Harassment/ retaliation panel

[aintbleedinbrown]

I had a local level hearing for two grievances by a steward against myself for harassment and retaliation, both of which came directly after I terminated an employee for stealing time. The steward wouldn't let it go and as much as I tried to reason with him he just kept saying he wanted punishment. I had a lot of harassment grievances around four years ago when I came out of the marines because I was pretty set in my ways, had just finished a deployment a couple months before starting UPS and was still in the "battle" mindset. I saw the employees as more of my junior marines than anything else.

The union rep at the local hearing kept dangling my past discretions over my head and said I would basically lose at the "panel" and that's where the grievance hearing ended.

My question(s) are, what should I expect from a panel and what is a grievance panel anyways? This is pretty much my word against his. Will this ever actually get to a panel or what? FYI I'm a PT Sup. If you want anymore details PM me.

Thanks!


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[wilberforce15]

If you're a part-time sup and getting harrassment and retaliation grievances, you're probably taking your job way too seriously.

 

[aintbleedinbrown]

I would agree, it's just my nature :/


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[wilberforce15]

Well, maybe flip the issue a little bit. The most important thing a PT sup can do is not make his FT sup's life harder. You can then pour all the energy you want into not taking the job seriously, which will then keep you from causing him headaches How about that?

 

[aintbleedinbrown]

He's 10 months out from retirement, I run our boxline, not him. I make the decisions and when someone gets pissed I become the scape goat. My real question is, do I need to start looking for a new job or is this panel thing a little overrated given what the situation is?


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[aintbleedinbrown]

Besides, if I don't take my job seriously how can I ever expect to get my raises!?


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[Catatonic]

I had a local level hearing for two grievances by a steward against myself for harassment and retaliation, both of which came directly after I terminated an employee for stealing time. The steward wouldn't let it go and as much as I tried to reason with him he just kept saying he wanted punishment. I had a lot of harassment grievances around four years ago when I came out of the marines because I was pretty set in my ways, had just finished a deployment a couple months before starting UPS and was still in the "battle" mindset. I saw the employees as more of my junior marines than anything else.

The union rep at the local hearing kept dangling my past discretions over my head and said I would basically lose at the "panel" and that's where the grievance hearing ended.

My question(s) are, what should I expect from a panel and what is a grievance panel anyways? This is pretty much my word against his. Will this ever actually get to a panel or what? FYI I'm a PT Sup. If you want anymore details PM me.

Thanks!

It will probably never get to panel.
Harassment and retaliation grievances are gutless and never get traction or results unless your management does not like you.
The most that will happen is a promise that you get coaching on some type of "respecting others" buzzword.
Just learn from it and be honest with yourself whether it is true or not.

The guy you fired may have been a buddy of the steward.

 

[wilberforce15]

Don't make the decisions. The first step in any management decision is to make sure that no matter how the plan goes wrong (bad production, grievances, etc.) that you can pass the buck upwards. Running your area like you are actually the decision-maker is the best way to get in trouble. I cannot tell you how long it took me to realize this.

Do whatever you need to do - feign ignorance, say you need help/advice about how to do things. You won't get fired for incompetence; you get fired for doing something the manager can say he wouldn't have done. Don't give him that option. And occasionally it can make the FT managers happy or proud to take a guy under their wing and teach them. The fact that you don't see it that way never needs to come up.

With the hourlies, let all of the small and medium problems, and most of the big problems, slide. Playing hero puts you out on a limb all alone, and they will cut the limb off to please their superiors. Whatever the status quo is, maintain it.

Raises? The difference between a 1% raise and a 2% raise, or no raise, isn't enough to justify the headache and problems that come with being a hero. And they're more based on who goes to Denny's with the manager after the sort than actual competence anyway. Same with "promotions" (assuming you would actually want such a bad thing to happen to you).

There is a reason you're the scapegoat. Your attitude is completely right and any healthy management team would be happy to have it. UPS doesn't have any of those. Play the game as it is, and use the PT Sup gig for what it is: resume padding to get out of here.

