Hi there! I am a manager and all of my staff are remote, and only one of them has the option to go into the office. I know that being a supervisor is difficult, and sometimes it’s the absolute worst (and nobody really appreciates that), especially when there is a staff member struggling or that has to be terminated.
This doesn’t sound like the employee was MIA because they were remote. It sounds like they’re an employee who was struggling with the job requirements and competencies, and perhaps became a bit disengaged as a result of that.
I saw your original post and a note you made later in the comments.
In comments, you’ve indicated that the employee in question was doing subpar work and not completing assignments, and that they were also lying on their time card. These are all very valid reasons to terminate someone’s employment. I really want to help you as you consider some things during the search for a replacement so you don’t end up in the same place. So what I’m writing below is more about the original post you made, which was confusing because it’s not really about your employee’s capability or functionality.
1- It sounds like this job didn’t really require the employee to be logged into the internal system to do their job effectively. It also sounds like they maybe didn’t always need their computer to do parts of their job. As a supervisor that’s a pretty big consideration to make because some people do research better from their mobile device, or they need time to sit and think things out on paper. If the job doesn’t have to be done while fully logged in, then requiring it could create a path to failure for certain types of employees. As you look to hire a new person, consider whether this is actually required, either by the company or by you. If it’s just by you, this is an area you may need to practice flexibility.
2- It sounds like this job doesn’t really have to done from 9-5. If that’s the case, then this may be an area for you to practice flexibility. I have a staff member with ADD who can get derailed by the sighting of a bird through the window… for hours. They sometimes work at 2pm or 8pm or midnight. I know this because my staff tell me everything; they do that because they trust me not to get upset or annoyed. My only concern is that they show up as their best self so they can rock the job I hired them to do. If that means waiting until it is dark and birds can’t be a distraction then okay.
3- The employees you are checking up on are always going to be less productive and less successful than the ones you’re not hawk-watching. That’s because everybody screws up, but you only see it if you’re watching. This is compounded by PIPs. As a supervisor, it’s so frustrating to have to put someone on a PIP, and it is stressful for everyone involved. But it will never be more stressful for the supervisor than for the employee. Already struggling, now there’s a target on their back. That’s because when managers use PIPs it’s our responsibility to create pathways to success, but without really ardent commitment, they go sideways and rather than help employees, the PIPs just hasten their termination. A PIP should be an opportunity for a manager to look at areas for improvement and then help the employee achieve each of them in a reasonable way, but usually what happens is that the employee is just told to do better, and that’s extremely arbitrary and terrifying and demoralizing. In this case, it sounds like it went sideways. Instead of focusing on getting the employee to a place where they were creating good work product and finishing projects on time, which appeared to be your primary concerns, the PIP put you on the exhausting path of micromanaging their clock-in and clock-out when that really had nothing to do with the problem. No wonder you were fed up. As you look to hire a new person, consider what they might need to be successful and talk to them up front about what constitutes good work product, what training is available, and what the KPIs are for their success in the workplace. Meet with them weekly to make sure they’re getting the hang of it (but let them guide those needs), and provide the support to elevate them to that place of competence.
4- Try not to go to the worst place first. You mentioned that your employee was lying on their time card; calling out sick and then logging time worked. Rather than assume they are lying, there are some considerations to make. The American work culture requires a type of self-preservation that means logging in to check email even when you’re lying on the beach in Antigua or enjoying Sunday brunch with friends, or when you’re vomiting every 20 minutes. That typically leads to also answering those emails and then doing the ”oh well they just need these two documents and if I don’t handle it now then I won’t have time on Monday/when I get back” approach. Our work culture is bananas at best, and abusive at worst. Before assuming any employee, but particularly one who is on a PIP and about to lose their job, is lying, consider that they may be desperately trying to save themselves. I regularly say to my team, “If you’re working more hours than you are scheduled, or you’re feeling that you have to work on sick days or days off or that you can’t take vacation then please talk to me. That’s not how it’s supposed to be.” It’s my job as the supervisor to create an environment where my staff can say they don’t understand, they don’t have the right training, they’re overwhelmed or we’ve overbooked their workflow. It's also my job to notice those things even if they don’t tell me. Part of how I do this is making their 1-1s “their time.” I’m not there to talk to them about the work they’ve been assigned unless that’s what they want to talk about. I’m there to listen to what they need, how they feel, what’s going right, what’s going wrong. And usually, I also bring up the “work-life balance” discussion and see where they take it. My relationship to my team is the first thing I prioritize because work has to work for the organization but also for the people who work there.
I really genuinely hope this helps.
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