Story:
The First Line Manager: The Fairness Bugaboo

As a front line supervisor, I have reconciled myself to this greatest of issues with employees; you are not treating me/us fairly. The company is not treating me/us fairly. Fellow employees are not treating me/us fairly. This is the most subjective employee measure you will have to deal with as a supervisor. How you deal with it is a personal matter. This is my take on it.

Employee fairness is an ancient issue, read Matthew 20: 1-16, the story of a man that owned a vineyard. He went in the morning and hired workers at an agreed upon wage, one penny a day. He hired more workers at noon and more latter in the day stating he would do right by them. He paid the workers no matter how long they had worked a penny. The workers that worked all day told the vineyard owner he had treated them unfairly. He stated that he paid them the agreed upon wage, he had treated them fairly. I notice he did not try to convince them; he just made the statement.

I believe the mission of my department and the policies of our company must be clearly understood by me and each employee. As a front line manager, I must make judgments to enforce or permit accommodations to these policies from time to time. An accommodation to a policy is based mostly on an individual employee need. The fairness issues arise because that accommodation is between me and that individual, not the workgroup. Of course, my workgroup notices the accommodation; but, they do not know the reason. This is not group information. Invariably, I get another employee that wants, they think, the same accommodation; but, I do not grant it. This employee brings up the previous accommodation I made. Problem! I don’t think so! I explain to the employee that the situation is not the same. I was fair with the other employee and I am fair with you. They may ask, “How!” I state, each circumstance is different, and it is a private decision between an employee and me. I bring up instances where I have worked with them in the past, and we did not ask the workgroup for a decision. It was a decision we made. This time I can’t accommodate them, maybe in the future. We sometimes have to agree to disagree on my decision and move on.

This conversation will work if you are consistent. All accommodations must be temporary; and, based on a valid reason. Your employees will find out if the accommodation is without substantial merit. You cannot continue to give the same employees an accommodation, if so, the other employees have grounds to say you have favorites. The most frequent fairness issues seem to be: leaving work early or for just a few minutes, and being late to work. These issues seem so simple; but, you must address them. It is amazing how employee trust in you can be eroded because of these issues.

Don’t be intimated by the fairness issue. You want to accommodate an individual employee, if possible. Your greater responsibilities are to all the employees of your workgroup; and, to the policies and mission of your department and company.