ERI...***?

[pretzel_man]

Great example: (this is the 100% truth, know it firsthand)

building safety /keter? audit. employee does not know safety jargon/acronyms. said person was offered a layoff/day off as to not disrupt the high scores from the building. This WENT ON WITH SEVERAL EMPLOYEES to my knowledge and INFACT likely went building wide. And I will say it was in CHEMA hub so you know I am not making this up.

Manufactured results.

The same thing can happen with ERI. Sure corporate can randomly pick a list of people to participate in ERI, but that does not mean the people doing the ERI are the ones picked. Hell, mgmt could do all of the ERIs in place of said employees and no one would know the difference.

That is, if it is random selection, which I will have my doubts.

So you believe that for this "pulse taking" some management people went and took the survey instead of or in addition to those selected?

I suppose this is possible to do... But why would someone do this? What would their motivation be?

This affects nobody's pay? Its not on any QPR?

 

[UnconTROLLed]

So you believe that for this "pulse taking" some management people went and took the survey instead of or in addition to those selected?

I suppose this is possible to do... But why would someone do this? What would their motivation be?

This affects nobody's pay? Its not on any QPR?

"The Corporate HR people (and their consultants) actually believe UPS Management will take the results and try and change the environment to make UPS a better place to work."

This is what Hoax said I beleive. Now if certain areas are covered up to appear to be "functioning" and not needing attention, this would indicate to me those management people would not be targeted in their own methods of operation and overall strategy/tactics by higher ups.

Maybe I am talking over my head here, I don't know much about ERI honestly though I had participated 7 years in a row until this year. But if it is done there must be a purpose. And that means down the line managers and sups will be given extra attention they do not want?

 

[NHDRVR]

So a few weeks ago our management team "hand picked" a group of drivers to complete a survey. When I asked what this was all about I was more or less told to mind my own buisness since I was not one of the select few picked to complete the survey. The drivers who were selected all had something in common: They were either a) not known to openly voice thier opinions about how the centre is run on a regular basis or, b) new employees who are too "green" to know any better. If this is infact the ERI, management pretty much designed it to tell them what they want to hear. Has this happened in any other centre? Is this UPS's new way of creating false numbers on a report thus, ignoring the real problems?

It has been a few years since our center has had the ERI and for good reason. As we understood it, Management raises, my immediate supervisor specifically, had his bonus adjusted to the results of the ERI. Or that's how I understood it anyways.
Every year I remember doing these thingthe results would never get better, only worse.
Was this my attitude? The direction of the company?
Recently I heard that we aren't spending the money on extras such as ERI info and safe driving awards but in this economy I am not surprised.

 

[pemanager]

It has been a few years since our center has had the ERI and for good reason. As we understood it, Management raises, my immediate supervisor specifically, had his bonus adjusted to the results of the ERI. Or that's how I understood it anyways.
Every year I remember doing these thingthe results would never get better, only worse.
Was this my attitude? The direction of the company?
Recently I heard that we aren't spending the money on extras such as ERI info and safe driving awards but in this economy I am not surprised.

Just to clarify some misconceptions regarding 'bonus' for management. The MIP for EVERYONE is based on total COMPANY performance. No one's bonus is affected by their center's ERI, United Way Participation, etc.,. The ERI in past years was one of many elements in a management person's QPR score. The QPR is one of multiple factors determining the annual merit increase so it is a small portion of what impacts one's raise.

As far as the reason for the ERI, it is a both a metric for workplace relations and, more importantly, a tool for local management to know where to focus their efforts in addressing workplace issues. I can't say every center has used it as a tool for improvement but, from what I have witnessed, most have.

Regarding upper management coming down on centers: They understand that most business units aren't going to be at 100% - you can't make hundreds of thousands of people happy with everything. They will only look for improvement and at areas that are well below average. Typically these centers that are well below average also have a number of other issues that need to be addressed and need the attention.

 

[trenjct]

Only the newbies got to take it in our building.
And I was so dying to STRONGLY DISAGREE to every question. We haven't had one in a few years. Our numbers were horrible.

In fairness, our current management team is wonderful. Corporate is another story.... out of boxes, out of box cutters, out of hazmat bags, labels, markers, tape guns.... you name it, chances are we're out of it.

I realize that times are tough and exercising fiscal frugality is a necessary evil, but I'm getting tired of diving in the dumpster and re-using boxes and garbage bags and buying my own cutters and tape guns and bags.

