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Ten Critical Mistakes Made by Federal Employees in Trouble

Supervisors

Asset Manager
GSA
Thu Dec 13, 2007 8:21 AM

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As a one-time EEO Counselor for the Agency - the 10 mistakes enumerated here are absolutely on the mark.

However, there are Government Managers and Supervisors who are completely unfit to be in that position, they play favorites, they tell outright lies, and make assumptions on second and third hand information. They supervise by intimation.

How about the 10 most mistakes that supervisors and managers make concerning employees.

Re: Supervisors

Customer Service
VA
Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:12 AM
Oh my goodness, somebody (Asset Manager GSA) actually hit the nail on the head with this one! WOW! This is so very, very true, and disappointing for employees who have to deal with ineffective leaders. Where is the justice in that.

Re: Supervisors

DHS Employee
USCIS
Thu Dec 13, 2007 5:30 PM
I've seen one supervisor who physically attacked an employee. She was investigated and demoted, but not fired. The assaulted employee didn't file criminal charges. There are bad supervisors out there. However, most supervisors are good. That was only one "rogue" supervisor out of many.

Re: Supervisors

Support
HEALTH CARE
Fri Dec 14, 2007 2:06 PM
One always thinks the quality of their work will carry them in the workplace. Not! If a supervisor doesn't like you and lacks integrity, they can ruin you. Everyone is inclined to believe the supervisor's lies because they are a supervisor and their peers find it more difficult to believe the supervisor is a liar than the subordinate is trying to cover up. I have had a supervisor who would lie and look me in my face. I was up the river without a paddle and the union was worthless. I was totally afraid.

If they would only listen

LER Manager
VA
Thu Dec 13, 2007 8:56 AM

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Bob,

Good article. Problem is this may fall on deaf ears! As a former union rep, I can understand and agree with #6. Too many times I have been in meeting in which the union representative was representing THEIR own interests, not the employees.

Re: If they would only listen

Support
HEALTH CARE
Wed Dec 19, 2007 1:13 PM
In my last union grievance, the steward was in a GS5 position hoping for an upgrade. He wouldn't stand up for me because the people we were discussing it with were the same ones he might want to hire him at some point. From that experience I learned to get a steward with nothing to gain from your conflict. (That steward later applied for the job I left.)

Critical Mistake #1

Former HR Specialist
Federal Agency
Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:06 AM

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The most Critical Mistake that I ever saw, which I saw several times, was continuing to use drugs and/or alcohol as a way to deal with the problems at work. As a recovering alcoholic myself, I saw this from both sides. I ended up in a job I hated so much that I got sober, and I haven't looked back except to go and make amends to those that I put through hell.

Re: Critical Mistake #1

Reformed Conservative
DFAS
Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:30 AM
"This job is driving me to NOT drink!"

Congratulations on your sobriety, Former HR Specialist, and may the Lord make his light shine upon you, and be gracious to you.

Re: Critical Mistake #1

Anonymous
Army
Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:31 PM
Glad to see another fed in recovery. I didnt hate my job, but I did get sober immediately after my first fed job.

Good points!

ER Specialist
DOD
Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:50 AM

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Bob, you are right on the money with the information. Unfortunately, most of the people who would benefit from reading and really comprehending this information are not likely to believe you. I deal with employees day in and day out who are SURPRISED when we discipline them for not calling or not showing up for work, for telling their supervisors to go "F" themselves, taking government property that does not belong to them, being rude to customers both internal and external and other myriad misconduct. I say all the time that while the names and faces change, the behavior does not. There is always one or two people who just don't seem to think like the rest of us. They have two sets of rules, rules for themselves and rules for everybody else. A lot of times, the employee has a LOOOOONG history of misbehaving but nothing has ever been done about their conduct. Probably their parents didn't discipline them and let them get away with being rude, argumentative, lazy and dishonest.

Re: Good points!

Retired Supervisor
Department of the Army
Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:42 AM
Allow me to address the point of "a LOOOOONG history of misbehaving but nothing has ever been done about their conduct". Very, very true, but there are a couple reasons why that happens. First is the EEO system. After years of being told that you were discriminating against the poor gentleman who craws through the office door late and drunk, supervisors tend to throw up their hands and give up. Second is the military system itself. Military commanders want to come in, make a splash for a couple years, and then get out of town before things get hot. A big part of that script is to give bad performers whatever they want in order to avoid Union and EEO problems. I've seen departing commanders settle EVERY EEO complaint regardless of merit just so they could get out of town without the complaints following them. The system stacks the cards against supervisors, particularly in DOD, and THAT is a big reason why contractors get our jobs.

Re: Good points!

LER Manager
VA
Thu Dec 13, 2007 1:29 PM
Then the supervisor has nothing to complain about if they are unwilling to take action.

too slanted

attorney
retired agency counsel
Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:56 AM

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Good article, especially given the limitations of its length. I would only add that if you've been with the government for a sort time, best thing to do is quit before charges are brought, and look for someone you worked with to give you a letter of recommendation. If you are trying to stick around long enough to get your pension, that is worth fighting for, and your best bet is to hire a lawyer who does nothing but federal employee cases. Agency counsel are often intimidated by such attorneys, and being up against a good opposing counsel means alot more work, which they are often not inclined to do. Also, the idea of losing and being blamed for it can lead to agency counsel urging their client to settle, usually by offering a last chance agreement. Practice tip: try to find out which private attorney most recently won for their client at the facility you work at, and hire that attorney even before charges are brought.

As for #3...

Fed
DoD
Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:05 AM

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sometimes it IS discrimination, on some basis. But this is where feds need to know: (1) what constitutes discrimination (2) what warrants a grievance, ULP, etc and (3) what their union can do about it and hold them accountable.

Doing any or all of the above usually means having a "baptism by fire," as I have. But I've survived, despite some really arrogant and ignorant supvrs. As a union steward/officer, I've also imparted those "hard knocks" to others.

As for #6--you've got to go THROUGH the system to BEAT the system. This does NOT mean filing frivolous charges, and I never represent anyone who lies to me. You must have valid grounds for any appeal avenue, keep good records, and have a rep who knows their stuff. It helps if YOU know your stuff too.

And there are lots of ways to win. If you don't get exactly what you asked for, but some change has been effected, that's YOUR victory. (My bad boss left, so I won.)

Just as there are bad workers, there are bad supvrs...

small but confusing errors

ordinary worker
dod
Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:21 AM

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great article, but you made a couple of mistakes that may confuse people. You wrote "Critical Mistake #6 – Engage a Representative with No Interests Other Than Yours" --- wouldn't it be a mistake to engage a rep who DOES have interests other than yours? Also, in Smart Move #10, you wrote "It is really difficult to be subjective about your own mistakes..." but I'm sure you meant that it is really difficult to be OBJECTIVE about your own mistakes.

Re: small but confusing errors

editor
FedSmith.com
Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:48 AM
The grammatical errors have been corrected. Thanks!
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