unfair marked performance at work

[sawjd]

Hello everyone,

 

My son D is 18 and has had a couple of supervisors tell him today (even though they are aware/supposed to be aware of his ASD) that he is not meeting his their targets on 'interacting with people' and the other verbal telling off was for 'not finishing a task on time'. I can understand the second complaint they had about him but the first is i think out of order. He works for a large supermarket.

 

I have spoken to a organisation called Prospects (don't know if anyone has heard them before) about a few things when he started working and one thing in recent months about my sons attraction to a girl (he works with) in particular. Just a bit concerned he was anxious about working with her. Other than that no problems.

Has anyone else had dealing with this organsiation and how have they found them ....helpful or not helpful ?.

 

I have mentioned to his supervisors that he has problems working on the till as he cannot talk to people and manage to put stuff through the checkout. (just the general 'good morning' ' how are you'. He found that very difficult and was anxious about this. I really thought this was all dealt with but it seems he is having problems again.

 

They said that he is not interacting with customers and Ds response was ' i know the staff better and i can speak to staff better because i know them. I don't know the customers'. I asked d do they have a union ? He said what was that ?. I was shocked that he did not know at all. Both the supermarket and the Prospects organisation (who did work with him before going into this job) should have told him. I tried to tell him about seeking advice from Prospects or from a colleague but he came out with ' no i will take it on the chin thanks anyway' . When he said this it sounded well rehearsed. Dreaded young sister in laws in put no doubt (he went over to see her yesterday). (she does not believe he has ASD) How do you deal wtih in laws that won't keep their noses out (this is the person who sent a disgraceful text). Don't think my son will ever listen or learn.

 

Can anyone offer advice on this situation. I don't want to intervene but he won't do anything and just concernd that this is the start or shape of things to come.

 

Many thanks

 

best wishes

 

sarni

[Tally]

Depending on the supermarket, the union he wants to join is probably either USDAW or the T&G. There should be a union notice board up in the shop somewhere, that will probably tell them who his union rep is as well.

 

Talking to customers is a necessary part of the job. Employers have to make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities, which might include minimising customer contact by making sure he does not have to work on the till or a service counter. But it would not be reasonable for him to be excused talking to customers altogether. If he is not speaking to customers to the point that they think he is rude, then his employer do have a right to give him feedback.

 

When I first started working in a supermarket aged 19, I was extremely shy and found it really hard to talk to customers. I did get a few complaints that I had been rude, and I could not work out what I had done that was rude. Over time the complaints tailed off altogether - in the job I did between the ages of 25-28, I didn't get a single complaint. So whatever it was I was doing wrong, I seem to have learned a better way to speak to people.

 

I think what might be helpful is some support for your son in knowing how to talk to customers and interact with them. This might come from his employer, from Prospects, or from you (or even a combination). Role-playing typical customer interactions might help him work out a good way to interact and you could help him plan a "script" of useful phrases. ALso important is helping him with things like body language and tone of voice, as the right words can still easily come out wrong. If he can start a customer interaction by smiling and speaking brightly, it is much more likely to go well even if he can't keep this up throughout the whole conversation.

[Helvic]

Sarni perhaps supermarket work isn't a good fit for him, particularly if he's out on the shop floor most of the time. Supermarkets are very bright, noisy busy, bustling environments. I personally cannot stand them. You mention that he doesn't do till work... what is his role currently? And when the supermarket talk about your son not meeting their communication targets... what targets are those exactly? Do they apply to all members of staff with the same role? Or are they targets specific to your son... & if they are, who set them? And how on earth do they measure communication targets exactly? I would be very interested to know. I'm also wondering if they have made it clear to him exactly what is expected of him with regards to communication with customers.

 

Does he have anyone supporting him in the workplace, either from within or from an external agency?

 

Another thought I had was... perhaps some social skills training & practice might be helpful for him so that he can develop the use of 'social niceties' in a variety of situations?

 

Erm, if I think of anything else I'll post again...

 

 

 

 

 

[Aeolienne]

I have spoken to a organisation called Prospects (don't know if anyone has heard them before)

I certainly have: I've been on their waiting list three times, in 2001, May 2009 - June 2010 and 2011, but each time I ended up finding a job through my own efforts before getting anywhere near the front of the queue. During my second time on the waiting list, I was invited to a few employers' presentations (e.g. Goldman Sachs) in London, but all at such short notice I didn't attend, as I was living in Exeter at the time.

 

My internship ends on 10 February - is it worth joining the Prospects waiting list for a fourth time?

[littleplum]

I wonder if the problem is to do with multi-tasking.

 

One of my first jobs involved handling cash and interacting with customers. I could do one or the other, but not both together. It was a disaster and the cash never balanced.