Should a manager manage?

[NoPoHustler]

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First off, my credentials -- I literally grew up on construction sites. My grandfather, father and uncle were all iron workers back in the 70's in vegas. My grandfather started his own steel company in the early 80's. It eventually morphed into a post tensioning company which my father and uncle run presently.

Through my father I know the owners of several concrete businesses. I am as familiar with the work culture of construction companies as anyone I know who is my age.

IMO, if you can't -- for whatever reason -- straight up tell your employees that they are working these extra shifts then you are in the wrong line of work. Construction is a deadline-dependent business. Many times these deadlines require people to work long hours and at odd times.

That said, if you won't make it mandatory that your employees work these long and odd extra hours (at the risk of getting their asses fired) then you better learn to enjoy all that extra time you are going to spending in the office.

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<------------Ironworker in Portland, Or who HATES PT decks. LOL

[turnipmonster]

just implement a fair rotation scheme where everyone works the extra shifts equally. tell them to trade amongst themselves (or with you) if they have a conflict.

[AJackson]

Since this is just now coming up and there is no set policy I assume that it's not something that happens often.

Employees get into patterns regardless what they were told upon being hired and they view their current schedule as what they get paid for and will consider the extra hours as working for free. From their perspective the company is getting paid for the extra product (around here I even ahve to pay extra for Saturday delivery), why shouldn't they also benefit?

Obviously, though, you shouldn't be working all the extra shifts yourself. Doing things as you are doing them now is weak and you'll employees will never volunteer. If I were you I would post a memo reminding them what the expectations are and make a rotation list. If you're next on the list, it's your shift. If it's an issue then they can trade with someone.

As a manager who realizes that happy employees are better than unhappy employees I would come up with some sort of compensation for working these extra shifts. If a bonus isn't possible, then perhaps after working an extra shift they would be first in line to take off early on the next slow day.

[NicksDad1970]

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Since this is just now coming up and there is no set policy I assume that it's not something that happens often.

Absolutly correct. If Friday night was one example and sunday was another then I'd say we average one of those instances per year.

Employees get into patterns regardless what they were told upon being hired and they view their current schedule as what they get paid for and will consider the extra hours as working for free. From their perspective the company is getting paid for the extra product (around here I even ahve to pay extra for Saturday delivery), why shouldn't they also benefit?

This is alos very true, just human nature I guess. To answer though yes the company gets paid extra. The employees do not. As much as it feels like it sucks the company doesn't take money from them when I let them go early for various reasons. (one example is we don't get sick days. If we're sick we stay home with no problems.)

Obviously, though, you shouldn't be working all the extra shifts yourself. Doing things as you are doing them now is weak and you'll employees will never volunteer. If I were you I would post a memo reminding them what the expectations are and make a rotation list. If you're next on the list, it's your shift. If it's an issue then they can trade with someone.

Very wise

As a manager who realizes that happy employees are better than unhappy employees I would come up with some sort of compensation for working these extra shifts. If a bonus isn't possible, then perhaps after working an extra shift they would be first in line to take off early on the next slow day.

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Another possibility, well not the money but the next early to go home sounds good.

[KurtSF]

Forget my comment about legality. It may be technically true (maybe not), but if they ain't got a beef it sure doesn't matter.

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Maybe a flaw in my personality is hoping/expecting the people I work with to do their share.

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They are not your peers. They don't have to "pitch in" to get the job done. They have to do what you tell them to.

By all means, do your fair share. I'd get on you just as hard for dropping the ball if you spent every Sunday at the cardroom while your subordinates worked extra shifts. Setup a rotation, whatever. But asking "who wants to do it?" is just not going to get a volley of people fighting for the extra unpaid weekend shifts. And asking for volunteers, then after getting none assigning yourself, is establishing a precedent and expectation that you don't want.

Its a reasonable expectation that the "boss" has to carry a larger share of the load. Now you have to change the way you've been doing things, and get people to do more than they were expecting for no more money. I predict complaints, ones you wouldn't have had if you just assigned the shifts to begin with.

Were you hired as a manager there, or did you come up through the ranks at this company?

I am making a few assumptions about the pay rate and skillset of the dispatchers, but I fail to see in your post where any expectation is set for them to volunteer for extra shifts.

They've been told these things might come up, they are expecting to be assigned extra shift as necessary, so just tell them when it comes up and when they need to be there. You are making this hard on yourself.

[NicksDad1970]

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Forget my comment about legality. It may be technically true (maybe not), but if they ain't got a beef it sure doesn't matter.

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Maybe a flaw in my personality is hoping/expecting the people I work with to do their share.

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They are not your peers. They don't have to "pitch in" to get the job done. They have to do what you tell them to.

By all means, do your fair share. I'd get on you just as hard for dropping the ball if you spent every Sunday at the cardroom while your subordinates worked extra shifts. Setup a rotation, whatever. But asking "who wants to do it?" is just not going to get a volley of people fighting for the extra unpaid weekend shifts. And asking for volunteers, then after getting none assigning yourself, is establishing a precedent and expectation that you don't want.

Its a reasonable expectation that the "boss" has to carry a larger share of the load. Now you have to change the way you've been doing things, and get people to do more than they were expecting for no more money. I predict complaints, ones you wouldn't have had if you just assigned the shifts to begin with.

Were you hired as a manager there, or did you come up through the ranks at this company?

I am making a few assumptions about the pay rate and skillset of the dispatchers, but I fail to see in your post where any expectation is set for them to volunteer for extra shifts.

They've been told these things might come up, they are expecting to be assigned extra shift as necessary, so just tell them when it comes up and when they need to be there. You are making this hard on yourself.

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I started as the lowest level dispatcher. I've moved up 2 levels to the "chief" dispatcher.

I share in all the extra deals. I work the same amount of Saturdays as any of them. When I had a guy quit instead of shortening the rotation I just worked that guys Saturdays as well. So I was working every one of them.


As far as how I do things I wish I could figure myself out. i've been told my some people I'm a hard nosed guy. Yet, everytime I post a thread around here concerning my personal life I look like a pushover.

Maybe I need shock threapy or a few 12 packs of beer.. nah not that.

[El Diablo]

Nick,

I don't get this at all.

What sucks is when a manager does not participate in the extra effort with his people. In software, there are some managers who leave at a normal hour every time the engineers are in crunch time and putting in tons of late nights. The best managers stick around with their guys a good chunk of the time.

However, in your situation, you are volunteering more than your workers!

Here's the simple solution, as others have already suggested. Assign shifts to each of the guys and yourselves. Ask them if anyone has any conflicts and needs to switch, then manage that. Done.

[NicksDad1970]

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Nick,

I don't get this at all.

What sucks is when a manager does not participate in the extra effort with his people. In software, there are some managers who leave at a normal hour every time the engineers are in crunch time and putting in tons of late nights. The best managers stick around with their guys a good chunk of the time.

However, in your situation, you are volunteering more than your workers!

Here's the simple solution, as others have already suggested. Assign shifts to each of the guys and yourselves. Ask them if anyone has any conflicts and needs to switch, then manage that. Done.

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They all have their shifts during the week. Their (and mine) Saturdays are alreay set. I guess the only change I need to make is to have another oddball hour shitfs worked out.

The way we work our Saturday shifts is even if you're on vacation it's your responsibility to either work it or switch with someone else. That's never been a problem.

[El Diablo]

Nick,

"Assign shifts" should have read "Assign the extra shifts."

[lippy]

Between the 4 of you, each gets a weekend they need to cover if something comes up.