Gross Leadership Failure

[MrFedEx]

I currently have a senior manager who just isn't getting the job done. In addition, it's looking pretty obvious that he has an intimate relationship with a direct report. He has lost everyone's respect, just based on his performance, and not even considering the affair. Yet he remains, untouched and just as incompetent as ever. I don't know how much he makes, but whatever the amount, it's probably much more than he deserves.

At the corporate level, they are forever bleating about how we need to cut costs, improve productivity, and all of the usual nonsense, but at the management level I don't see a great deal of accountability happening, at least at my station.

Just based on 2-5 (Acceptable Conduct Policy), a lot of these clowns shoud be shown the door. Anyone else have a "star" manager who is made of Teflon?

 

[vantexan]

I currently have a senior manager who just isn't getting the job done. In addition, it's looking pretty obvious that he has an intimate relationship with a direct report. He has lost everyone's respect, just based on his performance, and not even considering the affair. Yet he remains, untouched and just as incompetent as ever. I don't know how much he makes, but whatever the amount, it's probably much more than he deserves.

At the corporate level, they are forever bleating about how we need to cut costs, improve productivity, and all of the usual nonsense, but at the management level I don't see a great deal of accountability happening, at least at my station.

Just based on 2-5 (Acceptable Conduct Policy), a lot of these clowns shoud be shown the door. Anyone else have a "star" manager who is made of Teflon?

As I've transferred a bit I've seen a number of times mgrs, including seniors, removed for poor performance. And a few removed for getting involved with employees. I think eventually the company will take action if a mgr is causing them to lose money or if putting the company in a position that could result in litigation. But as they seem protective of their mgrs, usually they'll give a mgr every chance possible to redeem themselves. With the exception of zero tolerance situations like affairs. That is just a matter of if, or when, the company finds out. Amazing to me that a mgr with so much to lose would take such a chance. But then again, alot of these guys are very arrogant, think they can have the proverbial cake and eat it too. But hey, it opens up career advancement avenues to the ambitious!

 

[LTFedExer]

Before I moved here, I had a senior that was 'buddy, buddy' with the DM. Managers were able to get away with a lot of crap. It all caught up to him eventually. The DM could cover the poor performance for only so long. Well, he was 'let go' and the new senior (I heard) got the station in much better shape than it was. My current senior is one of the top 2 of the 5 I've had.

Teflon loses it's grip. But, sometimes it takes longer than it should.

 

[MrFedEx]

As I've transferred a bit I've seen a number of times mgrs, including seniors, removed for poor performance. And a few removed for getting involved with employees. I think eventually the company will take action if a mgr is causing them to lose money or if putting the company in a position that could result in litigation. But as they seem protective of their mgrs, usually they'll give a mgr every chance possible to redeem themselves. With the exception of zero tolerance situations like affairs. That is just a matter of if, or when, the company finds out. Amazing to me that a mgr with so much to lose would take such a chance. But then again, alot of these guys are very arrogant, think they can have the proverbial cake and eat it too. But hey, it opens up career advancement avenues to the ambitious!

I'm guessing this guy will eventually be gone. It always amazes me how the double standard works with conduct issues. I've seen managers cover each other over and over for stuff that should have had them instantly fired. They'll fry us in a heartbeat, but when one of them screws-up, watch the cover-up operations fire up as they go all out to pretend "it didn't happen".

 

[Cactus]

Ah the old double standard, "Do as we say, don't do as we do."

SFA...."my manager shows strong leadership skills" = "strongly disagree."

 

[vantexan]

I'm guessing this guy will eventually be gone. It always amazes me how the double standard works with conduct issues. I've seen managers cover each other over and over for stuff that should have had them instantly fired. They'll fry us in a heartbeat, but when one of them screws-up, watch the cover-up operations fire up as they go all out to pretend "it didn't happen".

Saw that recently at my current station. Sr.Mgr just disappeared after Thanksgiving last year. Was announced one morning that he decided to retire and was using up his remaining vacation. No goodbyes, no party, no big sendoff. Gate code was changed too. Ever hear of a 32 year employee, sr.mgr. for more than 20 years, just disappearing? He had told me a couple of months before that he wasn't going to retire at 55, was happy doing what he was doing. He was 54 when he "left." Heard rumors of what happened but as I don't know for a fact I won't repeat it but concerned performance issues. The problem I have with how it was handled is it suggests that the company wasn't straight with us. Which makes me question just about anything they say of a "sensitive" nature.

