I'd like to work out a compromise, but.... (employed, tips, work from home)

[ValueAddedWorker]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

Read the signs here. They want you to leave. Going to HR is only going to hasten your demise.

Hi, can you be more specific on which signs you think point to them wishing me to leave? I'd say the fact they are inflexible with my requests to swap days and only offer a 4 hour shift is a pretty big sign. But perhaps I'm not seeing it all.

[dspguy]

If you have issues such as tardiness managers will find it hard to give you more privileges. What does that say to other employees? Also, if you have been asking for more time and more responsibility and they are not giving it to you but hiring more employees to do similar work, look elsewhere for work. You are either not producing what they want (and possibly blacklisted as not adding much value) or being made an example of.

I don't think HR is going to help.

[ValueAddedWorker]

Originally Posted by dspguy

If you have issues such as tardiness managers will find it hard to give you more privileges.

I understand that but the idea for telecommuting was in order to eliminate the late starts + increase productivity. But the manager wasn't convinced. I think the reality is that he does want to oust me and in the one area he knows I have trouble and have less control over, he's making my life difficult by being rigid.
As I said previously, others do have the telecommuting privilege and of course they are able to perform at high levels. I think it would be a win win situation for us and that's why I'm still leaning towards HR. But I also think it's a risky move going over the manager's head. In a sense, a trust will be broken and I'm concerned that our relationship will never be the same. But perhaps that's just an unreasonable concern because of the stigma attached with HR - that they're just there to process hiring and layoffs.

[wannabee]

But in a previous thread:

Originally Posted by ValueAddedWorker

I also asked for the telecommuting privilege (full timers get it, not me), but this was denied too.

Why would you "have a case" if it's company policy to only offer telecommuting to full-timers?


Another thread:

Originally Posted by ValueAddedWorker

I've been told by my manager that I need to:
"distance myself from issues outside of my role and that may otherwise overlap with someone's else's role". This was in response to the efforts I made to show my value and competence as a future supervisor by proactively taking on some supervisory tasks. Unfortunately the manager was not interested in helping me develop and negged me on that front.

Are you stepping on someones' toes here? Doing someone else's job?

Originally Posted by ValueAddedWorker

Imagine working somewhere part time for 3+ years, getting a $1/hr raise and being told you have to learn to respect your role, when you ask for extra projects? Such an employee would be better off shopping around.

This was advice you gave someone else. You really should heed it.

Originally Posted by ValueAddedWorker

...My experience with this company is that part timers have all kind of hoops to jump through, but full timers get treated better. I guess it's like that at many companies.
......
I requested my shift be changed ........ However, much to my dismay, the manager denied the request. Furthermore, when I asked for the work from home privilege again, he refused that too.

Anyway, I should indeed be looking for another job a lot harder, but in the meantime, do you think it's worth escalating my concerns to HR? I've reached a road block with the manager and his boss is even more rigid, who protects him at all costs.

That is your answer - look for another job.

Originally Posted by ValueAddedWorker

...
The relationships with my supervisor+manager has been pretty shaky and I'm not sure if I should go all out or restrain myself? What do you suppose are the pros and cons of being totally honest with the reviews of your bosses? Plus, what types of issues would you mention that don't sound too critical?
I'd say that there are some communication problems between us and standards are not always applied to everyone uniformly. For example, some colleagues get telecommuting, others don't, sometimes my supervisor doesn't answer important emails, thereby affecting me negatively, etc...

Shaky relationships, and communication problems after almost 4 years? Wow. You are lucky you still have a job!

Originally Posted by ValueAddedWorker

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 ......

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.............

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.

You are a part-timer who is trying to get the same privileges as the full-timers. You repeatedly ask for more responsibility and are denied every time. You should take the hint here. If there is no room for advancement there, what are you "fighting for"? A job that you are going to leave anyway? There is a reason why full-timers get treated better.

You have lateness issues BUT it's okay because it's slow on the weekends? You can't do mornings due to your IBS. Do they know you have this condition, and if so, when did they know it?

Telecommuting is a privilege not a right. If you can't be on time to the office, they will never believe you are going to respect your schedule any better if you are home. You have not proven yourself to them in almost four years and that adds NO VALUE at all.

Don't go to HR, see a recruiter.

What was the original question? You wanted a compromise? I don't see that happening.

[annerk]

Maybe the logical thing would be to find a new job working evenings or nights so you don't have to worry about those morning hours...

[dspguy]

I see your side, but telecommuting is a privilege that the manager feels you do not deserve. It might be different if you stay under the radar and have no more red marks on your record for a while. And then revisit it later.

[Opyelie]

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

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!

lol, at least WT (etc etc) changes the storylines - this poster just has the same old scenario over and over - constantly asks for advice but never takes any of it.

[ValueAddedWorker]

wannabee I think your attempt at exposing "inconsistencies" here is courageous, and it seems you are an analytical thinker, so I applaud you for this. However, for your sake and that of others, I will clarify whatever confusion may remain.

