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.
If the employee agrees to follow the policy, which recommended action should the HR generalist suggest to the manager?

A. Reiterate to the employee that if the employee does not follow the policy going forward, there will be documentation.
B. Nothing. The employee has stated that he knows the policy and will follow it.
C. Note the date and time the employee agrees to the policy and send a recap e-mail to the employee regarding his acknowledgment and the expectations.
D. Inform the three employees that have been complaining about this particular employee that the issue is resolved and that they don't have to worry about it.

Answer 1

The HR generalist should suggest option C, which is to note the date and time the employee agrees to the policy and send a recap e-mail to the employee. This ensures clear documentation of the agreement.

Step-by-step explanation:

The HR generalist should suggest option C. Note the date and time the employee agrees to the policy and send a recap e-mail to the employee regarding his acknowledgment and the expectations. This action is recommended because it ensures that there is a clear record of the employee's agreement to follow the policy. By sending a recap e-mail, both the employee and the manager have written documentation of the agreement, which can be used for future reference if needed. Additionally, this action shows the employee that his compliance with the policy will be monitored and documented. This can help reinforce the manager's expectations and potentially discourage the employee from continuing to take extended lunches.