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    mastof's Avatar
    mastof Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Oct 30, 2016, 08:16 PM
    30 day Performance Review at almost 90th day.
    Hello, have been with my employer for almost 90 days. 15 days before my 90th day I was given my 30 day PR. On everything that has to do with my job functions I "excelled expectations". However, on employee relations I was marked as poor or fair. I had never been to HR for any employee complaint about me nor I have been addressed by HR about any issues, not even a "Note to File". This is a place that favors employees a lot more than management (logical, but not so much). I can only think about one instance that I had a conversation with an employee that was not even a bad conversation, but since this happened a bit over my 45 days in, I was not comfortable talking alone with this employee about his issue, therefore, I asked him to please address it with HR and it ended there. This employee is also known to create trouble for everyone including his own coworkers, even Hr knows this.
    Also, 3 weeks after my starting day, the restaurant GM left, leaving me with all of his duties and somewhat "acting GM". Of course without the title and pay.
    An hour before I got my PR, there was an employee meeting where only HR and top executives participated with some employees. I was supposed to be there but was not allowed in. after the meeting, some employees came to me to tell me how much crap this trouble employee had talked about me and some of the things he said, which seems like some of that stuff was added to my PR an hr later. As acting GM, I have been very busy with admin stuff as well as being short staffed and have to cover the floor. Some complains were that I spent too much time in the office ad not on the foor. (Again, I am the only "acting Gm and guests contact me the most and expect quick answers, among many othr tasks i have been appointed with, i have proof of the work I have bee doing, not wasting time).
    The executives know this, but non of my actual hard work seemed to have more weight than this particular employee and maybe 2 or 3 more that have not gotten their way with me, therefore they complained about my "employee relations". If I had bad employee relations and was unjust, I don't think these other employees would have approached me to let me know that what was said in this meeting about me was unfair.
    Again, I have never been addressed about any issues, yet they were on my Performance Review, you can imagine my surprise when I saw this. Here I was thinking I have been doing a great job completing tasks very much on time and keeping the place together and running without issues.
    Seems to me like they want to keep me away from asking for a promotion or a raise, or they are just plain nasty like that! Any input would be appreciated!
    smoothy's Avatar
    smoothy Posts: 25,492, Reputation: 2853
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    #2

    Oct 30, 2016, 09:23 PM
    I'd clean up my resume and start looking. Its obvious you don't have as many friends there as you thought. Its clear the other person does. If you have made it to even acting general manager, I'm surprised you were blindsided by this. To be good in management you would need to have a good feel for what's happening and what's being said. You can't be oblivious to the work force.

    You have to have your finger on the pulse of the business if it it to run smoothly... and its even more so with a slim profit margin industry like Restaurants or anything else in the food service industry.

    I'm guessing this "person" you are complaining about is a long time employee that has earned their respect and trust....that at only 90 days you have not ......yet anyway.

    Word to the wise...you REALLY don't know what was said because you weren't in the meeting. And also, you are expressing an attitude thats going to put a lot of people off. You may be a manager (on probation) but you only deserve the respect you earn. Until then you get only what they HAVE to do out of them. A not one ounce more.

    I've worked for bosses I absolutely hated....and I didn't go an extra inch for them, much less an extra mile. The ones I do get that extra effort. And in a restaurant...their pay sucks, they know it..they won't put up with someone on an ego trip. They will get fed up and go elsewhere. Word gets around then all the good people who MIGHT have come there don't and go elsewhere then you end up with the people nobody else will hire...

    You are going to burn bridges from the very beginning...ones that will be very difficult to rebuild. This don't mean give in and capitulate when you shouldn't. But don't lord over everyone excessively. It is a delicate line to walk.
    joypulv's Avatar
    joypulv Posts: 21,591, Reputation: 2941
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    #3

    Oct 31, 2016, 04:50 AM
    Smoothy may be right, or another possibility is that this problem employee is 'used' as an excuse to keep people from getting promotions and raises, just as you suspect.
    I would also dust off my resume and start looking. BUT I would ASAP tell management just what you have said here. Write it down, shorten it a little, leave out the stuff about the problem person, and concentrate on your positives and what you DESERVE. Sell yourself. Demand the GM job title and pay. Give them 48 hours to think it over. Be prepared to quit. If you aren't, say nothing, and quit when you have that other job, and don't give notice.

