Advice for review with bad attitude employee

truthseeker said:

How is work paying for a meal tax evasion?

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Because it is an under-the-counter payment to an employee for a non-business related expense.

truthseeker said:

Most internet monitoring software reports on a number of metrics, time browser is open, time browser window is active, number of web pages visited, etc... Its usually pretty easy to see from the browser history whether or not someone is taking the proverbial.

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I've never seen any software that can accurately measure browser window activity. How do even define browser window activity? If the employee has a 'weather forecast' gadget on their desktop that updates the weather every 15 minutes, is that an active browser? Of if the employee resizes the windows on screen so that the browser window is visible, but not the currently active window, is that considered active time?

truthseeker said:

Although many employees are experts in avoiding detection, using a different browser, browsing through a proxy server etc... I have never found automated software monitoring to be the best fits all solution.

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Fully agree - it can turn into a bit of a cat-and-mouse game. Good visible management is really the best solution.

I'm getting a trifle annoyed looking at this subject. It is a simple basic situation and here we are talking about Dis, Dat and t'other. Let's assume the employee is a constant malingerer and just punches in the time as a total waster. A manager should button-hole the employee and sort out the situation pronto by means of a short effective chat. It is that simple.

If the manager approaches the issue with the assumption that "employee is a constant malingerer and just punches in the time as a total waster", the manager is likely to make the situation worse, not better.

Complainer said:

Because it is an under-the-counter payment to an employee for a non-business related expense.

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This is rubbish. Many companies have expense accounts specifically used for things like meals out for employees. How is it under the counter?

truthseeker said:

This is rubbish. Many companies have expense accounts specifically used for things like meals out for employees. How is it under the counter?

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Because it is a non-business related expense. Where a company is allowing employees to expense not business related expenses, such as a meal out that has nothing to do with the business, as the OP has mentioned, then this is an under-the-counter payment - unless of course it is declared as a BIK to the employee, and NOT declared as a business expense. But in the context of a benefit for employees, as the OP has mentioned, it is an under-the-counter payment for a non-business related expense.

Businesses cannot choose to put money in the hands of employees without paying tax on it.

Complainer said:

Because it is a non-business related expense. Where a company is allowing employees to expense not business related expenses, such as a meal out that has nothing to do with the business, as the OP has mentioned, then this is an under-the-counter payment - unless of course it is declared as a BIK to the employee, and NOT declared as a business expense. But in the context of a benefit for employees, as the OP has mentioned, it is an under-the-counter payment for a non-business related expense.

Businesses cannot choose to put money in the hands of employees without paying tax on it.

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Agreed.

Only getting a chance to check in again now, I dont know where to begin on the replies.

Just as I think of them....

I am only the manager in the company, the MD has made reference to his attitude but not much else as he only pops in and out.

I had very specific points to discuss with my colleague but was asking here for advice only relating to attitude as its hard to measure and one persons idea of a bad attitude vs anothers may differ. I didnt want to say anything out of line on that one.

There is no Internet policy in place which I need to sort out asap. No HR dept or person, I get to do that too! I have sent emails to everyone about personal Internet being used only at lunchtime, dont think that counts though?

We're a relatively new and very busy company so at bonus time last year we discussed how he hadnt been there a year yet and performance needed to be reviewed and improved and that half a bonus would be provided.

The Internet monitoring package was in place for a month and gave details of what websites were hit so I could see for instance how many times facebook, twitter, paddy power etc were hit and browse times.

I cant recall who asked but I can assure I'm telling the truth... I'm probably the worse eejit for caring but I do like my job, everyone else in there does too and I didnt want the attitude and performance of one to bring others down.

We've had the review and he agreed that he has had a grumpy attitude and that he could do more and I'm happy to say so far there has been a remarkable difference which has been commented on by a few others including MD. Long may it last!

Regarding the odd meal covered by work...of course we pay BIK....!!!

Thanks to those for positive feedback and some worthwhile suggestions that I need to consider asap.

Fair play remey, sounds like a nice work atmosphere you have there and glad things have improved with this employee.

On relation to the BIK thing, as the teenagers would say, yeah righ. What would be the point of paying for a meal, and paying for the BIK? The company would be taking a whole administration workload for no benefit. And if the company is treating the payment as a taxable expense when calculating its own corporate profits, it is still a tax fraud. You'd be far better off availing of the 'small gifts exemption' (not sure if that's the right term) that allows you to give a gift token or similar under a modest threshold (€250 I think).

On the review, it sounds like you got a great outcome. It is indeed hard to measure and manage attitude, but it appears that you handled it well and got a good response from the employee. Well done.

Let's call a spade a spade...the guy is taking the p**s in this day and age. It's fair enough him starting and leaving on time, taking his lunch hour etc. Not a lot you can do about that...but the internet usage, the language, the lonely file on the in-tray.

You sound like a guy who's too nice for boss material, it may be a management style that works with a motivated workforce but you have a situation to tackle here.

I'd start the review with asking him what specifically he's doing well at and what he could improve. Sit it out, ride out the silences and let him fill the gaps to answer both sides of the question.

Then hit him with specifics as in "why are you on facebook, twitter, paddy power during working time?" produce printouts of it all so avoid argument. If he's not at his computer during lunchtime and gone at 5.01 then he has no excuse for that. Tell him you've heard the language he uses and that it's not appropriate for the workplace. Tell him you've seen him ignore phone calls he could have promptly answered and ask why and wait for the answer?

As regards the everpresent file on his in-tray....don't hesitate to add to it with a deadline attached.

Then don't reward him with a bonus! Man up!!