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Turnover Fairness Favoritism

I work for a small, privately-owned company. The owner, who has an office in the building, always wonders aloud why we cannot keep any workers. The reason is the managers. One manager hires his relatives and favors them, and another throws money away on frivolous things. I find it hard to believe that the owner cannot see this. Should I tell the owner?



One has to wonder about an owner who wonders aloud about the employee exodus. The act of wondering is not exactly at the core of effective management. Employee turnover is a problem in and of itself, and is also a symptom of various factors that may be pulling or pushing employees from the organization.

You are in the best position to know if this owner is receptive to the inputs and suggestions of the employees. If the owner is an open, fair, and communicative leader, you and some of your fellow employees can meet with him or her to discuss your views regarding the cause of the turnover. In doing so, try to focus on the issues of nepotism, favoritism, and questionable spending priorities, rather than focusing on the managers per se.

A less threatening approach is the next time the owner wonders why the turnover is so high, you can suggest that he or she consider conducting an anonymous survey of the employees. If the company has a human resources director, this person can do it, or there are plenty of consultants who can be contacted. If the owner balks at these approaches, one can only assume that he or she prefers living in wonderland.





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