Another update from the Jungle….
Mary likes the arts and has volunteered for years with several non-profits. Recently, she was offered a paid part-time position. The pay is barely above minimum wage but includes a parking pass and it fits with her full-time job’s schedule. Mary enjoys being paid to see the shows.
Mary’s enthusiasm for her part-time arts job soon wears thin. Suzy is another part-timer who was recently promoted to manager to help supervise the part-time staff during peak attendance hours. Mary thinks the part-time managers are selected for their willingness to work longer hours for a small pay increase and not for their actual abilities.
Suzy is a perfect example. She bustles about acting important but has never been a manager. Under pressure, she becomes brusque to the point of rudeness. Since her main role is to resolve problems with unruly or disgruntled patrons, this creates interesting situations.
On a recent weekend, several patrons are shocked when their high-priced tickets to a special event are rejected. Suzy arrives as Mary is explaining that the ticket office can help sort out their ticketing problem. Mary explains to Suzy that the tickets are not scanning properly.
Suzy examines the tickets and tells the patrons that buying from scalpers is never a good idea. One patron turns red with fury as he says the third party ticketing company he used is a recognized distributor for the non-profit. Mary offers to show the patrons to the ticketing office but Suzy orders her to stay at her post. Suzy stalks off.
Twenty minutes later, Suzy is back. In front of other workers, she tells Mary to never leave her post again. Mary points out that she didn’t. Then Suzy accuses Mary of “throwing gasoline on a fire” by telling the angry patrons that the ticket office could fix the ticketing problems. Suzy claims that the patrons will think this guarantees them admittance to the sold-out show. Mary’s temper rises.
What are Mary’s options?
- She can complain to Suzy’s boss but he is unlikely to take action unless other employees have also complained about Suzy.
- She can suggest that Suzy take Prozac or learn yoga to deal with the stress of being in charge.
- She can accept that Suzy’s accusations arise from feeling insecure and brush it off unless Suzy continues to criticize her.
Non-profits face the same employee issues as for-profit companies but often mistakenly believe they are exempt from employment laws. As a general rule, they are not and should consider how best to minimize their risks of violating employment laws.
If your company is struggling with HR issues, Corporate Compliance Risk Advisor can help you create HR policies that are appropriate for your company’s size and then serve as a resource to your staff as the policies are implemented.
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