What would you do? Employee’s ‘funny’ e-mails get out of control
January 16, 2009 by Jim GiulianoPosted in: Behavior, Communication, Complaint investigation, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, What would you do?
Periodically, we ask three HR managers how they’d handle a difficult situation at work. This employee’s a good performer, but addicted to joke e-mails.
The scenario:
“This is exactly what we’re talking about,” HR manager Michelle Mero pointed at her computer monitor. “Eleven e-mails just today from Jim Conners.”
Conners’ supervisor Carol Richards nodded in frustration: “I know what you mean, Michelle. I got them, too. Everyone in the company did.”
” It’s out of hand,” Michelle said while looking at the screen. “Look – here comes another one.” Michelle and Carol studied the latest e-mail. Subject line: “This is really funny!”
He’s been warned
“These so-called jokes Jim sends out are starting to drive everyone crazy,” Michelle said. “I mean, some of them are kind of funny, but I think everyone agrees we could live without them. And I don’t mean to be hard-nosed about this, but frankly they have no place in a business atmosphere.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more, Michelle,” Carol sighed. “I’ve talked to Jim about it four or five times.”
“And …” Michelle prodded.
“Jim says he always gets his work done on time and that people around here like getting the e-mails, that it keeps things ‘light,’” she explained.
“What he says about getting his work done is true, Michelle, but I can tell you I’ve taken a pretty hard line on this with Jim, and he still keeps sending the e-mails. It seems crazy to actually fire someone over something like this.”
“We have to do something,” Michelle said.
“I’m open to suggestions,” Carol replied.
If you were Michelle, what would you recommend to Carol?
Elaine Clark, program manager, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
What Elaine would do: If you’ve decided that you’d really rather not terminate him over the issue, you could have your IT head talk to him and explain that he’s causing a problem with your technical resources, as well as with other employees. The conversation could go something like:
“Imagine if every employee decided to do what you’re doing.”
Reason: He seems to think that what he’s doing is harmless, maybe even helpful to the company, when obviously it’s not. Giving him the IT manager’s side of the story might wake him up and convince him to stop.
John Latino, HR manager, Bellmawr, NJ
What John would do: It sounds as if he’s a somewhat valued, reliable employee, but you have to wonder about someone who doesn’t realize the problem he’s causing. With that in mind, I’d take a hard line: Stop sending non-business e-mails or face the consequences, including the possibility of termination.
Reason: He’s a distraction, and he’s using bad judgment. That’s two strikes against him. It seems you have to take some firm action on this.
Carol Nichols, HR manager, Indialantic, FL
What Carol would do: I’m not up on all the technical aspects of this, but maybe there’s a way you could suspend his e-mail for a while, as a way to discipline him and let him know that the problem is serious, or at least make the threat to do that. I suppose that’s something you’d have to talk to your IT manager about.
Reason: He needs to understand that what he’s doing isn’t acceptable, and other employees need to know that you’re doing something about it, too.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:03 am
The Human Resources Manager only need tell the employee to stop. That’s all. It’s pretty simple really. Secondly, every employee handbook must have a policy dealing with use of the company’s I/T resources. Use of the email system for things unrelated to work would certainly fall within this policy. But the simple thing is or the HR Manager to just tell the employee to stop.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Write him up.
If verbals aren’t working — you have to go to the written — and focus on the detrimental issues: Drain on IT resources, Risk of Viruses, Wasting other associate’s time, Potential for harrassment, Violation of policy etc
In today’s EFCA-impending culture — allowing him to send non-work emails puts you at risk for setting a precidence in allowing non-work emails and could therefore put you at risk for pro-union communications in the future.
I would take a hard line.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:23 am
This is a problem that should be addressed with a corporate policy on the use of company equipment, software and mail. Doing nothing says it is permissible by company standards to send “joke” emails and puts the company at risk. It is obviously a problem with the volume of emails and the answer that he is getting his work done clearly points to the need to give him more work to do.
Another thing to consider is what about the one person who is offended by the funny jokes. Would you allow a poor performer to be doing the same thing?
January 19th, 2009 at 11:16 am
The answer is obvious. Make it formal. Put the employee in charge of daily staff moral. Assign him the task of compiling a daily list of jokes, which he must email to all employees (using a simple mailing list) once each morning. Instead of dozens of emails to everyone all day, he will just send one email with all the jokes he’s gathered from the previous day. At worst, you’ve minimized the problem and, at best, turned his hobby into labor (he may want to stop once it becomes work). If he shows signs of tiring of the task, offer to let him drop the whole idea.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:47 am
“…focus on the detrimental issues: Drain on IT resources, Risk of Viruses, Wasting other associate’s time, Potential for harrassment, Violation of policy etc”
Gina hit the nail on the head. I started sending one positive, non-religious, affirmation per day to all office personel, and I was asked to stop by my supervisor, the HR Director, even though mnay people enjoyed them. The main reasons were 1) they were not work related (policy violation), and 2) the potential for harrassment. I only needed to be told once.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Write him up if its such a distraction.