 

[MrFedEx]

Saw that recently at my current station. Sr.Mgr just disappeared after Thanksgiving last year. Was announced one morning that he decided to retire and was using up his remaining vacation. No goodbyes, no party, no big sendoff. Gate code was changed too. Ever hear of a 32 year employee, sr.mgr. for more than 20 years, just disappearing? He had told me a couple of months before that he wasn't going to retire at 55, was happy doing what he was doing. He was 54 when he "left." Heard rumors of what happened but as I don't know for a fact I won't repeat it but concerned performance issues. The problem I have with how it was handled is it suggests that the company wasn't straight with us. Which makes me question just about anything they say of a "sensitive" nature.

The standard line is that they "leave to pursue other opportunities", especially at the corporate level. Not making your numbers and budget will get one out the door much faster than something like having an affair with a direct report. I suspect that if a manager was excellent in terms of performance numbers that a lack of personal integrity would be overlooked.

 

[snackdad]

I have a manager in Northern California. Many times she would come to work drunk smelling of alcohol. Not just hungover smelling like alcohol but actually slurring drunk. One day she came to work so drunk she fell down next to the belt on the morning sort. She was put on a cart and rolled to a warehouse door. She called her senior manager for help and eventually an ambulance took her away. She disappeared for about 6 months after the senior manager told her to go to rehab.
Amazing that a person like that is still a manager and was protected from any discipline by the senior manager. She was also involved with some shady love triangle stuff at our station with two other female employees that had drama involving 911 calls from the station and on road and who knows what else. Also had her ass kicked black and blue by her girlfriend. They are back together now after breaking up for a while. So much drama at that station that everyone thinks it is a normal work environment. The managers rule with a combination of intimidation and retaliation.

 

[MrFedEx]

I have a manager in Northern California. Many times she would come to work drunk smelling of alcohol. Not just hungover smelling like alcohol but actually slurring drunk. One day she came to work so drunk she fell down next to the belt on the morning sort. She was put on a cart and rolled to a warehouse door. She called her senior manager for help and eventually an ambulance took her away. She disappeared for about 6 months after the senior manager told her to go to rehab.
Amazing that a person like that is still a manager and was protected from any discipline by the senior manager. She was also involved with some shady love triangle stuff at our station with two other female employees that had drama involving 911 calls from the station and on road and who knows what else. Also had her ass kicked black and blue by her girlfriend. They are back together now after breaking up for a while. So much drama at that station that everyone thinks it is a normal work environment. The managers rule with a combination of intimidation and retaliation.

Showing-up at work drunk should have gotten her fired on the spot. However, the lesbian angle probably got her the extra chance that most of us wouldn't have. FedEx is supposed to be egalitarian and bias-free, but if you're some sort of minority the double standard kicks-in full force because FedEx would rather have a complete incompetent managing people than a lawsuit. Sickening. There are a lot of managers who shouldn't still have a job and yours sounds like one of them. I've got another drunken manager story I can't relate because it would reveal who I am. Same sort of deal.

 

[tracker2762]

I have a manager in Northern California. Many times she would come to work drunk smelling of alcohol. Not just hungover smelling like alcohol but actually slurring drunk. One day she came to work so drunk she fell down next to the belt on the morning sort. She was put on a cart and rolled to a warehouse door. She called her senior manager for help and eventually an ambulance took her away. She disappeared for about 6 months after the senior manager told her to go to rehab.
Amazing that a person like that is still a manager and was protected from any discipline by the senior manager. She was also involved with some shady love triangle stuff at our station with two other female employees that had drama involving 911 calls from the station and on road and who knows what else. Also had her ass kicked black and blue by her girlfriend. They are back together now after breaking up for a while. So much drama at that station that everyone thinks it is a normal work environment. The managers rule with a combination of intimidation and retaliation.

She may have been covered under the Americans with disabilities Act, so fedex couldn't fire here

 

[snackdad]

I guess 2-5 acceptable conduct does not apply to management. I can not imagine any other company in the world that would tolerate a manager coming to work slurring drunk on many occasions. Actually moving vehicles during the sort drunk. One time so drunk to be pushed to the roll up door on a cart to wait for the ambulance. When she fell on the ground she said it was because she forgot her glasses at home. She is blind with out those glasses. Imagine vision impaired and drunk at same time!! Can you imagine that this manager is still in a leadership position. Her girlfriend also used to come to company functions and get people high in her car outside. Only at a station that is run without regard for anything normal or customary. Lets rule by fear and intimidation. We can do whatever we want, the candy store is open for the privileged. But the hard workers who actually do the work get the shaft!

