Motivating hourly workers

[stessier]

We have a lot of smart people here who have had varied careers, so someone must have some experience with this.

How does one motivate hourly workers in a situation where generous corporate policies to protect people during illnesses are easily abused to essentially allow vacation days on demand with full pay? With our shift schedule (which results in only working 14 days/month) and a doctors note, it is basically possible to work 7 days a month for 18 months at full pay. If you are smart and work the full 14 days at any point, the clock resets.

We're not making anything lifesaving, nor will you get famous or have a better spot in the after life. Pay is good for the area, but you'll still need to budget to have a good retirement. So how do you convince people to come to work?

[Unagi]

Just to start the conversation...

I'll assume you also want the method to be a positive thing for the employees and being less generous with those rules you just described is not on the table.

[stessier]

Changing the corporate policy is not in my control.

Stick or carrot, I'm willing to talk about anything else though. I'm truly at a loss.

[Unagi]

I also assume the schedule is fixed (ideal = people work their 14/month).

How about they set up a bonus structure that is a little like scoring in bowling.

If people work for 14 days in a row, they get a small bonus pay. (Strike)
If they then also work the next 14 days straight, they get the same bonus - but also added bonus for having 2 in a row. (i.e. so there is a bonus for getting bonuses repeatedly)
Etc, for the whole year. Some employees will go for 'the perfect game' (a strike in every frame) and get the best bonus. But even if you miss one, you will still try for the next frame.

The bonus amount would be whatever your business felt they could afford and felt was worth the value added.

[LordMortis]

If showing up is literally optional and a worker still gets full pay and that's not about to change, then compensation should be tied to productivity. Both stick and carrot. Base wage goes down. Productivity wage goes up. If someone holds a job tied to just showing up where productivity is not as important and they don't just show up and showing up is optional and the policy won't change, then to my not so out of the box thinking, you're screwed.

Sorry, not much help for what you already know.

[Unagi]

Stick or carrot

[stessier]

Yeah, unfortunately the schedule is fixed (rotating 12 hour shifts).

Your idea is interesting. I'm not sure we'd be allowed to use real money - do you think it might be as effective if it was something more ephemeral such as food? Maybe start with donuts/biscuits and as you rack up strikes (really need a better term given we're dealing with labor ), progress to nicer rewards. Maybe after 4 months you can get a day off to be used whenever and if you make the whole year then you get a cash bonus?

Month 1 - donuts / biscuits / coffee
Month 2 - popcorn / ? snack break
Month 3 - pizza lunch
Month 4 - Extra vacation day
Month 5 - Food truck lunch (we have food trucks)
Month 6 - 500 points to employee store (equivalent of about $50 - is a well liked perk)
Month 7 - Catered lunch
Month 8 - Extra vacation day
Month 9 - ???
Month 10 - 1000 points to employee store
Month 11 - ???
Month 12 - X Dollar bonus

Hmmmm - the catch is we are legally not allowed to penalize people for using the benefits. I wonder if it would be kosher to get like a punch card and for every shift worked to completion, you get a punch. So many punches gets the rewards - so rather than month, it's 14 punches , 28 punches, etc.

[stessier]

If showing up is literally optional and a worker still gets full pay and that's not about to change, then compensation should be tied to productivity. Both stick and carrot. Base wage goes down. Productivity wage goes up. If someone holds a job tied to just showing up where productivity is not as important and they don't just show up and showing up is optional and the policy won't change, then to my not so out of the box thinking, you're screwed.

Sorry, not much help for what you already know.

Productivity is a challenge - we're not really an assembly line, but operations at one station do depend on operations upstream of them over which an operator has no control. Additionally, we deal with old equipment that is prone to breakage. One day this week we had 6 of 8 machines down for maintenance issues and only 4 maintenance teams - tough to ding one operator because maintenance couldn't get them up and running. The added challenge is that experienced operators are better at problem solving and can minimize maintenance calls - but how do you fairly apply rules around that when someone says "I tried everything and needed help?" It's a real mess.

[Unagi]

(yeah, 'strike' would not be the right word for it )

I think food rewards are generally seen as lame. It's this mundane and highly personal choice normally, being presented to you as an extra reward or bonus - that you can take or leave. Anyone that is maybe trying to stay on some diet or just enjoys something specific, now you don't want the donuts or coffee or pizza at all. Popcorn - please do not. These are not 3rd graders. Maybe make each month an amount of Company Store points. With 4 in a row == vacation day. 12 in a row - cash bonus... And with all that you would need to figure out how they work their vacation and legit sick days into a perfect score.

