That akward feeling....

[Argabarga]

... that you sometimes get.

Specifically

When the name of a former employee of ours, whom we fired for general inability to keep to a schedule or deliver what he promised, appears on the "Employee of the Month" plaque at ANOTHER shop you stopped at....

If that's their best, they won't be getting any more of MY business!

[Gilhelmi]

Well, my positivism and "hope for humanity" side is thinking that getting fired turned his life around and he really is a model employee.

Hey anything is possible, right?

[KellyHabersham]

Something kind of like that happened with a former co-worker at the library - short version is that she had some issues which made her frustrating/sometimes difficult to work with, but when she transferred to the main library branch, she suddenly got an "Employee of the Month" award in her department.

[icmedia]

I'm leaning towards the fact that they hate this person so much, it's a sarcastic "award," making fun of the idiot to his face.

[EvilEmpryss]

One could hope that he just found his niche and has grown up a little so he's actually doing well in his job and his life.

One could hope, but it isn't likely.

[ozcatbug]

I have seen this before and it still amazes me. But it was a legitimate change for the guy. When I first started in the department there were several good workers, a few that tried their best but just weren't that good, some really lazy workers, and then there was A. You could tell he had the potential to be a great worker, possibly headed for promotion, but you could see he was choosing to be the worst worker in the department. Nothing our manager could say would change his attitude. Then our manager went off long term sick and I was pushed into unofficial supervisor.

It took a couple of weeks before I noticed that A had become one of the best workers in the department. He was always asking if I needed him to do something. He would direct other staff. Another manager and I were discussing it and were amazed at the transformation. So I spoke to him one night and asked him about the change. It turned out he was pissed off with our old manager (who ended up retiring instead of coming back) because she would let her fellow smokers take multiple extra breaks and leave the rest of us nonsmokers to do the work. A felt that he would only do as much work as the smokers would do. When my manager left and I was in charge, if a smoker wanted an extra break I made sure they made up the time, so A decided he wanted to work for me.

When I left that job he was the team leader and was headed for the management program. So sometimes a bad worker can change though usually they don't.

[Evannah]

I don't like those 'employee of the month' thingies. Everyone else at my former workplace got at least one. Except me, of course. I was always overlooked and it made me feel so miserable. I mean, I'm not perfect, but I tried my damned hardest in that job. I worked my butt off. And never got any recognition for it.

[Gizmo]

I worked my butt off. And never got any recognition for it.

Thats is sometimes part of the issue. If you work your butt off regularly they don't feel any need to say "yay!".

Where as someone who generally does less and for once does something small thats good or actually does around 90% of their job for once? That gets recognised.

Or the one who is threatening to quit gets the EOTM so they stay. Where as those who don't rock the boat get ignored.

(This is only how *some* companies/managers do this .... some actually know how to do it properly).

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The swamp has had an on-agan, off-again EOTM award. It's currently on again as a company program.

Most of the time the person winning it has a good reason for winning it--the current recipient is somebody in optical who got a glowing letter of praise from a customer.

Then there was the girl who won one month because she had the only "attaboy" card on the bulletin board for the month--and the giver wrote "Thank you for being awesome!" on it.

[Mr Hero]

I don't like those 'employee of the month' thingies. Everyone else at my former workplace got at least one. Except me, of course. I was always overlooked and it made me feel so miserable. I mean, I'm not perfect, but I tried my damned hardest in that job. I worked my butt off. And never got any recognition for it.

It's even worse to be passed up for an inanimate carbon rod.

[prjkt]

It's even worse to be passed up for an inanimate carbon rod.

Was waiting for this reference

[Jay 2K Winger]

It's even worse to be passed up for an inanimate carbon rod.

Hey, that rod is an American hero.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Aww, they were just about to show some close-ups of the rod!