Why in the world did we have a ERI Survey this year

[gman]

ERI time is like Christmas. Steaks on the grille, Pizza after work, breakfast, dispatch goes down.... I wish they gave these things ten times a year!

 

[toonertoo]

I KNOW that is always when it has been given, in September, but seeing the tragedy of this proportion, I thought it should have been delayed, because of the world tragedy. It was not on my agenda, and I did not want to take it, where otherwise it had been a real good yr, and would have been positive in our building, and as I recall talking to a manager once the results came in, he agreed, it was bad because of when it was given.

 

[pd109]

You bring up a good point trapped.If we are to answer the questions about our current management team involving our immediate supervisor and center manager,and it is truly an anonymous survey,how could they possibly derive any significant data from it at all?
Unless its center by center,in which case in the smaller towns, it would not be anonymous if you only had a few drivers.Especially if they were critical in the comments section.

 

[ok2bclever]

It is linked to your center and your work group.

It also would be very easy to link to the exact employee via time and date link of input coordinated with local management notating what time they have you taking it.

I don't think that is happening in general, but it wouldn't be that hard to do.

 

[over9five]

Not only that, but guess what? There are many people who do not take the survey. (Many on this site have said it).

The center team makes sure EVERYONE takes it. They have "X" amount of employees that must take the survey. In other words, if you don't take it, THEY take it for you. (All positive, of course)

 

[proups]

I take it early every year....everything is positive....and I give compliments to my immediate manager and all of UPS.

Hey, gotta live up to my Brown Cafe name!

 

[feguy]

"It also would be very easy to link to the exact employee via time and date link of input coordinated with local management notating what time they have you taking it."

Wow, like, in your center, is there some sort of covert espionage center behind the walls, sort of like Mission Impossible or something, keeping tabs on everything we do? Your supervisors have the time (or inclination) to track who takes the survey, on which computer? For what? To retaliate against you? I am truly laughing out loud. But, that's why I read these posts, for the good humor contained.

over9: Really, you have documented evidence that management "takes" the survey for employees that don't? Oh...you don't you just think they do. Ok, well that's different. Watch your back, then.

Quick tip: You don't have to take the survey. Nobody can make you. If you don't know how to say "no" to a supervisor, let me know, I'll give you some more additional tips.

Quick tip #2: Nobody, and I mean nobody, cares if you take the survey or not. So don't.

 

[trapped]

pd109-
This is what I have been told about the ERI survey. Our individual answers are anonymous in that they are not linked back to whoever gave them, although I am sure management could do that if they really wanted to. Our individual answers are pooled together with others in our work area and averaged out. The are results given back to the supervisors and are for their own individual ares and the sort as a whole. Management's performance review is supposedly based in part on the results of the survey, although I doubt it is given any significant weight.

The COMMENTS are supposedly not shared with anyone above the division level. I don't understand why they would do this even if they did not include what center or group made the comments.

I have gone to a few focus groups that discussed the results if the survey. In my experience the issues brought up in the ERI survey are largely ignored. We have many of the same issues year after year. Sometimes they try to make some minor changes, but they are at best temporary and only address some of the minor issues. Management gets moved around or reassaignedfor any lasting changes to really take effect.

Management is also usually more concerned about playing the numbers game than how we feel. The few good supervisors that cared about us and we liked usually got fustrated and quit.

 

[trickpony1]

FEguy,
I agree with OK2BC....it wouldn't be that hard to do.
As far as laughing out loud about possible retaliation, you must be in management or off on a cruise on the Good Ship Lollipop with another poster on this board to think that retaliation doesn't occur within this company.
An attorney recently proved retaliation by the company against an indivdual who filed a comp claim and, just coincidently, was fired shortly thereafter. That individual and his attorney are now 1.6 million dollars richer.
Did the company learn anything? Probably not.

 

[tieguy]

Sounds like someone mishandled a legal case. We do have subject matter experts who are supposed to prevent things like you discribe taking place.

 

[dannyboy]

FE

Quick tip number 1, dont post about things you dont have a clue about. I have not taken the ERI 5 of the last 6 years. And over the same time several others have also not taken it for what ever reason. So how could we in 4 of those years had 100% participation in the ERI? That would mean that in at least three of those years somebody took it for me, now wouldnt it? You dont have to catch a manager at the computer to come up with answers.

Quick tip # 2 As far as linking, boy you are sure stupid. Working for a company that can tell what you are doing and why out on road, every second of the day, but yet they are too stupid and busy to tell what you are doing on one of their computers? In one of their offices? REally? How about telling me another story. There are many ways to keep track of what goes on with a computer, even to the point of each key stroke being documented. And of course the sup has to keep a roster of each employee that takes it, so how can it take any time if they wanted to know.

All that being said, I have many times seen managers wasting 5-20 hours or more a week on one employee. I have seen managers loose their jobs because of a fixation with trying to get even with an employee. And I have seen many more get transfered to other centers or areas. They can and do retaliate if they wish.

