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 Seemingly unsolvable, stress-inducing or morale-sinking situation that seems to latch on to anybody who gets involved and won't let them alone. Usually, this is because the problem is being caused by an external factor the people involved have no real control over.
 ## Narrative example
 Bob and Sally are tasked with keeping the kitchen clean, organized, and safe. Meanwhile, John and Sarah are responsible for making 60 sandwiches per hour. The standards set by management, as well as the layout of the kitchen and equipment available mean John and Sarah can only make enough sandwiches if they work in an unnecessarily messy and unsafe manner.
 In the above situation, there isn't much either group can do. If either group succeeds at their goal, it most likely causes the other group to fail.
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 A help vampire needs so much help with their work you have to do it for them. Kind of like a [[Time Vampire]], but basically forces you to do their work for them or they won't go away. A slight variation of this can be a person who asks so many questions about assigned tasks we're discouraged from assigning them any work.
 ## Narrative example
 Tom's making pizza while Jerry is setting up the Christmas tree. Tom calls over Jerry to ask some questions about how to kneed the dough. Once Jerry gets there, Tom keeps asking more and more questions or interrupting Jerry before he can answer. Jerry ends up _showing_ Tom how to make the pizza by doing most of the work for him.
 The end result is Jerry does most of the work while Tom just watches or asks questions, and the Christmas tree doesn't get decorated on time.
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 Person who makes a habit of loudly intruding into the work environment with distracting announcements at unexpected times.
 ![[Pasted image 20230130123825.png]]
 ## Narrative Example
 Tom and Jerry are on the phone with Bugs Bunny to talk about a business deal. Suddenly, the Koolaid man runs into the room and starts shouting about his new Discord channel.
 Tom and Jerry are all interrupted and confused, and getting back on track is both time confusing and stressful.
 The Koolaid Man might even be upset or confused they react rudely to his behavior.
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 Such a huge number of resources are devoted to a project it actually derails or delays the project.
 ## Narrative example
 Tom agrees to help Jerry change some light bulbs this weekend.
 Tom shows up with a van full of tools, several step ladders, safety equipment, and three helpers.
 Getting the situation under control and dividing the work takes longer than if Jerry had just done the work himself.
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 Work we expect to be done, but nobody is clear on when, why, or who is doing it.
 ## Narrative example
 Tom and Jerry talked about how much they like pizza for an hour or so, but didn’t make any plans to get pizza.  
 Later, Jerry goes grocery shopping without buying any pizza. Tom is surprised Jerry didn’t buy any frozen pizza.  
 Neither person actually asked or agreed to buy frozen pizza, but Tom expected Jerry would buy pizza because they talked about it for a long time.
 ## Common causes
 ### 1) Acting or relying on assumptions
 We assume someone else “has common sense” or will take a “reasonable action” based on our own ideas of what’s reasonable or normal, which they may not share or understand.
 ### 2) Lack of rapport
 We haven’t worked together for very long, so we don’t communicate very well. We haven't yet gotten a feel for what's normal or how to communicate with each other.
 ### 3) Lack of initiative or clear triggers
 We are expecting to be told what to do, so we aren’t taking initiative to find and solve problems on our own. It might also be a person doesn't understand they're supposed to react to a certain situation without being told each time.
 ### 4) Slacking off by pretending we don't understand
 Someone is slacking off or avoiding work by pretending they don't understand what's expected from them.
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 Person or situation that eats up unreasonable amounts of time, often on a regular or ongoing basis.
 ![[Pasted image 20230130121149.png]]
 ## Examples in Story Form
 Tom spends a lot of his time walking around every day talking to people about pizza places or asking them questions about pizza.
 Other people are annoyed about this because they have other things they need to be doing, and Tom is interfering.
 Tom puts pizza menus all over the wall where important notices are supposed to go, so it takes people longer to find information they actually need.
 # Common causes
 ## 1) Misunderstanding or disrespect about someone else’s priorities.  
 We assume the other person has the time or interest to spend on something they actually don’t, so we keep wasting their time with it or interrupting them to talk about it. We probably believe we’re being helpful or friendly.  
 ## 2) Information is not fast or easy to find, so we ask about it instead of looking it up.
 ## 3) We don’t have a clear todo list or schedule, so we think there’s nothing else we should be doing.
 ## 4) We are intentionally wasting time because of misaligned priorities, like if somebody is often talking to a friend on the phone instead of helping do the work.
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 A project appears to go completely off the rails from what was expected, and morphs into something nobody intended. Usually, it's unclear exactly why or what happened.
 ## Narrative Examples
 ![[Pasted image 20230130122600.png]]
 Tom and Jerry agree to have a cookout with a few close friends, where they’ll have burgers and hot dogs.
 Tom will get the beer and Jerry will pick up the food.
 For seemingly unknown reasons, 50 people show up with a rock band and multiple kegs of beer. There’s a bouncer for some reason, and nobody knows why. Nobody is exactly sure why it happened, and they start blaming each other.
 ## Common Causes
 ### 1) Acting on incorrect assumptions
 We made assumptions about what everyone else wanted or expected and took action on that without communicating about it first, maybe to impress people.  
 We probably thought we were helping.
 ### 2) Disconnected communication channels
 Multiple side channels of communication are present, leading to fractures in consensus. Basically a rumour mill.  
 This can happen when people who weren't initially supposed to be involved overhear a conversation about the project and decide to get involved, but the majority of those already working on it don't know that.
 ### 3) A narcissistic personality is involved
 A narcissistic personality is present, who feels empowered or validated by causing the unexpected, unplanned results.
 ## Side effects and contributing factors
 Werewolf Projects often lead to a [[witchhunt]], where people become focused on placing blame for the werewolf project. In other cases, an [[Inquisition]] can be formed, where kneejerk rules are put in place that do more harm than good.
 Primary contributing factors may be [[telephone]] or [[quija board]], which lead to the confusing circumstances or broken communication that caused the werewolf project.
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 A possible bad event which becomes cyclicly talked about, but there are no actual solutions that are proposed.
 ## Narrative example
 Tom is very worried about a comet hitting the planet and whiping out civilization. Each time he and Jerry have a conversation or try to plan anything, the conversation struggles to move forward because Tom makes everything about the comet.
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 Project that sporadically gets attention but never seems to move forward, as if it's neither really alive or dead.
 ## Example
 Tom and Jerry keep talking about making homemade pizza on a Friday.  
 Several times, they have each shopped for pizza ingredients, but nobody has successfully made a pizza. They have spent a lot of time or money on it though.  
 They both know about it, but neither of them can make a concrete decision about either definitely making the pizza or deciding not to make pizza. It just sort of hangs around on the eventual todo list, without ever being canceled or completed.
 ## Common cause
 Inability to make a decision or adhere to one. Nobody is in charge of the situation or can call any shots about it, and there is an underlying competition or misalignment about resource allocation or plans nobody is deciding about.
 ## Other causes
 ### 1) Chaotic environments and context switching
 The environment we’re in is too chaotic for any plans to work.
 ### 2) Shifting requirements
 We can’t make progress because the nature of the work keeps changing.
 ### 3) Avoiding conflict
 One or more people involved don't really want to do the work, but they're avoiding saying so in order to avoid confrontation.
 For example, Tom and Jerry often talk about going on a fishing trip together, but Tom actually doesn't like fishing with Jerry for some reason. Rather than explain why he doesn't like fishing with Tom, he just always has some reason he can't go.
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 #angrySpirits
 Angry Spirits are a way to talk about common communication or motivational issues at work. We find it helpful to characterize them this way so they're easier to talk about.
 The idea is to provide some framework for understanding what sort of communication issue 
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 #intendedProcesses #lean
 5S is a five-step methodology for creating a more organized and productive workspace: **Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain**. 5S serves as a foundation for deploying more advanced lean production tools and processes. 5S goes hand in hand with [[STOW]]. 5S is geared towards optimizing the physical space in the work place to improve quality, safety, and efficiency.
 ![[Pasted image 20230113113703.png]]
 The 5 steps of 5S each accomplish the following:
 1. Sort: Identify and separate items that are needed from those that are not. Discard or relocate anything that is not necessary or required for the task at hand.
 2. Straighten: Arrange the items remaining in logical order, making sure to provide easy access to frequently used items.
 3. Shine: Clean the space and keep it free of clutter and dirt.
 4. Standardize: Create systems and practices that ensure the workspace remains organized and efficient over time. This can include labeling items, creating processes for maintaining cleanliness, etc.
 5. Sustain: Monitor the workspace regularly to ensure it remains organized, efficient, and safe. Make sure to communicate changes or improvements to all users of the workspace so they can follow them as well.
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 # Accountability
 This [[article]] talks about #accountabilty in terms of things in the workplace.
 When accountability is properly in place, the following things are true:
 - There is an official record of who was supposed to do what, when, and under what circumstances.
 - There is a log or record kept confirming whether or not the person did the thing.
 - Somebody else is confirming that record or log, so a person can't just bullshit it.
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 Buffer time is a variable amount of time a task is expected to take that accounts for occassional situations the operator must respond to.
 ## How to identify and understand buffer time
 Imagine you ask somebody how long it takes them to take out the trash. They tell you it takes 5-10 minutes. You ask them why it takes 10 minutes sometimes instead of 5 minutes, and they tell you that sometimes the trash is overflowing and it has to be picked up before it can be thrown out.
 That's an example of buffer time: it's extra time around the basic task that's because of a variable in how the work is done.
 Here's another example: when a person needs to ask their supervisor a question sometimes it takes only a minute and other times it takes 15 minutes. The reason is because sometimes they don't know where the supervisor is, so they have to search for their supervisor.
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 A Craftsman Method refers to doing work in a way that one person does the whole process from start to finish, usually without any helpers.
 A Craftsman Method is often the way a new process or project is tested to figure out the basic way to do the job, especially if the work is complicated or involves a lot of critical thinking.
 If we decide to continue doing such a job longterm or scale up the project by bringing in more work, we try to move away from using a Craftsman Method because it is harder to scale and more error prone.
 Let's talk about some of the reasons we do that.
 First of all, a Craftsman Method is often used because a customer has some kind of problem they're willing to spend a lot of money to solve. If we're able to make a profit solving their problem with a Craftsman Method, we start to check how many other people would pay for basically the same thing. Often we find the person who first asked us for a solution is willing to spend more money than most other people. In other words, if we want to expand the solution and offer it to more people, we have to find a way to make it more affordable.
 If it doesn't seem like many other people are willing to pay to have the problem solved, that means it's kind of a dead end for the company. It doesn't make sense to keep devoting resources to the project unless it's extremely profitable and we have nothing better to do. We want to focus instead on solving problems that more people will pay for.
 Another reason has to do with having a [[single point of failure]]. We are setting ourselves up for failure if only a small group of people understand how to do the work or success depends on the work being done perfectly every time. In the past we've conducted several experiments where we tried having 2 or 3 people use the Craftsman Method on the same project at the same time. What we learned was no matter how much we communicated and tried to standardize, each of the people produced different, inconsistent results. In some of these tests we used people who were otherwise considered top performers in the company. When shown the results of their work, they all agreed the customer would probably be upset or confused by the differences in their work. This is not to mention that the craftsman method makes attendance issues an even larger problem because if one of the people is absent, late, or wants to take a vacation the customer is automatically pissed off.
 ## What to take away from this article
 We place a high value on people who can use a Craftsman Method to explore a new process and then move on to a different problem. People who can do that are frequently promoted, given raises, bonuses, and other rewards. The key indicator of success is that either we quickly figured out the project doesn't make sense to keep doing or we figured out a more repeatable method because lots of people will pay for the same thing if it's more affordable.
