Management Double Standards

As a manager, it is important that you live by the same rules you insist those under you adhere to. Respect is earned, and a manager that works on a double standard rule is quick to lose the respect of those they are over. An xample of this double standard came to my attention recently, and I would like to share this example.

Someone close to me works in the medical field as a technician. They work a typical eight hour clinical shift, and then various people cover being on call for after hour emergency studies. Now, the supervisor requires that whenever a technician wants to take time off, they themselves are required to find someone to cover their allotted shift. This part is understandable, even though in many career fields, like my own, there are co-workers that pick up the slack for each other and so it becomes a scheduling issue that the manager must review and insure there is coverage before time off is approved.

In the case of my story, the manager decided to take two weeks off, which is fine. However, they failed to appoint or find anyone to cover for them while they were gone. This in itself is not a major deal in most cases, but in this case, the vacation started at the close of business Friday evening; while the paycheck cut-off for the week was on Sat. evening.

They asked everyone to turn in time sheets by Friday evening, yet did not make any kind of concession for the time being worked the following day, Saturday. Those people handling the on-call studies for Saturday, which in this case is usually a substantial amount of extra funds, were actually unable to turn in that time until a full two weeks later. This can (and did) have a big detrimental effect on the employees who live on a tight budget and expected that normal day of pay.

So, what happened to their rule of having proper coverage for taking time off? They expected their employees to deal with losing a day of pay that week, figuring they’d catch it back up two weeks later on the following check? Is that a proper way to manage and keep the employees respectful?

It is one thing if this was simply an isolated case of an unavoidable circumstance; but it is another thing when this type of action is the normal way things happen. The general consensus is that this manager is normally rude and has these types of double standards in other areas of work too. They are self-centered, and rarely think of the good of others. Now, I know managers that are self-consumed is not an uncommon situation (though honestly it should be more rare), but when that mentality bleeds over and hits employees in the pocketbook - especially when it was something that could have been avoidable – that becomes another matter altogether.

Did the manager attempt to find someone to back them up while gone, someone who could simply plug in any amended time necessary for the Saturday shift people, or was that a concern for them?

Remember, if you are a manager, yes, you have a tough job, and yes you have a lot on your plate. But never, ever forget to show the employees the same amount of respect that you expect in return.