A reader question:
I manage field sales reps. I flew in for a scheduled “field ride” with an employee and upon arrival she let me know that she had a “doctor’s appointment” and wouldn’t be available for the field ride.
I sat around the city all day long until meeting the employee for dinner at 6:00 that night, then I caught a flight that next morning. I never questioned the whereabouts or the all-day doctor appointment (maybe it is something serious, who knows?). Instincts tell me that the employee didn’t have a “doctor’s appointment” and is either working an additional job or has an interview with another company. Does that employee have to take an official day off?
To read my answer, click here: I Was Ditched for a Doctor’s Appointment
I’d re-book that field ride ASAP, too, since it really looks like that employee may have something to hide.
If you are going to dock her a day of PTO, I hope that means you give comp time if she works more than 40 hours a week.
That’s not how things work in the world of work.
Comp. time is illegal in the States. Except if you work for the government (they exempted themselves).
Yeah, it is tough to impose the rules, but I get the impression that this has happened more than just this one time, for this person to now reacting to this occurrence. If possible, this person should do as Granny bunny has stated, to re-do the visit ASAP, in order to eliminate any chance for this person to “arrange” changes to their schedule other than to do the ride-around, (I am assuming that the job requires the workers to travel over an area to do their job and the ride-around is to check the sites). Aside from certain changes made because of COVID-19 to workplaces, that doesn’t seem to be the problem in this case. As for posting the hours of the employee as PTO, just do it, If the person complains, then have them produce the doctor’s note to explain their absence. Either way, they are getting paid, but the day is not noted as a productive day of work but a PTO day. For an employee to get “emotional” about using their PTO bank, brings a whole new meaning to paid time working. If this person who wrote this question is the supervisor, then they are entitled to expect productivity on days they schedule for ride-arounds and should not be told last minute of an unexpected change that wasn’t life-threatening, especially if the person was able to show up for dinner, apparently in good health.