Undercover Boss

• raiderbuck

  A policy like that probably isn't corporate wide. Why didn't the regional/district/division/ manager know?
• Sykotyk

  

  Still, it's a tough thing to keep secret. Plus, with this show, whether they watch it or not, have to be familiar with it and to see a person with a cameraman trying to work their job would act differently anticipating it might be their company's president, etc.
  
  Also, at some point, they'll run out of major corporations who have a CEO/COO/etc willing to take part in this and possibly air their company's laundry.
  
  Sykotyk
• raiderbuck

  I want Steve Rasmussen (CEO of Nationwide) to do my job for a day. Listen to angry customers complain all day long hahaha.
• LJ

  

  ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote:

  LJ wrote:

  ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote:

  LJ wrote:

  ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote: What I don't get is how he didn't know of the policy that docks the workers two minutes for every minute theyre late. Do they not have employee handbooks or just not use them? Either way, it looks very bad on WM's part.

  Because the policy was that they have a 30 minute lunch. The site manager made that policy on his own without telling anyone else.

  ...which goes in hand with not using the employee handbook. and looks very bad on WM's part.

  Eh, I don't think it makes them look that bad. They had a rouge site manager and they reprimanded him for it. With thousands of sites that isn't unheard of.
  

  Any respectable company would fire him, no questions asked.. not to say WM didn't though b/c we don't know.

  I felt like he really did the things he did for the employees because he was honestly moved. I feel like management showed understanding and compassion with Kevin for PR purposes. In this economy where large corporations are being made into villains taking a compassionate stance is a great PR move.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  I also want to add.. and I'll get slammed for this... that site managers like Kevin are why unions still need to exist. Cuz that shit wouldn't fly otherwise.
• gut

  Yeah, I didn't feel like that was much of a "reality" show. I mean, the one guy has a serious health condition. OK, that can happen. Then the next girl had cancer five times and who knows what else (and who tells this stuff to a complete stranger in front of a camera?). And to top it off, the trash lady is getting gifts from her customer and even a note of appreciation from a lady with down syndrome, which coincidentally this guy's daughter has that.
  
  Every one of those "co-workers" was clearly hand-picked and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the stuff was staged, like getting "fired".
  
  And did anyone notice the port-a-let guy with the great attitude left the company? Think it said he's now doing motivational speaking at a hospital or something. Good for him, but kind of funny that COO says all the kind words and dude obviously realized "you know, I have a lot more to offer the world than cleaning toilets".
• LJ

  

  gut wrote:
  And did anyone notice the port-a-let guy with the great attitude left the company? Think it said he's now doing motivational speaking at a hospital or something. Good for him, but kind of funny that COO says all the kind words and dude obviously realized "you know, I have a lot more to offer the world than cleaning toilets".

  I thought that part was actually really great. Good for him for getting the boost he needed to make something out of himself rather than the "shit sucker". I'm not sure that the COO would be offended by the move at all.
  
  Also, to the people just saying things in front of the camera, they were told that a documentary on entry level jobs was being filmed. People always open up to the camera, but yes, I do feel they were hand picked for PR purposes.
• gut

  ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote: I also want to add.. and I'll get slammed for this... that site managers like Kevin are why unions still need to exist. Cuz that shit wouldn't fly otherwise.

  Well, I might think it was company policy and the cameras put the COO in an uncomfortable spot. The policy itself was in no way uncommon or unfair, thought the practice of punching in and out was probably unnecessary.
  
  That "shit" does indeed fly because you are paid for a 30 minute lunch, not 32 or 35 but 30 minutes. And if a few workers are late getting back from lunch, the line can't run. I'd bet money the time clocks went away and were replaced by a walk-thru to write-up people taking longer than 30 minutes.
• LJ

  

  gut wrote:

  ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote: I also want to add.. and I'll get slammed for this... that site managers like Kevin are why unions still need to exist. Cuz that shit wouldn't fly otherwise.

  Well, I might think it was company policy and the cameras put the COO in an uncomfortable spot. The policy itself was in no way uncommon or unfair, thought the practice of punching in and out was probably unnecessary.
  
  That "shit" does indeed fly because you are paid for a 30 minute lunch, not 32 or 35 but 30 minutes. And if a few workers are late getting back from lunch, the line can't run. I'd bet money the time clocks went away and were replaced by a walk-thru to write-up people taking longer than 30 minutes.