 On the flip side, people who gravitate towards using the Craftsman Method for a single project long-term are usually a bad fit for our business model. Regardless of their work ethic, personality, or anything like that, such people don't usually thrive with us. They would be better off starting their own small business (and we think they should). The reason is more or less that we don't have the money and resources to gamble that they will eventually figure out how to scale the work and make significant money. However, if they're honest and forthright about their passion for the particular problem they're solving, we are very supportive of them branching out on their own to create their own company.
 At the time of writing, that is going on with [[Dorian McGruder]] in regards to computer repair. We have one customer who needs computer repair occassionally, and Dorian used a Craftsman Method to do it. The customer has been very happy with the results. However, we haven't seen a clear way to scale computer repair to other customers. Meanwhile, Dorian's attitude and critical thinking have high value on other projects in the business. He's working on launching a computer repair and custom PC business as a side gig while still working with us.
 #radicalTransparency 
 ## Why is a Craftsman Method more error prone?
 Mainly because people aren't perfect. As a person grows more tired their own ability to notice how tired they are degrades. With one expert doing the work start to finish without anyone to assist or catch mistakes, errors will *always* happen. That is less of an issue when the work's being done for a customer who has a burning desire for a solution.
 Usually, the initial customer(s) for a new project are surprised any solution whatsoever exists. The problem has been driving them nuts for so long they are essentially irrational about finding some kind of solution. Therefore, they're willing to pay top dollar to even test if the problem can be solved, and they are much more forgiving about mistakes or problems.
 This is also the reason we avoid offering Craftsman Method solutions to new customers as their first project, unless it's *not* expected to be an ongoing need. It's because if a new customer is asking us for something like that, they are probably irrational and it's a good indicator their business isn't healthy. Many of the times in the past we tried helping a customer like that, they ended up wasting our time, money, and sanity.
 Take for example [[long term storage]] customers. Most of the time people asking for long term storage are acting irrationally. They only need LTS because they can't sell their products fast enough. A lot of the time people ask for LTS they have no idea how long they'll need storage because they have no idea how to improve sales of their merchandise. [[Stefan Wingen]] is an example of this. He bought way more inventory than he actually could sell and over the course of 2+ years he hasn't found any real solution. It could be argued we should help him find a way to sell it. However, he doesn't do any other project with us, so we choose to focus on the needs of other paying customers with more repeatable work.
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 Making decisions takes information and planning, and a person or organization can only make so many decisions at a time. Decision capacity is a reference to this, but it's not a great word to use without context because it makes the underlying problem opaque.
 For instance, if somebody says we don't have the decision capacity to do that right now, the problem could be lack of information, lack of time, or just feeling burnt out... all of which require different solutions.
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 This article explains the concept of "double handling", including how to identify it and what to do about it. This is important because a lot of people hear "double handling" and make incorrect assumptions about what it means.
 The following elaborates on what is and isn't considered double handling in a warehouse or production environment.
 ## What is Double Handling?
 Double handling is a term used to describe the unnecessary and inefficient shipment or movement of goods or products within a warehouse or production environment. In general, double handling occurs when goods are moved more than once before reaching their destination, leading to additional cost and time inefficiencies.
 ## What isn't Double Handling?
 Necessary and efficient activities such as shipping, receiving, quality control checks and stock counting do not count as double handling. These activities are necessary for warehouse operations and should not be regarded as double handling.
 ## Examples
 ### Stacking deliveries on the floor might be double handling
 Imagine you are unloading a truck and you stack the packages on the floor. Later on, the packages will have to be moved somewhere else. Normally, it would be better to put the packages directly on a movable appliance like rolling racks, carts, or pallets so they don't need to be picked up a second time before than be moved to the people who need them.
 ### Sorting SKUs by stacking items on the floor might be double handling
 Imagine you are opening several boxes of products to sort the contents by SKU and then repackage them into cases. If you do that by opening every box and stacking the items on the floor, you are probably double handling. As a more efficient alternative, you could instead open one box at a time on a table, sort each item, and put it into a box for that SKU.
 How to Identify Double Handling?
 To identify double handling in your warehouse or production environment, look for any unnecessary movement of goods that may be occurring. Questions you can ask yourself include: 
 - Are there any areas where goods could be moved more efficiently? 
 - Are there any processes that require more than one person to move a product from one place to another? 
 - Is the route that products take through the warehouse long and winding? 
 - Is there a lack of clear pathways between different parts of the facility? 
 - Are workers moving goods further than they need to before they reach their destination? 
 What Can Be Done About Double Handling?
 Once you have identified areas where double handling may be occurring, there are several steps you can take to reduce it: 
 - Streamline processes by finding ways to move
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 Fulfillment referers to picking, packing, and shipping products to be sent to another destination.
 Included with fulfillment:
 - Packing products for safe shipping to their destination;
 - Applying up to 2 customer-provided labels to each package;
 - Applying up to 1 customer-provided paper insert;
 - Nothing that requires opening or modifying an actual product.
 For example, if a customer wants us to send out 100 coffee mugs, and each mug is already individually bubblewrapped or boxed, then it's Fulfillment. If they need us to perform the bubble wrapping or whatever *before* it can be shipped, then it is Prep. The reason for this is that customers are *supposed* to provide Prep instructions we're able to carry out during (or shorlty after) the receiving process. They are not supposed to wait until they want to ship the products.
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 Iranian Satanism is a term coined by Jason Thistlethwaite and Ty Steiman to describe self-sabotaging behavior that is conducted in a zealous or almost fanatical manner.
 It has to do with a niche of people in the Middle East who seek supernatural powers from demons, and they believe that attracting the demons requires debasing themselves. They do things like roll around in piles of feces or starve themselves, acrue major debt, or other things that are obviously not good ideas... and they do it anyway.
 In our context at work, Iranian Satanism is a euphemism for when people are doing something that makes their own job more difficult for no apparent reason, especially if they keep doing it anyway after it's pointed out.
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 A Monte Carlo simulation is a computerized mathematical technique that uses probability distributions and random numbers to simulate an outcome. It is used to analyze a variety of different outcomes, from predicting the future performance of stocks and investments, to assessing the risk of certain decisions. Monte Carlo simulations can also be used to model physical phenomena such as weather forecasting and climate modeling. The main advantage of Monte Carlo simulations is that they allow for the modeling of complex systems which would otherwise be too complex or costly to solve analytically.
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 # Observability
 This article explains what #observable means in the context of processes, tasks, or steps.
 Observability means it is easy to see whether or not a task is being performed without needing to spend effort on it. A step is observable when a person can tell what's being done (or not being done) by simply looking at something from a distance.
 For example, if all supervisors were supposed to wear a particular kind of shirt, it would then be observable who they are. Someone could tell who's a supervisor from across the room without asking anyone.
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 #definition
 Prep refers to making modifications to products before they can be sent somewhere. It might include things like bubblewrapping, bagging, kitting, bundling, etc. In many cases, the modifications to the product are to comply with the policies of a retail outlet or store. In other cases, it is essentially producing a new product by combining several things together.
 Prep is closely related to the concepts of [[crossdocking]] and [[light manufacturing]].
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 ![[qcReport.png]]
 QC Reports are an efficient, pseudononymous way to submit feedback or report issues within the company. You can quickly and easily submit a QC Report by clicking the icon shown in the picture above.
 ## Benefits to QC Reports and how to use them the right way
 There are several benefits to raising issues or feedback, and they are a core part of our stance towards radical transparency.
 QC Reports can be seen and read by everyone who works here, and they wind up inside [[Redmine]] where we can track who is dealing with them, chat back and forth about them, and track whether they've been resolved.
 ### Don't use QC Reports for private or sensitive subjects
 Don't use QC Reports for anything that is highly personal or private, or for complaining about someone's behavior. This is because everyone in the company is able to read them, so using QC Reports for that kind of thing can have unwanted results. Instead, for those kinds of things you should email hr@ldrprep.com.
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 # Service Level Agreement (SLA)
 An SLA outlines what is included for a particular kind of work we do for a customer by definining timeframes, pricing, etc.
 Our default SLA for customers consists of what is currently advertised on our website and marketing materials at the time we started doing business with the customer.
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 [[Toxic Performance]] is when an employee's high performance is causing unecessary problems for other people working around them. Put another way, the employee feels like they don't need to follow rules or be mindful of coworkers because their performance is so high. If this isn't caught and handled it confuses and frustrates other staff who don't understand why the toxic performer is permitted to continue what they're doing. It quickly leads to morale issues, attendance problems, mistakes, and other issues.
 A person who is engaging in Toxic Performance should be given [[Counselling]] at the first sign of the issue to try to figure out why they think their actions are acceptable. Otherwise, other staff will become frustrated and confused that nothing is being done about the toxic performer. It can hurt morale, and lead to attendance problems, mistakes, and other issues if it's not addressed.
 Toxic performance can be hard to detect from just looking at what work is finished. There are other ways to detect it's going on.
 ## They want your job
 Put simply, a toxic performer is trying to get you fired because they think that's the best way to get a raise or stabilize their income. They're convinced their ways of working are the best, so they don't need to do anything except throw everyone else under the bus.
 The kinds of things a toxic performer may do start small while they are testing the limits of what they can get away with. Then, they will start sabotaging coworkers in minor ways that are easily overlooked. As this progresses, the overall performance of the team declines. Meanwhile, they are often at the center of a rumor mill that's designed to keep people engaged in gossip and goose chases. In a typical case, the toxic performer finds every excuse possible to speak with more senior management without their supervisor present. They will try to make it obvious to certain coworkers though.
 This has the effect of amplifying the rumor mill. Coworkers may believe rumors the toxic person starts because they've seen the person speaking with senior management. Likewise, senior management may be fed false or inaccurate information about why the team's performance has declined. They may also discourage coworkers from reporting issues through the proper channels because "they just fire people who do that" or "they don't listen" or "I'll talk to them about it for you".
 ## What causes a toxic performer?
 Generally speaking, lack of management. There isn't enough supervision in place to notice what the toxic performer is doing. It typically starts when an employee with high performance begins breaking or bending rules but nobody does anything about it. Most often, if anyone does notice, the toxic performer will have a plausible excuse that they misunderstood a rule or didn't know about it. Usually, the situation will be a seemingly trivial case of a more serious issue. Basically, the person is mapping out what they can get away with and who will pay attention.
 This might not even be intentional or malicious. It could simply be that a person thinks their performance is really high and that's the reason nobody enforces simple rules.
 ### Annoying behaviors tolerated because of performance
 When a manager is afraid to confront an employee about unwanted behaviors because "what would I do if this person quit?" the door is open to toxic performance.
 ## How to detect a toxic performer
 A Toxic Performer wil often exhibit certain characteristics or behaviors.
 ### Bending or breaking trivial rules
 They break or bend the rules in small ways that seem like they're so trivial it's not worth addressing it.
 They start to rationalize the rules shouldn't apply to them because of their performance.
 For instance, maybe employees in your area are supposed to use resealable drink containers. The toxic performer more or less ignores this rule or invents their own exceptions to it. In another case, it's SOP for employees to send notice through [[Homebase]] if they'll be late to work. The toxic performer directly texts the supervisor instead.
 ### Bragging about a particular metric
 A toxic performer may loudly brag about a particular metric of their work, usually whatever metric is easy for them to make really high. They will often find ways to bring up their performance in situations where it's not important or it's off topic.
 ### Rumors and throwing people under the bus
 Toxic performers sometimes honestly believe their way of doing the work is the only right way. As such, they will nitpick and complain about coworkers or even managers, often making unfounded accusations. Their own internal thought process is that they should be in charge because of their performance, but since nobody can see that, the best solution is getting other people in trouble.
