Dumb Management = Dumb Rules

More than often, non-compliance warrants disciplinary actions but where are the rewards & appreciation when there is? Sad to say, it really does not happen here.

This is the goddamn dumb email we rec'd. It's actually not all but what the heck!

HR and the ET have received some general feedback on Corporate Office matters that warrant a brief reminder to all staff on the company policy and expectation.

1. Punctuality and Office check-in
Corporate Office Hours are 9am – 6pm Monday to Friday. All employees unless otherwise stated in their contract must attend work at 9am at which time they must clock in with their access card to register their attendance and presence at work. Attendance reports for departments will be circulated within the exec team that show staff’s attendance record for each month. Turning up to work at 9.15am, 9.30am or later isn’t acceptable and going forward will be recognized as a performance issue by your direct manager.

If a staff does not clock in and clock out or follow proper attendance registration procedures, the company will assume that the employee was absent on that day. In such a case, HR may deduct an annual leave day for non-attendance. Some offices have CCTV internally which maybe used to review staff attendance.

2. Taking leave
Please review your staff handbook for clarification on leave policies. A reminder for all Corporate Office staff that no leave from 2009 or any accumulated leave from prior years will be allowed carry over into 2010. Please plan your leave schedule accordingly.

3. Smoking and smoking during office hours
In Singapore and in Hong Kong we have received written warnings from building management because our office staff have been smoking during office hours in fire exits and in illegal locations. Apart from being illegal, this affects the company’s reputation and relationship with building management and is not a productive way for a staff to spend working hours. Following is the company’s position on smoking in relation to the corporate office:
a. Staff damages your health and we encourage all staff that smoke to pursue means to quit smoking
b. Staff must comply with building rules and regulations and comply with laws that regulate smoking in public spaces – i.e not smoke in fire exits
c. Staff are not permitted to take smoking breaks during working hours of 9am-1pm and 2pm-6pm (lunchtime may vary in some countries). IF a staff wishes to smoke, they must do so before/after work or during their lunch break.
d. Staff should consider the impact to the California Fitness brand when they smoke in public. As a company and employees, we should be looking for ways to lead and encourage others to live a better and more healthy life, not the opposite.

4. Last to leave the office
It is the responsibility of the last person to leave the office to ensure the alarm is set and the doors are locked. If you are staying later than office close time for any reason, please ensure if you are the last to leave that the office is secure. The access system on the door reports who was the last to leave. Repeat offences of not securing the office may result in disciplinary action.

5. Food and Hygiene
If you use the fridge / sinks / microwaves in the office, please ensure you clean up after yourself. In the case of Hong Kong, the cleaners will clean the bins out at approximately 5.30pm. If you order in food and need to dispose of food packages and food remains, please do not place it in the office bin on a Friday night after 5.30pm as this creates a hygiene issue [bad smell, cockroach risk] over the weekend. We have had many complaints about this recently. If you store things in the fridge, please clean it out as the fridge will be cleaned and emptied on a monthly basis so you may lose food if you leave it long term.

I am sorry for the nature of the message but in some countries in some of the areas we are indeed sloppy and need to lift our game, especially at a time when the need for staff productivity is so critical.