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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Author
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Topic: Moonlighting Employees
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Don Anderson
Master Film Handler
Posts: 312
From: West Bend, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 09-15-2001 02:51 PM
Just wondering if any else has run into this problem. On Friday I found out that one of my vendors had been moonlighting as a vendor/usher our local competition on his days off. He has been doing this for about one month, asking off for certain days. These "certain days" turned out to be the days he works for them. A customer kiddingly mentioned that one of our employees had sold him popcorn at the theatre down the street. I didn't believe him, so I called their office and asked if they had so and so working there, only to be told , yes he's working tonight. Needless to say, I drove over there in between showtimes, didn't see him at the vending counter, so I asked the 18 year old manager (who looks 15) if he was working. He went to the booth and brought him down to meet someone, that someone being me. The expression on his face was worth a million bucks! They, the competition, had no idea that he was currently working for us, and them! I told our former employee that it was unethical to do such a stunt. He saw nothing wrong with it. Anyone ever caught an employee doing this at your theatre? I was going to give him a choice of working for us or them, until I found out he secretly working there for over 30 days, and told a fellow employee NOT TO TELL HIS BOSS. Gee, guess what? When one of your key vendors asks for more hours and you tell them that you don't have any available, they talk!
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Jerry Chase
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1068
From: Margate, FL, USA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 09-15-2001 04:09 PM
<shrug> If it was an hourly employee and the schedule didn't conflict, I wouldn't throw a fit. Such moves are common in union situations. Projectionists often work many different locations.The line I wouldn't cross is if the employee were promoted to part of the management team. Let's face it, sometimes theatres give employees rotton hours and insufficient pay to make ends meet on any consistent basis. I suspect the employee in question has a lot of drive and probably a lot more integrity than you think. I can relate dozens of tales where underpaid (insufficient or irregular hours) workers took from the till rather than trying to find a second job. I'd guess his heart was in the right place, but his judgement hadn't matured enough to be up front with what he wanted to do.
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 09-15-2001 07:19 PM
[rant mode]Personally I think that is ridiculous and uncalled for. Did the employee do good work for you? If the answer is yes, then the problem is you. Theaters pay shit and many will not allow an employee to work over 40 hours so they do not have to pay overtime. For some employees that means they HAVE to have another job and just because they like working at your theater enough to make their second job at another theater should not matter. I have never met an employee that worked two jobs that did not do an excellent job. People in that situation generally work their butts off and can not afford to lose either job. If you really want that person to work exclusively for you, how about a raise so perhaps he doesn't have to? Then again, maybe he is only getting 20 hours a week at your theater so he had to pick up another shift or two at another theater to pay the bills. Perhaps the entire reason why he had to take that other job was because you won't schedule him enough so that he can make ends meet. Obviously the employee KNEW you would overreact and that is why he tried to keep it a secret from you. I've been in that situation during college where I had to keep two jobs to make ends meet, and yes they were both at theaters. Neither theater cared because I did my job very well at both places and there is no difference here. So long as he shows up for his shifts at your theater and does a good job, what that person does on his days off is really none of your damned business. If nothing else, the guy is getting more experience in the exhibition industry without even affecting your payroll! I can only hope that John's post above was misread and you did not fire that person. If you did, then I hope you treat everyone that you pay to perform work at your theater the same way. Better tell that soda foundain repair guy to take a hike since he probably works on the competing theater's machines. Oh wait, who cleans your screens? Oh no, I'll bet the guy who delivers your ETS prints delivers for your evil competing theater too! What if the same service company does repair work on your projectors and the guys down the road??? This is just assinine and don't even try to separate employees from outside contract labor. You pay both of them to do work at your theater right? Yes you do! This is no different. Now go have a Coke and a smile and shove that lame argument about ethics where it belongs. Pathetic. [/rant mode]
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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 09-16-2001 04:17 AM
I have to agree wiht firing the guy... Not necessarly for having the other job, but for hiding it... I don't know about you guys, but I want to be able to trust the personnel under me, rather than wonder where their loyalty lies... To paraphrase a parable, no man can serve too masters and be loyal to both equally..Brad... I have had employees go off in similar fashon about hours, pay, etc.. I always tell them it is the nature of the buisness. All choices we make in life have their consequences. I can choose a lower paying, but fun, theatre job, or a higher paying, but less fun, office job. Its a tradeoff inherent in the buisness. Think about it this way. On a Saturday I need 21+ ushers to take care of all the necessary tasks in my 20-plex... On Monday, I need 2... Assuming 3 or 4 people will ask off for a Saturday, I need 25 employees in the department to keep it staffed. Are you honestly suggesting that I have a responsibility to give any of those 25 employees 40 hours a week if they ask for it?
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Don Anderson
Master Film Handler
Posts: 312
From: West Bend, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 09-16-2001 08:08 PM
Brad, I treat all my employees as a team. No one is better than the next. We have a great staff, and yes, they don't get paided big bucks, they know that when they are interviewed. But, everyone enjoys working for me and our company. We have preview night for the staff, pizza, sodas, etc. They get the days off that they ask for, are scheduled for the hours they prefer, and so forth.He was given as many hours as he wanted. He was a good worker. However, this is not the first time that I have caught him lying to me. If you tell me that you will be out of state for a week, they ya better be out of state instead of being spotted in town. Then, only to tell us that you had a great time in Ohio and just got back tonight! This person didn't see anything wrong with working for the competition. I see differently, especially since the competition is less than a mile away in a town of 35m. It wouldn't take much for him to tell the "other guy" what our concession sales were the times that he was working. I don't think he would do that, but ya never know. Kids don't see it as management see's it. Its a dog eat dog world. Believe me, I don't like releasing people, its very hard to find anyone in the workforce in our area. But, I will not put up being lied to. The manager at the other theatre had no idea that he was still working for us, and of course, he kept it from them too! I'm sure he will be happy working for them, it seems that the oldest person working there is around 18 year old.
Oh, by the way, about 4 months ago I had sent in a resume to the out of state company that runs that theatre and was offered a managers position. I had no idea that it was managed by an out of state firm. I turned down the job offer, it paid more, but I wasn't impressed with the theatre presentation.But, I also sat down with the owners of our theatre and put my cards on the table. I told them that I was looking for another chain to work for. they told me that they would rather see me work for a chain in Milwaukee and offered to get me in the door. Not because they were afraid of me working within our city for somebody else, but because of the chain that runs it. Oh well, sorry that not all of you agree with me on my decision of my employee. But, I hope that it never happens to you. I work 3 jobs, and all of them know of each others, but are in totally different fields. One of my employers said that they would do the same as I did, if it was hidden from them too.
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