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White collar boss issues- going above your boss to his boss
Posted on 2/8/16 at 10:53 am
Posted on 2/8/16 at 10:53 am
Debating whether to discuss some work issues with my bosses boss. This has been suggested by others in my dept and neighboring dept over the course of 4 years, Advice?
Thought I'd get some better responses here. A little background... I work in a major metro, bank, and stuck in the building for the day. Parking deck, downtown, 1 hour commute home.
The company offers flexible work hours such as arriving early or late to accommodate family and traffic issues, also allows remote work acces from our laptops. Anyhow have a boss who orders out lunch daily and sort of expects everyone to eat with him. He also keeps us 8-5pm and won't let us take advantage of flex hours and remote work location even though his supervisor and neighboring departments do this. Counting commute time I leave the house at 6:50 am, get home at 6pm M-F. Not an issue of in single, but married with kids. I've started working out at the company gym downstairs during lunch and have earned a spot on his blacklist all the sudden. He's had 2 previous HR investigations in his 3.5 years here.
ETA: I have formally discussed all of the above with my boss... And he said our dept works 8-5. This is a financial analytics dept, non-customer facing.
Thought I'd get some better responses here. A little background... I work in a major metro, bank, and stuck in the building for the day. Parking deck, downtown, 1 hour commute home.
The company offers flexible work hours such as arriving early or late to accommodate family and traffic issues, also allows remote work acces from our laptops. Anyhow have a boss who orders out lunch daily and sort of expects everyone to eat with him. He also keeps us 8-5pm and won't let us take advantage of flex hours and remote work location even though his supervisor and neighboring departments do this. Counting commute time I leave the house at 6:50 am, get home at 6pm M-F. Not an issue of in single, but married with kids. I've started working out at the company gym downstairs during lunch and have earned a spot on his blacklist all the sudden. He's had 2 previous HR investigations in his 3.5 years here.
ETA: I have formally discussed all of the above with my boss... And he said our dept works 8-5. This is a financial analytics dept, non-customer facing.
This post was edited on 2/8/16 at 3:23 pm
10
Posted on 2/8/16 at 10:55 am to Rhino5
Talk to HR. Do not go over his head without having a discussion with HR first. That is what they are there for.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 2:34 pm to Rhino5
He's obviously not going to bend on the no flex time/telecommuting, as apparently upper management allows him to make this choice on behalf of his team. Forget this point, you're not going to win.
But being forced to eat lunch with him is a bit over the top. Keep going to the gym, but approach him directly and tell,him why you're not part of his lunch gang any longer. Make sure he hears the real reasons directly from you (commute prevents working out at other times, need for health, stress relief, etc) and not from your cubicle neighbor who wants to spin things to his/her benefit and is still part of the lunch bunch. Can you split the difference and work out three or four days a week and do lunch with the group at least semi-regularly?
But being forced to eat lunch with him is a bit over the top. Keep going to the gym, but approach him directly and tell,him why you're not part of his lunch gang any longer. Make sure he hears the real reasons directly from you (commute prevents working out at other times, need for health, stress relief, etc) and not from your cubicle neighbor who wants to spin things to his/her benefit and is still part of the lunch bunch. Can you split the difference and work out three or four days a week and do lunch with the group at least semi-regularly?
Posted on 2/8/16 at 2:55 pm to hungryone
quote:
Can you split the difference and work out three or four days a week and do lunch with the group at least semi-regularly?
Yes, I only do 3 days a week at the gym during the work week. Not going to allow the others "alone" time with him, especially since I'm rustling his feathers a little.
the flex time/remote work schedule is in our company handbook and is taken advantage by everyone not in a client facing role. In general it's the micro managing he does on a workforce where the most novice employee has 10 years of corporate work experience under his belt.
Its a culture he has created that irks everyone. He will peek around the corner and look at us and ask "going to eat today." He also expect overtime weekly, asks to hang out on weekends (concerts, sporting events, etc.), and he himself will work from home and leave early but doesn't allow the staff to. it doesn't help the guy lives close to downtown, and has never had kids. Unfortunately the best schools are 20 miles in the burbs, else you must do private school. Other departments don't like him for meddling in their areas, and suggest our group discuss with his boss or HR.
This post was edited on 2/8/16 at 3:12 pm
Posted on 2/8/16 at 3:09 pm to Rhino5
quote:
I've started working out at the company gym downstairs during lunch
How do you have time to workout, shower, and eat in an hour?
Answer: You don't.
quote:
I leave the house at 6:50 am, get home at 6pm M-F. Not an issue of in single, but married with kids.
What is the issue here? These are pretty normal working hours.
Does the work gym open early? You could possibly beat some traffic by working out in the morning and not be the guy who either stinks or takes 1.5 hour lunches on the regular. Just my two cents.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 3:14 pm to TigerDeBaiter
quote:
How do you have time to workout, shower, and eat in an hour?
Answer: You don't.
Noon - Leave Desk
12:05 - on Treadmill
12:35 - off Treadmill and to Shower
12:45 - Dressed
12:50 - Back to Desk for lunch
Not complicated. Assuming your boss is a clock-watching a-hole like you appear to be.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 3:18 pm to Golfer
Well, apparently OP's boss is. So, I'm just pointing out the obvious to him.
