I need opinions from sups and union....

[westsideworma]

I do that for my employees as well. When it was 90s + hot/humid those few days I brought water in for them every one of those days. They all said thank you and seemingly appreciated it. I know I don't have to do that, but its 4 bucks for a case of water, its not big money, yet it took me doing that for a few days before the shift superiors wised up and did the same. I know I appreciated it when my supe brought stuff in for us back when I was an hourly. She didn't have to but she wanted to say thanks.

I'm running a preloader of the month thing too because the company is seemingly too cheap to do so. However my FT supe rewards them as well and we're working on getting the company to cover recognition instead of he and I doing it out of our own pockets. Last month we were unsurpassed in misload frequency and he bought them all iced coffees and dunkin donuts breakfast sandwiches.

I do it because this company seems to only focus on what you're doing wrong, but is blind to the many things you're doing well. It annoyed me as an hourly, and still does, but such is life at brown.

 

[kwed95]

Let me add something else to my post...

If I had an employee that was a super star type. I wouldn't burn them out. If it was a sorter, I would give them the option of sorting for a slow unloader or on a return door. Something that would be easier for them. Or if it was a loader I would let him do some easy jobs at the end of the day to increase his hours. I found by doing something as simple as this that when I needed the employees to "step up" and perform that they usually, if not always, did for me.

 

[Covemastah]

westside i hope they appreciate that and it's nice to see a sup hasn't forgotten where he came from!! this place has to cut cost but a good old attah boy would never kill them hand out a feww attah boys along with the water!! i allways found that better than a shrunken cold burger anyhow happy 4th enjoy your nite off ene feeder guy

 

[tieguy]

Sounds to me like your efforts aren't appreciated. That type of behavior is rude and you are being disrespected. I'm wondering why. I've known two types of supervisors to do what you do. There are the ones who are legitimately be generous. Then there are the ones that are trying to compensate for their inadequacies as a supervisor. Which one are you?

This post kinda rubbed me the wrong way but started making some sense after I thought about it. I have known sups that would try to buy success.

Even though you do not have a company card you can still fill out a non-amex employee expense account form and get reimbursed for your expenses.

I have found our employees to be generally apprecitive of recognition. The person or persons who are whining about what you buy are exceptions. Don't buy anything for awhile and tell em why.

We have done some pretty elaborate barbecues for safety accomplishments and ERI and anything else we could think of. You just have to plan it in the budget. And as a manager you have to be able to justify it. Sometimes reminding the finanace person that those injurys we saved this year could have cost us 10 times the cost of the barbecue.
I also like spontaneous recognition. Did pizza and wings on a friday the 13th to ward off the evil spirits one year.

 

[feeder53]

I do little things for my troops, like get bagels, or bring in bacon and eggs to have the mess hall cook up for them for all they have done for me and I get the same ole stuff too. Thats OK.....If they do not like it....don`t eat....I try and see that they get the awards they are due and they even complain about that....give them this one and they wanted that one..its human nature. I do what I can when I can and thats good enough for me.

 

[moreluck]

feeder.....I'll bet 95% of the people appreciate what you try to do. There are a$$holes in every group. They need to be ignored.

 

[moreluck]

When hubby was a div.mgr. he would get nice gifts for his center mgrs. After a couple years of really nice pens, brief cases or whatever, I said to him, "what about the wives? Don't they put up with a lot of crap at peak too?"

So the next year, we got them gift certificates for The Chart House (nice restaurant in Dana Point). I figure that way, both hubby & wife get to go out for a nice dinner when the season died down. Initially, these gifts were paid for by us. Later though, they went on an expense account.

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

Let me add something else to my post...

If I had an employee that was a super star type. I wouldn't burn them out. If it was a sorter, I would give them the option of sorting for a slow unloader or on a return door. Something that would be easier for them. Or if it was a loader I would let him do some easy jobs at the end of the day to increase his hours. I found by doing something as simple as this that when I needed the employees to "step up" and perform that they usually, if not always, did for me.

SO yourself and storm723 have both admitted to favortism toward certain employees. Asinine.

 

[Channahon]

Ok Im a Pt sup and I have 15 employees 6 ft and 9 pt. And since I started suping a year ago atleast once a month on Saturdays (most laxed no upper management) Ill buy donuts, coffee, gatorade something to say thanks for doing a good job for me. Well Im not doing it anymore, because whatever I bring isnt good enough, if its donuts its why dont we get pizza type whining. And I tell them thats money out of my pocket to do something for you, how many other sups buy things for their workers? none, but youre a sup you make more money blah blah blah.
So other sups do you buy things for youre hourlies? and do they have a constant wanting for more?
And Union workers, do your sups buy you things? and whats your opinion of people whining if they do?

For the employees who whine or complain, let them know they shouldn't feel compelled to take any donuts, pizza, or beverages if they don't appreciate your kind gestures once a month. All you owe your employees are respect and fairness and in turn you should receive the same.