 For example, let's say there was a team conversation about safe lifting techniques. The toxic performer thinks this is a waste of time and shouldn't apply to them. So later on, they spread the rumor that the supervisor is an alcoholic or that a coworker is peeing on the floor in the bathroom.
 This can be a tactic to distract management from noticing the toxic person's behaviors because management is busy investigating the accusations or doing damage control about the rumors.
 ### One-directional feedback or suggestions
 A toxic performer may be a motormouth with suggestions or feedback about how the work should be done... but they're not open to hearing any feedback about it or anyone else's ideas.
 For example, we might be talking about how the company needs to make more money or do work more efficiently. In the toxic performer's mind they're already doing the work the best way possible, so everyone should listen to them.
 ### Indirect identification
 There are some indicators of a toxic performer that have less to do with the person and more to do with other people in the workplace.
 #### Social capital builders appear
 Look for people who used to have acceptable performance but now seem more interested in being well-liked. These are folks who know their performance is below acceptable, so they focus on building social capital in order to continue collecting paychecks.
 This tends to be a sign of toxic performance. The reason being, the social capital builder's performance is being affected by the toxic performer, but they haven't been able to solve the problem. For example, maybe the toxic performer is constantly blasting loud music that distracts this person from their job and causes mistakes. They don't bother complaining the management about it because the problem is so obvious they assume management doesn't care. So instead, they are extra friendly to coworkers, step in to do favors like run errands or clear trash, or they might bring people food. Whatever it is, they're doing stuff that's not actually their job in order to make other people like them.
 #### Attendance issues surrounding a particular area
 If a particular team or area starts having a lot more attendance issues than what's normal elsewhere in the company that can be a sign of a toxic performer. Basically, the people are waking up thinking "fuck this, I don't want to deal with that bullshit today" so they're late, absent, etc.  It may actually *be* affecting their health, too.
 For instance, stress does effect people's health. If somebody used to enjoy working here, but now they hardly ever feel a sense of accomplishment because of the toxic performer they are likely to get sick more often and have other attendance issues.
 #### Generalized insubordination, shadow processes, or backsliding
 It starts to seem like updates to processes or methods never seem to stick in a particular area. No matter how simple a suggestion or change is, it always seems to revert back or get twisted somehow.
 This can be a sign a toxic performer is working in that area. Remember, they're convinced their performance is the highest it could possibly be. As such, they will tend to subvert new policies or processes that conflict with the way they think the work should be done.
 The other way this can appear is through a [[Shadow process]], where an unofficial, undocumented process is followed by people in an area without any management approval. This may indicate a situation where the toxic performer had suggestions management disagreed with, but they are essentially bullying coworkers into implementing their ideas anyway.
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 A water spider or ”_mizusumashi”_ in Japanese is a person who has a prescribed set of tasks to keep materials in stock at the point of use in production areas and reduce [[Buffer Time]] of regular production activities.
 A water spider's purpose is to handle the replenishment tasks so the production-oriented personnel can focus on revenue-generating activities.
 They should make their rounds the same way and perform replenishment tasks identically each and every time. They take finished goods from the work area, drop [[kanban cards]], refill bins from central locations, and remove waste materials. All of these tasks keep the operators in their work areas and keep production flowing.
 ## Warnings about using water spiders
 - A water spider might not perform their role full-time, but it's critical for them to make their rounds at regular, expected intervals.
 - Water spiders move between different areas with different leadership, making standardization much more important. Visual guides and nomenclature must be standardized for water spiders to function well. For example, [[5S lists]] should be standard in each area the water spider will operate.
 - During their rounds a water spider should only do their prescribed tasks. There is a tendency for managers to think of water spiders as secondary to production, which can tempt managers to assign water spiders additional tasks. Don't treat a water spider as an excess person or a floater.
 ## General tasks of a water spider at LDR
 A water spider should circulate the whole production floor on a set interval, stopping in each key production area to handle any replenishment needs. In between intervals, the water spider should be focused on [[STOW]].
 The water spider is expected to circulate the production floor on a regular basis and resolve the following issues at each production area:
 - Make note of low supplies or consumables, such as tape, packing materials, printer paper, etc. and replenish low supplies.
 - Monitor the central distribution point of supplies for low quantities and report them to the [[Quality Manager]].
 - Break down boxes and remove trash.
 - Replace spent racks/bins with new ones.
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 In various places our docs talk about employees being in good standing. This article explains what we generally mean by that. The following things are true about an employee in good standing:
 - They haven't been subjected to any corrective actions in over a year and they've worked with us long enough for that to mean something;
 - They don't have any pending or unresolved investigations or grievances involving them;
 - They're well known for delivering valuable work while consuming a minimal amount of company resources.
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
 ---
 alias: workstop
 alias: work-stop
 alias: zero-production
 ---
 A work stop is when productive activity ceases because of unplanned or unwanted events, particularly those that could be avoided or handled a better way.
 It is a broad term, and not every type of work stop should be handled the same way. The main thing is to notice when they happen, think about what caused it, and do what we can to reduce similar events in the future.
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
 ,MSI/jason,MSI,27.12.2022 20:18,file:///C:/Users/jason/AppData/Roaming/LibreOffice/4;
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
 Coaching focuses on the present the future by highlighting expectations and talking about how to reach them. Coaching is usually a step before [[Counselling]]. Coaching focues on "how" to do better, whereas [[Counselling]] focuses on why the unwanted behavior is happening.
 #hr #writeups
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
 [[Coaching]] -- a structured conversation highlighting what the employee did wrong and how to do better in the future.
 [[Counselling]] -- a conversation about what is causing an employee to engage in unwanted actions or behaviors, with the goal of discovering the most practical solution. Counselling might result in some kind of assistance or accomodations for the employee, or it could result in additional corrective actions. It depends on the underlying reasons discovered during counselling.
 ---
 [[Suspensions#Disciplinary Suspension|Disciplinary Suspension]] -- manditory, unpaid leave from work.
 [[Personal Improvement Plan]] -- a plan to correct a behavior (or set of behaviors) that aren't serious enough to terminate someone but will hold the employee back if they continue. Generally speaking, this should be reserved for employees who are otherwise great employees, they just aren't promotable because of some habit or behavior they exhibit.
 [[Reassignment]] -- change in job duties and responsibilities, possibly with a change in pay. This is essentially what's happening if a [[Chaplain]] [[Circles#Power of Ejection|ejects]] someone from their home Circle.
 [[Retraining]] -- a temporary reduction in pay or benefits until an employee can demonstrate competency with their work.
 [[Wage Deductions]] -- in most cases deducting from an employee's wages cannot be used as a corrective action unless the employee agrees to it in writing.
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
 #hr #writeups 
 Counselling is like [[Coaching]] in that it's a way to address a behavioral or performance issues at work. The difference is that [[Counselling]] focuses primarily on the past. The goal is to understand the "why" of the behavior, and then decide what next steps should be taken to prevent the behavior in the future or mitigate any problems it may cause.
 ## When to use Counselling
 In general, counselling should be used in the following situations.
 ### Requested by an employee
 Sometimes employees may request counselling without being in trouble because they want to discuss something that could end up causing a problem if it's not addressed.
 Here are some examples of that:
 - An employee has a personal issue they're afraid will negatively impact their work, and they want to see what can be done before it causes any problems.
 - An employee is confused about workplace rules or policies, or they see some reason they'll have trouble following the rules. They ask for counselling before they get in trouble.
 - An employee doesn't understand what they need to do in order to be promoted or qualify for a raise. They might ask for counseling to uncover anything holding them back.
 ### Repeat problems after coaching
 When an employee has already been [[Coaching|coached]] about the same type of infraction, but it continues to happen counselling should be used to figure out why it's still occuring.
 For instance, an employee was coached about arriving late to work. That improved, but now they're coming back late from lunch. Counselling may help uncover what is causing the employee to have fundamental problems with attendance.
 ### Widespread minor issues (bad culture fit)
 In some cases an employee isn't doing any one particular thing habitually that would trigger more than verbal or written warnings, but there is some new and different issue involving the person really often. There isn't really a pattern to one particular thing, there are just lots of different things.
 For example, the employee gets into an argument about stuff in the refrigerator. Next, they leave early for lunch without telling anybody. Another time they stop working and just read a book because they have a question and the supervisor's not immediately available. None of these things are related or repeating. The pattern is just that there always seems to be something irritating or frustrating going on with the employee.
 Counselling may uncover why the employee has a hard time fitting into our work culture and whether anything can be done to fix that.
 ### Toxic Performance
 [[Toxic Performance]] is when an employee's high performance is causing unecessary problems for other people working around them. Put another way, the employee feels like they don't need to follow rules or be mindful of coworkers because their performance is so high. If this isn't caught and handled it confuses and frustrates other staff who don't understand why the toxic performer is permitted to continue what they're doing. It quickly leads to morale issues, attendance problems, mistakes, and other issues.
 The article about [[Toxic Performance]] should be read by every supervisor and the concept explained to other staff on some regular basis, much like we might perform annual training about lifting safety.
 ### Extreme uncharacteristic behavior
 Sometimes, an emplyee does something so crazy, uncharacteristic, or strange we can't fathom why they would think it's appropriate behavior. Whatever happened is so shocking or alarming even one instance of the situation is worth figuring out why it happened.
 For example, an employee shows up to work drunk and falls asleep in the middle of the warehouse. Another example might be an employee who's usually well-known for their work habits explodes into a shouting match with someone. Other situations might be an employee suddenly fails to show up at work and doesn't notify anybody or explain themselves.
 Counselling makes sense in these kinds of situations to discover what unusual or odd set of circumstances triggered the behavior. From there, we might be able to identify some way to help the employee.
 ## What to expect from counselling
 Often, counselling will uncover one or more underlying reasons the employee isn't behaving or performing appropriately at the job, such as:
 1. Problems with the work environment that make it difficult to do their job. Examples might be malfunctioning equipment, distracting coworkers, safety concerns, or receiving conflicting instructions.
 2. Personal issues that are effecting the employee such as financial stress, mental health, substance abuse, or domestic problems.
 3. A misalignment or misunderstanding about priorities. For instance, the employee does understand what's expected, but they are choosing to focus on something else they think is more important.
 Once we identify what's causing the behavior we need to evaluate practical solutions. The goal is identifying practical solutions the employee agrees will stop or mitigate the behavior. Then, document what those solutions are and put them in place. It's generally a good idea to agree to a follow-up conversation at some later date to touch base about whether the agreed solutions are working or if something needs to be adjusted.
 In the unfortunate event no solutions can be found or agreed upon the employee should be clearly warned that further repeats of the behavior will have consequences, and those consequences should be explained clearly. If it seems like the behavior will probably repeat anyway, the employee should be asked to resign voluntarily.
 ### Further actions from counselling
 The goal of counselling is discovering what caused the situation and finding solutions so it won't happen anymore. The kinds of solutions that might be used are wide and variable, depending on what caused the situation.
 #### Reasonable accomodations
 Sometimes an employee will ask the business to make some kind of changes or special exceptions for the employee. If an employee requests something like this it should be granted if it's practical, especially if the employee brought it up proactively before there was a problem.
 However, the employee should be cautioned that it's their responsibility to be honest about how the accomodations will help the situation, and warned that if the accomodations don't stop the behavior further action will be taken. If the employee thinks the accomodations made aren't working it is their responsibility to tell us about it before they're in trouble again.
