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Old 01-21-2010, 03:04 PM
 
924 posts, read 2,224,242 times
Reputation: 513

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I'm sure we've all had disagreements with our bosses, direct supervisors, managers, etc. But has anyone escalated their concerns to HR and actually come out on top?

My concerns lie with the fact that I've tried to negotiate certain privileges and conditions with the department manager by email and face to face a few times, but have so far been unsuccessful. I've been at the same company almost 4 years as a part time CSR (live chat/email mostly, some outbound phone work). Initially my schedule was weekends and holidays, only about 10-12 hrs/week. It was OK as a very part time student job. Then I graduated in 2008 and after waiting patiently another year, my schedule increased up to 5 day (32 hrs/week). However in July 2009, a new team member was hired and my hours were subsequently reduced. My current schedule is 2.5 days, i.e. 2 full time shifts and one part time (under 20 hrs/week).

I don't have a second part time job, in fact I quit one in 2007 in hopes to eventually get a better role in my current one. Unfortunately each time I asked the manager for new responsibilities, he denied them and said a supervisor would handle them instead. I've been told to respect my role and position in the company. In other words, no room for advancement.

I haven't been without fault. I've had lateness issues but with my former weekend shifts when there was little supervision and no customers contacting us via live chat, it was less important to be there at specific times. In the latest turn of events, the manager decided to schedule me during the weekdays only AND require me to be there in the morning. The problem is I have a health condition called IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and have trouble getting going in the morning (urgency, pain, upset stomach, anxiety, etc.).

I thought I had the perfect solution to the problem - telecommuting - which is being offered to some employees, not me. While IBS is a debilitating illness, it's not a recognized disability by the ADA or EEOC.

In a recent meeting the manager denied my request for telecommuting. I told him I could be more productive from home and better respect my schedule (right now it takes me forever to leave home, and often I'm not able to until noon - which makes me late for my morning shift). I also requested an extension to a part time shift, but all he can offer is 4 hours. Who in their right mind wants to spend time and travel to and from a job offering only 4 hours?

I'm at my wit's end. Do you think it's worth approaching HR over scheduling and telecommuting privilege concerns? Or will that be career suicide? Thanks everyone.
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Old 01-21-2010, 03:10 PM
 
Location: NJ
1,252 posts, read 3,476,232 times
Reputation: 1023
Why do they offer telecommuting to other employees and not you? Get a replacement job. If you want to telecommute, try the boards at workplacelikehome.
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Old 01-21-2010, 11:07 PM
JS1
 
1,896 posts, read 6,751,265 times
Reputation: 1620
I seriously doubt HR is going to overrule a manager's scheduling.

HR is more helpful for employees who have abusive supervisors like mine.
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Old 01-21-2010, 11:48 PM
 
4,796 posts, read 22,845,582 times
Reputation: 5046
Wow. Entitlement generation personified. I want I want I want I want. I want more responsibility. I want more hours. I want to not work mornings. I want to telecommute.

Listen you work for them so they dictate the conditions of your employment. It's not a negotiation. They decide what the work day is. They decide when you've demonstrated abilities to be a supervisor or to handle responsibility. They decide who gets to telecommute and who doesn't. They don't have to be fair.

Look around. 55 million Americans have it. Most of them work full time. They don't get to not leave the house until noon. They don't get special consideration of any kind. You need to figure out how to get your disease under control. Even if it was a recognized disability, employers are only required to make reasonable accommodations. They don't have to do whatever you want just because you wave the disability flag.

If you can't find a way to make this job work, start looking for another one. But it will be pretty hard to find a job that fits all of your criteria. You might want to start figuring out how you can modify your lifestyle to fit the working world.
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Old 01-22-2010, 12:11 AM
 
924 posts, read 2,224,242 times
Reputation: 513
Quote:
Originally Posted by kodaka View Post
They decide who gets to telecommute and who doesn't. They don't have to be fair.
True, but if they had any integrity, they would either offer telecommuting to all or no one at all. Otherwise conflicts like you've witnessed with my post arise. The manager says he doesn't want others to request telecommuting if he grants it to me. But how about the people who already have it? Should their access be eliminated?


Quote:
Originally Posted by kodaka View Post
If you can't find a way to make this job work, start looking for another one. But it will be pretty hard to find a job that fits all of your criteria.
I don't really want another job. When I'm actually in the office, I like this one. It's familiar and still interesting. But you're right, finding another one that meets all my requests will be next to impossible. Perhaps the ultimate solution is working from home exclusively on my own business where I make my own rules. Not that I have any ideas on getting that rolling though...