 

[Mike23]

I got to take it! HORAY! It had lots of lovely questions like,

'Does your management team make it easy to support your volunteer work' (strongly disagree)
'Does your management make it easy to report an injury' (strongly disagree)
'Are you confident in your managements leadership?' (strongly disagree)
'Do you feel safe working at UPS?' (strongly disagree)

Those were the ones that really ground my teeth...oh, I got to make a lovely little essay at the end too. I think those questions were supposed to be 'confidential' *gasp* ooooh well!

It's kind of weird. I think if every depot had a DM who was former HR then things might actually get run correctly. I know our HR team are about the only people who listen to concerns. All other management just ignores them or agrees with you then does the opposite to help.

 

[NHDRVR]

Just to clarify some misconceptions regarding 'bonus' for management. The MIP for EVERYONE is based on total COMPANY performance. No one's bonus is affected by their center's ERI, United Way Participation, etc.,. The ERI in past years was one of many elements in a management person's QPR score. The QPR is one of multiple factors determining the annual merit increase so it is a small portion of what impacts one's raise.

As far as the reason for the ERI, it is a both a metric for workplace relations and, more importantly, a tool for local management to know where to focus their efforts in addressing workplace issues. I can't say every center has used it as a tool for improvement but, from what I have witnessed, most have.

Regarding upper management coming down on centers: They understand that most business units aren't going to be at 100% - you can't make hundreds of thousands of people happy with everything. They will only look for improvement and at areas that are well below average. Typically these centers that are well below average also have a number of other issues that need to be addressed and need the attention.

Thanks for the clarification. The ERI as it stands is probably a fine gauge as to the problems and issues a building has. So are the complaints the safety committee receives as well as the grievances that are turned in. The bigger problem is that I want the location of the center that actually acts upon the results of these things.
Sorry to go in another direction here but when I first started driving I specifically remember telling a driver (who has since quit) how surprised I was at the bad attitudes of most of the others. Man, has it been that long. I am careful to realize that Coca-Cola, Budweiser, and other major companies all have the same labor issues but please don't waste my time with a survey(paid time) if you aren't going to act on the results.

To be fair, I have gotten to know a few supervisors really well and their gripes are the same as ours so it does indeed go both ways.

 

[pemanager]

Man, has it been that long. I am careful to realize that Coca-Cola, Budweiser, and other major companies all have the same labor issues but please don't waste my time with a survey(paid time) if you aren't going to act on the results.

I agree with you one hundred percent but I do think most managers try to act on the results. From what I've seen, the perception that management does not is based a few people who don't and poor two-way communication with some others. A number of Managers can better ask questions to gather clarifying input, better explain what they are doing to address the items and, most importantly, fully explain the intent of the questions. I'll take one question as an example, 'Do I understand the promotion process?.' A lot of people will give a result of disagree because they disagree with the promotion process when the intent of the question is to determine if management is making sure everyone knows the process, not whether they agree with it. It is similar with other questions where the intent is not to see if management agrees with every idea or concern you raise but do they listen, give appropriate feedback and, if it is warranted, then make changes to address the concern.

Anyway, I appreciate your frustration and hope it gets better at your center.

 

[BrownSuit]

So a few weeks ago our management team "hand picked" a group of drivers to complete a survey. When I asked what this was all about I was more or less told to mind my own buisness since I was not one of the select few picked to complete the survey. The drivers who were selected all had something in common: They were either a) not known to openly voice thier opinions about how the centre is run on a regular basis or, b) new employees who are too "green" to know any better. If this is infact the ERI, management pretty much designed it to tell them what they want to hear. Has this happened in any other centre? Is this UPS's new way of creating false numbers on a report thus, ignoring the real problems?

Sorry to dig up an older post, I've not really visited BC for a great length of time in a while.

As mentioned later in the post, this was the Employee Pulse, not the ERI. The ERI is still getting an overhaul for next year.

They were randomly chosen by the computer taking employee ID numbers and spitting them back out proportionally to the number of employees in each work-group.

 

[pretzel_man]

Sorry to dig up an older post, I've not really visited BC for a great length of time in a while.

As mentioned later in the post, this was the Employee Pulse, not the ERI. The ERI is still getting an overhaul for next year.

They were randomly chosen by the computer taking employee ID numbers and spitting them back out proportionally to the number of employees in each work-group.

I was curious about that California case regarding the supervisor who sued UPS so I searched the web to find out more. I found an audio recording of the appeal.

During that appeal, the ERI was mentioned many times.

I wonder if this is also part of the ERI overhaul. I'm sure UPS didn't expect this internal survey to be used by lawyers against the company.

I believe UPSLifer may know more about this and if this thought has any merit.

P-Man