I wanted to comment on this article by Eric Spitznagel when it came out December 10th, but I poked both my eyes out after reading it and had to get an eye transplant.

The subtitle ‘As an alarming number of workers play hooky, corporations are clamping down — and calling in the detectives’ actually made me LOL!!! What are we, in KINDERGARTEN???? Are these companies making sure RESULTS are being achieved? Are people getting their WORK  DONE?

I know, right? Let’s get some hall monitors. We can borrow them from the local middle school! We can make sure employees have hall passes, and we can hire people to guard all the doors. And better yet, we can call their PARENTS and tattle on them if we think they’re playing hooky!

And don’t even get me started on Rick Raymond, the ‘seasoned’ private detective. The fact that he has a job spying on employees makes me want to bang my head against the wall. What a sorry waste of MONEY. Wow!

But just think of being an employee at this company. I know if I worked at a company that had detectives watching me, I would be very loyal, engaged and work harder than ever! I’d come in early and leave late. I’d bring Rick a donut and a hot cup of coffee at 7:30am as he sat doing his surveillance at the local bowling alley, pro football game, wedding, or a funeral. And I’d NEVER take vacation or sick time. I’d go around bragging about how much sick time, vacation time –and well, TIME I had ‘banked’.

I wouldn’t even need to focus on results at this company. All I have to do is ‘show up’. Because we all know that if you’re at work, you’re working. Seriously!

I applaud the guy who fedexed his cell phone to the hotel he was supposed to be at for a business trip when he was instead taking an exotic vacation. Is anyone else belly laughing with me? Just think if this guy could use his creativity in his job instead of feeling so screwed he has to get some sort of revenge?

Does anybody see the problem?

Okay. If we must, we’ll say it AGAIN. The only thing that matters is results. No results, NO JOB. If companies held people accountable for results, treated them like adults and stopped monitoring the damn hallways, the problem would be solved. Let me say it again – no results, no job.

One of our ROWE guideposts is: People get an unlimited amount paid time off as long as the work gets done. Guess what? It works! Stop tracking time off, sick time, vacation time . . . . TIME .  .  . and instead track whether or not the work is getting done.

Yes, we know that there are cases where people need to use short or long term disability for more serious problems. But let’s face it – nickel and diming every minute of the traditional workweek is just so . . . . well . . . . 1952.

People are abusing sick time not because they’re naughty like Ferris Bueller, but because you’re treating them like children and not holding them accountable for results – which by the way is what you’re paying them for.

I worked for a company that gave all employees unlimited sick time. You guessed it. Nobody abused it and they didn’t need detectives. And the actual WORK got done. When people were sick, they stayed home, but were still responsible for RESULTS. Yup. You guessed it. The work got done, because they worked with each other, communicated and didn’t have anyone monitoring them like they were children. This company set clear expectations and then TRUSTED their employees to deliver…..What a novel idea.

Companies using surveillance systems to spy on their employees just don’t get it.

Tags: clear expectations, Eric Spitznagel, management, results, ROWE, sick time, Time, trust, work benefits