Why Do We Shy Away from Accountability?
38 times. He’d called out 38 times last year. I was dumbfounded. How can an employee call out from work 38 times and still have a job? The attendance policy allowed for 9 call-outs (an employee is scheduled to work but calls his manager in the morning to report they won’t be in) and after that, each call-out was considered to be excessive. But 38? I called the manager into my office to discuss the employee’s call-outs. The manager said that the employee was a union delegate and was untouchable. I took out my copy of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA-the union contract) and opened to the page that describes the role of the union delegate. Yes, they are given special treatment, but that doesn’t mean they are untouchable. I read from the CBA that described the disciplinary process for delegates. They could be written up for failing to adhere to policies.
The employee had already called out 12 times this year and it was only March. I told the manager that we needed to hold the delegate to the policy and that we were going to meet with him. A fearful look crossed over the manager’s face.
“What do you mean? Are we going to write up this employee?”, the manager asked.
“Yes, you are,” I replied.
I coached the manager on how to write the disciplinary document. I coached the manager on what to say during the meeting with the employee. The manager and I walked through different scenarios of how this might turn out. The manager asked me questions and we reviewed the Employee Handbook and the CBA. The manager talked to me about their fear and lack of confidence in disciplining this employee. I wasn’t going to let this manager walk into a hostile situation. I wanted to help the manager do her job. I was there to support her.
The manager set up the meeting with the employee. I called the Union to let the Business Agent (the union representative) know about the meeting and invited her to the meeting. The manager paced nervously as we waited for the meeting to begin. I sat calmly and reviewed my notes. The manager welcomed everyone in a shaky voice. She hesitantly explained why we were there. Then, she calmed down and we got through the meeting. Everyone was professional. Nobody raised their voice or shouted profanities. The delegate understood that they had called out a lot and they accepted the write-up. He understood if he called out again, he would get another write-up. We all shook hands and left the meeting. The relieved look on the manager’s face at the end was a good sign.
Two weeks later, the manager called me into her office. “He’s called out three more times.”
“Three more call-outs in two weeks?”, I asked. “How could that be?”
The employee knew the consequences and the manager set up another meeting. I called the Business Agent and we met again. The employee understood that if he called out again, he would receive another write-up. We all shook hands as we left the meeting.
A month passed and the manager called me. “Three more call-outs.”
We met again. The employee understood the consequences. The manager asked him why he called out so much. The manager explained what a drain on the business this is, that it strains his co-workers because they have to pick up the extra work. Some of his co-workers pick up a lot of overtime because of his call-outs, which means more money in their pocket, but they are getting worn out. The manager asked the employee if he needed a change in his schedule or some other accommodation so they could know when the employee would be absent and plan for it.
“No,” he said. “There’s nothing you can do. I have stuff to take care of and so I call out.”
We shook hands as we left the meeting.
Another month passed and he called out again. The manager called me because this meeting would be a disciplinary suspension. After suspension comes termination. The manager liked the employee and didn’t want to fire him. When he came to work, he was a great worker and could complete the workload of two people. The manager asked me if there was any way we could avoid this meeting.
“No,” I said. “We need to have this meeting. We need to find out why he keeps calling out and if there’s any way we can work with him to change his schedule. It’s in his hands to save his job. He needs to tell us what we can do to help him out.”
The manager, the employee, the business manager, and I met again in the same conference room. The manager started by telling the employee what he’s done wrong and the consequences for it, just like in every other meeting. The employee broke down. This was not like every other meeting. The employee tells us that his parents were killed in an accident years ago and he’s been responsible for his two younger brothers since the accident. He told us that one of his brothers is in prison and he calls out to go visit his brother. He told us that his other brother had mental health issues and he called out when his little brother needed him.
This young man was struggling and trying to do everything on his own. He gave us information that we could use to help him so he didn’t lose his job and didn’t put a strain on the company. We put our heads together and devised a plan to help him. The manager changed his schedule to accommodate his visits to prison. There were counselors available through the union’s health plan to work with his other brother. We didn’t suspend him that day. Instead, we found a solution together.
He let his pride interfere with his work and it almost cost him his job. This young man took responsibility for his actions and he accepted the consequences. He realized that if he left his pride at the door and he accepted help, he could keep his job.
As a manager, have you ever wondered why employees don’t do what they’re supposed to do? Have you ever thrown your arms up in frustration because you know your employees are smart and are capable, they just don’t do what they’re supposed to do? You know that you’ve told your employees to show up to work on time, greet every customer who walks in the door, and meet priorities and deadlines set forth. Yet, some employees face challenges when doing that. Why??
Sometimes, employees haven't been properly trained on a task. Maybe they don't know what to do or how to do their job and you can retrain them. Maybe they need to know the WHY behind completing a task. Maybe they think they are completing the task correctly and no one has taken the time to correct them.
Maybe there's no reward system in place for completing a task. Or maybe, on the flip side, there's negative consequences to completing the task. Maybe they don't understand why they should complete a task your way, they don't understand your methodologies. Maybe they just think their way is better.
And that’s where your role as leader comes in and you need to step in and take action. The first ten reasons on the list are within your power as a leader to overcome. It’s your role as a leader to provide tools, resources, and training for employees to be a success. It’s also your role as a leader to remove obstacles that may prevent employees from completing their jobs. Employees are looking for leaders to set clear expectations and guidelines, offer clear communication, and provide a safe work environment.
Sometimes, an employee faces personal problems or obstacles and they can't do their work. Your job as a leader is not to solve those personal problems for them, but you could guide them to your Company's Employee Assistance Program or to use their health benefits to seek help.
Sometimes the employee is simply refusing to do the work which is insubordination and must be addressed.
The behaviors below have been shown to increase accountability and motivate people to be more accountable:
· Clearly communicate expectations.
· Set team goals.
· Set the example you want to see in others.
· Give regular feedback to your team and accept regular feedback from your team.
· Keep track of commitments
· Don’t make excuses for failures but find ways to overcome them.
· Make accountability for yourself and your team a habit.
You can’t force employees to be responsible for their actions or their work (you’ve heard the old adage “You can take a horse to water…”). You CAN motivate them to take responsibility and ownership for their work and you can hold them accountable for their work. It boils down to clear communication and goal-setting. If you focus on what’s right, the culture of accountability will follow. If you fill your department with trust, support, and communication, the culture of accountability will follow. If you model these behaviors and if you set the example, you will promote a culture of accountability. You can positively impact employee’s lives.