I once had a driver request that his very pregnant center manager bring in cold bottled drinks during the summer heat. I told him to bring a water jug, use the ice machine in the hub and feel free to fill up on the water from the water fountains. Then asked if his wife was pregnant, would he have the same request.

Case closed.

 

[hseofpayne]

SO yourself and storm723 have both admitted to favortism toward certain employees. Asinine.

Asinine: Her face is a 3 but I'd give her asinine!

 

[drewed]

SO yourself and storm723 have both admitted to favortism toward certain employees. Asinine.

Its not favortism, its called management. Why should someone be punished for having drive and doing a good job, do you suggest the lazy employee get the slack jobs? HA

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I always appreciate the cooler of cold water/gatorade that our center manager will buy for us during our heat waves. He will occasionally spring for pizza/wings for when we get off the road and bagels/juice before we go on the road.

 

[drewed]

Like today, one of the preload belts broke down, so they had to run the volume of 2 belts down 1 and the splitter was busting his @ss; splitting the volume for his belt and pushing the volume for the other belt down rollers....I went to the vending machine got him a couple bottles of water walk back and handed it to and thanked him....My employees looked at me like I killed a dog

 

[PopCan]

You're the only sup in the building that does that, as far as I know...

If they complain, yeah, stop doing buying them stuff for a while.

 

[drewed]

You're the only sup in the building that does that, as far as I know...

If they complain, yeah, stop doing buying them stuff for a while.

what jr doesnt do that? lol
Yea i know, haha one of them brought it up today and i just walked away

 

[kwed95]

SO yourself and storm723 have both admitted to favortism toward certain employees. Asinine.

I will agree with drewed on this one. It's called managing your employees. Most UPSers become burned out because they do all these hard jobs and get no recognition. Most recognition programs have been cut...in our building the pre-load cut all of them. So why work hard? If you have an employee that does you need to treat him right or he won't work for you.

ANY employee I had that worked hard even for a day was given something in return whether it be for a whole day or just til break. In my 5 years there I can only think of 3 employees that never did anything "extra" for the area.

I would venture to say that you probably worked hard at one time or another but got nothing in return...not even a thanks for the hard work. And now this is your view.

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

Its not favortism, its called management. Why should someone be punished for having drive and doing a good job, do you suggest the lazy employee get the slack jobs? HA

If you run yourself into the gruond and do 200% the workload as an hourly, IMO you're punishing yourself. No manager EVER asked someone to run themselves into teh ground and work unsafely and kill themselves. You just said why should someone be punished for doing a good job, but did I say that anywhere? I never said anyone should be punished.

Thats called poor management. Some people work slower than others but give the same 100% effort. Of course only good managers realize this, the lesser ones or kids don't. It's favortism because you are giving breaks to people you like that you're friendly with rather than everyone who works to the best of their ability. If you have 5 guys that all work different speeds but still come in everyday and work hard, each one of them one day a week should have an "easier" day. But we all know that only 2 of them that suck managements you know what get 2/3 easy days instead of all 5.

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

I will agree with drewed on this one. It's called managing your employees. Most UPSers become burned out because they do all these hard jobs and get no recognition. Most recognition programs have been cut...in our building the pre-load cut all of them. So why work hard? If you have an employee that does you need to treat him right or he won't work for you.

ANY employee I had that worked hard even for a day was given something in return whether it be for a whole day or just til break. In my 5 years there I can only think of 3 employees that never did anything "extra" for the area.

I would venture to say that you probably worked hard at one time or another but got nothing in return...not even a thanks for the hard work. And now this is your view.

Always work hard, but don't always go above and beyond. Too many children supervising in the hub. No job experience, no management exp, no social exp...it's pretty brutal in some instances.

 

[hseofpayne]

Always work hard, but don't always go above and beyond. Too many children supervising in the hub. No job experience, no management exp, no social exp...it's pretty brutal in some instances.

Yep, and too many ole fogeys tryin' to do a young mans' job on the part time shifts!

 

[drewed]

Thats called poor management. Some people work slower than others but give the same 100% effort. Of course only good managers realize this, the lesser ones or kids don't. It's favortism because you are giving breaks to people you like that you're friendly with rather than everyone who works to the best of their ability. If you have 5 guys that all work different speeds but still come in everyday and work hard, each one of them one day a week should have an "easier" day. But we all know that only 2 of them that suck managements you know what get 2/3 easy days instead of all 5.

There are kinds of people in the world, those who cant, but try; those who can and do; those who cant and dont and those can, and dont. You can tell who are the 1s and 4s. A one will show up a early and ask questions and have the attitude of a 2 but not nessarilly the ability. A 3 or 4 on the other hand have a ho-hum attitude scraping in on the skin of their teeth just sort of bob around in the kiddie pool. I have employees in all categories, i work with all of them to improve their abilities but its unfair to load things onto the 1&2s because they are willing and eager over the 3&4s