And your schedule is bullshite.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 3:19 pm to TigerDeBaiter
Thanks... did the gym at 5 am for 6 months but with 2 kids under 3 years old, sleep is a rare commodity for now.
And I'm not training for a marathon or body building competition, lifting a few weights for 30 minutes to get the heart pumping doesn't equate to buckets of sweat and needing a shower. Like I said, every department except ours takes advantage of the flex policies, just wondering if I should really be worried about it. Others are in my department.
And I'm not training for a marathon or body building competition, lifting a few weights for 30 minutes to get the heart pumping doesn't equate to buckets of sweat and needing a shower. Like I said, every department except ours takes advantage of the flex policies, just wondering if I should really be worried about it. Others are in my department.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 3:27 pm to hungryone
quote:this...unfortunately
He's obviously not going to bend on the no flex time/telecommuting, as apparently upper management allows him to make this choice on behalf of his team. Forget this point, you're not going to win.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 3:27 pm to Rhino5
quote:
just wondering if I should really be worried about it. Others are in my department.
I'd consider scheduling a "group" meeting with your boss' supervisor assuming that you've exhausted all options with your immediate supervisor.
A single complaint to his boss may not warrant any change, but if 7 of his 11 employees aren't pleased with the policies, some adaptation may be in place.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 3:58 pm to Rhino5
I would notify him in an email that I will be taking part in the benefits that the company offers.
I would let him know the days you plan on using the flextime, and the days you plan on working from home. By having him give his official "No" then you actually have ammo against him. I wouldn't recommend a "skip-level" meeting until you get his response.
These benefits are part of your compensation package, and he can't just deny one group of people this benefit.
I would let him know the days you plan on using the flextime, and the days you plan on working from home. By having him give his official "No" then you actually have ammo against him. I wouldn't recommend a "skip-level" meeting until you get his response.
These benefits are part of your compensation package, and he can't just deny one group of people this benefit.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 4:05 pm to SEC. 593
quote:
These benefits are part of your compensation package, and he can't just deny one group of people this benefit.
At my company these ancillary benefits offered are subject to the approval of my supervisor. For instance, we have 20 hours a year that we can use for volunteering in the community so we don't have to use vacation time for this. It's still up to my boss to approve the time off.
In this case it sounds like the OP's boss is denying all of these benefits to all employees under his team, for no reason other than he can do so.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 4:17 pm to Golfer
If in the employee handbook it said, "these benefits are at the discretion of the supervisor", then yeah. However, if he has decided this on his own then I would fight it. Especially if this was a selling point of the job to begin with.
You would be surprised how little actual decision making power a "supervisor" has at major corporation.
You would be surprised how little actual decision making power a "supervisor" has at major corporation.
This post was edited on 2/8/16 at 4:19 pm
Posted on 2/8/16 at 4:18 pm to Golfer
Same here. I do know the guy is very underwater from a monster mortgage he took out pre market crash. Mid 50s, and probably toeing the line on everything so he can retire.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 4:21 pm to Rhino5
Talk to HR first
Then you have two options if that doesn't work:
1. Get some of your coworkers to back you up on your talk with his boss
2. Talk to his boss alone, but prepared to face repercussions if you aren't reporting a fire-able offense
Then you have two options if that doesn't work:
1. Get some of your coworkers to back you up on your talk with his boss
2. Talk to his boss alone, but prepared to face repercussions if you aren't reporting a fire-able offense
Posted on 2/8/16 at 4:24 pm to SEC. 593
quote:
However, if he has decided this on his own then I would fight it. Especially if this was a selling point of the job to begin with.
I should clarify that only exempt employees are allowed remote work access, unless approved by HR. We have one non exempt employee on our team who serves as department admin. So that's his "out" for not letting us work remotely... Uses the team "we're a team line". However flex time is for both exempt/non exempt.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 4:33 pm to Rhino5
Just watch yourself, I had a direct report go over my head a couple months ago and we wrote her up for it and made it clear if it happened again she could be terminated
Posted on 2/8/16 at 5:18 pm to Rhino5
Honestly, I'd talk to HR about an internal transfer. Going above his head isn't going to help anything, and will probably just put you on a bigger shite list. Besides, it's a battle you'll eventually lose. Suck it up and deal with it, or see if there's another department you can move to.
Posted on 2/8/16 at 7:12 pm to Rhino5
I've never seen or heard about going over a boss's head working
Posted on 2/8/16 at 7:14 pm to The Spleen
If it bothers others, including other departments why are you the one wanting to jump a level for a chat? Why not wait on one of them?
Maybe his boss is already aware of him not letting you do flex time? What then?
Be direct, ask him about it like a man. As a person in middle management, that's what I'd want. If you can't be direct with your boss, find another department or job or wait him out. Jumping a level will never end well. Either your legs or your bosses legs are gonna get cut out from under you and neither is a good situation.
Maybe his boss is already aware of him not letting you do flex time? What then?
Be direct, ask him about it like a man. As a person in middle management, that's what I'd want. If you can't be direct with your boss, find another department or job or wait him out. Jumping a level will never end well. Either your legs or your bosses legs are gonna get cut out from under you and neither is a good situation.
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