 When making accomodations we have to consider whether it might cause a morale issue in the workplace because of perceived unfair treatment. We also have to consider the cost and practicality of the accomodation.
 Take for example, an employee claims their attendance issues are being caused by extremely sore feet from standing for long periods of time. The employee asks if we can provide a stool for them to sit while they work. We have to evaluate several things about this:
 1. What does the stool cost? Is it affordable?
 2. Will other employees become upset because this person gets a stool? If they will, does that mean we need to buy a stool for everybody? Does that instead mean any employee can request a stool, but they have to provide a note from a doctor explaining that they need one?
 3. Can the work itself actually be done at an exceptable level of performance while seated?
 Depending on the answers to those questions, we might determine providing a stool isn't practical, even though it seems like such a simple solution. We also might determine stools are a great idea and decide to buy stools for everyone.
 ##### When to require proof an accomodation is needed
 A requested accomodation should be honored without proof of the problem as long as it's simple and inexpensive to implement. For example, if an employee requests a stool because their feet hurt we don't need to look at their foot to check if it's sore.
 One situation where we should request proof or a professional opinion are where the same underlying problem seems to be the cause of several different issues or requires multiple different accomodations. For example, if an employee claims to have a medical or mental health issue and is requesting multiple different accomodations, we may need a professional recommendation. We don't need to know what condition the employee has, and we can't force them to tell us. However, we can ask them to have their doctor or other professional write a letter confirming the requested accomodations actually make sense for their patient.
 ##### Types of accomodations that can be offered
 Generally speaking, requested accomodations usually revolve around buying something for the employee, making an exception to a rule, or adjusting the expectations around the work.
 The minimal, least complicated accomodation that seems feasible should be tried first. The reason is making sure the correct problem has been identified and matched with a reasonable solution. The point is getting a quick improvement with minimal effort, even if it doesn't completely solve the problem. If it seems like something other employees may also benefit from, a survey of some kind might be a good idea after an initial, minimal test has been performed.
 If the minimal solution solves the problem to a sufficient standard, then nothing else should need to be done. If it causes only minimal improvement but the problem is still worse than acceptable, it can then make sense to look at more complicated or expensive solutions if it's determined the short-term resource use is worth it in the long-term.
 For example, an employee complains their performance and attendance is below standard because of heat in the warehouse. We get them a water bottle, a fan, and an ice pack for their neck. It improves the issue enough that the employee's attendance and performance are within acceptable ranges. As time goes on, we start to find out other employees have the same kind of issue sometimes. We then make it standard to issue every employee a water bottle, fan, and ice pack.
 #### Retraining
 It might be determined the employee fundamentally misunderstands something about what's expected. In some situations like that, [[Retraining]] may be the solution, where the employee's training about one or more job tasks is repeated like they're a new hire. Kind of like when someone has to take a remedial driving class to reinstate their driver's license.
 #### Personal Improvement Plan
 A [[Personal Improvement Plan]] makes sense when the employee would be eligible for promotion if not for the problem we're having with their behavior. For example, a person has an amazing work ethic but their punctuality issues make it unthinkable to have them supervise other people.
 Generally speaking, a Personal Improvement Plan establishes a way to measure how often the unwanted behavior is occuring and then puts the employee in charge of monitoring it. They're required to show improvement over a period of time, and check in with their manager on a regular basis to discuss progress. If there is no progress, it should be clearly explained the employee has no path for advancement at the company, and may want to consider finding a different job.
 #### Reassignment
 [[Reassignment]] can make sense where the employee's actions or behaviors might not be a problem if they worked in a different department, position, location, or shift. Here are some examples where reassignment could make sense.
 In one case, an employee has habitual attendance issues because of a personal problem that prevents them from waking up refreshed in the morning. They tell us if they worked 2nd shift instead it wouldn't be a problem anymore.
 Another case might be where two employees simply can't get along for personal reasons. It might make sense to reassign the employee to a different area where they don't need to work alongside the coworker they dislike. In that kind of situation, the person who is being counselled should accept any undesirable tradeoffs, not the person they dislike. For example, an employee says their quality of work issues are caused because they don't get along with Bob. However, Bob isn't the one being counselled. If the employee insists the best solution is not working with Bob anymore, we're not going to reassign Bob.
 #### Disciplinary Suspension
 [[Suspensions#Disciplinary Suspension|Disciplinary Suspension]] can be used when no solution can be agreed to, particularly if the employee is insisting on unrealistic solutions, deflections or blame games, or is generally unwilling to admit the issue is even a problem. The goal is to give the employee time to cool down and think about their actions and behaviors or pay more serious attention to underlying personal issues.
 For example, imagine an employee is having terrible attendance issues and they tell us it's because they can't afford an Uber. That doesn't logically make sense because the price of getting an Uber to work is less than the losses from missing an entire day's pay. Even after pointing this out, the employee still can't agree to an actual solution. In a case like that, we might use a Disciplinary Suspension, where they are taken off the schedule and banned from the workplace for a period of time.
 In another example, an employee has been having angry outburts at work and disrespecting coworkers. They tell us it's because they're going through a lot in their personal life and it's bleeding over into work. After discussing possible solutions with them, they can't agree to anything. We might place them on suspension until they take a class on conflict resolution or anger management.
 #### Termination for cause
 In some circumstances we may learn something during counselling that triggers us to immediately fire the employee. For example, the unwanted behavior was intentional, planned, and the employee isn't even apologetic about it. Another example would be lying to us during the counselling.
 This option should be reserved for situations where it's obvious the employee did something wrong intentionally or carelessly and it's pretty clear they take no responsibility for it, especially if some kind of irreperable harm was caused. An example might be an employee who starts a fight with somebody else and punches them in the face. When we counsel the employee about it, they're proud of what they did, or they justify it by saying something like "I warned him I was going to do it" or "he shouldn't have been talking about my mom like that". It's pretty clear, in that sort of situation, the person *will* do the same thing again if something triggers them.
 #### Administrative Suspension
 An [[Suspensions#Administrative suspension / leave|Administrative Suspension]] might be applicable if the employee says they need extended time off to deal with a personal issue that is causing problems at work. There is a small, but important distinction between a disciplinary suspension and an administrative suspenion. The difference is the employee is *asking* for time off to enact personal life changes or deal with an issue.
 Take for instance, an employee admits they're having performance problems because of substance abuse. They might ask for time off to seek treatment or rehabilitation.
 An Administrative Suspension can be used in this situation (and use of PTO to cover it), if the employee is otherwise in good standing and we believe the short-term challenges it causes are neglibible compared to the long term benefits of retaining the employee. In these situations, the following things should be in place:
 - The employee understands they are required to work towards resolving the personal problem. They won't be allowed to return to work if they don't.
 - If the employee will still receive pay while suspended, there needs to be a written agreement about it. It should include a requirement that to continue receiving pay the employee must report in regularly showing progress towards resolving the situation.
 Take for example, it's identified that Bob is suffering from professional burn-out. Lately, his attendance has been awful and he's making mistakes in his work. However, both of those things are uncharacteristic for Bob. He's worked with us for several years and normally has great attendance and performance. We might offer Bob a two-week suspension during which he will still be paid as long as he takes an actual vacation or spends time working on a hobby. Bob enjoys outdoor activities like fishing and hiking. We agree Bob can still receive his pay while suspended as long as he takes pictures showing he's fishing or hiking.
 #### Lay Off
 In some cases it might be discovered the behavior is caused by something totally beyond the control of the employee. The behavior is so problematic though, that we can't really employ the person anywhere in the company. In a case like this, it could make sense to lay the person off with an option to rehire at a later date.
 Say for example, an employee is going through a divorce or some other kind of drawn-out legal proceeding. It's causing them to have attendance issues and make lots of mistakes at work. The employee can't do anything to stop the situation, so until it's over the attendance issues and mistakes are unlikely to improve. After evaluating other options like accomodations or reassignment, we can't find any solution. In a case like that, we might lay the person off. We're essentially terminating them, but we're agreeing it's not because of anything they did. Instead, it's because the personal issues outside of their control make it impossible to employ them. We would likely rehire the person in the future if they could demonstrate the issue has been resolved.
 An employee may feel like this course of action is unfair, and it should be noted that because they were laid off instead of being terminated they can probably collect unemployment. Also, if the employee was otherwise in good standing with us and didn't have any other disciplinary issues, there may be an option to offer a severance package.
 ## When counselling doesn't surface an actionable underlying problem
 Counselling will only surface an actionable underlying problem when both the employee and the counsellor are making a genuine effort to discover what's causing the inappropriate behavior. Sometimes, employees will avoid explaining the real problem for a variety of different reasons.
 If that happens, it's important to document that. It needs to be documented that the employee isn't able to articulate or identify the root cause of the situation so there isn't anything the business can do about it. Then, it should be clearly explained to the employee what will happen next if the behavior repeats.
 ### Example: mysterious, repeated mistakes
 An employee keeps making mistakes in their work, like skipping major steps. They've previously been trained and coached about the right way to do the work, but the same kinds of mistakes keep happening. When asked about it the employee says they just need to pay more attention. We ask them what would help them pay more attention, and they don't have any ideas. We probe a little further to see if there is any help we can provide, but they don't ask for anything.
 In this case, we document that the employee says the problem is unspecified distractions and the employee agrees they don't need any help from us to avoid the distractions. Then, we explain that if more mistakes occur the employee could be terminated.
 ### Example: air conditioning
 An employee is frequently absent from work or away from their designated area while at work. They've been talked to about it before, and during counselling they tell us it's because of the extreme heat during the summer. The employee says we need to install air conditioning in the warehouse. Meanwhile, during the conversation we also explore that the employee is not hydrating properly or dressing appropriately for the heat. We also remind the employee that new hires are warned about this ahead of time and told this job might not be suitable for people who are very sensitive to 90F temperatures.
 We ask if the employee wants to come in earlier to avoid the heat, do they need a water bottle or an extra fan, or other things like that. The employee says they don't want any of those things. They insist the business should install air conditioning.
 In this case, we would document that the employee is not engaging in appropriate precautions for the heat (hydration and attire), and they refused our assistance. We also document that air conditioning isn't practical to have installed, and the employee is aware it won't happen. Then, we explain that if the employee isn't able to improve their attendance and performance, we may have to terminate them or transfer them to a different position.
 ### Deflections and blame games
 Sometimes employees will bring up reasons or excuses that mainly serve to deflect the conversation away from their actions or behaviors. For instance, an employee might say something like "why am I being singled out? Bob just sits at his desk all day and doesn't do any work!" It's important to identify when an employee is doing this and refocus the conversation back to the matter at hand. Unless the employee is stating that another person's actions or behaviors are actually the source of their own inappropriate behavior. For example, if someone said "Bob keeps stealing my tools", that's totally different than "Bob is late all the time, why don't you do something about that?"
 In other cases, an employee might bring up something that would definitely warrant action if it were true... however, it's not related to the current situation. In that case we need to consider: if the employee knew about something so serious why did they wait to mention it until they are in trouble?
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 ---
 alias: PIP
 alias: Performance Improvement Plan
 author: Jason Thistlethwaite
 tags: correctiveAction
 ---
 A Personal Improvement Plan is a structured approach to improving or correcting behaviors that make a person unpromotable. A PIP might be used when an employee's performance or behavior would probably lead to termination if it gets worse, and at least prevent advancement if it stays the same.
 ## Example use case
 An employee demonstrates above-average attendance, shows a lot of intitiative, and is generally known for producing high-quality results. However, they have an annoying tendency to cause a [[work stop]] when they have a question instead of using more efficient, [[asynchronous communication]] methods. Instead, whenever they come across anything they don't understand they flag down other people to ask questions, even if that means [[Foundations and Governance/General Policies/Attendance#Missing from post|leaving their post]] to do so.
