I am classified as WAH and am Band 4 in Marketing and I got put on a PIP yesterday for only “working” an average of 7.2 hours per day remotely. Apparently, I was able to be tracked on how much time I was actively using “work related” tools. My boss was kind of apologetic about it because I pointed out that I have to do things like go to the bathroom, eat, and think about how I am going to respond to an email or how I will accomplish something specific. I was told our VP wants to root out WAH employees who aren’t really working as much as in office people.
I am pretty upset because I am willing to bet in office folks use “work related” tools about the same in an 8-9 hour day. It really seems like they want to get rid of WAH workers. If I get fired for this I will be lawyering up, but it is really terrible that Cigna would do this to me just because I live 120 miles from the closest office and wanted to work for them. Just want to warn you if you are WAH you are being watched very closely.
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Monitoring, including real-time monitoring, has been used in the office and for WAH for years. It doesn't matter which band you are. They can and do monitor.
With that being said, Iris clearly outlines that if your schedule is 8 hours, you get two 15 minute breaks and 30 minutes for lunch. The PIP was just a way to start a process to kick you to the curb. Get the resume polished and document everything going forward. If you're in a single-party content state consider recording conversations.
Even call centers don’t require 8 hours of active work. Usually 75% of your work day is the high end so working 8 hours, that’s about 6 hours of productivity time which you’ve surpassed.
And they can’t use, everybody knew as an initial warning. Even a verbal warning has to be documented and signed so this is a bunch of BS.
But also understand, HR ultimately works for the benefit of the company. Hopefully, they’ll talk to your management because none of it sounds right but know they’re working to protect the company; not you.
@5ped+1sHzXLwa Don’t ever put any company work on your phone. First of all, if there is a specific type of audit, or subpoena, your personal phone can be confiscated (very very unlikely but technically possible). Secondly, Cigna is getting free cell service by making you pay for it (and depending on your data plan you will have to pay if you go over your limit). Lastly, you might create the assumption that you are available at all hours, once again giving Cigna free work and making it harder for you to maintain boundaries and work life balance. Cigna issues company cell phones. If you accessing WEbEx and email in off hours is business critical, make them pay for a work mobile phone for you.
While the issue of clearing your name is solved, it sounds like objective is to remove you and possibly your team. Update your resume and start looking. Best of luck. You can do this!
I know I’m not the only one who has ever brought their phone into the bathroom, read emails in the bathroom, or had thoughts or discussion with others about work while in the bathroom! This IS work. Email app on your phone has a history log and those you converse with are character witnesses. Problem solved.
# remove the and replace with your Id and file name
set srcFile to "Macintosh HD:Users::Documents:subFolder:
should be
# remove the and replace with your Id and file name
set srcFile to "Macintosh HD:Users:<yourId>:Documents:subFolder:<yourFile>
Or try this on a Mac
- In a blank word document, type
=lorem(100)
- save that as a .txt file, then delete the Word document
- create the following applescript with the script editor
# remove the and replace with your Id and file name
set srcFile to "Macintosh HD:Users::Documents:subFolder:
#read the file
set myLines to paragraphs of (read file srcFile)
tell application "Microsoft Word"
activate
end tell
tell application "Microsoft Word"
make new document
end tell
tell application "System Events"
repeat with aLine in myLines
set theList to every word of aLine
repeat with theWord in theList
keystroke theWord
keystroke " "
delay (random number from 1 to 2)
end repeat
# carriage return
key code 36
end repeat
end tell
# end of applescript file
- Run this from the Script Editor or save it as an app
- Word must be the top application running in the foreground when this script is running
IMPORTANT: Stop the script before doing ANYTHING else
Note - don't lock your screen - it will keep typing and possibly lock out your password if you haven't stopped the script first.
- I'm sure there's a way to do this on Windows with VB Script, but I don't have a windows machine to write/test on.
"One of my supervisors in office claimed bathroom time does not count as time worked."
Your supervisor may want to read up on the policy: Have them go to Iris and search for the "Meal and Rest Periods - USA" page.
Lunch is unpaid, but rest breaks are paid. And depending on which state you are in, there may be more that you can take.
From the FLSA (dol.gov): "Meal Periods and Rest Breaks
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require an employer to provide meal periods or rest breaks for their employees. Many employers, however, do provide breaks and/or meal periods. Breaks of short duration, from 5 to 20 minutes, are common. As a general rule, rest breaks are considered hours worked and bona fide meal periods are not considered hours worked.
Some states do have laws requiring rest breaks and/or meal periods. Such state requirements will prevail over the silence of the FLSA on this subject. In those situations where an employee is subject to both the FLSA and state labor laws, the employee is entitled to the most beneficial provisions of each law. "
a short stack of quarters placed strategically on the down arrow key while the cursor moves through a long 'work related' Word document or Excel spreadsheet can buy you time enough to use the restroom -- it's what they are asking for
I would be using "work-related" tools to update up my resume. Also, when things get hectic, I would refuse to give more than your obligated 8 hours. Ridiculous.
To OP, are you in a business unit outside of MA?
UPDATE: I went to my manager about never having gotten a warning of any type, and he said that the entire team was “warned” that we need to be working at least 8 hours a day in a team
meeting about 6 weeks ago. I explained I was working 8 hours a day and any gaps are normal and reasonable including thinking about what I am doing. Manager told me it needs to be 8 hours of active tasks. I am going to HR and contesting and also have a consultation with a lawyer scheduled. Until then I will be typing random letters in an empty email to stay “active” if I have to think, and will be working at least an hour longer to accommodate bathroom breaks and food. And I am looking for a different job. This place is ridiculous.
The way the whole Future of Work thing has been handled has been disgusting. I’m sure they have been over the policy with the proverbial fine toothed comb from a legal perspective but I’d love to see someone fight it when the time comes. There are so many leaps in logic it’s hard to get one’s head around it.
One of my supervisors in office claimed bathroom time does not count as time worked. Can't believe I didn't quit then.
@1nmh+1sHzXLwa You must be a manager to have missed something in the first sentence. It’s in the post.
FYI your VP is a mo--n! There are way too many Band 5s and 6s who have no idea how to lead. Get things in writing about every detail of what’s required and what’s considered a success. Every. Detail. In. Writing. Then meet with your boss for 30 minutes each week and you walk through how things are progressing and document their feedback. If they need to play this stupid game then hold their feet to the fire to be accountable. They don’t want WAH anymore, but they don’t want to pay u to move and they don’t want to pay severance
Good luck
There CANNOT go to a PIP without an initial verbal or written. So unless there is something you aren't sharing, you need to go to your lead and challenge what was done to you, while citing that you were never given a warning or written up per work guidelines.
What band are you?
Working 7.2 hrs per day sounds reasonable to be. Does that factor in your lunch or time in meetings that may come up as non-active time, something strange here, they were looking for a reason. Lots of us have this tracking software but targets should factor in bathroom breaks, lunch, little things not being picked up as activity. I don't know what's expected of me anymore hearing stuff like this, my actual work productivity or that I'm chained to my desk a full 8hours. Did you not know you were being tracked, are all roles and bands now?
You need to challenge it. They cant move to PIP without an initial conversation, or verbal or written warning.
If you did not receive one, make sure you get a copy of the productivity report showing your average daily "working" hours. Documentation will be important should you decide to move forward with legal action.
Are you serious? That is some shady s#$t. Well, that certainly is going to change the way I work. I live several hundred miles from a Cigna office. Thanks for sharing! Sorry that happened to you.