Monitoring at work

Raksha

If an employer starts quoting facts and figures at you about your alleged wrong doings is this monitoring?

Are they supposed to advise you that your actions are being monitored?

jdturk

You need to explain a bit more please

maysmummy

Yes, they are.
It's not the law, but in any tribunal, they would be expected to have discussed any difficulties with you first. If subsequently to the first meeting, there were still difficulties then they should let you know that they are minitoring you between the meeting dates, eg for one month.

terra_ferma

You don't give enough information, but to me it sounds like it would depend on how they have obtained the facts and figures, if they would have to monitor you individually, and proactively as opposed to obtain performance figures readily available, or facts reported by other people (e.g. letting you know they have received complaints).

Employers are entitled to monitor your performance, as a matter of course, without having to give you any special warnings. Only if they monitor personal data such as phone calls, or use CCTV they may need to inform you.
For info See: http://www.iod.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/GBP/IODContentManager-Start?ChannelID=8&MenuID=338&TemplateName=information%2Fcontent%2Femployment%2Finfo_employment_hot_topic_monitoring_staff.isml

Expressing concerns about your performance should be covered by a capability or disciplinary procedure. I agree with mummy about following good practice.

olly300

terra_ferma wrote: »

You don't give enough information, but to me it sounds like it would depend on how they have obtained the facts and figures, if they would have to monitor you individually, and proactively as opposed to obtain performance figures readily available, or facts reported by other people (e.g. letting you know they have received complaints).

They need to be very careful about saying that they have received complaints as the complaints need to be specific.

They don't need to tell you necessarily exactly who the complaints have come from but if the comments about the complaints are vague then they could be setting themselves up for a entire lot of trouble.

Oh and it's normal for employers to remind you that you have been late x days in a row or that you taken too long on your breaks.

However IMHO a good manager would talk to you the first time you did it to:
1. Remind you of your responsibilities as an employee
2. See if there is a specific problem causing the lateness/extended breaks
3. Remind you that you are being watched.

Raksha

Thanks folks.

On Friday I was told to watch my time keeping - it had been noticed that I was late (up to 5 mins) in the mornings.

I wrote an email saying that yes, I agreed I wasn't always at my desk ready to start, but I felt it should be taken into account that I rarely left my desk at my allotted finish time. I had been under the impression, as nothing had been said about it before, that it was a two way thing and if didn't finish on time, then it was OK to be a little late in in the morning. If he was prepared to 'give and take' on my start time, then I was prepared to give and take on my finish time. I do have a 'time off in lieu' arrangement, but up until now have been only recording amounts over 10 mins. I will now be recording all excess time.

This afternoon I was called into a meeting and given several examples/dates of where I have been late (no mention of times when I had remained behind to finish a task). Not being aware that these things were being noted, I couldn't respond in my defence (ie explain that the day before I'd worked 10 mins more but not booked it)

The whole meeting was rather unpleasant, and ended up with me in tears (seems to be a frequent ocurance after my review meetings these days )

olly300

Raksha wrote: »

Thanks folks.

On Friday I was told to watch my time keeping - it had been noticed that I was late (up to 5 mins) in the mornings.

Are you customer facing? Do they have another specific reason why you have to be in exactly on the dot? Do you have specific reason why you are late i.e. dropping off children at school?

If not, then start looking for another job and ask at interview general chitchat questions on the working environment i.e what hours people work.

Raksha

olly300 wrote: »

Are you customer facing? Do they have another specific reason why you have to be in exactly on the dot? Do you have specific reason why you are late i.e. dropping off children at school?

If not, then start looking for another job and ask at interview general chitchat questions on the working environment i.e what hours people work.

No, I'm not customer facing. The reason given is that I do answer incoming phone calls, the phone system splits them between me and the 3rd member of staff according to which number the caller presses. There aren't generally more than 10 calls to my number a day.

I try and get in on time, try and leave home at the same time every day, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It's a min 10 minute journey and I try and leave 15 mins before I'm due to start work.

[Deleted User]

You have a 10 minute journey to work and you are late? Blimey. I just spent nearly 2 hours trying to fight through the rush hour in London, taking 2 different buses, a tube and the train.

If you live that close to work you shouldn't ever be late.

teabelly

Start leaving 20 minutes before your start time. Then leave precisely on time each day. Will cause less bother :-) Clearly they're only interested in what time you start not what time you finish.

lemontart

if you are late then your co-workers have to cover you whilst you are not there, 5 minutes a or a day mounts up over time, so you are often at your desk after time - why ? are you stuck on a call, playing catch up on work? If you are contracted to start work at a certain time then you are supposed to be at your desk and ready to start at that time. and show consideration for your co-workers and respect for your employers in doing so.