 The employee is probably not going to be in trouble if the habit continues the same way, but a person who is able to communicate more effectively would probably be promoted instead of them.
 ## Recommended way to handle a PIP
 The first thing to do is explain to the employee what behavior or tendency is problematic, and carefully frame it in terms of how it will effect their long term advancement with the company.
 Next, determine a way to measure how often the problem happens within their area, not just involving that person. Then, put them in charge of tracking that metric. The employee should track the problem for more people than just themselves, ideally the whole team. It becomes part of their job to improve the metric and identify ways to do so.
 Let's say for example, a person's attendance isn't very good but they're otherwise a great employee. That's a case where a PIP could make sense. So, they are put in charge of tracking attendance for their team, including themselves. If they identify ways to improve that metric (even if it just means their own attendance), the PIP can be considered successful. If they actually manage to improve it for the whole team by setting and example and getting buy-in from other people, then they've proven they are promotable (which is the point).
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 During a probationary period an employee's performance, attendance, and conduct are monitored more closely. Infractions and unwanted behavior may be taken more seriously, and can skip the normal escalation process even for otherwise minor actions or behaviors.
 A probationary period is normally used when hiring a new person, who is typically subject to a probationary period for 90 days after being hired. A probationary period can also be used as part of corrective action.
 ## How does a probationary period affect an employee?
 While subject to probation an employee should expect the following:
 - Use of [[PTO]] is not permitted;
 - Any kind of absense or attendance concern may be more carefully scrutinized;
 - Overtime and schedule adjustments will probably not be allowed;
 - Any infraction could lead to immediate termination;
 - Failing to show up for a scheduled shift without appropriate notice may be treated like the employee voluntarily quit.
 ## When a probationary period may be used as part of corrective action.
 A probationary period might be used along with [[Retraining]], [[Reassignment]], or a [[Suspensions#Disciplinary Suspension|Disciplinary Suspension]]. This should be done when it's needed to reinforce that further unwanted behavior or actions won't be tolerated, even if they are not related to the original problem that lead to corrective action.
 It may be tempting for managers to use a probationary period in tandem with a [[Personal Improvement Plan]], but this is not generally recommended as it tends to be a waste of time. The reason being that PIP's are best used to resolve situations where an otherwise great employee is unpromotable because of some behavior we hope to correct. Using a PIP with an employee who is likely to break other rules is probably a waste of time since we should be focusing on replacing them anyway.
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 Ressassignment occurs when an employee is transferred to a different position, location, department, or shift as a means to correct an issue in the workplace. Employees could be reassigned for a variety of reasons like [[Corrective Actions|corrective action]], [[Restructuring]], or because the employee requested it.
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 Retraining is a form of [[Corrective Actions|corrective action]] best used to deal with Quality of Work, Quantity of Work, Safety, or Policy Violation [[Write-ups|infractions]]. When an employee is being retrained, their pay and privileges may reduced until they can demonstrate competency with their assigned work.
 In most cases retraining lasts no longer than a month and is focused on retraining the employee about a specific aspect of their job. Another employee will work closely with them to ensure they understand the right way to do the job, and they will be given some kind of test to prove they understand it. In many cases, this is handled by asking the employee to provide a written or oral presentation on the proper way to do the work, which is then graded by others.
 ## When retraining should be used and when it shouldn't
 Retraining is best used when an employee seems to be making cyclic or repeated mistakes or ommissions in their work. This is especially true if the work output of the employee is highly variable or unpredictable.
 Normally, retraining should be considered after [[Counselling]] has uncovered the employee seems to misunderstand what their job entails or reveals they don't have a clear grasp on the right way to do the work. It should be reserved for cases where the employee *should* know the correct way to do their job because they have already been trained on and it have done the work for a while already.
 ## Reduction in pay and privileges
 Any attached reduction in pay is not intended to be punitive. Rather, it is because retraining an employee is expensive. It means at least two people will be less productive until the training is complete (the trainer and the person being retrained). The amount of pay reduction should be whatever the employee's wage was at the time they first began doing the job. If for some reason that amount isn't known, it should be the rate a new employee would currently be paid for doing the same job.
 In many cases, [[Foundations and Governance/PTO#PTO accrual pausing|PTO accrual]] may be paused for the employee until retraining is completed.
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 Sometimes an employee can be suspended from work, and this article talks about that. When an employee is suspended they aren't allowed to come to work without an appointment to see a manager.
 There are two types of suspensions that are used for different reasons, and they are handled a little differently. 
 ## General things about suspensions
 When an employee is suspended, the following things are generally expected:
 1. The employee is not allowed on company property unless they have an appointment with a manager.
 2. The employee isn't allowed to do any work for the company, even if it's done remotely.
 3. The employee is expected to return all company property or documents in their possession until the suspension is over.
 4. Suspensions may be paid or unpaid, depending on the circumstances.
 5. The employee is not to have any contact with customers.
 ## Administrative suspension / leave
 An Administrative Suspension might be issued when the business benefits from having the employee out of the workplace but the employee hasn't necessarily done anything wrong. In some cases, it could be thought of as a manditory paid vacation. The other major reason for administrative leave is where an employee is accused of something serious, but no other actions are warranted until the matter has been investigated.
 ## Disciplinary Suspension
 A Disciplinary Suspension should be used when an employee has done something that is serious enough they could be terminated, but it's more desirable to retain their services.
 Return to work can be both time and contingency based. That means the employee is suspended until they perform some kind of action by a deadline. If the employee fails to perform the action it's assumed they have quit.
 The goal of a suspension should be one of two different things:
 1. Temporarily remove a hazard or disruption from the workplace so the matter can behandled later (like sending an employee home for the day because they're being extremely disruptive)
 2. Temporarily remove an employee from the workplace until some problem they caused is corrected.
 The key aspect is that the employee's presence at work is contributing to the problem, but we would rather not terminate them because we suspect the issue is correctable.
 ### Being sent home for the day
 Being sent home for the day falls under the category of a disciplinary suspension but isn't necessarily as serious. A person can be sent home for the rest of the day if they're doing something that is highly disruptive to the work environment and in a supervisor's best judgment the situation can't be resolved in a short period of time (generally about 5-15 minutes). The employee should be given [[Counselling]] about their actions or behaviors after they return to work.
 Here are some examples of when this may be appropriate:
 - An employee comes to work in a bad mood, and they are generally grouchy and yelling at everybody. They're not getting their work done, and they're causing other people to be unproductive.
 - An employee comes to work too sick to do their job, or creating a risk of making other people sick. We asked the employee to just take the day off, but they refuse to leave.
 - An employee is given a verbal warning about a relatively minor issue at work, like having their music too loud. Instead of professionally responding to the warning, they try to have a big argument about it, causing several people to stop working.
 - There is strong suspicion an employee is too heavily intoxicated or mentally impaired to do their work.
 This type of suspension is the same thing as a Chaplain's [[Circles#Power of Dismissal|Power of Dismissal]].
 ### Return to work contingencies
 It should be made clear return to work contingencies connected to a disciplanary suspension are meant to be done on the employee's own time. The company generally doesn't compensate for them, but may under certain circumstances determined on a case-by-case basis where individual exceptions can be made.
 #### Self-Driven Action Plan
 The most basic return to work contingency is a Self-Driven Action Plan, which is a written document that includes 3 sections:
 1. An explanation of what the employee did wrong and why it's a problem.
 2. What they're going to do to fix the damage already caused, or explanation of why they aren't able to fix it.
 3. What they're going to do moving forward so it doesn't happen anymore.
 #### Class or test
 In some cases an employee can be asked to complete some kind of class or test before they're allowed to return to work.
 Here are some examples:
 1. An employee suspended for misconduct might be asked to take a class on conflict resolution, anger management, or something similarly related to their actions.
 2. An employee suspended because of intoxication or substance abuse might be asked to pass a drug test before returning to work.
 3. A sick employee might be required to show proof they're not sick anymore or that they sought treatment.
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 ## Wage Deductions
 In general, manditory wage deductions are not a valid form of corrective action. Wages can only be deducted from an employee's check in limited circumstances.
 ## Voluntary deductions as a corrective action
 In some cases, like if an employee breaks or loses equipment, it might be tempting to deduct the replacement cost from their pay. In most cases that's not permitted by labor laws except where the employee agrees to it in writing.
 ## From a lawyer's website:
 > This text is copied from https://www.davidsonmorris.com/can-you-make-an-employee-pay-for-damages/ 
 The law sets out specific situations where an employer is allowed to automatically make deductions from an employee’s wages. Wages can be automatically deducted where it is:
 - Permitted by legislation/statute such as National Insurance (NI) contributions, or student loan repayments
 - Set out in the employee’s contract of employment
 - The employee has given their written consent
 - Because of an [overpayment of wages](http://www.davidsonmorris.com/overpayment-of-wages/)
 - As a result of the employee taking part in industrial or strike action
 - To fulfil the terms of a court order or to a public authority
 This is a finite list and does not allow for any deductions that have not been previously discussed or agreed with the individual. This includes cases of theft, failure to return a uniform, property damage, or failure to return company equipment.
 Additionally, if there is a contractual clause allowing deductions, or the employee gives written consent, deductions made cannot reduce the employee’s wage sufficient for it to fall below the national minimum wage, unless:
 - The deduction is because of NI contributions or income tax.
 - It is a repayment of an advance of wages or a loan.
 - It is repayment of an accidental wages overpayment.
 - The employee is buying share options or shares in the company.
 - If the employee has caused damage and their contract of employment allows for the deduction (retail workers have additional protections limiting deductions of more than 10% of their gross wage).
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 ---
 tags:
  - communications
  - conflictResolution
 author: Jason Thistlethwaite
 ---
 Workplace and interpersonal issues broken down and categorized in a fun way, to make it easier to identify and solve them.
 Usually, these are all situations where things we expect to happen aren't, and it's hard to figure out what the problem is.
 # Basic Index
 [[Time Vampire]]
 [[Help Vampire]]
 [[Phantom Deliverable]]
 [[Zombie Project]]
 [[Werewolf Project]]
 [[Monty Hall Project]]
 [[Crab Bucket]]
 [[Koolaid Man]]
 [[Worry Virus]]
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 Attendance is a key factor in job performance. Punctuality and regular attendance are expected of all employees. Excessive absences (whether excused or unexcused), tardiness, or leaving early is #unacceptable. If you are absent for any reason or plan to arrive late or leave early, you’re expected to receive authorization from a supervisor before doing so, or at least notify your supervisor promptly.
 Absences can't be entirely avoided because life happens, but everyone is expected to minimize unplanned absences as much as possible.
 ### Types of absense and attendance issues
 We classify attendance situations a few different ways to make it easier to talk about and understand them.
 #### Planned absense
 We consider an absence planned when it was communicated about far in advance and received sign-off by affected people. Generally speaking, an absence is considered planned when everyone it will effect knows about it at least a week ahead of time, but several weeks is preferred.
 #### Unplanned absence
 We consider an absence unplanned when we receive short notice about it. We expect the amount of notice to line up with how soon an employee could have anticipated the absence.
 #### Unauthorized absense
 An absence is considered unauthorized when an employee is absent from work without permission. That can include situations like failure to provide notice, being myseriously missing from work (at any point), or failing to show up to work after a time-off request was denied. This is also the case if an employee tells us they're not coming to work instead of asking for the day off.
