Struggling with Mismatched Company Policies: A Case Study in Education and Maintenance

Company policies that mandate certain training and tasks can often make sense on the surface, but delve deeper and you may encounter policies that seem to contradict each other or defy logic. In this article, we will explore two such instances from the education and maintenance fields, highlighting these seemingly illogical policies and their implications for everyday operations.

The Education Field: Conflicting Safety Courses in School Bus Safety

First, let’s dive into a peculiar policy encountered in the education field, where the state mandates extensive safety courses for teachers. However, these mandates present some logistical challenges that are worth discussing. Schools are required to have teachers participate in school bus safety classes, despite the fact that state laws explicitly forbid teachers from riding on school buses unless they are sponsoring certain field trips. This rule, however, has been further tightened to the point where field trips that do not align with band or sports activities are no longer allowed. As such, teachers are left with the responsibility of attending these safety courses, yet they are not required to undergo the actual practical experience involved in operating a school bus.

The second issue arises with the mandatory training on blood-borne pathogens (BBP). While both teachers and custodians are required to attend workshops on BBP, the practical execution of these policies presents significant discrepancies. The custodians, who are supposed to clean up BBP or similar messes, are often not provided with the necessary protective equipment or cleaning materials mentioned in the course. More perplexingly, teachers are completely barred from cleaning any such messes, despite being the first line of response to such emergencies. To compound the issue, custodians are not even allowed to enter a teacher’s room to clean up such areas, especially during school hours. This leads to a situation where teachers have to manage the situation using their own methods, which may not be as effective or safe, while also potentially creating discipline problems.

The Maintenance Field: Unreasonable Cleaning Responsibilities

Shifting our focus to the maintenance field, another set of policies has been frustrating both workers and managers. In this scenario, the maintenance crew is compelled to clean the parking lots of neighboring businesses like hotels and retail stores. These facilities are not owned by the maintenance crew and the messes are not their responsibility. Yet, they are expected to address issues that were not caused by their customers or clients. This includes dealing with broken glass, stinky diapers, household waste left in the open void of nearby dumpsters, and even plastic sacks bearing the logos of other businesses. This policy not only creates a significant burden on the maintenance team but also diverts them from their primary duties, such as repairing broken pipes, maintaining the integrity of the business property, and ensuring a clean and safe environment for all employees and customers.

One manager’s frustrated husband, faced with this policy, highlighted several inefficiencies and unfairness in the decision-making process. Dealing with sporadic and diverse incidents in neighboring properties not only adds unnecessary workload but also distracts the maintenance crew from their core responsibilities. The prime responsibilities, such as addressing critical issues like leaking pipes, are ignored in favor of less urgent and potentially less effective tasks. This policy, while perhaps intended to foster goodwill and community service, introduces further complications and inefficiencies that need to be addressed.

Implications and Solutions

These instances of mismatched company policies highlight the importance of clear, consistent, and practical guidelines. When policies are in place, they should align with the real-world scenarios and needs of employees. In the education field, policies should be reviewed to ensure they are in line with both state mandates and practical realities. For example, modifying the training requirements to be more practical or offering alternative forms of training that can be completed online or during off-hours could be a solution. This would ensure that teachers and other staff members receive the required training without the added burden of impractical and time-consuming tasks.

In the maintenance field, a more practical approach could be to clearly define what the maintenance team is responsible for. A clearer division of responsibilities between the maintenance crew and neighboring businesses could help in managing resources more effectively. Additionally, providing the necessary resources and training to the maintenance crew for handling such emergencies would not only improve safety but also enhance efficiency.

Overall, a thorough review of company policies and their implementation is essential to ensure that they serve the intended purpose without imposing unnecessary burdens on employees. By addressing these mismatches, organizations can create a more harmonious and effective work environment that benefits both the employees and the organization as a whole.