Q. Before each employee review, my supervisor solicits confidential appraisals of each employee’s performance from others in the company. The person being reviewed must then discuss the comments–but does not know who has made them. My concern is that the anonymity of comments fails to put them in a meaningful context, especially if they’re negative. What do you think of this policy?
A. I don’t like it at all. Being allowed to be anonymous allows people to make any wild accusation. That doesn’t help employees improve their performances–the ostensible purpose of the review.
Q. What is the average time to wait before employers make a decision on whether to hire after a final interview has been held? I had mine two weeks ago, but the hiring manager has yet to return my calls.
A. There is no average time: It’s however long the hiring officers think it should be.
Q. I work for a federal agency, and despite state laws allowing it, my supervisor will not let me see my personnel records. I probably never will see them unless I go to a lawyer and get a subpoena–and pay the legal expenses. The government seems to know its way around the laws it creates for others. Is this fair?
A. It always amazes me how governmental agencies do not have to obey many of the employment laws they (and their counterparts) impose on other employers. And no, it’s not fair.
Q. A firm that I’m interviewing with wants to see a copy of my paycheck stubs from my previous employer. I don’t like it. It seems so insulting.
A. It’s an extremely invasive but not unusual practice these days. From it, the potential employer gets a lot of other information in addition to your salary. Has the firm been up front about telling you what the salary range is for the job? I’ll bet it hasn’t given you a clue, so you’re in no position to negotiate for the salary you deserve–which is where they want you. But if you want the job, you’ll have to comply. And do employees even keep all of their paychecks? Many don’t.
Q. I’m employed part-time by a large supermarket and to supplement my income, I recently applied for another part-time job at another supermarket chain. But my supervisor told me I can’t work at the other store because it would be a conflict of interest and I would be fired. Is that legal?
A. Many companies impose that rule on full-time employees, but I’ve never heard it in connection with part-timers. However, employment lawyer Sheribel Rothenberg, based in Chicago, says, “There is nothing illegal about it. It’s a matter of contract and no fair employment laws are involved.” And I know of another solution: If the first store began paying you a decent wage, you wouldn’t have to supplement your income with a second job.
Q. The one question I can’t stand in job interviews is what are your goals or plans for the next five years. I want to scream, “Look, I’m 50 years old. I don’t know about five-year goals. I might be dead. I plan for the next month or the end of the year.” What do you think of these scripted questions?
A. When I’m asked that question–admittedly not in job interviews–I always respond that my five-year plan is to get through tomorrow. So my “goals” are even shorter than yours!
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Carol Kleiman’s column also appears in Sunday and Tuesday’s Business sections. Watch her Career Coach segments on CLTV. Send e-mail to ckleiman@tribune.com.
