Hired a new employee hybrid and she started 3 weeks ago.

39 Comments

1. AnonymousNovember 10,2023 at 2:11AM UTC

   Say no, not at this time. simple.

2. AnonymousNovember 10,2023 at 2:24AM UTC

   I did and heard grumping all day.

3. AnonymousNovember 10,2023 at 1:15PM UTC

   If you went over the expectations and the grumping continues once again level set expectations and if they feel they aren't able to come to work FIT FOR DUTY, meaning no attitude, that maybe this isn't the fit for them and for them to think about whether they want to stay or to part ways.

4. AnonymousNovember 10,2023 at 3:20AM UTC

   What to do??????? I don't understand? Aren't you the manager?

5. AnonymousNovember 10,2023 at 4:09AM UTC

   You put together a clear 90 day plan with dates and milestones. You meet weekly for a progress report and to go over next week's assignments and expectations. You make sure she understands that her schedule will not change for the next 90 days and she meets her 90 plan.

   If you want to discuss a more hybrid schedule once she's fully trained you will need to wait until then.

   You are her manager and managers have goals and plans and responsibilities.

6. AnonymousNovember 11,2023 at 6:16PM UTC

   Agree thank you.

7. AnonymousNovember 10,2023 at 1:13PM UTC

   She accepted the position knowing what the arrangement is, correct? Why does she continue to push this? You aren't the one being unreasonable. Next time she asks, my recommendation would be to tell her perhaps she needs to find a position elsewhere that can be more accommodating to her desire to be remote.

8. AnonymousNovember 10,2023 at 4:25PM UTC

   yes she was aware of expectations and it was mentioned again on day 1. 2 weeks latet I am asked again.

9. AnonymousNovember 11,2023 at 3:46PM UTC

   We had this happen with a new hire that I don’t manage. I had to tell the new hire that we quite frankly didn’t trust him in the office so we clearly couldn’t trust him out of the office.

   I agree. Explain why, but if it sounds like this new hire won’t drop it and therefore won’t be a good fit.

   Younger employees often lack the wherewithal to understand office culture and earning a place, which is still a big part of companies. They just feel they’re owed everything day 1.

   One question, is the policy standard for all new hires? What made our situation hard was we lack straightforward enforcement. Some new hires were on more flexible schedules. But if that’s not the case with your business, be sure to reiterate it.

   It’s also time to start documenting these things. Make sure you have a paper trail.

10. AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 12:54AM UTC

    No there is no straightforward schedule. We have some new hires fully remote. This employee is local therefore hybrid.

11. AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 2:24PM UTC

    Are the fully remote new hires in the same role as her?

    If so, she might be feeling resentful that she is hybrid only because she happens to be local.

    but yeah, if it was explained to her before she took the position, she needs to accept it.

12. AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 5:30PM UTC

    Yes same role. The other employee is more of an independent worker however he initially requested training in office since he felt he would learn more.

13. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 2:38AM UTC

    If he's not a contractor (it's not clear what you mean by independent worker --i.e.
    status versus personal trait) and they are in the same role, I'd not just be mad as that employee --I'd have accepted this job to pay the bills AND continued to look for a full remote role! You have NO idea why this person "wants to be remote."
    Do you know what the term "hidden disability" means? or how many medical issues are far less disruptive and/or potentially embarrassing if someone can be fully remote? Or how much more fully remote makes work accessible to those of us with disabilities who DO NOT want to disclose or in any way discuss those issues with people with work with, ESPECIALLY our managers, who evaluate us? Stigma is real. Ableism is real. YOU are acting like she's a whiny entitled brat vs even considering she may be truly distressed AND stressing out over how to navigate issues like her next flare-up, etc.
    The beauty of remote work for many of us is that it can completely eliminate the need to disclose anything at all about non-obvious disability, thus exposing us to discrimination, or in the case of a former coworker who only ever appeared on camera shoulders up, to hide the fact she has a disability and only be seen as $person vs having everyone meet her and her wheelchair at the same time. We're obviously not talking about visible things like mobility aids here, but the ableism in this thread is sick. If a job CAN be done remotely 3 days a week and was done remotely five days during covid, it's ridiculous to say it CAN'T be done remotely five days a week for someone who works best that way OR has an ADA need. And again, as someone who could invoke the ADA if I had to . . . . I'd rather die than actually do that at work, due to the kinds of attitudes I'd have to put up with for doing so.

14. AnonymousNovember 16,2023 at 3:54AM UTC

    None of this applies. Just entitlement.

15. AnonymousNovember 10,2023 at 7:28PM UTC

    Was it made clear to her that in the training phase there would be a reduced opportunity to work hybrid?

    In her contract does it have the expectations for what hybrid means?

    I ask this because it sounds like the expectations aren’t aligned. If they’re a good worker, then getting on the same page about expectations is essential

16. AnonymousNovember 10,2023 at 7:49PM UTC

    They are not an independent worker. Need to be told what to do which is why I am sticking to the current hybrid schedule.

17. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 7:41PM UTC

    If they are new, how can you judge ability to work independently? Or do you just mean "not now"? That seems like it could be an issue in office if you're out; my first boss hired me telling me she needed someone who'd come in and do their work whether or not she or other managers were around because it was not unusual to have one of them offsite in the community and others out/super busy. I've had to self manage in multiple jobs, onsite or otherwise.

18. AnonymousNovember 16,2023 at 3:53AM UTC

    They need to be told what to do. No initiative. Twiddles their thumbs when not tasked.

19. GirlBossanova934974November 11,2023 at 1:47PM UTC

    I would do a few things as a manager of this person. First thing, I would tell this person the importance of being in the office during the training phase. EXPLAIN WHY!!!! not just because I say so. WHY includes: 1) meeting other employees in person and establishing some form of rapport 2) Accelerating the process of learning how to do the job aka NOT being left alone in your residence trying to figure out how to do this or that. With REMOTE work, the saying of being out of sight often means out of mind! Second thing I would do is to set up some of timeline and level of achievement necessary to work remote aka Q1 2024 when I feel you have mastered the following things. Third thing, I would put this into an email and send it after your face to face meeting. Make sure the employee acknowledges receipt. REMOTE WORK has some HUGE drawbacks! It can be quite hard to gain rapport with your coworkers. Second, the office politics can quickly get of hand when there is no face to face interaction. In the last company I worked REMOTE, the managers tied up half their day gossiping back and forth in unscheduled sidebar meetings.

20. AnonymousNovember 11,2023 at 6:14PM UTC

    I like this thank you!

21. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 2:32AM UTC

    Many of us like full remote to dodge the political crap and sidebars!

22. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 12:19PM UTC

    I agree but for training being in office is crucial.

23. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 7:37PM UTC

    How does the relevant company handle it for people who are fully remote/too far away since it sounds like you have people working that way?

    I'd be less bothered by it for a training period ONLY, but only if that training period was not during blizzard season. There is truly no point in 3+ hours in the car each way, which does happen for people.

24. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 7:50PM UTC

    Her commute is probably 20 minutes. No blizzard.

25. AnonymousNovember 16,2023 at 1:15AM UTC

    Exactly! I've noticed that working remotely really cuts down on office politics.

26. AnonymousNovember 11,2023 at 11:02PM UTC

    Fail fast and fail cheap. If this new employee is already testing these limits at three weeks, expect more of the same the further they get into this role.

27. AnonymousNovember 11,2023 at 11:36PM UTC

    Yes I am gravely concerned.

28. AnonymousNovember 12,2023 at 10:20PM UTC

    She wants a fully remote job but took this job because she couldn't find one.

    She expects to push you into allowing her to be fully remote.

29. AnonymousNovember 13,2023 at 12:44AM UTC

    I find it odd shes pushing the envelope. Shes been unemployed for 2 years.

30. AnonymousNovember 13,2023 at 1:54AM UTC

    And this is why. She doesn't accept limits on her freedom. She wants what she wants.

    Imagine how many jobs she done this at for a couple of months and then was cut lose.

31. AnonymousNovember 13,2023 at 2:24AM UTC

    You make a good point. I didn’t think of it this way. Makes sense. Lets see how this pans out.

32. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 2:31AM UTC

    I "love" how there is no compassion or understanding for how miserable this transition is for some people.

33. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 12:18PM UTC

    What transition?

34. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 7:34PM UTC

    Back to being in an office and commuting after being remote!

    Exactly what is the value to anyone of spending hours in traffic when you could have that personal time before/after work?

    Many neurodivergent people who are fully capable of doing the tasks consider this hell. Many neurotypicals too I'd assume.

35. AnonymousNovember 13,2023 at 7:20PM UTC

    That’s a red flag there.

36. AnonymousNovember 16,2023 at 1:11AM UTC

    She might have children/an elderly parent at home to care for. Or her commute is really long. Which is why she needs more WFH time!

    What I find "odd" is that companies such as this one can't just let people work remotely all the time or 4 days a week. It worked well in 2020-21, why not continue? But that is another topic . . .

37. AnonymousNovember 16,2023 at 3:51AM UTC

    i explained from day 1 that training will be primarily in office with specific schedule. Her kids are adults and she is 20 minutes from the office. Whats concerning is when in the office when I walk by she is staring at a blank computer screen as opposed to attempting to learn something new.

38. AnonymousNovember 13,2023 at 7:32PM UTC

    We've had a couple of instances like this. It is made extremely clear that no adjustments in schedule would be made and if the days in office (2 remote, 3 in office) are not acceptable, then we cannot move forward in the Onboarding process.

    We had to terminate the hire on one person that accepted employment but insisted on in office 1 day even knowing our schedule offer was 3.

39. AnonymousNovember 14,2023 at 2:36AM UTC

    One company I interviewed at during covid did this. They were not remote-friendly before, they were hiring full remote during with applicants being told they could stay remote, and then after, they made everyone within 50 miles commute. Mind you, this is in the most blizzard-prone part of our state!

    One of my former employers only allowed one remote day unless you had a contagious illness and were not taking a sick day, but if you moved out of the area you were allowed to be fully remote; this was before covid and still a penalty for being local!