    More and more of this goes on in the business world, and the restaurant world is especially tough, in many places.
    talaniman's Avatar
    talaniman Posts: 54,327, Reputation: 10855
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    #4

    Oct 31, 2016, 07:11 AM
    My suggestion is to keep doing your job as you have been even if you are finding out the office culture/personnel are against you personally. That's typical for the new person that has risen fast isn't it? It's unreasonable to assume they would support or confide in you at all over this job position. I certainly wouldn't go to HR, or anyone else whining over the unfairness of it all, and the personality clashes you encounter, nor should all this drama stop you from applying for the job if indeed you are eligible, if you wish too.

    Let the HR do their job, you do yours, and the other employees can do theirs. Just be above the office politics/drama and never assume you deserve anything but what you have worked to earn. See this as a challenge and rise to it, because you don't have to empress anyone, but the BOSS, and showcase your ability to perform the JOB.

    I cannot judge who is right between you the coworkers or what, maybe you can't either at this point so just do your job to the best of your ability. Are you so thrown off by this evaluation that you fail to see some adjustments that could be made by you? You cannot control anything but your own actions so put your best foot forward and let the chips fall where they will, given you have never explained why YOU became the ACTING boss over obviously older more experienced worker.

    OR am I missing something in that assumption?
    mastof's Avatar
    mastof Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #5

    Oct 31, 2016, 11:59 AM
    @smoothy I completely get your point but some things might have been misunderstood. I do not think of any of the employees as my friends, however I do get along very well with most. Even with the one person that is an issue.

    I am very confident in my work ethic and my experience and my resume. I have worked for luxury properties most of my life, and this is also a very well known place and my resume landed me the job pretty much on the spot.

    My main issue is that how can it be possible that the only negative feedback on my PR can be from something only one person for sure and maybe another 2 made comments about when I have a staff of over 50 employees. It is incredible to me that the negative feedback on my review was never even addressed with me when it "supposedly" happened. I mean, this is the first time I even have a review like this. So my question was mainly, is it even OK to write that in a review when I was never address of said issues?
    mastof's Avatar
    mastof Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #6

    Oct 31, 2016, 12:07 PM
    @joypulv I think you got more of what I meant. And yes, I think I will start sending my resume out again pretty soon. I thought I had been doing a great job since that was also mentioned on my PR. Apparently as I said, the comments from a trouble person meant more than my actual work. Therefore, I do not fell like this is a fit for me, because I definitely am a fit for the job.

    Thank you for your reply.
    joypulv's Avatar
    joypulv Posts: 21,591, Reputation: 2941
    current pert
     
    #7

    Oct 31, 2016, 12:13 PM
    It's a basic fact that employment isn't fair and you have no law to fall back on unless your situation falls under a Civil Right (in the US anyway).
    So nit picking over unfairness is wasted energy.
    Either demand that promotion or quit.
    mastof's Avatar
    mastof Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #8

    Oct 31, 2016, 12:14 PM
    @talaniman hey thanks for replying, and we'll, the other employee is just a Bussboy that likes to talk crap about other employees. I became the head of my department because the original hiring gm resigned and I was left with the tasks. I basically do his old job without the title and pay.
    My thought is because I have been doing a great job, (even if I say so myself), they probably thought I would soon ask for the title and the pay. So in order to keep me down or "disqualified" they needed to throw some trash on my review. I really don't see any other reason of why something so insignificant that was never pointed out , has to impact my PR in such negative way.
    joypulv's Avatar
    joypulv Posts: 21,591, Reputation: 2941
    current pert
     
    #9

    Oct 31, 2016, 02:07 PM
    .. so again - you just want to ask why instead of demanding what you deserve.
    Did it occur to you that a requirement of a good manager is to be tough, and to stand up for yourself?
    Maybe they were testing you.
    talaniman's Avatar
    talaniman Posts: 54,327, Reputation: 10855
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    #10

    Oct 31, 2016, 02:50 PM
    Bottom line is at this point you don't know what effect this 30 day evaluation has on your future with this company, and to assign such importance to the reviews of a few, is grossly premature, as is your fear of why "they probably thought I would soon ask for the title and the pay. So in order to keep me down or "disqualified" they needed to throw some trash on my review. I really don't see any other reason of why something so insignificant that was never pointed out , has to impact my PR in such negative way.".

