Increase In Write-Ups

Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Posts: 214

Has anyone noticed a major increase in write-ups in your stores lately?It almost seems that if we turn left and they think we should've turned right, it's a write-up. We can't really call what we get yearly a raise, but if they can stick us with a few phoney write-ups a year that will give them an excuse not to give us anything. Could this be the plan?

Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Posts: 20 Location: anywhere , America

Cabinetman, I agree. I think there are two reasons for the bs write-ups. One is to have an excuse to not give a raise or give a smaller one, the other is to build the write-ups so they can terminate at will. They will give you two, then hold a possible third over your head as a future termination. Naughty!

An employer who values their employees would warn you first ( if you do that again I will have to write you up). Lowe's thrives on the element of surprise. You don't even know you did something wrong until you are pulled into an office and told to sign a write-up. SIGN IT. BUT, you have the right to add comments, so write that you are signing to acknowledge you were spoken to, but you are not admitting guilt. Write that you disagree with this write-up and feel you don't deserve it. I have personally seen PTC's and Managers ( close friends, of course ) fake write-ups and mark it "REFUSED TO SIGN" and put it in an employee file. These poor employees did nothing wrong , but the offending managers don't like them for personal reasons ( maybe they feel they are a threat to their positions, or know too much info ).The employee had no idea this happened. Now, if that employee HAS refused to sign in the past, this new one will be totally believable to corporate. After all, you never sign them anyway. Make sure you have a history of signing so they can't throw fake ones in your file. Cover your butt.

Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Posts: 14 Location: Upstate NY

Yes, there have been a lot more writeups in the store I was in, at least as of my exit 1 month ago. I thought it was the new SM - the whole atmoshere changed. But now I believe there may be a change in instructions to managers to keep weights hanging over the heads of the staff, keep them threatened and scared for their jobs, and they'll be more compliant. I'm not sure if it's the influx of ex-Depot types as manager trainees, or a tactic shared between DM, SM levels - but there has been a drastic change.
I do know the managers "grade" the staff. The SM says a name during weekly meeting, and the dept mgrs grade that employee with A, B, C, D. A kind of shootfromthehip undesigned wet t-shirt contest approach to evaluations. No categories, no discussions of goals vs. accomplishments, just ABCD. Fortunately, there are a couple Dept. mgrs who argued for better grades on some people - unfortunately, there's also those dm's who grade valuable employees low, trying to stroke the SM or their own ego. Fortunately, this grading practise became public knowledge. More complaints to GO/HR.

Maintain a good relationship with your Dept. Mgr and Zone Mgr - be above board with them, get them to be square w/ you. Keep the light on, don't let the cockroaches sneak around and run the place. Human interaction is what it comes down to: manage the mangers. If you are concerned, keep private notes of goings-on. Let your managers see that you're on the Lowes team. Ultimately, good teamwork and good directions work a lot better than intimidation and constant CYA.

Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 3

As a former ASM I did exactly that, Tuffgal.. If I didn't I would have been fired. It was the only way to cut payroll as needed, and to get rid of employees that pissed on the store managers wheaties. If there was no documentation during cutbacks we might have had to pay unemployment. So we wrote employees up then had a backup during unemployment claims.

Joined: 07 Aug 2003 Posts: 50

SteelOne: I have heard that, too. It is so sad.
What does Lowes save in Unemployment payments by doing writeups on employees they PLAN to terminate? Is this a line item on the budget, a factor in determining store managers' bonus; how much money was snagged from unemployment? Do District Managers trade high fives over this activity?
Are employees so unimportant, so expendable? Do Lowe's managers care one bit about anything except their bonus - such as personal honesty, or treating people the way they themselves would wish to be treated? Are Lowe's ASM's and Store managers so chickenshit that they just lower their heads and do whatever they are told by the DM or RVP - or Himmler?
Aside from that, do Lowe's managers understand that there are longterm ramifications on the company's reputation for such shortsighted selfishness?

I have heard, with my own ears, discussions out of the mouths of persons very familiar with confidential unemployment proceedings, that employers are known by their actions, and that yes - Lowes has earned the label "sleazy". It is embarrassing. One more thing on the Lowe's reputation platter -and it is already not a pretty plate.

Lowe's demonizes fired employees, sexes up and trumps up "documentation" trying to avoid paying the employer's contribution to unemployment benefits. The discussion I mentioned is a case in point: Lowe' contested the eligibility for unemployment of a bunch of laid off/fired employees, and the unemployment claims officials put all the case files together. The Admin. judge glanced through them, and asked the question out loud - "are ALL these people lying the same story, or is Lowe's trying to sleaze their way out of paying unemployment?"

Sleaze. Its official, from the state.

