Question

An employee who has been with the organization for over 10 years arrives every day on time at 9:00 a.m. The employee's team is scheduled to work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The employee returns from lunch 15 minutes after the other members of the team and ends the workday at 5:15 p.m. A new manager has recently taken over the department and notices this pattern of behavior. During an informal conversation, the manager mentions that the employee is taking extended lunches. The employee responds with, "What does it matter? I stay and make up the time."

After concluding the conversation, the manager decides to partner with the HR generalist, as the manager wishes to document the employee taking an extended lunch. The manager is concerned that the previous manager allowed the behavior. There are no notes that the employee has any accommodation. Additionally, the manager is concerned that the morale of the team is suffering because of this, as three team members have approached her about this since she took over two months ago. The new manager is also worried that if the issue is not addressed in a timely manner, she may lose the ability to effectively manage the team. The manager asks the HR generalist if HR can simply update the policy to allow the employees some flexibility in their hours.
After a discussion with the manager, which recommendation should the HR generalist provide?

A. Nothing; the employee has been allowed to do this for years.
B. Immediately document the behavior and issue a final warning.
C. Send an e-mail to the entire team that reaffirms attendance expectations.
D. Advise the manager to individually reset expectations with the employee in person.

Answer 1

The HR generalist should recommend that the manager individually reset expectations with the employee in person to address the issue of extended lunches.

Step-by-step explanation:

The HR generalist should recommend option D, which is to advise the manager to individually reset expectations with the employee in person.

This approach allows the manager to have a direct and private conversation with the employee to address the issue of extended lunches. By resetting expectations, the manager can clarify the organization's policies and the importance of adhering to scheduled working hours. This approach also gives the employee an opportunity to provide any necessary explanations or discuss any accommodations they might require.

It's important for the manager to address this issue promptly to ensure the morale of the team remains intact and to establish her effectiveness as a manager.