And most importantly Quick tip #3

As for you truely laughing out loud, while I was a student in college, I spent a quarter or two learning at a place where they keep the mentally insane. You know, they too laugh out loud many times for no reason. Just like you. And with the other posts, like your great obsession of getting zapped by just walking down the belt, I wonder.

Quick tip #4 Seek help.

Regards

d

(Message edited by dannyboy on September 26, 2005)

 

[trickpony1]

Tie,
"....experts who are supposed to prevent things like you discribe(sic) taking place".
What things?

A)the retaliation by a fortune 500 company?
B)the unjust termination of an employee?
C)an employee standing up for his rights?
D)a fortune 500 company having to pay for the damage that they did, according to the judge, do?

It appears that another poster seems to agree with me regarding the retaliation issue.

....or maybe the judge was able to see through the smoke screen put up by the company attorneys and awarded the individual his just rewards while sending a real clear message to the company.

What a thought!

 

[ok2bclever]

fe, glad you go for the humor, if you can't figure out how to keep track of when you tell Joey to go into room 4 and take the survey you probably couldn't understand anything deeper anyway.

I imagine comprehension and concentration are not your strong suits, but I did say I didn't think it was happening in general, just that it wouldn't be hard to do.

Most local management just tries to act nicer and more interested and understanding to the drivers on the day they tell them to take the survey and mention that what the driver says will directly reflect on them (whimper, whimper, big pleading eyes, be nice to me, please looks).

As the average driver is a positive individual that usually works to cut them some response slack on the survey even if they don't really deserve it.

 

[over9five]

"over9: Really, you have documented evidence that management "takes" the survey..."

Yes. After every ERI, they give us the results on paper that shows the number of employees in your group that took the survey. If there are 15 people in your group, and the results say 15 people took the survey, but you know 3 people didn't....

Can you grasp this, FEGuy???

 

[ups_gal_710]

When I was asked to take the ERI I said take 15 stops and I will take your survey. My sup just laughed but, I was serious. So now when I'm approached to do extra work I feel like we need to make a bargain. It never works but, it sure does make the sup speechless for a few seconds.

The Look "priceless"

 

[feguy]

Always glad to get a response from the gang. As always, if you truly believe HALF of what you post here, then definitely watch your back.
Me, I just do my job, and NOBODY ever bothers me. LOL, neither do you.
Once again, don't like the survey don't take it, nobody cares.

 

[air_upser]

Management taking the survey multiple times is absolutely possible. But so is an employee taking it multiple times. In other words, anyone could have taken it multiple times, either by mistake or intention.
As far as 'bugging' the computer. Again, technically possible but unrealistic. You have to have administrative rights to the pc, which only geeks like me and tsg have. Could it happen, yes. Does it? I don't think so. Most people can guess who gives zeros. Now whether management actually acts on the survey...I guess that just depends on the management team. Some believe in management by force, others believe in management by teamwork. It's the same for us supervisors as well. Sometimes we work for a manager who thinks they can motivate you with intimidation, other times we work with a manager who actually cares what you think, treats you with respect, etc. I would love to see 'numbers' for centers with a high ERI score versus a low ERI score. Are high ERI centers more productive? If so, then isn't that an indication of the management style that actually works? Just my thought.

 

[purkups]

I followed a link on the teamsters site to the corp that designs these surveys, they touted their usefulness in unionbusting and stopping employees from organizing. I also heard that prior to the last strike that the eri results convinced ups that union strength was soft and the picket lines would be porous. If they pay me I take the survey and respond appropriatly.

 

[ok2bclever]

Well, I was asked to take the ERI Friday and they have added a new twist at least locally.

I was told the first twenty-five questions reflected directly and only on my immediate supervisor and NOT on the management team as a whole and especially not on the Center Manager.

As for the most part a driver supervisor is only "the messenger of bad news" from their center manager, rather than any sort of instigator of the same this is an interesting skew in the continuing attempt to fine tune the results to a more positive looking result.

How many employees have a good cop, bad cop relationship with their direct supe and the center manager respectively I wonder?

Regardless, I have always thought the whole survey is positioned to make things look far better than they are and is tweaked to improve this factor every year.

I was told this year to try to stay away from the "I don't know" answer as those are thrown out.

You might consider it a half empty glass perspective, but if you answer you don't know to any of these finely worded questions then UPS has failed them in my opinion with that individual, but UPS apparently doesn't want to see it that way and hence throws them out if that is actually true.

There is the very limited Comment box which I have always used to address the actual problems that are impossible to truly indicate in the response choices of the carefully worded ERI questions.

Of course, I have never seen anything regarding the Comment section in follow ups to the ERI survey.

 

[over9five]

They've told us that for at least two years, OK2.
"Even though the question says 'management team', you are to answer it as if it says your direct sups name".

Pretty good way to raise the ERI scores. Most people won't throw their sup under the bus.

Of course I've wondered if this is how they want us to interpet it, why doesn't it just SAY "your direct sup" instead of "your management team". Their being dishonest to raise the score, pure and simple.