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Topic: A very ugly staff issue

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-31-2006 06:07 AM

Agreed with Charles--just be up front about it and fire the guy. It's classless and not fair to the employee to suddenly stop scheduling him for work while continuing to "employ" him.

Do people actually bother suing theatres for unlawful termination? I have a hard time imagining why anyone would bother when most of these floor-staff jobs pay at or near minimum wage.

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 12-31-2006 09:52 AM

I agree; sometimes the kindest cut is the swiftest cut. If he is retrainable, council him and keep him; if not, he goes and goes now. You could ask what his decision is at the time of counciling.

One of the theatres I service once had a list of things that would get you fired with no warnings (drugs, booze, theft, etc). Each employee got a copy to sign at hiring and also got to keep a copy. This wwas ridigly enforced through 350 (I kid you not) hirings/firings. The BEST theatre staff of all time. Louis

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Chad Souder
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 962
From: Waterloo, IA, USA
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 12-31-2006 10:09 AM

quote: Charles Greenlee
So many places do that crap because they're too cheap to pay the potential increase in their unemployment fund.

I'm not sure how common it is, but you can be ordered to pay unemployment for cutting hours (which would cause said increase), so I don't see this as the reason management would use that tactic.

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Charles Greenlee
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 801
From: Savannah, Ga, U.S.
Registered: Jun 2006

posted 12-31-2006 12:10 PM

I certain places, yes. But either most people don't push it, the labor office is too lazy, or in most places, it's still considered a willing termination, the business are able to skirt around it. I see it all of the time, and it get my fire going. There is no honorable reason to do that. The only reasones are self centered and dirty.

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Mike Croaro
Master Film Handler

Posts: 394
From: Millbrae, CA
Registered: Apr 2005

posted 12-31-2006 12:30 PM

Hi Dominic:

Regarding the dress code......Glad to see you want your employees looking professional. The general public typically has more respect for such individuals. Also, studies show that there is a link between how people dress and how they act.

Mike

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Chad M Calpito
Master Film Handler

Posts: 435
From: San Diego, CA
Registered: Apr 2006

posted 12-31-2006 01:30 PM

I would happen to agree with a few of you on this. Just Fire the guy and be rid of him. Haven't you had enough of the guy? You deserve to have better people working with you and help you in your job of improving your theatre overall. So, just get rid of him.

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Kenneth Wuepper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1026
From: Saginaw, MI, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 12-31-2006 02:27 PM

Dominic,

Does your company have a policy and proceedure for handling employee complaints? Regarding the method of dealing with those who go above you to your superior, this is a termination offense in most companies. The person who does not communicate with his immediate superior before taking it to the next higher level is a known troublemaker and therefore most companies will terminate that employee. "Since your practice of undermining management is distructive to our corporate structure and inhibits the team efforts of all employees, your services are no longer required." PERIOD

KEN

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Frank Dubrois
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 896
From: Cleveland, OH
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 12-31-2006 02:31 PM

Does it bother anyone that he is attempting to be as sneaky and underhanded as the guy he is trying to dump? This is not consistent with good management OR a good person. You have to be upfront and honest with this guy. Tell him your concerns and give him the chance to make amends. Perhaps you might even gain his respect. If not, document his issues and mistakes, and fire him for cause. No one likes to fire people, but some people simply can not work with certain people. For the good of the other employees and the good of the theater, he needs to change or go.

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Aaron Mehocic
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 804
From: New Castle, PA, USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-31-2006 05:33 PM

quote: Scott Norwood
Do people actually bother suing theatres for unlawful termination? I have a hard time imagining why anyone would bother when most of these floor-staff jobs pay at or near minimum wage.

In 16 years I've only seen this happen once, and it was a general manager suing the owner over termination. Three employee were called to testify at a labor relations hearing. When the ex-manager's lawyer found out all of them were still employed by the theater, he busted his ass to get them out of the room before the owner and his attorney showed up.

The issue was hence settled out of court. This was in 1993.