However…
I like what Don said above – in giving him a role as “company mirth-maker”. Maybe you could put a spot on the intranet site or company newsletter where he can post his jokes without wasting emails. Problem is if you adopt a hardline tactic with him the company is going to look bad (no sense of humor) but yet if you let it go unchecked it can spiral out of control.
Bigger question is this…have we lost the capacity to laugh at work anymore? Have we become too PC?
January 19th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
This is not a complicated problem. The EE needs to be told he is distracting others from getting their work done and as such he must stop inundating peoples e-mail in box with non-essential mail. Tell him this is a verbal warning but a copy of the discussion will be placed in his file. If the problem persist give him a written warning and advise him the next violation of insubordination will result in unpaid suspension followed by termination.
Everyone enjoys a joke at work. It’s good for moral however, when it gets out of control productivity drops and others with similair desires to share a smile or two will begin to send jokes as well. With all the stuff online its possible to attract a virus that could threaten the security of the operation, slow down computer functions, destroy document files etc. It’s best to put an end to it.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I agree with Scott, Allowing this to continue will only tell everyone that the company does NOT adhere to policy and others may follow and what risk of liablity it is imposing the company.
Option 1. Creative solution that will benefit company
First explain to him the liability ramifications of the company in dollars if sued for any of his jokes that come to offend any coworkers and that is the reason for great concern if this continues and why policy is in place & then repeat this to him again. Policies are in place to protect him and others that allow a comfortable work place for EVERYONE! Annoyance for those that dont want them and distraction from productivity for those that read them immediately as they come in their email box.
He may be willing to continue to do this in a way that is acceptable to the company or come up with another means of lightening up the office tension without the risks or constant distraction, as well. He apparently has the motivation and drive to do this, he should have no problem with it.
For those who are needing the uplift or are addicted to his jokes will be allowed a controlled medium to post the “Joke of the Day or Week” or even a funny or interesting Tidbit that is associated with the industry that most can relate to on a employers annoucement board or intranet site for employees to come to if they want to. Place the responsibility in his hands to find such material and posting approved thru HR or Legal Dept .
Pro: Allow a creative solution to a potential problem , shows employees the flexibility the company has to resolve an issue thus allowing uplifting moral
Con: HR of Legals time will be spent approving such postings (weekly or daily)
Option 2. Monitor emails
Enforcement of policy:
Have his emails monitored or placed into I/T to review prior to sending to or sending from him to insure he is not to continue distracting employees or allowing harassment risk in workplace. If he knows that his personal or non-company associated emails will be deleted, he would be forced to stop.
Pro: emails will stop immediately
Con: He may retaliate and share his resentment to other coworkers risking moral
January 20th, 2009 at 10:23 am
If he’s been told to stop and he doesn’t stop, that’s insubordination. The decision about whether or not he should be using company resources and time (his and others) for this isn’t his to make. If it’s no problem for this company’s managment, fine. If is it a problem, for whatever reason – even if that reason is that the managers have no sense of humor – and he doesn’t stop when told to, then he should go into the disciplinary process. Or, I suppose, wait until he sends that one offensive e-mail that generates a lawsuit.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:28 am
You people are being absolutely ridiculous! My goodness…why don’t you chop off his fingers! Where are you people working that if you read a joke email, your productivity drops? Do you have the mental capacity of a mosquito? Ever hear of multi-tasking? Ever hear of the delete button? Sounds like you people have too much time on your hands…and not enought to do at work.
Silly busy-bodies…this is an IT issue at best.
January 27th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
This person needs more work to do that advances the companies mission. Finding work that motivates others in the work place to do more might be a good start. We all have a responsibility to re-establish work ethics in America.
July 7th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
When I started my job, two things happened:
(1) my boss told me all our e-mails were monitored.
(2) I immediately got an e-mail joke from a new co-worker in a different department with the comment she was glad she had someone new to send her jokes to.
I had to ask her not to send them to me due to #1. She has never forgotten it, but who needs friends like that.
October 29th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
I think this is likely a non issue if he gets all his work done but if it bothers you explain to him that you understand that boosting moral is helpful and a little levity can’t hurt but that 13 emails a day is excessive and that you are monitoring them… Tell him that he may send 2 or 3 a day and you don’t have a problem with it but let him know that if he sends an unreasonable number you will be forced to impliment a policy against that kind of thing which hurts everyone. Also let him know that he is an adult and you should NOT have to explain or deliniate reasonable.