Can My Boss Make Me Do That?

I’ve had lots of employees complain to me about their bosses over the course of my career; as you can imagine, it comes with the territory of being in human resources.  And, with all the recent publicity of the #metoo movement and public awareness on the topics of discrimination, inappropriate behavior and harassment in the workplace, you would probably assume that the vast majority of those complaints stem from that kind of behavior or treatment.  However, I would say the issues I was more commonly asked to address were not illegal.

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Remember, all the information in this blog post is published in good faith and for general information purpose only.  I am not an attorney, nor do I provide legal advice. The information provided is my personal opinion and not that of any organization, business, company, agency or other individuals.  The author is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this article. If you need specific legal advice, consult with an attorney who specializes in your subject matter.  Any action you take upon the information you find on this website (www.hrraw.com), is strictly at your own risk.

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Penny Horton | June 30, 2018

Have you ever felt like your boss didn’t really understand what you do every day?

Have you ever felt like your boss had unrealistic expectations about your performance?

Have you ever felt like your boss wasn’t a clear communicator?

Have you ever felt like your boss didn’t express appreciation, recognition, and gratitude often enough?

Have you ever felt like your boss asked you to do something that was outside your job description or responsibilities?

Unfortunately, if you answered yes to any of these questions, you aren’t alone.    I’ve had countless conversations with employees over these exact topics.  Talking through the scenarios they faced, brainstorming ideas on how to address the concern with their leader and often times providing instructions to the employee on how to “coach up” effectively.

A common theme amongst these conversations typically centers around a bosses expectations.  Many times, employees disagree with the type of expectations a boss has…whether that’s about the quality of work, quantity of work or type of task.

One such conversation I’ve had is a perfect example of this disagreement in expectations.

A professional level employee approached me during the midst of the goal-setting process for the organization.  Barney had concerns about one of the required goals for his group.  His leader had instructed the entire department to identify a local charity organization and participate in at least 8 hours of volunteerism for that charity by the end of the year in order to receive a satisfactory rating in one of the performance categories on their year-end review.  Barney informed me that he felt like this was a waste of business resources and would detract from his ability to successfully complete his other performance goals (which were more closely tied to job tasks).  He wanted to know if his boss could make him do that.

The truth of the matter is that unless your boss is asking you to do something unsafe, illegal, unethical or immoral, then they can.

The boss, in this case, felt community service and philanthropic purpose was critically important to the culture he was trying to build in the organization.  And to be honest, most of the employees in the group were excited about the opportunity to get paid to do volunteer work and help support the community.

It was too long after, that Barney decided to leave the organization and pursue another opportunity in a culture that better suited his personality.

As the saying goes, employees leave bosses.  Barney is just another example of that.  And while that doesn’t always have to be the end result, sometimes it is.  Both employees and bosses need to make sure they have open lines of communications, aren’t afraid to ask for clarification and treat each other with respect.  At the end of the day though, if a boss and employee can’t get aligned, then something has to give.

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Reality Check

• Do you struggle with getting your employees to achieve the results you expect?

• Are your communications with your employees strained?

• Do you need cost-effective ideas on how to recognize and reward employees?

• Do you need help understanding the legalities of being an employer?

   

If you answered YES to any of the questions above or just need to develop your leadership skills further, Who’s Your HR? can help!  I’m happy to answer questions, provide coaching, training, templates, and tools or even create customized solutions to help your workforce be productive and your business be profitable.

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