Still, I will weigh my options and hopefully have more opinions to consider before deciding go to HR yes or no.
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Old 01-22-2010, 12:13 AM
 
924 posts, read 2,224,242 times
Reputation: 513
Quote:
Originally Posted by wannabee View Post
Why do they offer telecommuting to other employees and not you?
My thoughts exactly. This is one reason I think I have a case to present to HR.
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Old 01-22-2010, 12:32 AM
 
8,777 posts, read 19,767,849 times
Reputation: 5290
Quote:
Originally Posted by ValueAddedWorker View Post
My thoughts exactly. This is one reason I think I have a case to present to HR.
Read the signs here. They want you to leave. Going to HR is only going to hasten your demise.
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Old 01-22-2010, 06:39 AM
 
Location: Live in NY, work in CT
11,247 posts, read 18,739,363 times
Reputation: 5068
ValueAddedWorker, if you're not Weekend Traveler (and someone gave some evidence you're not, but I'm not 100% convinced), I bet you're about 22 and at your first job. I'll leave it at that. Good luck, you'll need it and then some!
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Old 01-22-2010, 08:06 AM
 
2,017 posts, read 5,625,468 times
Reputation: 1680
Quote:
Originally Posted by ValueAddedWorker View Post
I'm sure we've all had disagreements with our bosses, direct supervisors, managers, etc. But has anyone escalated their concerns to HR and actually come out on top?

My concerns lie with the fact that I've tried to negotiate certain privileges and conditions with the department manager by email and face to face a few times, but have so far been unsuccessful. I've been at the same company almost 4 years as a part time CSR (live chat/email mostly, some outbound phone work). Initially my schedule was weekends and holidays, only about 10-12 hrs/week. It was OK as a very part time student job. Then I graduated in 2008 and after waiting patiently another year, my schedule increased up to 5 day (32 hrs/week). However in July 2009, a new team member was hired and my hours were subsequently reduced. My current schedule is 2.5 days, i.e. 2 full time shifts and one part time (under 20 hrs/week).

I don't have a second part time job, in fact I quit one in 2007 in hopes to eventually get a better role in my current one. Unfortunately each time I asked the manager for new responsibilities, he denied them and said a supervisor would handle them instead. I've been told to respect my role and position in the company. In other words, no room for advancement.

I haven't been without fault. I've had lateness issues but with my former weekend shifts when there was little supervision and no customers contacting us via live chat, it was less important to be there at specific times. In the latest turn of events, the manager decided to schedule me during the weekdays only AND require me to be there in the morning. The problem is I have a health condition called IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and have trouble getting going in the morning (urgency, pain, upset stomach, anxiety, etc.).

I thought I had the perfect solution to the problem - telecommuting - which is being offered to some employees, not me. While IBS is a debilitating illness, it's not a recognized disability by the ADA or EEOC.

In a recent meeting the manager denied my request for telecommuting. I told him I could be more productive from home and better respect my schedule (right now it takes me forever to leave home, and often I'm not able to until noon - which makes me late for my morning shift). I also requested an extension to a part time shift, but all he can offer is 4 hours. Who in their right mind wants to spend time and travel to and from a job offering only 4 hours?

I'm at my wit's end. Do you think it's worth approaching HR over scheduling and telecommuting privilege concerns? Or will that be career suicide? Thanks everyone.
I am confused-- I thought you had in another post that you were being asked to take on more responsibilities and take on supervisor type responsibilities and that you were being asked to do weekend work which is not what you wanted to do.

Now you are saying you can get new responsibilities and that you have a history of tardiness that was not as much of an issue when you were working weekend shifts (which I am not so sure if I believe your employer would think the same thing-- i.e. when you work in customer service/ call center-- there is scheduling that occurs to ensure that they have enough people on the phone or on email to answer questions at periods of the day).

Probably more than likely the fact you have shown issues with reliability with being habitually late and they may not completely trust you to work from home.

Honestly, if you are not able to leave the house until late in the morning (and sometimes not until noonish) because of a medical condition-- there is an expectation that if you are scheduled at 9am then even if you are working from home you are not in the bathroom, in bed, or wherever but that you are at your computer doing the necessary work (i.e. not getting up to go to the bathroom for extended periods of time, talking on the phone, except on scheduled breaks). Some people tend to forget that actual employers (not some of the contract work from home positions that you can find via the web) there are expectations that you perform the exact same way you would in the office.

I have known people in my own company who have had their abilities to work from home revoked due to not actually working, etc.
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Old 01-22-2010, 09:15 AM
 
924 posts, read 2,224,242 times
Reputation: 513
Quote:
Originally Posted by lovetheduns View Post
I am confused-- I thought you had in another post that you were being asked to take on more responsibilities and take on supervisor type responsibilities and that you were being asked to do weekend work which is not what you wanted to do.
Quick reply - my main shifts are weekdays, but I'm also to do other days "on request", therefore I have a weekend shift coming up, but I don't expect to be doing weekends every week.
And yes, on that weekend I will have supervisor type responsibilities despite the lack of training and salary to match the expectations.
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