 #### Presenteeism
 Presentiumeeism is what happens when a person is at work when they shouldn't be. For example, a person is too sick to be at work, but they show up anyway. If a person shows up at work unfit for duty and has to be sent home it may be considered an unplanned absence.
 #### Virtual Absence
 A virtual absence is when an employee is working remotely or at a satellite location but they're not reachable by other people who are working. Here are some examples:
 - An employee working remotely leaves their company chat app closed or muted and isn't responding to messages.
 - An employee working at a sattelite location isn't answering the phone.
 The situation being the person might actually be doing work, but since supervisors can't communicate with them they may as well be absent because orders and information about the work can't be exchanged.
 #### Missing from post
 A person who is at work but is mysteriously missing from their assigned work area without a good reason might be considered absent, particular if it's habitual. While the person might actually be at work, they're not in the area they're supposed to be.
 Here are some examples of when an employee might be considered missing from post:
 - An employee who is supposed to unload trucks around the same time each day is habitually found using the bathroom for long periods of time instead.
 - An employee who is supposed to attend a meeting every Monday at 9:30am is habitually absent from the meeting because they are working on something else.
 - An employee who is supposed to start work at 9am is habitually missing from their work area because they are eating breakfast in the breakroom instead.
 - An employee shows up to work, but doesn't report to their supervisor. Instead, they spend the majority of the day doing something nobody assigned them to do.
 ## Excused and unexcused absences
 An absence can be excused in two main circumstances:
 1. It's a planned absence that was approved of ahead of time by a supervisor.
 2. It's unplanned but it was approved of because there is evidence it couldn't reasonably be avoided.
 In just about any other situation an absence is unexcused.
 In general, a person who misses more than 3% of their scheduled hours due to unexcused absences can be terminated. For a full-time person that means 7 or more unexcused absences in a year probably leads to termination.
 An unauthorized, unplanned absence usually leads to an infraction for [[Absences and Absenteeism|absenteeism]], and may be subject to corrective action more swiftly.
 ## What makes something an unplanned, unauthorized absence?
 Here are some examples we would usually consider unauthorized, unplanned absences. In general, these kinds of absences can't be excused. There are plenty of other situations where an unplanned, unauthorized absence wouldn't be excused, but these represent the most common situations.
 ### Example 1: Failure to schedule appointments in a responsible manner
 A person who calls off work unexpectedly because of something they should be able to plan in advance is probably absent without authorization. In the example below, the person called off work because they were having a washer and dryer delivered. Then, despite saying they would come to work after the delivery, they never showed up. In this situation, the person told us about it 45 minutes before their shift was supposed to start.
 ![[Pasted image 20230110221351.png]]
 ### Example 2: Sick and going back to sleep
 ![[Pasted image 20230110221824.png]]
 In this case the person messaged us about 30 minutes before their scheduled shift, and they didn't ask for the day off. Instead, they told us they aren't coming in and they didn't provide any evidence they are sick.
 ### Example 3: Somebody else has an emergency but the employee isn't obligated to do anything about it
 A person might call off work because a family member or child is sick or needs some kind of help. It happens from time to time.
 In order for that kind of absence to be excused, the following things need to be evident:
 1. The situation is real and not exaggerated or invented.
 2. The employee is obligated to do something about it. There wasn't another practical way to handle it.
 For example, imagine an employee calls off work because their dog needs to go to the vet. For that to be excusable the person would be expected to provide a note or something from the vet, as well as reasonable evidence there was no practical way to get treatment for the dog without calling off work unexpectedly.
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 Our standard business hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. From time to time the company operates extra shifts or slight changes in these hours.
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 Once in a while people request being paid the same day or for some kind of loan. The company does those things sometimes when we're able, but when we aren't  people sometimes become upset. This article is here to explain the right way to go about these things and what to expect.
 ## Same-day and short term requests are difficult to approve and considered harmful
 We're a young company without outside investors or a lot of extra capital. On top of that, we pay our people weekly while most of our customers pay less often, like once or twice a month. That means keeping the lights on requires careful financial planning.
 Whenever someone asks for earnest money we weren't expecting to pay out it means we have to go over our budget before we can approve it. That can be time consuming, and in some cases it has to involve multiple people and takes several days.
 In other words, that means several people are spending time figuring out whether we can issue a loan instead of doing productive work. That's why we ask people to avoid doing this unless it's an emergency situation that will effect the company in a strategic way. People who make a habit of it are frowned upon and unlikely to be promoted.
 ## Seniority and responsibility
 Typically, we will not approve any kind of loan or pay advance unless an employee has worked with us longer than a year and demonstrates high levels of responsibility.
 ## Improving your chances of a loan or advance
 First of all, ask for it in writing, instead of in person. The idea is to give us enough information ahead of time that we can schedule a time to talk about it. That way, we're making the best use of everyone's time. 
 Usually, the best thing to do is email hr@ldrprep.com about it. You'll get an automated response with a ticket number, just like when customers email us. Then, if you need to have the conversation sooner, just tell us "hey, I'd like to talk about HR ticket 123, when do you have time?"
 ### Help us have confidence about it
 When we approve loans, cashouts, or advances it is usually for one of the following general reasons:
 - A long-term employee who's done a lot of great work wants some extra spending money for a vacation.
 - A stellar employee has an emergency expense that would prevent them from getting to work if it's not handled.
 - An employee has a proposal for a business idea or new venture that's aligned with our company's goals.
 - Major life improvements like moving expenses, replacing major appliances, getting glasses or surgery, etc.
 Other reasons are less likely to be approved.
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 Individual departments or business units may establish a dress code suitable for the needs of the work being done. When no other dress code is communicated, everyone is expected to adhere to the following guidelines.
 - Avoid wearing attire that creates a safety hazard. In general, loose or baggy clothing, long necklaces, or other things that can get caught in machinery are not allowed.
 - Dress for the weather and temperature.
 - Avoid clothing with provocative, offensive, religious, political, or controversial imagery or words.
 - Keep your clothes on. Your top, groin, and feet should be covered by appropriate clothing at all times.
 - Footwear should be something you are comfortable standing in for long durations of time as most positions in the company will have you on your feet for most of the day. Closed toe shoes are strongly recommended.
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 Where possible, we invest in our staff by helping them work through issues in their personal life they might be struggling with. However, we don't have a formalized Employee Assistance Program (yet).
 ## How to request assistance
 Email hr@ldrprep.com while you're off the clock and explain what kind of issue you're dealing with. If it's confidential, just say that, and we'll schedule a time to talk about it. If it will be a lengthy conversation, please be mindful of that. We want to help, but we might ask that a lengthy conversation be handled off the clock.
 ## What we might be able to help with
 We have helped people in the past with various issues. This is a short list to give some examples.
 To be clear: we're not lawyers, doctors, therapists, or anything else. However, we help where we can, sometimes through direct action, other times advice or referrals.
 - Moving into a new place to live.
 - Relocating from another state and finding a place to stay.
 - Domestic violence and abuse.
 - Substance issues like addiction.
 - Financial planning, including setting up budgets or building credit.
 - One-time medical expenses like getting new glasses.
 - Needing clothing or food.
 - Mental health issues like anxiety, PTSD, or depression (again, we are not therapists).
 - Furthering education and developing skills.
 - Disputes with service providers or companies like a car dealership, the phone company, or a landlord.
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 #### Full-time
 An employee is considered full-time when they are normally scheduled 35 or more hours during a week. Full-time employees are elibible for PTO, Holidays, and various other benefits or perks. Full-time employees are expected to work until the job is completed, which may mean working more hours than scheduled, particularly during peak season.
 ### Part-time
 An employee is considered part time if they are usually scheduled for less than 35 hours during a week.
 ### Seasonal
 A seasonal employee is somebody whose employment is expected to end once the current season is over. We sometimes offer seasonal employees ongoing positions if they particularly impressed us, but not always.
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 ## Logistics Done Right is an Equal Opportunity Employer
 Logistics Done Right Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, which does not discriminate in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral or other aspects of employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, physical or mental disability, or genetic information.
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 Our company is closed for general operations on certain holidays. Full-time employees receive full pay for those days. Part-time employees receive pro-rated pay based on the number of hours they'd usually work.
 1. New Year's Day
 2. Memorial Day
 3. July 4th
 4. Labor Day
 5. Thanksgiving
 6. Black Friday
 7. Christmas Eve
 8. Christmas
 If a holiday falls on a weekend when the business would normally be closed, we observe the holiday on the nearest week day.
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 Employees can have other jobs besides working at LDR as long as the other job doesn't create a conflict of interest or harm their performance at our company. If an employee has a job outside of LDR they are expected to prioritize LDR in matters of scheduling, hours worked, and other matters.
 If the company determines an outside job is interfering with an employee's job or work requirements, we may ask the employee to quit their other job if they want to continue working with us. For example, if an employee's schedule or availability keeps changing because of their second job, that might cause problems at LDR. In that case, we might ask them to quit their other job if the scheduling conflict can't be quickly resolved.
 Similarly, if the company determines an outside job is creating a conflict of interest an employee may be asked to quit that job. For example, an employee who has a second job working at a competing company may be asked to quit their other job.
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 LDR values time, and we offer a generous paid time off plan.
 Hourly employees hired prior to April 21, 2022 accrue PTO at a rate of 1 hour per 10.8 hours worked, to a maximum of 192 hours (24 days).
 Employees hired after April 21, 2022 accrue PTO at the following rates based on the number of years they have worked at the company.
 |   Year with company   |  Hourly Accrual Rate    |   Max Unused Days   |
 |:-----|:-----|:-----|
 | During first year     | 1 hour PTO per 26 hours worked     |   10 days   |
 | During second year     | 1 hour PTO per 17.3 hours worked     |  15 days    |
 | During third year     | 1 hour PTO per 13 hours worked     |  20 days    |
 | During fourth year and beyond     |  1 hour PTO per 10.8 hours worked    |  24 days    |
 PTO cannot be used until an employee has been regularly employed with our company for 90 working days.
 ## Unused PTO and forfeiture of PTO
 Unused PTO is forfeited upon termination of employment except where there is a written agreement about payment for unused PTO.
 Generally speaking, an employee who quits, is laid off, or is terminated forfeits their PTO unless they have worked with the company for more than a year in a full-time capacity and have very few, if any corrective actions or write-ups in their personnel record.
 ### PTO accrual pausing
 Under certain circumstances accrual of PTO can be paused. When PTO is paused, effected people stop accruing PTO.
 This may occur on a departmental or company-wide level if the performance of a particular division is below expectations. It may also occur on an individual level as a form of [[Corrective Actions|corrective action]]. In general, when a person is subjected to [[Retraining]] their PTO accrual is paused.
 ## Absences, Sick Days, and Personal Days
 Our company doesn't maintain a separate pool of days for different kinds of absence or leave. A person's PTO is used to cover all such situations. PTO use is generally only approved for excused absences. See our [[Foundations and Governance/General Policies/Attendance]] policy for further explanation.
 ### Examples of when PTO can be used to cover absences:
 - A person who calls off sick, has proof of the illness, and provided appropriate notice can generally apply their PTO to the absence.
 - A person who requested days off weeks in advance and received approval can use PTO to cover those days.
 Having unused PTO days doesn't necessarily entitle an employee to take days off. Days off still need to be approved and scheduled as much as possible to avoid creating any delays or problems in the workplace. During times when the company is experiencing a lot of delays, heavier demand than usual, or staffing shortages PTO may not be approved.
 ## Limited PTO Periods
 A Limited PTO Period is a specific time block during which scheduling PTO requires approval further in advance than usual, and there are more restrictions about approving it.
