BabyYin's Journal, 19 July 2018

all part of learning to manage people. If they won't do the job they need to know their jobs depend on it. there are plenty of people willing to work out there. everyone has a bad day once in a while, just get back on track, in the long run it is a tiny glitch, you are in it for the long haul 

If they are playing with their phones on the job, they wouldn't be getting paid while they were playing. An emergency call from family or phone play on their lunch hour or during scheduled breaks is one thing but no employer will put up with their nonsense for long. One warning and out the door if it was on my watch. It's not your job to do their jobs while they play. You gotta toughen up on them, your employer hired you to be their boss, not their friend. You go girl, you can do this! 

What type of job do you have? What’s the age of the employees? I own a restaurant so I am very familiar with managing people.  

Sorry, first let me say I totally understand your frustration. Managing people is hard. Especially in today’s work climate.  

They're used to school, so treat them as such. Make them put their phones in a basket while they work; they can have them on breaks. There's an office down the hall from me that does that with their employees and they're always glued to their phones as they walk down the hall to the bathroom! 

Very hard to teach. The word now is expectations!! Give them the expectations and have them sign off on it. Hopefully you have the authority to let them go. Document, document and document..... 

Managing is a challenge, you have to balance your desire to treat people well, with the need to impose discipline. In this you need to be hard and draw a hard line. That's not your fault it is theirs. I would make them put their phones away, and the 1st one that brings one out gets sent home for the day. Its harsh, but they are not picking up on the lighter touch unfortunately.  

Think of it this way, while you are not likely to be their bestie, you will be teaching them life lessons that will serve them well as they grow. In your business, they have to clean and they have to clean well or they will lose their livelihoods. It's pretty simple. Guessing you're somewhat limited in the disciplinary actions you can take, so maybe try a carrot approach instead and reward the performers with a silly trophy or something?  

you got this! diet and all 

No phones! I’ve never had a job that allows phones/tablets/personal laptops/etc. You have the perfect right to tell them to turn them off as they come through the door. Better yet, don’t bring them through the door. This is a job. They’re getting paid to be on your time, period. 

From a management point of view you might consider 1. a written list of daily expectations. Signed by them. And placed in their personnel file 2. One unofficial counseling. Document in your records only 3. If further counseling is required— you might review the performance expectations. Explain in what way they are not being met. See if remedial education is required. Have them sign the counseling sheet and give them a copy. 4. Official counseling and any remedial education done should be included in their performance appraisal. 5. Improvements not happening— decide at what point you want to replace the employee. 

Oh yes— no phones except on brake or lunch. Very hard to enforce in today’s world. People don’t get it. That should be part of the discussion on hire. 

Oh I am a hair stylist. And the shop isn't that busy. All the other girls have only been in the business under a year while I have for 29. They are all between 20-26. I am 51. My daughter says treat them like I do her when she doesn't do what I ask.  

One possible solution for the cell phones is what my daughter did with her employees: Cell phones are 1. turned off, and 2. placed in a box that is kept at the bosses station. They can be retrieved and used on break, lunch, and when it is an emergency. If the phone rings, she tells the employee who/number and the employee will answer it if it is a child, spouse or school.