Originally Posted by wannabee

But in a previous thread:
Why would you "have a case" if it's company policy to only offer telecommuting to full-timers?

I previously thought that the telecommuting privilege was for full timers only (that's what I was told), until I discovered a select few part timers did get it recently, as was confirmed by the manager. Therefore, company policy changed.

Another thread:

Originally Posted by wannabee

Are you stepping on someones' toes here? Doing someone else's job?

In some ways, yes. If you were part time and saw the things I did, plus wanted to make a play for a promotion and/or full time status, you might have done the same thing. Basically supervisors were dragging their feet on important issues, such as resolving escalated cases in a timely manner and I saw an opportunity to help out - by speeding up resolution time and helping both the customers and the company's reputation.

It's not my fault that supervisors slacked off after the manager told them to ensure that escalated cases are followed up on within a reasonable delay. We told our customers that a 48 hour turnaround time to answer their queries by email was to be expected, but due to slacking off by supervisors (who were told they had to take of issues), some customers waited some 4-12 weeks for a solution.

Obviously someone who cared would have said something, and that was me- because I care more about customers and streamlining processes than supervisors' egos. My own didn't like that, mentioned it in my review and from then on I leave all such issues to them and the manager to handle.

Otherwise, I offered to do various other tasks in hopes of increasing my workload and therefore, my status to full time, but each time the manager told me no, it's not your job. Gets pretty frustrating after a while when you're aiming for an internal promotion. But I digress.

Originally Posted by wannabee

Shaky relationships, and communication problems after almost 4 years? Wow. You are lucky you still have a job!

You're right, I can hardly believe it myself. However, for the past 6+ months I've had less than 20 hrs/week on average, no benefits, just the standard vacation pay (by law), no promotion, etc. so it's not like it's such a great job. But it's better than being unemployed I guess, given the gap that would create on my resume.

Originally Posted by wannabee

You are a part-timer who is trying to get the same privileges as the full-timers.

See above for clarifications.

Originally Posted by wannabee

You repeatedly ask for more responsibility and are denied every time. You should take the hint here. If there is no room for advancement there, what are you "fighting for"? A job that you are going to leave anyway? There is a reason why full-timers get treated better.

You're right, I could have moved on long ago, but three things concern me:
1. My scheduling/morning start issues
2. The fact I did a BA that is totally unrelated to this job and not that valuable
3. I'm actually hanging on to the hope that if I can get telecommuting and become a productivity superstar, then all that hoping, praying and waiting will pay off with a full time job, either in my current position or a lateral shift.
I've been described as tenacious and persistent, and recognized by management as such.

Originally Posted by wannabee

You have lateness issues BUT it's okay because it's slow on the weekends?

Well being late isn't ideal and not really "okay" by most peoples' standards, however, on weekends it's only emails while during the week we have urgent live chat to handle and the workload is doubled. Therefore, there is more room for flexibility in weekends.

Originally Posted by wannabee

You can't do mornings due to your IBS. Do they know you have this condition, and if so, when did they know it?

They've known this for years and it was generally accepted as the reason I can't do mornings. The manager+supervisor have tried to adjust my schedule, but the way they do it is, announce by email and invariably I try to negotiate in writing or face to face. It's often a debate, though I must admit it gets tiresome to have to constantly disagree about what time I should and can start. Let's just say establishing a consistent schedule is a "work in progress".

Originally Posted by wannabee

Telecommuting is a privilege not a right. If you can't be on time to the office, they will never believe you are going to respect your schedule any better if you are home.

I believe you misunderstood what IBS does and the implications it brings. The main point is that unfortunately, I need more time in the washroom and tending to the various symptoms than the average person. Rushing to leave in the morning and the worry that brings (about being late, yet again, having to find facilities, etc) is a big trigger for many people who have it.
I hope you or a loved one of yours never does, because trust me, it can be debilitating.

In terms of value, I agree that due to the lateness issue, this may have cast doubts in their minds, however I have proven myself as a valuable asset in many other ways, as shown in written performance reviews. It's normal for workers to have strengths and weaknesses and the few weaknesses I have happened to be showcased in this thread. Of course if a worker has ZERO value, they would have been laid off or fired long ago. In fact my company, like many others in the shaky economy did undergo one round of layoffs (10%), however I was spared and so I guess you can conclude, I must have had enough value to keep around.


I trust my elaborate reply has put to rest any doubts you may have.
Thanks for your input just the same.

[ValueAddedWorker]

Originally Posted by Opyelie

lol, at least WT (etc etc) changes the storylines - this poster just has the same old scenario over and over - constantly asks for advice but never takes any of it.

Opyelie, with all due respect, you recommended this forum to me, I realized it's well moderated and I am trying to make a fresh start, being as polite as I possibly can, here. Therefore with all due respect, I ask you to either contribute positively or simply avoid my threads altogether at city data.
Thanks.

[kodaka]

If getting to work on time is such an anxiety-filled task that you experience debilitating symptoms from it, the manager is reasonable and right to not grant you more responsibility. Responsibility goes to people who can handle it.