 

[Catatonic]

Don't make the decisions. The first step in any management decision is to make sure that no matter how the plan goes wrong (bad production, grievances, etc.) that you can pass the buck upwards. Running your area like you are actually the decision-maker is the best way to get in trouble. I cannot tell you how long it took me to realize this.

Do whatever you need to do - feign ignorance, say you need help/advice about how to do things. You won't get fired for incompetence; you get fired for doing something the manager can say he wouldn't have done. Don't give him that option. And occasionally it can make the FT managers happy or proud to take a guy under their wing and teach them. The fact that you don't see it that way never needs to come up.

With the hourlies, let all of the small and medium problems, and most of the big problems, slide. Playing hero puts you out on a limb all alone, and they will cut the limb off to please their superiors. Whatever the status quo is, maintain it.

Raises? The difference between a 1% raise and a 2% raise, or no raise, isn't enough to justify the headache and problems that come with being a hero. And they're more based on who goes to Denny's with the manager after the sort than actual competence anyway. Same with "promotions" (assuming you would actually want such a bad thing to happen to you).

There is a reason you're the scapegoat. Your attitude is completely right and any healthy management team would be happy to have it. UPS doesn't have any of those. Play the game as it is, and use the PT Sup gig for what it is: resume padding to get out of here.

One of my common sayings comes to mind here, "The worse thing about being cynical is you are usually right."

 

[aintbleedinbrown]

I can't thank you guys enough for the words of wisdom, you're right though, the more "right" you try to do the more it seems to blow up in your face. I call UPS the brown military (not my own creation) with the exception that when you're buddy is down you help him back up. At UPS when your buddy goes down it seems that everyone just kicks them to keep him down.

My FT is old and crusty, he's been a great mentor to me and he is always preaching to just roll with the punches and chose my battles. I wanna fight them all because I just can't stand what people get away with at work.

We have a new manager that everyone's despises. I love him and I told him so. He makes people DO THEIR JOB. He's not nice about it but he's consistent.

I would assume that setting up a panel for 2 pretty "stupid" grievances would be costly and a complete pain in the ass. This particular steward is slated for feeders so I'm gonna assume he'll be gone sooner rather than later.

The employee WAS a friend of the stewards as well as another steward that told me he was gonna go out of his was to paint a target ion my back.


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[TxRoadDawg]

dont sweat the little stuff. your raise is solely determined by center manager preference with a nod from the dm. performance only counts when they figure how much more of other peoples responsibility they can stick on you before you break

 

[aintbleedinbrown]

Any other input on the panel issue? After a local hearing with center manager, steward and union rep is there anything after that or is it straight to the panel?


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[Jackburton]

UPS isn't the military, stop treating people like crap and maybe they'll, I know this sounds strange, work harder for you. You have had other employees file against you which is showing a trend. You sound like you're trying to force production on your employees, using belittlement and fear tatics, guess what, it only works on some, the others fight back.

Relax yourself, you're only a pt sup "managing" the flow of cardboard to meet numbers set on you by someone who would throw you under the bus first chance he gets.

 

[oldngray]

UPS isn't the military, stop treating people like crap and maybe they'll, I know this sounds strange, work harder for you. You have had other employees file against you which is showing a trend. You sound like you're trying to force production on your employees, using belittlement and fear tatics, guess what, it only works on some, the others fight back.

Relax yourself, you're only a pt sup "managing" the flow of cardboard to meet numbers set on you by someone who would throw you under the bus first chance he gets.

Military treats its people better than UPS does. Except maybe for boot camp but the high stress there is to break those bad civilian habits.