 When a Limited PTO Period is announced the special scheduling requirements will be included with the announcement, and if they are not they are as follows:
 1. Scheduling PTO requires 30 day notice prior to the first day of absence;    
 2. If multiple people are requesting overlapping days, they will be approved based on tenure and a first-come-first-serve basis;
 3. Unplanned absences can result in immediate [[Corrective Actions]] if they are not excused.
 ### Standard peak season Limited PTO Period
 By default, there is a Limited PTO Period during peak season each year. Unless there is a different announcement that Limited PTO Period includes:
 1. The second week of November through Christmas Eve.
 2. The first two weeks of January.
 ## Required vacation
 Once per calendar year each employee is strongly encouraged to schedule at least 5 consecutive days off work. This is to encourage taking a real vacation and rest from work.
 ## Fractional PTO Use and rewards for long term service
 When planned and approved in advance, PTO can be used in any manner that doesn't cause a business disruption. This is especially true for employees who have seniority. Some novel examples of that (which would still require advanced approval), include:
 - Leaving 2 hours early on Fridays but still receiving pay;
 - Spending 1 hour of PTO per week to have a 1 hour long lunch;
 - Taking the 2nd Wednesday off of every month;
 - Observing personal or cultural holidays the company doesn't officially observe.
 For such planned, approved uses of PTO, the following factors will generally be considered:
 1. The PTO use doesn't cause a problem of any kind in the work place;
 2. The person requesting it is an employee in good standing who has a record of stellar performance;
 3. The person requesting has worked with the company for several years;
 4. With the modified schedule the PTO use allows, the person is still accruing a positive PTO balance.
 In the examples listed above, a person who's worked with the company long enough to be accruing 24 days of PTO per year would still be earning at least 1 unused day per month even with the modified schedule.
 ### Fractional PTO use for unplanned absence
 In the case of unplanned use of PTO, it will generally only be approved in 4-hour or 8-hour increments. If the underlying absence was shorter, the remainder is forfeit.
 For instance, an employee is an hour late to work, but it's for an excusable reason. They can opt to use PTO to receive pay for that hour, but in doing so they will be spending 4 hours of PTO to receive one hour of pay. This is to encourage employees to use PTO in planned, non-disruptive ways.
 ## PTO Cashout
 Employees in good standing with a track record of stellar performance may be eligible to exchange unused PTO for extra pay. This is intended to assist employees with covering unexpected expenses or emergencies, acting on investment opportunities, or major life expenses. Such cash outs are not an entitlement, and will be approved on a case-by-case basis.
 Generally speaking, the following factors are weighed when a PTO cashout is requested:
 1. The financial health of the company;
 2. The performance and employment record of the requesting person;
 3. The legitimacy of the reason a cash out is being requested.
 For example, a person who has worked at the company for several years with stellar performance might request cashing out several days of PTO to upgrade kitchen appliances, renew a lease, or other expenses that represent a major life improvement.
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 LDR utilizes a weekly pay period which begins on Wednesday and ends on the Tuesday of the following calendar week. This means that payroll is typically run on Wednesdays and employees should receive pay by Friday. We do this so employees have their pay available by the weekend.
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 We generally pay our staff using direct deposit. We make exceptions sometimes, but we prefer to avoid that because of the extra complication and overhead it causes.
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 Employees, visitors, and contractors are responsible for their own personal property brought to the workplace. We don't have the time and resources to monitor personal property or investigate damage, theft, or mysterious events surrounding personal property. You have been warned that the company will not provide any kind of assistance with issues that happen with your personal property. If it gets broken, damaged, lost, stolen, or something else it's entirely your responsibility.
 ## General rules about personal property
 - Personal property shouldn't create a disruption to other people. If it does, we might confiscate it or ask you to take it home.
 - Personal property shouldn't be left in common areas or at shared-use stations. If it is, it could be moved, misplaced, or damaged.
 - Make sure your name is on any personal property you bring.
 - Personal electronics should not be charged at work if doing so clutters a work area or requires unplugging company-owned devices.
 ### Christmas lights, holiday decorations, or similar
 It's unfortunate we have to mention this here, but excessive decorating for holidays is strongly frowned upon. These things tend to create clutter, trip hazards, fire hazards, or other issues.
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 It can be tempting to personalize work areas, like putting up posters or decorations, or other things to make it feel a little more like home. This is generally allowed providing our stance about [[Personal Property at Work]] is adhered to, and personalizations don't cause some kind of problem.
 Generally speaking, unless you've been given a desk and a computer that only you have a password for, you don't actually have a station that is truly yours, even if you do tend to work in the same area most of the time. If you decide to personalize an area like that it's best to check with your supervisor first to make sure it won't cause some kind of problem.
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 # General Policy Folder
 The documents and articles in this folder are meant to explain what's normal or usual in different circumstances within the company. It's kind of a miscellaneous collection of how various situations are usually (or supposed to be) handled.
 Everything in here is subject to change, and nothing should be taken as a hard or official rule. Rather, this should all be taken as a set of guidelines.
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 Solicitation refers to things like advertising or selling something, collecting signature or donations, and that sort of activity.
 Soliciting for memberships, pledges, subscriptions, or collecting money isn't allowed during work or over company communication channels. This is especially the case if the solicitation is political in nature. However, it is allowed while on break or during lunches, as long as everyone involved is also off the clock.
 Posting signs, fliers, petitions, or anything like that on company property requires approval from the company. That includes posts on bulletin boards, the refrigerator, or other places.
 For example, imagine you're trying to raise money for a charity. It's okay to do that while on break as long as the people you're talking to about it are also on break. However, it's not okay to send a company-wide email or use our chat system to do it, even if you're on break. It would be okay to put up a sign about the charity, but only if you receive approval.
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 Unless an employee has a written employment agreement with Logistics Done Right Inc, which provides differently, all employment at Logistics Done Right Inc is “at‐will.” That means that employees may be terminated from employment with Logistics Done Right Inc with or without cause, and employees are free to leave the employment of Logistics Done Right Inc with or without cause. Any representation by any Logistics Done Right Inc officer or employee contrary to this policy is not binding upon Logistics Done Right Inc unless it is in writing and is signed with the approval of the Board of Directors.
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 # Corrective and Disciplinary Action
 A write-up documents an employee has been told a behavior or action is the wrong way to do something and it shouldn't be repeated. This article covers how write-ups are meant to work and supposed to be handled.
 ## 9 Types of Infraction
 Our company officially recognizes 9 types of infractions as outlined here.
 ### Tardiness / leaving early
 Showing up late to work or leaving before a person is supposed to, especially without providing adequate notice. This is elaborated on in the expanded article about [[Tardiness]].
 When a person will be late to work they are expected to notify their supervisor an hour ahead of time. If that isn't possible, they are expected to notify as soon as they are able, with an explanation about why more notice couldn't be provided.
 In general, a person should be written up for Tardiness in the following cases:
 #### Late to work
 - More than 5+ minutes late 3+ times within 30 days;
 - More than 20 minutes late on a single occasion.
 #### Late from break or lunch
 - More than 5+ minutes late returning from break or lunch 3+ times within 30 days;
 - More than 20 minutes late on a single occasion.
 ### Absenses or Absenteeism
 [[Absences and Absenteeism]] is when an employee exhibits unsatisfactory attendance by missing an unacceptable amount of their scheduled work hours.
 Generally, a full-time employee is expected to work at least 97% of their scheduled shifts, which means missing fewer than 7.5 days in a year.
 The expanded article on [[Absences and Absenteeism]] elaborates.
 ### Safety
 A [[Safety]] infractions occurs when someone's actions or behaviors are harmful to (or could harm) people, property, or process in an irreversible way. Safety is very serious, so an employee should be written up whether any actual harm was caused. The write-up should specifically reference what kind of irreversible harm happened or could have happened.
 The expanded article about [[Safety]] expands on this.
 ### Insubordination
 [[Insubordination]] refers to an employee who is outright disobedient or disrespectful to a supervisor or owner of a business. This includes engaging in actions or behaviors that undermine authority, like spreading gossip or rumors, or disrespecting a manager in front of other people.
 ### Policy Violation
 A policy violation occurs when an employee violates or circumvents an official policy or process. It can either be one serious event or a pattern of smaller events. Something can be a policy violation even if no harm was caused.
 For example,  employees are supposed to put their barcode scanners on chargers when leaving their station. An employee who has a habit of not doing that could be written-up for a policy violation, even if it didn't cause some other kind of problem.
 Generally speaking, many examples of a policy violation could also be considered [[insubordination]] and vice-versa, but there are situations that might not be the case.
 The article on [[Policy Violation|policy violations]] explains in more detail.
 ### Quality of Work
 A quality of work infraction happens when an employee's work has too many mistakes or errors. It can either be one serious event or a habitual pattern of making mistakes or errors.
 The article on [[Quality of Work]] elaborates on this.
 ### Quantity of Work
 A quantity of work infraction happens when an employee gets less work done than is normally expected.
 The article on [[Quantity of Work]] expands on this.
 ### Misconduct
 Misconduct is any behavior that goes against the 
 [[General Rules of Conduct]], [[Guiding Principles]], or other policies that dictate how employees should behave at work. This might include unethical, unprofessional, or even criminal behavior that takes place within a workplace setting.
 The linked article elaborates on [[Misconduct]].
 ### Other
 Other reasons for a write-up may exist that aren't covered by the 8 major categories. The recommended way to identify this is when something an employee does upsets someone else and there isn't a good explanation for why they should be allowed to do it.
 Essentially, Other is for cases where a supervisor believes an employee's actions are hard to classify under any of the 8 other infraction types, but still aren't acceptable at work.
 ## Who can or should initiate corrective action?
 All supervisors are expected to manage their direct subordinates and initiate corrective action when infractions occur. 
 ### When should a supervisor issue a writeup to people who aren't their subordinate?
 Generally speaking, a supervisor should issue a writeup to other people's subordinates under certain circumstances. However, the write-up has to be reviewed by that person's direct supervisor at the nearest practical time, and doesn't take effect unless that kind of review isn't practical considering the situation.
 Supervisors can and should take corrective action towards another person's subordinates in the following sorts of situations:
 1. The employee is in the supervisor's area causing a problem of some kind, instead of being where they are supposed to be at.
 2. The employee is breaking a widely known rule and their supervisor isn't around to notice.
 3. The employee is creating serious disharmony or danger in the workplace and there isn't time to notify their supervisor about it before taking action.
 ## Supervisors and infractions
 Supervisors are responsible for taking corrective action when their subordinates commit infractions. It is up to each supervisor's best judgment how to handle this, but there are some guidelines and expectations about it.
 Generally speaking, if more senior management has to initiate corrective action because a supervisor failed to do so, the supervisor may also be subject to corrective action.
 Take for example, an employee has particularly poor attendance, and it's causing their team not to get enough work done. Their supervisor hasn't initiated corrective action, so a senior manager has to do so. In a case like that, the supervisor may also be subject to corrective action because it's their job to manage their subordinates and they failed to do so.
 ## Escalating response / 3 strikes
 In most cases, an employee who repeats the same kind of infraction more than once should be handled using a 3-step escalating response. However, there are exceptions. This section will explain that.
 Generally speaking, a write-up is considered a repeat infraction if the same employee has previously committed an infraction that checked the same box and that infraction hasn't dropped-off yet (explained in [[#Infraction drop-off fall-off period]]).
 ### How to determine if it's a repeat violation
 The top of our corrective and disciplinary action form has 9 checkboxes, one for each of the violation types (like tardiness, absenteeism, and insubordination). The checked boxes are what determines the kind of infraction, not the circumstances or particulars.