[stessier]

I think food rewards are generally seen as lame. It's this mundane and highly personal choice normally, being presented to you as an extra reward or bonus - that you can take or leave. Anyone that is maybe trying to stay on some diet or just enjoys something specific, now you don't want the donuts or coffee or pizza at all. Popcorn - please do not. These are not 3rd graders.

You'd be surprised - our army very much marches on it's stomach. I was in charge of Popcorn Fridays (meaning I popped and distributed movie theater quality popcorn) for 7 years and it was greatly enjoyed. People complained a fair amount when I stopped because I took a new role and no longer had time to do it. But I get your general point.

Maybe make each month an amount of Company Store points. With 4 in a row == vacation day. 12 in a row - cash bonus... And with all that you would need to figure out how they work their vacation and legit sick days into a perfect score.

My struggle is not to have the prizes escalate in value too quickly to incentivize getting those bigger prizes and not just being happy with the 1 or 2 months in a row. I agree that vacation days should count toward the streak, but don't think sick days should (mostly because there is no way to tell legit ones). Hmmm - werewolf rules sets were easier than this.

[Smoove_B]

It's tough when the administrative system encourages it. I've never worked shift-times, but I actually did get dinged once on an annual review as a salary worker for taking sick time. The culture was such (I was not aware) that you never take sick time unless you're dying, apparently.

Is there any way to fast-track or directly reward workers (i.e. increase pay rate) that aren't using the sick-time policy as a way to minimize work obligations? In other words can you literally promote workers that are modeling ideal behaviors? I know this could end up biting you in the ass as you might start giving more money to someone that then starts taking advantage of the administrative allowances. There's also a chance you could incentivize the wrong behavior and have people come in no matter what to maintain a "streak" - like the kids that believe perfect attendance in school is so important that they could be feverish and coughing up a lung but they want that certificate at graduation.

Short of being able to formally change policies, that's a tough one. I've had two jobs where employees abusing sick time was a thing; I was never a direct supervisor and always sat on the advisory committees for evaluation and in my situations, it always came down to the insurance companies pushing back and requiring additional things that ultimately bounced people that were milking the system.

[Zarathud]

I’ve generally worked where it was all social pressure and sticks. Usually the person who slacks is known and unpopular with the rest of the crew. They often got the shit work, either less convenient time or more undesirable tasks. And the crew thought it was fair.

When I ran a maintenance crew, I learned to give people a choice if they cooperated — as people would push carts in the snow over cleaning toilets. So toilet duty and cleaning chrome became punishment detail for whoever was late or slacked.

But willingness to work is character. And hard to change.

[Unagi]

Yeah, I don't think there is much of stick available here, since you are not allowed to punish people for the behavior you want to discourage. So - no stick.

They need something to encourage a commitment to "manning the post".

You need to hold off 'reward' until their commitment is shown - so it can't be paid out too quickly or often - but also I get the feeling that making it take a year for payout may be too long.


So, lets say the first "14 days-in-a-row" get you 1 pt.
after 4 months, you can trade:
1 pt for x amount of company points.
2 pts for 2x amount of company points.
3 pts for 3x amount of company points.
4 pts for 3x amount of company points and a vacation-day (counts toward "14-day-streaks")

after the year is up. People who gained 9 or more points over the year earn a bonus... People who gained 11 or more points over the year earn a bigger bonus.

You could also drop the whole company point payouts, but you had said that was a good carrot.

[Blackhawk]

If people work for 14 days in a row, they get a small bonus pay. (Strike)
If they then also work the next 14 days straight, they get the same bonus - but also added bonus for having 2 in a row. (i.e. so there is a bonus for getting bonuses repeatedly)
Etc, for the whole year. Some employees will go for 'the perfect game' (a strike in every frame) and get the best bonus. But even if you miss one, you will still try for the next frame.

While I like that in concept, it might need to be passed by a lawyer. Someone with an actual chronic condition might take exception with it, feeling like they're being denied an opportunity due to a disability. Employment law can be sticky enough that it bears at least passing it by some professional eyes.

[GreenGoo]

I find this subject fascinating, even if I have nothing useful to add.

[Unagi]

If people work for 14 days in a row, they get a small bonus pay. (Strike)
If they then also work the next 14 days straight, they get the same bonus - but also added bonus for having 2 in a row. (i.e. so there is a bonus for getting bonuses repeatedly)
Etc, for the whole year. Some employees will go for 'the perfect game' (a strike in every frame) and get the best bonus. But even if you miss one, you will still try for the next frame.

While I like that in concept, it might need to be passed by a lawyer. Someone with an actual chronic condition might take exception with it, feeling like they're being denied an opportunity due to a disability. Employment law can be sticky enough that it bears at least passing it by some professional eyes.