    Until that becomes a FACT, forge ahead and strive for what you want. You can always entertain exploring better options and opportunities if this isn't a good fit. No reason this review should stop you from applying officially for this job, and getting paid!

    Good Luck
    smoothy's Avatar
    smoothy Posts: 25,492, Reputation: 2853
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    #11

    Oct 31, 2016, 05:42 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by mastof View Post
    @smoothy I completely get your point but some things might have been misunderstood. I do not think of any of the employees as my friends, however I do get along very well with most. Even with the one person that is an issue.

    I am very confident in my work ethic and my experience and my resume. I have worked for luxury properties most of my life, and this is also a very well known place and my resume landed me the job pretty much on the spot.

    My main issue is that how can it be possible that the only negative feedback on my PR can be from something only one person for sure and maybe another 2 made comments about when I have a staff of over 50 employees. It is incredible to me that the negative feedback on my review was never even addressed with me when it "supposedly" happened. I mean, this is the first time I even have a review like this. So my question was mainly, is it even OK to write that in a review when I was never address of said issues?
    I tried to respond earlier but my keyboard wasn't playing nice and the space key staged a wildcat strike.

    From personal experience... you will only be notified of the worst offenses, primarily disciplinary actions, you get more on annual reviews, but still not everything. Part of the job is being able to do your duties on time and correctly, with a good business the other part is how you interface and work with others. A manager who may be fantastic at the paperwork side of things that's such a butthead with their employees that they are driven to mutiny can drive a thriving business to ruin in short order. You don't have to view them as actual friends... and with lower pay level jobs its probably best you don't ( you have way more people that would do as little as they can get away with if allowed to do so). But the is a huge difference between a well run and well managed workplace and a hostile workplace. Not saying you fostered the latter at all. Just that I meant to say there is a big difference from inspiring the workforce to return excellence, and intimidating them. I've worked for both types... currently have the former, and never stuck around long any longer than was in my best interest with the latter. A leader might be the boss, but a boss isn't always a leader.
    Alty's Avatar
    Alty Posts: 28,317, Reputation: 5972
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    #12

    Oct 31, 2016, 05:57 PM
    I didn't read the other posts.

    Here's my opinion. I've been in this situation before. At one point I was doing the work of 3 full time employees (2 had quit and I was told to take over their duties), and when my performance review came up I was told I wasn't completing my tasks on time (I was still ahead of the other person that did the same job as me, and didn't have to do the job of two other full time employees). I went home and cried.

    There was a clique, and even though I'm a nice person, and a hard worker, I was the new kid and not part of the clique, and couldn't fit into the clique because they were all lazy butts that did nothing all day. I was actually approached many times by fellow employees telling me I was making them all look bad because of how hard I worked.

    At that time I was in my early 20's, just starting in my career, and when I went home and told my parents, my dad gave me this very valuable advice.

    If you're faster and more productive than most, never give 100%. If you give 100% they'll expect 200%, and when you give that (because that's your nature), they'll expect 300%, and when you can no longer deliver because they're asking too much of you, then you're given a bad review. You'll never be promoted, because they don't need to. You'll do the job of the GM without the pay. You're already doing it, so why pay you more when you're willingly doing it for the same pay?

    If it were me I'd tell them that since they're complaining about your job suffering, you want to focus on your job and not the job of the GM. If they want you to be the GM, then they'll have to hire you as such, give you the official title, and the pay that goes with the promotion. If they're not willing to do that, then leave, your hard work will be appreciated somewhere else.

    As for the employee, if what he/she said behind your back is actually in your file, then I'd talk to HR and ask how that employee's stories were corroborated and why you weren't asked about the incidents that employee discussed with them.

    Bottom line, you're a hard worker, willing to step up, and you deserve to be somewhere that not only appreciates it, but pays you for it.

    Good luck. I know how hard this is, been there, done that, a few times actually, and now I work at home because I'm sick of giving my all to a company that doesn't even appreciate me.

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