There is a strong perception is that Lowe's doesn't give a damn about the local communities, or local charities, or even their own employees. The company has a ba-a-a-ad reputation as an outsider bigbox come in to bully and develop sites, do (spend) as little as possible locally, and suck out as much money as it can, sending all the profits elsewhere - no reinvestment whatsoever. Just advertisements. And is arrogant about it - "We are LOWES'S - we do things the LOWE'S way".

This sour perception is strongly held across the municipalities of this Lowe's district. There are some serious issues regarding the company's reputation, and this problem stems from the ultra-empire culture of Lowe's management. It seems modelled on Czarist Russia, with the new market areas treated like conquests, and the employees treated like serfs. And the locals: They don't influence the bonus, so to hell with them.

Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 95

Does anyone think there IS a time when a 'write up' is appropriate?

Joined: 07 Aug 2003 Posts: 50

Yes. Poor attendance, overt insubordination, conducting illegal activities while on the clock, harassment - all these and more are described in the HR manuals, and each employee reads/signs them at orientation. Each store has to deal with unacceptable behaviors, be it fighting, stealing, violating safety issues, repeated mistakes on sales, wrecking the delivery truck,
all the stuff that humans do, and will do.
CabMan's question is about deliberate, targetted use of the disciplinary procedures to manipulate employees FUTURE behavior, not to address employee PAST performance. The process has been used to influence employee behavior through writeups meant to intimidate, not counsel. Documentaion is used to avoid wage raises, to keep employees at heel, to setup planned terminations. Dog Training 101. I suggest that this is a deliberat practise in Lowes, more frequent lately. I also suggest that they are the signs of substandard managers, incapable of getting performance from employees through positive means.

My dad used to use a special wide, brown belt to whup on us kids. That's all that belt was for. He kept it hanging right in plain view, in the dining room (dinner time was sometimes not fun). All he had to do was point at the belt, or mention it, and his 8 kids got nervous. A couple times he whupped one of us for something very minor (non-whupping offense)- he wanted the threat to be kept potent. It was all about control - he really didn't want to beat us, but it was how he was brought up, and the only way he knew to discipline his wild children. And we were wild, but beatings did very little to change that. After a while, you don't feel, or fear the beating. He stopped this practise after his 3 oldest boys, we were teenagers, burned the belt in the fireplace, right in front of him. He was shocked. He didn't move from the couch or talk for hours. Democracy won, and it was good for the entire family. Dad was still the boss, but beatings were no longer an option. Years later, Dad thanked us. He told us he was proud his grandchildren were being raised to be good people, without being beat by their parents.

Retail managers that direct, develop, train employees rarely have to write employees up. They are involved and aware, and are personally sure of themselves in managing staff. Theses managers have a tendency to listen, and include, and have a positive outlook. If they perform a verbal or written disciplinary act, it usually is after already addressing the undesirable behavior. If you work for one of these managers, you would walk through flames to help that manager get something done.

Retail managers who are less capable, or lazy, or stupid, or are just doing what was done to them - they are the managers who writeup employees to make themselves feel big, or do a chickenshit writeup to intimidate employees. These are the managers employees would frag at any oppurtunity.

Its a huge grey area. Managers must document counselling with an employee who just doesn't respond to positive incentives and requests to change or improve, or an employee who is disruptive or possibly dangerous. It has to be done.
If an employee still doesn't improve, the next time he/she is 2 minutes late punching in lunch, they are terminated. The manager looks for the chance to do this. It happens all the time.

Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 29

26 write ups in my store this week --honest --all of a sudden everything is by the letter .no excuses no warning..everyone is very worried ,i am in a very good store -good sales -good margin -low hours -they are serious about getting rid of people ...something is very wrong here Surprised

Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 95

how do you know there were 26 write ups?

Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 29

I am a dept manager i sat in on a lot of them .
and at the weekly meeting one asst manager took great
pride in this fact..

Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Posts: 20 Location: anywhere , America

I see two reasons for this recent spurt of writeups. One is to keep the employee "towing the line" with 2 writeups under their belt and the dreaded number three hanging over their heads. number 2 reason, from managers point of view, is to put them in a position to be terminated at will. Whatever the reason ( personal dislike, budget pressures, shrinking bonus, whatever ) these people are easily terminatable ( is this a word?). It's a safety net for corporate. Their file is full of things that make this employee look like a problem employee.
Except for the legitimate reasons named by Action, there should be no other reasons for write-ups. If communication is open, both employees and management should be aware of any potential issues that COULD lead to a writeup. These could be headed off. Lowe's thrives on the element of surprize......

Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2003 2:07 am Post subject:

Write-ups and discipline reflect poor management. When an employer pays dirt wages and benefits it is difficult to maintain a loyal workforce, profits slip, departments suffer and the s**t lands on them.

With limited skills to deal with the real problem and their hands tied by corporate head office, store management take it out in discipline. It is beyond their scope to approach a problem from a motivational or incentive based perspective.

The end result is the snowball effect, low sales... crap on workers... lower sales. Great profit and corporate growth strategy eh Rolling Eyes

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