bad management?

[badnews]

Help, I am nearly at the end of my teather with my job. I am one of 5 sales managers in a telesales company. Each manager has a team of 7 staff. As managers our job is to "manage" staff also to motivate them. Our company does not have a HR department. I am having a problem with my team. We have a few breaks during the day and at the end of each break staff are expected to be at their desks, ready to make a phone call (headsets on etc) some of the staff come back slightly late from their breaks, (I am talking a minute or so or just getting back on time). My director expects them to be ready to make calls "just before" their breaks. end. I am getting in lots of trouble for some of my staff coming back slightly late or just on time and I dont know how to deal with it, I tell the staff they MUST be back and ready to make calls on time, but still some of them are late! My director expects me to be responsible if they are not back on time. Apart from physically finding them and rounding them up, how else can i deal with this?

[dove]

sorry didnt read the whole thread, sounded like a kids nursery rhyme,
one about going to st Ives with kittens wives an stuff lol

[WhiteBear]

sounds like badnews to me!! sack them all!

[badnews]

yeh I wish I could!! half of them go off and smoke a joint on their break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[puddicat]

Make decent comments here, cos this is a blatant example of british sweat shops!!!!

[badnews]

sorry but i dont get it?

[another-view]

I think the reference is to them having to be ready while they are still on their breaks. If their breaks are 15 minutes, then they should get 15 minutes not 14.

Good luck to them I say.

[badnews]

Sorry I get it now!! I really agree with that and I have said so to my director, however he says they should be ready and back on the phones at the right time!! He has now told me to fine them �20 each if they are late and I will also get the same fine!

[WhiteBear]

give them warnings! i worked in a call centre b4 and my teamleader were really strict. three warnings and youre out!

say i start at 9am, i need to log on to my fone by 8.58am and have the fone on ready by 8.59am!! to take calls.

[another-view]

If someone had fined me �20 for coming back on time after my break, I would tell every newspaper in the land.

[WhiteBear]

oh i remember if your late more than a minute they can dock your hourly rate!

[badnews]

So its not just my place that is strict then!! Is is illegal to fine them �20 each time they are late??

[logic]

If this is one of those firms that call you on your telephone uninvited to try to sell you something that you cant afford not to buy,

Then i think you should all be shot at dawn.

and then fined �20.00

[badnews]

thanks, but that doesnt help answer my problem!

[logic]

No , and you don't help my problem, when im sat on the bog when the phone rings and I have to run downstairs with trousers round my ankles, to hear some one asking when my home insurance is due,

You barstewards.

[WhiteBear]

u cant fine them �20 everytime they r late!! just imagine they r late everytime....afterbreak.. they would be in minus figures and start owing the company lol.

if the r temp staff (and paid by the hour) say if u r not back at your desk and logged on to your fone at the right time then u will dock their hourly rate etc..

[badnews]

Whitebear, I will have another meeting with my staff in the morning, I just wasnt sure whether the director was just being out of order or not, you know putting the pressure on me. Theres another twist here - the staff are all self employed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WhiteBear]

ermm i dunno? u just have to b more stricter with them dunno how if they r self-employed!

badnews very badnews.

[badnews]

yeh I know its a problem isnt it! It would be much easier if we had a HR department - but we don't, so there is no one to go for advice.