In the United States, unless you have an employment contract, a manager can require an employee to do just about anything that’s legal. But, should they? It’s important to consider exactly what you’re asking before putting an employee in a difficult situation. Here are four things that a manager should never ask an employee to do.
1. Anything You Wouldn’t Do
Let’s talk about cleaning up dirty messes. They are unpleasant tasks, and you likely have maintenance services or building staff to take care of them. But what happens when you are stuck with a mess in the middle of the workday and that service or staff can’t take care of it? If there is someone who has that duty as part of their job description, fabulous. If not, you have to assign it. Don’t assign work like that out if you aren’t taking your turn. Sooner or later, in a small business, everyone has to do gross things. The boss gets to do it first, otherwise, don’t ask your employees.
2. Cancel a Vacation
Sometimes the world comes to an end, and you truly do need all hands on deck. However, most crises are caused by a lack of planning. Don’t ask an employee to cancel a pre-planned vacation, especially if there are other friends and family members counting on that person, and they have purchased tickets. Sure, if Bob asked if he could take Tuesday off to clean out his basement, it’s okay to ask him if he can take Wednesday instead, but otherwise, vacation time is a sacred time. It’s part of the compensation package, so don’t require an employee to cancel.
3. Work Off the Clock
This one should be obvious, but it’s not. So often managers are required to reach certain payroll targets, and they get punished for authorizing overtime, for instance. It means that a manager can be tempted to tell employees to clock out and then finish mopping up for the night. Don’t do this. Not only is it illegal—all of your non-exempt employees must be paid for every hour worked—it makes your employees bitter and angry. Not a good idea.
4. Work While Truly Sick
Yes, if you sent everyone with the sniffles home, everyone would be out of sick days by January 10, but for illnesses with fevers, vomiting, or other contagious conditions, let your employee recover. This is especially true in food service, which is notorious for not allowing sick days. If you force employees to come into work while sick, they will spread the germs, and everyone else will get sick too. Send them home; they’ll recover, and the rest of you will avoid the newest plague (hopefully). Good managers let employees use sick time (and provide sick time in the first place).
Hot Jobs, Inc. recruiters work closely with both clientele and candidates to create a successful placement by identifying, screening, as well as helping with retention according to the clientele’s personnel needs. We service the Roaring Fork Valley and surrounding areas including Glenwood Springs, Basalt, Aspen, New Castle, and Rifle, with our corporate headquarters located in Carbondale, Colorado.