May 04, 2006

Is It A Job Requirement?

Boss and I had our first meeting regarding my performance appraisal and my raise (a second one is planned for later this month) yesterday afternoon. He told me that it felt it was a "problem" that I didn't want to be in close proximity to the kids here. Boss has known that I'm childfree for the past three years. I told him during our meeting that I wasn't hired to be friends with the kids. I was hired to keep the head office running smoothly.

It's sort of baffling to me that suddenly, this is an issue with him. I'm most certainly not the only one in the whole agency that does not have children. I'm sure I'm not the only one who does not seek children out to hang around in their personal life, either. So what gives? Boss went on to discuss other aspects of my job, but told me that he wanted to discuss my "problem" with kids further in the next meeting. No where in my job description does it say I have to love children. I am not a social worker nor do I give direct service to children, so what do my personal feelings have to do with my job performance?

I see that Boss has to be educated further about what childfree is and is not, so I'm planning to prepare some information for him to hand out at our next meeting.

3 comments:

Britgirl said...

Isn't he breaking some employment law here? Employment discrimination? If it isn't in your job description and doesn't affect your ability to do your job, it seems he is skating on thin ice, and your rights could be being violated. Before preparing to educate him ( and it sounds like however much you try to do this he will never really be satisfied until you fit in with his "ideal" - a kid loving person) I would really get clarification (and independent, objective advice if possible)as to why you are being appraised on this personal issue. It seems unfair from where I sit. Know your rights. And I mean this as a fellow child-free working women, so please take it in that spirit.

ElaineByTheBeach said...

I agree with NikkiJ; liking kids is not in your job description. Say nothing to your boss until you get some objective feedback about your rights. Sounds like he is bordering on discrimination based on familial status/lifestyle.

It's easier said than done to find a new job in this depressed job market, so I won't drag out that tired suggestion; dig in and know your rights. Your feelings about children are none of his business and you would be wasting your time in trying to educate him...he sounds painfully narrow-minded. If he weren't, he wouldn't be meddling in your personal life with respect to your feelings about kids. He is way out of line.

Anonymous said...

Get online and research your legal rights. Get your resume..., okay I've already said that. If I didn't think they were exorbitantly expensive, I'd say get a lawyer. This guy is endangering his organization with his incompetent management practices. Oh, and document everything in a journal, immediately after your talk with him (not necessarily here, but keep us posted).