 

[oldbrownguy]

aintbleeding, after 35 years I have some advice for you, and you can take it or leave it. I'm sure you had good and bad leaders in the USMC. It's the same here. You will have good and bad managers. Over time you will develop your own management style. I only recommend that you treat people as you would want to be treated. Union folks know who the goof offs are and who the good workers are. If a goof off deserves to be disciplined and you do it, his co-workers will respect you for doing it. just be consistent and don't show favoritism. Also, take what you like from the managers you work for and develop your own style. At the end of the day, you have a job to do and you don't have to be an a hole to do it. You get more with honey than you do with vinegar. But, if someone screws you, then its game on! And, thank you for your service. And, don't worry about the financial piece of it. You will get what you have coming to you. Take care man,

 

[Dragon]

Don't make the decisions. The first step in any management decision is to make sure that no matter how the plan goes wrong (bad production, grievances, etc.) that you can pass the buck upwards. Running your area like you are actually the decision-maker is the best way to get in trouble. I cannot tell you how long it took me to realize this.

Do whatever you need to do - feign ignorance, say you need help/advice about how to do things. You won't get fired for incompetence; you get fired for doing something the manager can say he wouldn't have done. Don't give him that option. And occasionally it can make the FT managers happy or proud to take a guy under their wing and teach them. The fact that you don't see it that way never needs to come up.

With the hourlies, let all of the small and medium problems, and most of the big problems, slide. Playing hero puts you out on a limb all alone, and they will cut the limb off to please their superiors. Whatever the status quo is, maintain it.

Raises? The difference between a 1% raise and a 2% raise, or no raise, isn't enough to justify the headache and problems that come with being a hero. And they're more based on who goes to Denny's with the manager after the sort than actual competence anyway. Same with "promotions" (assuming you would actually want such a bad thing to happen to you).

There is a reason you're the scapegoat. Your attitude is completely right and any healthy management team would be happy to have it. UPS doesn't have any of those. Play the game as it is, and use the PT Sup gig for what it is: resume padding to get out of here.

First don't listen to this guy...he really is a scapegoat.

 

[Dragon]

It will probably never get to panel.
Harassment and retaliation grievances are gutless and never get traction or results unless your management does not like you.
The most that will happen is a promise that you get coaching on some type of "respecting others" buzzword.
Just learn from it and be honest with yourself whether it is true or not.

The guy you fired may have been a buddy of the steward.

This is the best advice period.

 

[jumpman23]

He's 10 months out from retirement, I run our boxline, not him. I make the decisions and when someone gets pissed I become the scape goat. My real question is, do I need to start looking for a new job or is this panel thing a little overrated given what the situation is?


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First thank you for serving our country and all that the men and women of the military do to protect our country. You probably have a super strong work ethic like myself. I cant stand to sit and see everything done incorrectly. Bugs the piss out of me. With that being said 1 man cant stop the ship from sinking, just remember that. If your in management or any other position at UNITED PARCEL SLAVES, they will never give you the tools or resources to be successful at the job as you want to be. They have hatred in their heart and don't want to see people be successful, that would mean happiness and that's a big no no here. After a while you learn to just not care because if they don't care I don't care. All I care about is how I do my job and I will try n do it to the best of my ability for myself because I have pride in my work ethic, and for my own satisfaction of what im trying to accomplish for myself in whatever im doing whether it be work or anything in my personal life.

 

[burrheadd]

First thank you for serving our country and all that the men and women of the military do to protect our country. You probably have a super strong work ethic like myself. I cant stand to sit and see everything done incorrectly. Bugs the piss out of me. With that being said 1 man cant stop the ship from sinking, just remember that. If your in management or any other position at UNITED PARCEL SLAVES, they will never give you the tools or resources to be successful at the job as you want to be. They have hatred in their heart and don't want to see people be successful, that would mean happiness and that's a big no no here. After a while you learn to just not care because if they don't care I don't care. All I care about is how I do my job and I will try n do it to the best of my ability for myself because I have pride in my work ethic, and for my own satisfaction of what im trying to accomplish for myself in whatever im doing whether it be work or anything in my personal life.

Is your arm sore from patting yourself
on the back lol


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[jumpman23]

Nope not all, just stating the facts, that's all.