 

[MrFedEx]

I guess 2-5 acceptable conduct does not apply to management. I can not imagine any other company in the world that would tolerate a manager coming to work slurring drunk on many occasions. Actually moving vehicles during the sort drunk. One time so drunk to be pushed to the roll up door on a cart to wait for the ambulance. When she fell on the ground she said it was because she forgot her glasses at home. She is blind with out those glasses. Imagine vision impaired and drunk at same time!! Can you imagine that this manager is still in a leadership position. Her girlfriend also used to come to company functions and get people high in her car outside. Only at a station that is run without regard for anything normal or customary. Lets rule by fear and intimidation. We can do whatever we want, the candy store is open for the privileged. But the hard workers who actually do the work get the shaft!

I'm surprised that the usual suspects haven't come running to the defense of FedEx. You're right that 2.5 doesn't apply to management, and your example is a perfect one of unacceptable conduct and Gross Leadership Failure. I'm guessing that because she is a lesbian that FedEx Legal assessed the risk of getting sued and determined that this was not a terminable offense. If I did this, I'd be fired on the spot, and deservedly so.

 

[quadro]

I'm surprised that the usual suspects haven't come running to the defense of FedEx. You're right that 2.5 doesn't apply to management, and your example is a perfect one of unacceptable conduct and Gross Leadership Failure. I'm guessing that because she is a lesbian that FedEx Legal assessed the risk of getting sued and determined that this was not a terminable offense. If I did this, I'd be fired on the spot, and deservedly so.

2-5 does apply to management. I know of a director, a senior manager and two ops managers that lost their job in the last 12-18 months most likely due to 2-5. Those are just 4 people that I know about. I would guess there's more. And yes, I know of a few couriers/service agents that fall into that bucket too.

 

[MrFedEx]

2-5 does apply to management. I know of a director, a senior manager and two ops managers that lost their job in the last 12-18 months most likely due to 2-5. Those are just 4 people that I know about. I would guess there's more. And yes, I know of a few couriers/service agents that fall into that bucket too.

Wow, you know a lot for being a simple courier. 2-5 is selectively applied to management, and much more is swept under the rug than with the hourlies.

 

[quadro]

Wow, you know a lot for being a simple courier. 2-5 is selectively applied to management, and much more is swept under the rug than with the hourlies.

Do you read your own posts before posting? For a simple courier, how do you know that much more is swept under the rug than with hourlies? You can't have it both ways. If you can know so much so can I.

 

[MrFedEx]

Do you read your own posts before posting? For a simple courier, how do you know that much more is swept under the rug than with hourlies? You can't have it both ways. If you can know so much so can I.

Simple observation for 25 years. Management cover each other and avoid 2-5 most of the time by plain old lies. It's much harder for the defendant (courier) to evade punishment than the accuser (management). That's the way the game is set-up.

 

[quadro]

Simple observation for 25 years. Management cover each other and avoid 2-5 most of the time by plain old lies. It's much harder for the defendant (courier) to evade punishment than the accuser (management). That's the way the game is set-up.

Would you be more willing to engage in meaningful discussion if I just admitted that you are God and know everything? So it's ok for you to use simple observation over 25 years as the basis for a blanket statement but it's not ok for me to use simple observation over 25 years to offer just one example of how your blanket statement isn't necessarily true? There's that quirky logic again.

 

[snackdad]

Makes sense what MrFedEx is saying. While the manager was fetal position drunk on the cart the only phone call made was to the Senior Manager (BTW another lesbian if that matters or is important). Instead of 911 services used there was only a private ambulance called therefore no record of the incident on police records. Said manager was hauled away and disappeared for 3 or 4 months. But she returned, anyone other than management would ever get that chance. She could have injured or killed someone being drunk in a belt/warehouse environment and even moving trucks. Sure wish management had our back the way they cover their own. Couriers are treated like crap even though they do the hardest work in the company.

 

[FedEx2000]

My guess is that she used the "I have a problem" trump card. Anyone can use that, as long as it's the first thing you say when confronted about the issue.....then FedEx is required to provide assistance (i.e. People Help) to assist the employee in getting better. I believe it's a one time deal though, can't use it over and over.

 

[MrFedEx]

My guess is that she used the "I have a problem" trump card. Anyone can use that, as long as it's the first thing you say when confronted about the issue.....then FedEx is required to provide assistance (i.e. People Help) to assist the employee in getting better. I believe it's a one time deal though, can't use it over and over.

Don't you have to say "I have a problem" before you commit a terminable offense? If I show-up drunk for work, do you really think I'd be able to say "I have a problem", and then go to treatment? That should also mean that I can get a DUI and then decide I need some help?