You are not wrong.

It's possible someone like that is happy to have found a place they can work 7 days a month for 18 months at full pay.

[Blackhawk]

Plenty of disabled people are more than happy to be there every scheduled day. But when a chronic illness or a disability causes them to legitimately lose days, they're not happy to receive a loss of opportunity targeted at lazy people.

[Unagi]

Sounds like everyone from 'the lazy' group has a doctor's note, from what stessier says - so the premise alone (stessier's problem) is saddled with that exact problem.

In any case, by now it's probably perfectly clear why I lost my profesional job motivating hourly workers.

(kidding)

[Kraken]

I find this subject fascinating, even if I have nothing useful to add.

+1. Maybe if I knew something about the nature of the work and the environment. It's too abstract for me.

[hepcat]

I would offer some insight except for the fact that I was severed years ago and my innie doesn’t leave me any clues as to what goes on at work.

[Lassr]

Interesting dilemma where the companies generosity is causing the issue. Is it the same people that are taking advantage of the system, or is it everyone? Only thing I've dealt with close to what you describe is when we could telework, often had people have excessive appts or service calls at home so they could telework an extra day. to get away from being in the office the 3 days a week requirement. I would tell people on my team to not abuse that unless you want management to eliminate that option. I didn't have any abusers though, as I generally made work in the office a happy place. Staff meetings with donuts, going out to eat for lunch, etc. But I did have a team member who had chronic illnesses with a compromised immune system, so when she'd get sick she'd be out for a week but could telework and had doctor excuses.

Of course, now, telework has all but been eliminated, and moral at work has crashed...

I guess the gist of what I'm saying, I'm not sure how you fix it, if the company is "Ok" with it (by allowing it without conditions). For some people the threat of having something taken away is the only thing that motivates, some are just happy with status quo and nothing more. Without the company wanting to threaten to remove the privilege if abused, then I like Unagi's ideal of escalating bonuses...but it does "punish" the people who are legitimately sick.

Kobayashi Maru until the company rewrites the scenario.

[Madmarcus]

I'm not sure I have anything big to add other than I'm glad I'm not in your shoes.

I know that teachers have become much more vocal about their rights to work to rule in the past 10 or so years. Mostly it's focusing on leaving work "on time" [reading contracts as hourly and leaving at the time specified instead of reading it as salary based and working at school or home until tasks were done] and taking all of their contractual sick days whether they are sick or not. If that attitude is more widespread it might be really hard to push against people using their contractual right to only work half the time.

[Drazzil]

We have a lot of smart people here who have had varied careers, so someone must have some experience with this.

How does one motivate hourly workers in a situation where generous corporate policies to protect people during illnesses are easily abused to essentially allow vacation days on demand with full pay? With our shift schedule (which results in only working 14 days/month) and a doctors note, it is basically possible to work 7 days a month for 18 months at full pay. If you are smart and work the full 14 days at any point, the clock resets.

We're not making anything lifesaving, nor will you get famous or have a better spot in the after life. Pay is good for the area, but you'll still need to budget to have a good retirement. So how do you convince people to come to work?

Can I come be hourly where you work?

[Jeff V]

I worked in an environment like that -- no specific sick policy limiting workers time off, but if management felt it was being abused, they could deny pay. It comes down to documenting any discussions you have with the employee(s) regarding attendance and performance. Ideally, the employees goals should be aligned with the rest of the team, and that would be motivation to get with the program. Otherwise, the employee probably isn't a good fit for the team. Again, documentation of any discussion you have with the employee in this regard is vital, and you may have options such as putting them on a probationary program if they continue to be unwilling to get with your program.

At my last (and final job), we had an employee who was good at what he did. but called in something like 25 days a year. His wife was a nurse, and they had a couple of kids that were apparently sick a lot. He was a nice guy, but I had to talk to him a few times about this. Eventually I was transferred to one of the manufacturing plants, swapping places with another manager who had been with the company much longer. He had less patience, and (it seemed to me) manufactured a fireable offense, terminating him for something amounting to heresay.

That employee (in addition to his absences, he was took a 3 week vacation every year to lead a church congregation on a Haj to Mecca) remembered I was kind and understanding, and called me once he found out I had been cut due to downsizing. He tried (but failed) to get me into where he was working...I do appreciate his efforts.

Another company that had an open sick day policy hired a web developer from Kraken's neck of the woods, he called in sick the first 3 days he was supposed to work and averaged 2 sick days per week afterward. He wound up a casualty of the same bloodbath that claimed me, mostly for this reason. To his job they promoted one of my former employees -- that guy was a master web developer and she an apprentice, but it probably worked out better for them in the end.