Managing employee benefits programs and strategies

Managing Employee Benefits

One of the clearest issues in this scenario is the lack of trust being shown to Connie by her superiors. Call centers typically have a high turnover rate (Hillmer, Hillmer & McRoberts, 2004), and the fact that Connie has not only worked for the company for a number of years, but also voluntarily took a night shift position, presumably to the company's benefit, should place her in the good graces of those above her. The opposite seems to be the case: despite Connie's longevity with the call center, her night shift supervisor appeared to have no confidence in her ability to do her job, thus his constant nagging about her breaks, as well as his scheduling of the breaks to ensure than Connie and her close friend would not have them together and would therefore presumably not take more time than they were allowed. It was only after a period of complaining that Connie was able to get the supervisor off her back; the issue did not resolve itself on its own.

This absence of trust has continued with Connie's sick leave. Assuming that Connie's sick leaves are justified, and that she is able to provide a medical notice or other form to satisfy the company's requirements, the company should display understanding towards her situation, especially since she has been an employee there for years. This is coupled with the fact that working in a call center is not a complex job, and it is not as though Connie is crucial to the operation; her experience is valuable, but when she takes a few days off, it will not stop the center from operating. It therefore does seem excessively unfair for the Director of the Reservation Center telling her that she would not be receiving any further unpaid medical leaves -- for any reason. Connie should always try her best to stay healthy and not miss work, and her employer should trust that when she takes a sick leave (that is not costing them any money), she is actually ill.

Working at a call center is in many ways a monotonous, thankless job, thus the high turnover that occurs among employees (Hillmer, Hillmer & McRoberts, 2004). For consumers, dealing with a call center is often frustrating, due to long waiting times or difficult salespeople. It would be in the call center's best interest to keep their employees feeling happy and appreciated, which will translate to a better attitude when working with customers (Saunders, 2007). Part of this would include showing trust and responsibility to those who have earned it; in this case, Connie after four years with the company, appears to be worthy of such trust. As well, the company's one-day-per-month sick leave policy could be reworked. It is understandable that the sick days are accumulated on a month-by-month basis, due to the high turnover at call centers, but management could add on benefits for top employees. For example, an employee who has been with the company for a year would earn an additional sick day every two months, with further days added each month as their time with the call center increases.