lazy staff?

[RedDragon]

Tomorrow I am going to have to bring in a member of staff who is continuingly not acting as a team player, leaving others to tidy up, sits in book corner all morning reading stories(lovely, but not all morning)not bringing in play dough when its her turn, observations not submitted on time.My question is how to approach it, as have not had to do this before.I was going to call her in and ask her if anything is wrong as since September she has not seemed engaged in her position...sound ok?

[lashes2508]

Can I ask do you do regular supervision meetings with staff as this does help highlight any working issues , sometimes it is easier to address all staff , I do this in the morning we call it our 5 to talk through where myself and the team highlight any concerns etc

Regarding the play dough issue , why not make it with the children in session time , ours love to make it and is a great activity , the children get to choose the colour . Some staff do feel that doing stuff at home is a bit of a chore especially if unpaid, fortunately we discuss any extra duties on recruitment.

 

Maybe approach it very informal as suggested , asking if all is ok and if there is anything you can do to support them but at the same time emphasising the need to be a team player. Don't forget some praise as well as making your expectations clear , job description ?

 

Hope that's of some help.

[lashes2508]

Forgot to say we have a 2 weekly staff rota so that all staff know what they are doing that day ie toilets, outside, cupboard, floors and carpets, kitchen/ snack that can really help .

[Fredbear]

Hi we make the playdough with our children too.

In July we will go through our roles and responsibilities file for the next academic year.

There are certain roles that for obvious reasons have to be completed by the persons qualified to do so.

Other items such as shopper, doing the washing, changing books at the library, ict, creative trolley, art screens, purchasing birthday cards, role play resources are shared out amongst us all.

I would certainly have a supervision meeting with them, look at the positives and then discuss any issues that might need some support, or change and a timescale for achievement.

This open dialogue may help for them to share any other concerns, worries etc.

[finleysmaid]

well sandollar after a hard day at work my inclination is to say why are you letting this happen???? if she sits on the sofa give her another job...if she's late with her obs set deadlines and stick to them (or else!) ...personally i think the playdough could be made at work...not sure we pay our staff enough to fund the pre-school with resources too!! staff need managing...manage her!

[Helen]

I think the good old 'sandwich' approach usually works best. :1b You know the one I mean- say something positive, then tackle the difficult bit, then something positive, and thank you for all you do, etc. Go in hard and it forces people to turn into self-defence mode and you achieve little, in my humble opinion!

[RedDragon]

Thanks everybody,believe me I have tried and tried given deadlines, she said to my deputy today I haven't done my next steps and laughed,she has been given so many chances.As for playdough we used to make it at work but they found something else always got in the way so chose to do it at home.Thanks for all sound advice:)

[thumperrabbit]

Know exactly how you feel, we have rotas I do supervisions 3 times a year plus a yearly appraisal where I talk about the 'extra things' that we all need to do to make everything run smoothly, but it falls on deaf ears.

Eg last week the person who should've been in charge of getting everything ready for a creative activity, just didn't when I asked if she'd prepped everything the answer was a plain and simple no - no excuses or explanations

Changing books in book corner, doesn't get done

Ensuring pencils are sharpened, or glue sticks are available - just very simple things that I take minutes but which make life easier if done

If I definitely want something doing, I do it myself - have to say I'm getting to the end of my time At preschool I feel :-(

 

Sorry that turned into a bit of a moan!

[Mouseketeer]

Yep think you are going to have to take the bull by the horns, have you recorded the discussions (warnings) shes already been given ? .....I rarely find having a team talk works in these situations, the person its aimed at never thinks it means them

[RedDragon]

Thank you thumperrabbit and mousekeeter I am going to take the bulls by the horn,have had enough and I have a fabulous team except for her!

[Guest]

Set targets, clearly explain your expectation, read your disciplinary policy

 

I agree need to manage or your other staff will rebel

[RedDragon]

Thanks Gardener today is the day!

[blondie]

hi sand dollar - how did it go today?

would have been in the same situation but the staff member in question today gave in her notice

[mundia]

Hi sandollar, hope today went OK or you. When I experienced this some years back now, I had to ask myself (and then the staff member)would anyone else allow staff to get away with this, eg if they stacked shelves at Sainsbury (other supermarkets are available!), or worked in an office/on a building site/hospital etc.

Yes these things can often be tackled through supervisions (documented in case it is needed as evidence), support given eg if this is unusual for that staff member maybe there is something amiss in their lives; support plans in place etc etc. But eventually, you may have to go down the disciplinary route, and this is why you need to have job descriptions and a disciplinary process. Hopefully most of us never need it, but you just never know.

[mrsbat]

I had a member of staff who was exactly the same! - WAS is the defining word there

I hated doing it but I did implement the disciplinary procedure because of breaking her contract - it is stated in the contract that part of the job description is to keep learning stories and all it's accompanying paper work up to date (which she didn't do)

It is also stated that targets set in supervision meetings must be met by the stated date - she didn't EVER meet them.

Be strong and bite the bullet, explain the reasoning behind why these procedures/rules etc are in place and that because of the continual disregard of them you have been forced to start the disciplinary procedure.

My lady had been at the setting for 15 years and didn't agree with lots of the new intros like EYFS etc and in the end she actually resigned because she didn't agree that we should have a disciplinary procedure and didn't think I should be able to 'tell her off' during it!

[Guest]

I have had to let go of 2 members of staff like that right after I started. Its not easy but they were so bad and were really dragging everyone else down that I couldn't find any justification to keep them.

[RedDragon]

Thank you so much for all your support ,well she turned up without her paperwork that was due in Friday morning despite a reminder by email and my deputy reminded her too so I asked why she hadn't done it and she said she hadn't had time so...I really did lay the law down with her,lots of tears from her and denying things but I had hard evidence and I have told her she needs to work as a team,it's appraisals next month so she needs to really look at what she is doing and I said this was the last informal chat the next one would go down the disciplinary line.I couldn't believe that she said to me when am I supposed to do them? I said in your time ,in your job description it says you have to track children's progress and plan accordingly. I feel much better now it has been said and she actually worked really hard afterwards so here is hoping it continues!

Thank you everybody for your help!

[Beau]

Do you pay staff for doing paperwork outside of the session?

[RedDragon]

No we don't as it is part of their job description.

[Beau]

How much time outside of the session does it stipulate she needs to work? I take it she is paid more than the minimum wage?

[RedDragon]

She is paid far more than the minimum wage as we are a private nursery plus she only has 3 key children plus I have given her time in work to do it she chooses not to.

[Upsy Daisy]

Could you arrange to spend some time together working on the progress tracking an planning together so you are sure that she is clear in her mind about how to do it?

I know this is probably extra work that you don't need but I would want to be sure that I had given her all the support I could and be clear in my own mind that she know what to do and how to do it before I instigated disciplinary procedures. It also give her an opportunity to come clean if she's fallen behind or about any aspect of the task that she's struggling with.

[RedDragon]

The thing is she is completely clear and has done it absolutely fine in the past she just is going through a very lazy stage I am afraid but I have and do always help her and offer advice.