sent during business hours.
sending email to colleagues disparaging that employee everybody despises;
email disparaging management or their employer;
email with inappropriate comments and images;
emails containing confidential information;
and vast quantities of personal email sent during business hours.
There is one common denominator in all of this — it’s all fodder for an employer building a case for termination.
Employees should be cognizant of what they put in writing, because here is the simple truth: Your work email account does not belong to you. It belongs to your employer, along with the emails you send and receive from it.
As a simple rule, if you wouldn’t feel comfortable with your employer reading your work emails, you shouldn’t be sending them.
If you’re the recipient of inappropriate emails, you’re best protection is to write that individual and tell them to stop sending them to you.
If you’re the recipient of inappropriate emails, you’re best protection is to write that individual and tell them to stop sending them to you.
It is not merely terminated employees who can expect their employer to review the emails they have sent. Employer software flagging inappropriate words or employers just checking what certain targeted employees are up to.
And don’t presume that a single act of indiscretion will go unnoticed. Not anymore.
There is an entire industry of document retrieval known as e-discovery, dedicated to scouring millions of documents, searching for that one smoking gun.
If there’s something to be found, your employer will likely find it. In fact, e-discovery has become such an integral part of the litigation process that I now have a lawyer at my firm who works in it full-time.
If there’s something to be found, your employer will likely find it. In fact, e-discovery has become such an integral part of the litigation process that I now have a lawyer at my firm who works in it full-time.
That doesn’t mean that management and executives enjoy impunity. On the contrary, management is often the face of the business and obliged to set the “tone from the top.”
They are held to an even higher standard than their subordinates. Moreover, if management is circulating inappropriate emails, it will be difficult to discipline a subordinate for doing the same.
So what’s the solution? It is often difficult to terminate an employee for circulating inappropriate emails without defining what “inappropriate” means. The best defence for employers is a code of conduct. Ensure the code succinctly and unambiguously states what employees can and cannot write, what they can and cannot circulate, and that violating the code is cause for dismissal.
Email’s immediacy makes it an effective workplace tool. It also makes it dangerous. The next time you’re looking to engage in some witty email flirtation, or even repartee, take a moment and ask yourself, before you hit the send button: What would my employer think? The answer just might save your job.
https://www.pressreader.com/canada/ottawa-citizen/20170826/282230895820938
My opinion: This email article can be applied to social media like my blog. Your past, present, and future bosses and co-workers could be reading this so it has to be appropriate.
The rule is to usually avoid writing about or joking about race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and politics.
My opinion: This email article can be applied to social media like my blog. Your past, present, and future bosses and co-workers could be reading this so it has to be appropriate.
The rule is to usually avoid writing about or joking about race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and politics.
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