  I don't think pay docking itself was a problem, it was the taking 2 minutes for every 1 minute that he had a problem with.
• Glory Days

  

  yeah i can see 1 minute for 1 minute, but not a 2 for 1. i wish the cameras would have kept rolling though because it was funny how she went and clocked in, then went back to the break room. i just wonder if she went and cleaned up to go back to work or sat down and finished the rest of her lunch first.
• gut

  LJ wrote: I don't think pay docking itself was a problem, it was the taking 2 minutes for every 1 minute that he had a problem with.

  Yeah, didn't pick-up on that part. Agree that's probably illegal, although you might get away with rounding to like tenths, so 1-6 minutes late means you get docked 6 minutes pay.
  
  Agreed it was nice about the guy who left for a better job. I'm sure the COO would be proud that he provided the inspiration, but it's still kind of funny.
• sjmvsfscs08

  I sorta felt like this with my job two years ago. I was waiting for school to start, so from June to August I was a laborer at an industrial park in NW Ohio. I got to mow lawns, stock semis, and just general maintenance while working with the regulars. I got to see how they took lunches 20-30% longer than scheduled, purposely forget tools so they've have excuses to leave the job and take their time getting back only to realize they needed yet another tool and repeat the scheme, and begin cleaning up an hour early only to sit around and wait for their time to clock out, among other ways to slack off.
  
  Well, they weren't aware that my mom and her brother bought the industrial park and their boss was my godfather. As soon as they realized that I was not only getting a summer college job but providing an audit of work ethic, they started to hate me and plotted to make me look bad in an effort to discredit me. It was rather hilarious.
  
  If nothing else, it was motivation to stay in school and be thankful for my educational opportunities.
• Belly35

  

  Working with business like I do more bosses need to step outside the office and yes suits to get a better grip on what is real and what is bean counters mentality.
  Years ago big company presidents where guys with sales or manufacturing backgrounds that had worked their way up the ranks now they are accountants, failure lawyers or degreed personal with no dirt under their nails. Many mid-size and small firms still have the working boss but some have turned over the firm to family and that where the connection end between operation, productivity and reality get skewed. I have found that many times the people within the shop have more understand of how to create productivity, shorten the process and save time and effort but are never ask. Granted somethings are not possible because of safety reason or logistic but some altering can be applied.
  
  Good employees are hard to fine, gray matter is even harder, and common sense is rare.
• rookie_j70

  

  i worked in a plastics factory for 2 years after high school. i wish that the CEO would come experiance what my job was like. then again...i dont think he would like what we had to say.
  
  had a supervisor who when we wanted to use a personal day asked us why we were using it and what we were doing. I had indians tickets once and told him i was going to use a personal day for the game. he said "No, an indians isnt a good enough reason, you need to ber here" so i showed him and called off.
• Go_Fast_Sports

  

  That's one thing I really dislike... cocky bosses who think they are the almighty power.
• Sykotyk

  

  I don't think you can legally dock more pay than the time actually missed. You have to be paid for the time on the job. My old employer did the 6-min time frame (1/10th of an hour), so anything more than 3-min past clocked a whole six minutes. But, it worked in your favor a lot, as well. Clock in four minutes early and get paid for six (which we were allowed to do) or stay three minutes late and get paid for six (which we were also allowed to do).
  
  Now, if you're slacking off and not doing your job while you're on the clock, you still cannot have your pay docked. Your boss can reprimand you, fire you, etc, but they can't dock your pay.
  
  Sykotyk
• BigDog

  Sykotyk wrote: Good show, but even if it is a hit, I don't see how it'll make it past the first season. Like any worker would be able to see a 'new hire' with a cameraman following him around and not realize it's this show.
  
  Sykoty

  Was thinking about this last night also.
  
  Really liked the show, but how long before everyone would fear an employee with a camera crew?
• Fab1b

  

  I liked it as well
• ts1227

  

  ttt, Hooters is on right now.
• UA5straightin2008

  

  watchin it
• justincredible

  

  This guy is a real dickweed.
• UA5straightin2008

  

  jimbo is f'ed
• Fab1b

  

  This dude is an ASS!!
• UA5straightin2008

  

  cant believe that dick jimbo didnt get fired
• gut

  UA5straightin2008 wrote: cant believe that dick jimbo didnt get fired

  Chose the politicially correct move with mandatory "sensitivity" training. But as soon as he tried to say "well, SHHOOOOOOT me for being a competitive guy, and I get it done" he would have been canned.
  
  Again, I can't believe they just happened to pick a guy that was that big of a dbag. I think that whole stunt was staged. This show is obviously more scripted and rigged than even some of the most fraudulent "reality" shows.