Workplace Rant....What to do?? Kinda Long...Sorry
I'm with Rusty. I'd be lookin.
Bingo. It's not the end of the world, and you seem to have some time.
Getting between your immediate supervisor, and his boss, is never a good thing. Sure we've all heard the anecdotal stories of how the little guy got his supervisor fired and got his job.. Believe me, I've been a business owner for 20 years, and in corporate upper level management for 2+ years before that. Most of those stories are pure BS, and the rest are "well embellished".
When ever an issue between an employee and a supervisor was brought to my attention. I would personally interview each person, individually. Get them to clearly lay out their complaints, their actions, their opinions, and their thoughts for a solution. I'd also interview any some of the other individuals in both labor and management, to be sure that I communicated my goals clearly to the supervisors.
The vast majority of the time the issue was communication. Either; 1. the supervisor was not relaying the message in a manor that the employees understood, or; 2. the employee had some preconceived notion that was incorrect, or; 3. took personal offense to the changes in his workday either because he didn't understand the reason or was simply not easily adaptable to a change in routine, or standard operations.
If the issue was poor communication be the supervisor, I would normally tell the supervisor about it, and advise him on how to better communicate the new program or changes to the employees.
If the issue was bucking the system, for whatever reason, I would make it clear to the employee, that he needed to get past his preconceived notions, understand the reasons for the changes and how they were going to make the operation, his job, and our bottom line a little better, and if he was just resistant to the changes, for no good reason other than plain old stubbornness, he would be advised to get over it, or move on.
btw, the same options would be given to the supervisor if he was indeed the problem. As a Manager, or an owner, the last thing you want to do is fire an employee, who has been with you for a while. The company has an investment in that parson, and that person usually has a good understanding of how things work in his particular position. It's always better to find the issue, and correct it, rather than replace people, especially good people.
Unfortunately, in some cases, no matter how good the employee or the supervisor is, changes in policy or operations might require changes in personnel, too. Whether it's because on ability to change, a lack of desire to change, or just an incompatibility between personnel that are needed to work together for the sake of the company.
It's never a bad idea to have options, and, as many here know, it's much easier to find a job while you still have one, than to look for a job after you've quit or were let go, for whatever reason.
My advise: First, don't look at management, especially your supervisor in an adversarial light. You both work for the same company. It's not employees vs. management or "us and them". It's
"WE".
Learn all you can about the operation. Know it's pluses and it's minuses. Work on ways to enhance the pluses, and to eliminate the minuses. That won't happen over night, and it probably won't be the first idea that comes into your head.
If your supervisor's ideas aren't working, try to find out why, and discuss the short coming, and your solution with your supervisor. Believe, upper management will know where the ideas are coming from.
I have always had a philosophy regarding getting a job done, and it's proved out over the decades to be an excellent solution to most operational issues.
Have the employees do the work as designed for a predetermined period 30 days, 90 days, etc.). During that time monitor not only the production, but the changes in the way the job is done by the employee(s). Usually, over time, workers will develop a process that is more efficient, than the designed applications. There is a danger there, too, Employees also have a tendency to to streamline an operation beyond safety limits. The Supervisor, or manager's job is to recognize the changes the employee has made to the operation (streamlining) and institute the necessary safety measure for that operation. Usually between the two, production and safety show marked improvements.
So you do one of two things, You get on board, or you get out.
If you decide to get out, don't say anything to anyone in the company, even your best friend. Start looking for a job, maintain a high performance level in your work, and when it's time, give your employer notice. For an individual leaving a job it is customary to give an employer 2 weeks notice to allow them to hire a replacement.
Realize, too, that the employer has the right to refuse your notice and terminate your employ immediately. Most employers won't take that option unless there is a reason they no longer want you on the premises.
Good luck.
