Discount for flexibility

Question

I  know its not going to be a popular thing to admit but I'm just trying to be honest. I'm having a hard time justifying giving an employee on my team more RSU units in the next promotion cycle because she works flexibly. She does get her work done but it tends to be at the last minute and with more supervision than I'd like to give. She works from home a lot, and that was an arrangement I agreed to a long time ago. I would give her performance substantively a 'Just fine, not great, but just fine.' But she's underpaid and I know that it is because she works flexibly. The question I have for everyone here is how I should be thinking about her stock units. Does that need to make up for her being underpaid or should it match the cash package and the level of performance and work hours she seems to put in? Am I thinking of it in the right way?

Leena Patel · Answer

Have you had a discussion with her about your expectations? For instance, there are many people who get things done at the eleventh hour... it could just be her style. As long as it doesn't affect the quality of her output and she's not missing deadlines, is that important? If so, perhaps, you can communicate that to her and set mini deadlines instead of one big one.
Same thing with the supervision concern. Are you doing more than you want because that's your personal preference (i.e. delegate and expect it done) or because she needs more support than others in getting up to speed on things? 
This could simply be a mismatch in your styles of work and expectations and a lack of communication. I would have an open conversation and see if you can clear the air and reach some common ground.

rubybooth · Answer

If she is underpaid for her role, then you have a responsibility to make that whole somehow. That is one issue; a separate issue is performance. If her performance isn't good, you have a separate responsibility to give clear feedback on how she can improve. Flex work absolutely doesn't need to result in work of lower quality or work that misses deadlines.

Emily Hughes · Answer

Goals, expectations and feedback all need to be communicated regularly and often. She may not know that you dislike her project completion timeline if you haven't said anything. That isn't her fault. 
Feedback is a huge motivator that is often overlooked by leadership. A performance review could be helpful for both of you! 
I have to say though, an under compensated employee is likely to have a mindset that matches the compensation level, meaning that if she knows she is being paid as though she isn't valuable,  she may care a bit less about rushing to meet the deadlines and expectations of the person who has determined her wage.

Megan Seel · Answer

I absolutely agree with everyone advising you to separate the flexible work arrangement from the performance. At my company,  Working flexible is a privilege that you earn with reliable delivery. If performance is subpar, then you need to address that in conversation and in rewards approach.  I am a firm believer that you should expect results equally from everyone on your team (assuming they are all hierarchically at the same level) no matter where they sit to do the work. If you find you expect different things from people in similar roles but different locations, step back and ask yourself some questions. What is different about the role expectations in location A vs B? Why are those expectations different? Am I demonstrating any unconscious (or conscious) bias by differentiating based on location?

Carrie Stiles · Answer

Her earnings and any bonuses should be commensurate with her counterparts that work in the physical office.  Just because she works remotely does NOT mean she doesn't deserve equal pay. A question for you, if YOU were in her position and knowingly underpaid, how would you perform.  Maybe if she knew you respected her work like the peers in the office, there may be a change in how she produces and when it gets done and at what quality.

Discount for flexibility

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