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: California, U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 12-31-2006 08:51 PM

You guys are absolutely right. Being up front and honest with your employees is a good thing in most cases.
In every situation with every employee I've dealt with I've always pulled them into the office and laid it out to them.
.This is what's wrong
.This is what needs to change
.Lets make a plan to resolve this so we can move forward
That usually does the trick. However after doing this twice with this guy I've gotten feedback about my "unfairness" and "incompetence".

quote: Monte L Fullmer
Yep, sounds like the old gentleman wants his cake and eat it too - from being spoilt from the previous mgr and will not take guff (actually, doesn't like changes...) from the younger generation who knows the rules and believes in them too.

That sounds about right. Anything that's different is a bad idea to him.

The biggest outburst thus far was directed at me because he wished to cover a floor drain with cardboard instead of just sucking it up and cleaning it like everybody else has to do.
I removed it because it's against health code.
I looked into covering it with something that would meet the requirements but it's really more trouble than it's worth.

quote: Carl Martin
since the employee is "competent at his individual duties" i wonder if your priorities are a little out of line here. why is the dress code so important?

My priorities are to serve the guests in a clean, professional theater. To let everyone work as a team so they can enjoy what they get paid to do. And for the most part the rest of the crew does. No one enjoys cleaning toilets or sweeping popcorn but somehow they all consider it a good, fun job.

Why is dress code so important? Appearance makes a very big difference in how you and the theater are perceived.
It's a matter of taking pride in what you do.

I personally wouldn't take a place seriously if the staff was dressed sloppily or had poor customer service (unless of course that's the standard for that industry).

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Rick Raskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1100
From: Manassas Virginia
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 12-31-2006 10:38 PM

Just be sure that you do not give any appearance that you are singling out this guy above others. Just be sure that you enforce the rules equally with all the members of your staff. That way there can be no claim of harassment when you finally let him go. He is attempting to undermine your authority by sowing discord among the other staff members and is giving clear indication that he is not a team player. Statements like "... I've gotten feedback about my "unfairness" and "incompetence" will only justify your decision to release him. Document everything.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 12-31-2006 10:42 PM

Have you already considered murder?

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 12-31-2006 10:59 PM

quote: Joe Redifer
Have you already considered murder?

...LOL - I'm sure that every theatre manager on the face of this earth have thought of this at least once in their lifetime - with the clowns that are hired and the clowns that they've inherited from previous managers...

I've been there and done that .. like for right now: I service a theatre that the clowns take pliers to loosen up the lens lock on their PR-1014's because some other clowns there crank down on that knob so tight. Now, I've heard that one knob shaft has actually snapped in half due to using pliers. I've told them this many times in not using the pliers. NOW, it's time to take action on this to where I will go to the head of the company and demand punishment on these clowns that misuse machinery.

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Frank Dubrois
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 896
From: Cleveland, OH
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 01-01-2007 01:27 AM

quote: Rick Raskin
Just be sure that you do not give any appearance that you are singling out this guy above others. Just be sure that you enforce the rules equally with all the members of your staff.

I find that difficult to do for one reason...most of my other employees DO their job, do it well, and don't complain. How can I enforce anything on them? On the other hand, we have employees that apparently come to work to talk to their friends and do as little as possible. With these people, I HAVE to enforce policy. They wonder why no one else gets told to do things...I explain that the other people are already doing their job, and I don't have to tell them anything. To the person getting told what to do, its seems that I am constantly after them, which is true, but its because they don't do their job in the first place, not because I want to be unfair or have favorites.

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: California, U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 01-01-2007 02:12 AM

Oh believe me. It's documentation city.
He's actually the only one I haven't kept official documentation on up until this point.
Up until this point he's apologized to the other employees he's been rude to and then he's fine.
What I think has been going on though is that he gets his quick gratification because he's going over me when he gets in a mood about something then feels like he accomplished something.

In the mean time I've accumulated written statements from my second in charge.

I may not be wise, but I'm certainly not dumb [evil]

You know, Joe. There's quite a bit of room under the stadium risers in one of the newer auditoriums and if we don't clean the theater out for a while I'm sure the odor of popcorn would...no! No, Joe. Murder is not an option!

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