RED FLAGS

Steven Cesare, Ph.D.

A promising business owner from Kansas called me the other day to talk about her new female employee who had been on the job for 60 days. Like most employment relationships, the employee and the Company got off to an optimistic start, rapt with excitement during the “honeymoon phase” continuing throughout her on-boarding program. We’ve all been there: defaulted optimism, sincere energy, and innocent hope.

We are in Kansas, right, Toto? Not Africa; that’s the other Toto.

Too young, I know.

Interestingly, after her first 30 days of the job, the new employee began to demonstrate some “attitude” to her co-workers. Always anticipating a potential lawsuit, I asked the business owner to specify the behaviors that evinced the problematic “attitude.” In response, the business owner quickly rattled off a litany of actions which fundamentally contradicted office decorum and company culture norms: a condescending verbal tone to coworkers, incremental use of sarcasm, an unwillingness to provide assistance when requested, and an inflexibility that belied the team atmosphere that characterized the office milieu.

True to form, the savvy business owner, always thinking of a potential lawsuit, took notice of the evident red flags represented by the new employee’s inappropriate behaviors, and offered detailed coaching to her. Perhaps, the new employee was color-blind in that despite the constructive feedback, she did not incorporate the business owner’s initial red flag recommendations into her ongoing work routine.

Shortly thereafter, the new employee came across some information that an external training conference was being offered at an off-site location, with several employees being approved to attend the event. Presumptuously, she told the business owner she wanted to attend the event, almost demanding to join the other employees for the session. The cost-conscious business owner initially denied her demand (I mean her request), citing budgetary constraints. The employee protested further, exhibiting childish emotion. Days later, after adjusting the budget, the kind business owner informed the employee that her request (I mean her demand) had now been approved. In turn, the employee retorted she needed some time to think about the decision; ultimately telling the owner that she did not want to go to the conference. Another red flag. Beside herself, the gracious owner reflexively accepted the new employee’s rescission.

Two weeks later, the new employee confronted the owner with the ultimatum that she needed a pay raise from $20.00/hour to $28.00/hour. For those of us still doing the word problems in Algebra 2, that is a 40% pay increase; after only being on the job for 60 days. Surprised by yet another vibrant red flag, the business owner told the new employee that such a sizable increase was unlikely to occur. In response, the new employee bluntly said, “I knew you weren’t going to give me that increase. But I had to propose $28.00 per hour, so that you would compromise and give me $24.00/hour, which is what I really wanted anyway.”

With her pay demands still in abeyance, a week later, the business owner directed the new employee to perform a standard administrative task within a fair-minded timeframe. Incorrigibly, the employee flagrantly did not complete the simple task, without fear of retribution.

Say it. Another red flag.

Is anybody keeping score at home?

Fed up with this train of unprofessional behavior, deceit, and insubordination, the owner called me seeking confirmation for termination. My response was “What took you so long! What are you waiting for?” Like all business owners, the Kansan, always fearful of a potential lawsuit, had become highly resistant to fire a protected class (i.e., female) employee; instead, idealistically, hoping for improved employee performance.

As I explained to the owner, failing to quickly aggregate this pattern of obvious red flags into decisive action only serves to immobilize employee accountability, the company culture, and executive credibility.

Once that happens, all you are left with is, the white flag of surrender.

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