AboutDr. Mac Expertise I can answer any question that has to do with working relationships, management skills or lack there of, conflict, and leadership. I primarily work with troubled teams, groups with poor management, or general dysfunction for over twenty-five years. I am also a professor at the University of Denver in the Alternative Dispute Resolution department. Go to www.greggiesenassociates.com to see my client list.
I'm using the alias "Dr. Mac" because he is the main character in my latest management book, Ask Dr. Mac. He plays a newspaper advice columnist on business issues.
Experience Again, twenty-five years of experience here. Email me at ggiesen@greggiesenassociates.com with any specific questions not related to this site.
Published articles written by Greg Giesen:
• Conflict Between Two Employees May Reflect on Organization, in the March, 2003 issue of the Denver Business Journal.
• Meeting Management: Let’s Cut to the Chase, in the March, 2003 edition of CHRA’s The Advisor magazine.
• From Conflict to Collaboration, appearing in the March, 2003 edition of Executive Excellence Magazine.
• Leading From Within, appearing in the April, 2003 edition of Personal Excellence Magazine.
• Only an Integrated Approach Will Increase Employee Motivation, May, 2004, OD Network magazine, Practicing.
• Motivational Mastery, appearing in the March, 2005 edition of Sales & Service Excellence Magazine.
• Creating Collaboration: A Process that Works, appearing in the July, 2007 edition of Projects & Profits magazine, India.
• The Value of Vision, Submitted to Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Lessons in Leadership, due out in January, 2009.
Books written by Greg Giesen:
• Creating Authenticity: Meaningful Questions for Meaningful Moments, 2001, ISBN: 0-9721114-0-9
• Creating Authenticity: Meaningful Questions for the Minds and Souls of Today’s Leaders, 2002, ISBN: 0-9721114-1-7
• Ask Dr. Mac: Take the Journey to Authentic Leadership, 2007, ISBN:
0-9788555-0-7.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Your Best Year Yet Certification, Best Year Yet, LLC.
• DiSC Certification, Resources Unlimited.
• Social Styles Pro II Certification, Cahners TRACOM Group.
• Consultant’s Training, Corporate Transformation Tools, Richard Barrett & Associates.
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• Adventure Systems & Design, Challenge Course Certification.
• The Coaches Training Institute, The Professional Coaching Course.
• Group Process Consultation, NTL.
• Mediating EEO, Personnel & Employee Relations Disputes, CDR.
• Conflict Resolution Workshop, Aiki Works, Inc.
• Facilitator Training, (270-hours), Good Works Unlimited.
• Wilderness Therapy Practicum, Colorado Outward Bound School.
• The Human Element, Will Schutz & Associates.
EDUCATION
Masters of Science, 1982, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Major: Personnel Services & Counseling.
Bachelor of Arts, 1979, Western State College, Gunnison, Colorado. Majors: Psychology & Sociology.
Expert: Dr. Mac Date: 5/4/2008 Subject: My sons place of employment
Question OK.. I don't even know if this is the correct place to write about this, so i will just give it a shot.
My son (who is 16 1/2 yrs old) works for a pizza place. The problem we have with this place, is they dont have a regular schedule. They will put your start time, but none of the kids working there have a get off time. It's really a hassle for us, because we never KNOW when he will get off and have to wait around for hours to pick him up. The other issue I have, is they most of the time only work him ONE hour and send him home. NOW, my question is. Isnt there some kind of a law out there in Washinton State where if you go in, they have to work you X amount of hours? I just find this job to be a waste of time and gas for one hour. My husband spoke with the owner, and she informed him that this is the way she runs the place and if my son didnt like it, he could quit.
Some people have told me that she is breaking the law, but I have NO IDEA! HELP!
Answer Hi Jolene.
I just checked the Washington state wage and hour website and there are no requirements for a minimum schedule or advance notices of changes to schedules. It sounds like the business expects to staff a sufficient number of employees to meet the volume needs and cut labor expenses when the volume is just not there to justify keeping staff on. Typically, at most restaurants, the owner/managers would look for volunteers to leave early when it was a slow night. If no one volunteered, they would require someone to leave and try to rotate that so it was equal for everyone over time. That being said, there should be a closing time for the restaurant. Assuming this is a closing shift, it would be reasonable for your son to know if he will be off within a half hour of that time, assuming he is doing some closing clean-up, etc. Of course reasonable is one thing, and reality quite another.
In the future, I would suggest you coach your son on how to address these type of issues with his boss instead of having your husband step in for him. Since he is the employee, he needs to stand on his own, determine what indicators mean he will be cut early and ask if he could have a "heads up" about a half hour before he will be off. That's probably the best you can expect, given what you've said about the owner. Otherwise, your son may want to look for another job with set scheduling.