 For example, an employee who has been corrected about being absent two different times, even though it was for different reasons, has still been absent twice.
 A lot of times when an employee is corrected about a repeating behavior they seem to think the most recent example is the only thing they did wrong.
 The main reason for this seems to be the employee is not understanding that the 8 types of violation are what's being counted, not the individual circumstances of each incident. For example, an employee might be habitually absent for several different reasons ranging from car problems to alleged food poisoning. The most recent time they called off work was because their kid was sick. The employee may not understand that Absenteeism is the problem, and it doesn't actually matter that each reason they were absent was a different reason.
 Also, a single incident may actually be more than one kind of violation. For example, an employee called off work without giving appropropriate notice after you recently explained to them what the expectations are about that. That single incident may be Absenteeism as well as Insubordination.
 ### Escalating Approach
 The steps to escalating infractions are briefly outlined in this section. Please be aware that while we strive to give everyone chances and retain a great workforce, there are situations where an escalating approach may be impractical or unwarranted, and more serious action should be taken.
 #### Step 0 - verbal warning
 The first time an infraction occurs the employee should be given a verbal warning or explanation about what they've done wrong. The supervisor is then expected to document this happened in the [[HR Tracker]] or by emailing hr@ldrprep.com.
 #### Step 1 - written warning and coaching
 The second time an infraction occurs the employee should be given an official written warning and [[Coaching]]. Coaching is essentially a structured conversation that points out what the employee did wrong and what they are expected to do instead. The employee is then expected to sign-off that they were talked to about it and understand what's expected.
 This is the employee's opportunity to highlight any reason they can't do what's expected. Employees are expected to clearly state what they need in order to do what's expected. Requests that are reasonably practicable should be granted.
 #### Step 2 - counseling and corrective action
 If an employee repeats the same kind of infraction again [[Counselling]] may be appropriate. The goal of [[Counselling]] is to understand why the behavior is happening and then assess what to do about it next.
 The distinction is that Coaching is focused on what is needed in the future, how to do it, and identifying what the employee needs to succeed. Counselling focuses mainly on the past, and strives to figure out why the employee isn't succeeding after we've made clear what's expected and given them what they claim to need.
 A variety of [[Corrective Actions]] could be taken during this stage, including alternative remedies agreed to by the employee. The goal is to ensure the same type of infraction doesn't happen anymore, and make sure the employee understands they could be terminated if it does.
 In some cases at this stage, we may not be able to work out a solution that enables an employee to continue working with us. In such cases, we may ask the employee to resign, or if they are generally uncooperative or exhibiting hostile, defensive behaviors they could be terminated.
 #### Step 3 - termination
 At this stage, an employee should be terminated unless there are prevailing reasons doing so will cause a problem worse than a repeat of the same behavior. In which case, we will seek to isolate the harm they can cause while we work on solving whatever issue is preventing them from being terminated.
 ### Infraction fall-off period
 Written warnings and counselling statements generally "fall off" after a period of good behavior. This means they aren't generally considered when making employment decisions about the employee. In most cases, this is expected to happen after 12 months without any further infractions for the same thing. There may be some exceptions, particularly for patterns of inappropriate behavior or more egregious behavior, such as harassment, violence or safety and security violations.
 Example A: An employee has a written warning from two years ago about attendance issues. Recently, they've begun to have some attendance issues for personal reasons. However, their attendance has been outstanding since they were last warned about it 2 years ago, so the company doesn't consider the new attendance issue a repeat of the same thing.
 Example B: An employee has a written warning on file from 3 years ago about making innappropriate comments and gestures to another employee. A similar situation has occurred recently. In this case, the underlying infraction might be deemed serious enough to warrant stronger corrective action, like a final warning or termination.
 Generally speaking, infractions in the following categories are more likely to be considered beyond the 12 month fall-off period:
 - Safety
 - Misconduct
 - Insubordination
 - Policy Violation
 The categories for absenteeism, tardiness, quality of work, and quantity of work are generally less serious. If the infraction occurred over 6-12 months ago, it should be overlooked if the employee has had no related infractions in that time period.
 ### Alternative solutions to write-ups
 Supervisors are allowed and encouraged to work out alternative solutions with employees to maintain an efficient, sane, and productive work environment. An alternative solution is basically giving the employee an alternative to being written up.
 The key thing about alternative solutions is they must actually resolve the underlying problem.
 Alternative solutions are allowed providing they're documented and the employee agrees without being pressured. A supervisor who enacts an alternative solution is responsible for making sure it complies with all relevant labor laws and the employee is informed it is entirely optional.
 #### Examples of alternative solutions that are probably acceptable.
 ##### Pushups for being late
 A supervisor makes a team policy that people who are late to work have to do one pushup for each minute they are late, otherwise they can be written-up for tardiness. Nobody can be forced to do this, but if it actually improves punctuality for the team, it is probably an acceptable alternative solution.
 ### Pre-escalation
 There are certain factors that can make a single infraction more serious than normal. In those cases, the escalating steps to resolution might be skipped. It is up to each supervisor's best judgment, and these just serve as examples and guidelines.
 #### Omnibus Infraction (2+ infractions at the same time)
 Two or more different infractions were committed at the same time.
 For example, an employee was 2 hours late without notice (tardiness) and called their supervisor an asshole in front of other people (insubordination).
 Another example would be an employee is getting less work done than they should be (quantity of work) and when asked they lied about it (misconduct).
 #### Safety - actual harm caused
 A safety infraction where actual irreperable harm or damage was caused.
 #### Gross misconduct / breaking laws
 The employee engaged in some kind of misconduct that is clearly illegal. For example, selling drugs at work, passing bad checks, or stealing customer inventory.
 #### No-call, no-show
 An employee was absent for a whole day and couldn't be reached.
 #### Major work stop
 An employee's actions caused a major pause in operations for several people.
 ## Actions vs. Behaviors, and when to call it
 Some actions are so serious a single incident warrants corrective action, like if an employee punches somebody. In other cases, an individual occurence isn't really a problem unless it becomes a habitual behavior.
 Take this example: employees aren't supposed to use company supplies for personal projects. An employee caught using a printer to print out plane tickets isn't that serious, and neither is an employee who takes a cardboard box home to pack some junk. Neither of those things generally constitute a write-up unless they start to become a habit.
 However, an employee who loaded up 25 boxes, two tape guns, and a case of tape to take home with them... that's an action worth a write-up if they didn't have permission to do that.
 Generally speaking, if any particular situation caused a work stop for 15 minutes or more, it's worth issuing a write-up. So for example, if an employee is 15+ minutes late in a single event, it makes sense to write them up for [[Tardiness]].
 ## Defense against write-ups
 There are certainly cases an employee may be written-up when they shouldn't have been, and this section talks about how employees are expected to handle it if that happens.
 There are a few major ways a write-up can be nullified or amended. The goal will be to make sure the write-up is accurate and truthful.
 The primary ways a write-up can be nullified or amended are if any of the following things are true:
 1. The information in the write-up is not true.
 2. The situation described in the write-up was caused by a different employee.
 3. The supervisor was acting in bad faith when conducting the writeup.
 4. Whatever you did, while technically against the rules, was more beneficial to the company than harmful.
 ### How to get a write-up amended or canceled
 Write an email to hr@ldrprep.com referencing the write-up and explain the reason you think the write-up should be amended or canceled. Be sure to include evidence, and cite which of the following general reasons it should be canceled or amended.
 #### The information in the write-up is not true.
 Be sure to explain what exactly isn't true and include any evidence, witnesses, etc.
 For example, you were written up for being absent without notice. However, you actually did notify your supervisor and you have a screen shot to prove that.
 #### The situation described in the write-up was caused by a different employee.
 Essentially, you're saying you've been accused of something a different person did or that somebody else made you do it. Back up your claim with evidence, witnesses, and anything else. Don't leave out information we might have to later ask you about.
 For example, you were written up for quality of work because a bunch of your work had mistakes that needed to be fixed. You've been distracted by another employee who is constantly interrupting you, and that's what is causing the mistakes. You have previously complained about it and nothing has been done.
 In that case, your email should reference the times you've reported the distraction and that nothing has been done about it.
 #### The supervisor was acting in bad faith when conducting the writeup.
 Essentially, this argument claims the supervisor issued the write-up in bad faith. Meaning, they aren't really trying to fix a problem in the company, instead they are acting on some person motivation like revenge, a grudge, hatred, etc. If you're going to make this kind of claim, make sure you have evidence to back it up.
 #### Whatever you did, while technically against the rules, was more beneficial to the company than harmful.
 This sort of argument should be premised on which of the [[Guiding Principles]] you were upholding through your actions.
 For example, let's say you are three hours late to work without providing notice, and your supervisor wrote you up for it. The actual reason was because you stayed up all night long to finish a proposal for a major customer, and then you slept through your alarm. One could argue that upholds principles 2, 8, and 9 because otherwise the customer would not have been satisfied.
 ### What happens next and what to expect
 If you follow the proper instructions for defending against a write-up the company will evaluate your claims. The write-up may then be amended or canceled.
 If some kind of adverse, corrective action was already taken the company will make all reasonable efforts to reverse it.
 A copy of the write-up, your defense against it, and the determination will be part of your permanent personnel file.
 ### Ineffective defenses against write-ups
 These are some things people try from time to time to cancel out a write-up and these things don't work. In fact, they usually make the situation worse.
 #### Arguing with the supervisor / storming to the office
 Imagine what would happen if a person was pulled over for running a stop sign. Instead of cooperating with the officer they get into a loud shouting match. The officer has to call for backup. Then, the person runs away from the police and storms into the local courthouse, demanding to speak with the judge.
 Arguing with a supervisor about a write-up or storming up to the front office are about the same. They won't help your case.
 It is much better to [[#How to get a write-up amended or canceled|follow the proper procedure]] of emailing hr@ldrprep.com about the situation.
 #### Claiming to be singled out / pointing out stuff other people are doing
 If you wait to complain about someone's behavior until you're in trouble it's probably going to make the situation worse. Especially if the other person's alleged behavior is a totally different kind of infraction or has no impact on your actions.
 If you claim something like this and we're not able to find evidence your accusation is true you could be written-up an additional time for lying (misconduct).
 Take this for example:
 Employee A is being written-up for safety because they have been caught talking on their phone in the middle of busy warehouse aisles. Employee A says "why are you singling me out! Employee B is leaving early all the time and Employee C smells like weed."
 Let's break down why this doesn't make sense:
 First, Employee B leaving early, even if it's true, has absolutely nothing to do with safety. It also has nothing to do with why Employee A is talking on their phone in a dangerous area.
 Second, if Employee C *does* smell like weed and Employee A hasn't said anything about it, that only strengthens the point that Employee A is disregarding workplace safety.
 Here's what could happen in that situation.
 Employee A is still written up for safety, because talking on the phone in the middle of dangerous areas is still a safety violation.
 Employee A receives an additional write-up for knowing about a safety problem and failing to report it.
 Next, we investigate to see if Employee C is actually high at work. We can't find any evidence, so then Employee A gets a third write-up for lying (misconduct).
 ## Independant contractors and infractions
 Independant contractors, such as people paid on a 1099 basis for a particular project, are not employees. As such, they can't be corrected the same way as employees. When a contractor does something we disagree with or dislike our primary option is to consider whether or not to terminate their contract.
 General rules and policies about independant contractors can be found under [[Contractors and Subcontractors]].
 Generally speaking, a contractor can still be written-up as a way to record they've done something we find unsuitable or unprofessional, but none of the corrective actions or escalating process can be applied to a contractor.
 Instead, the write-up just serves as internal documentation the contractor did something we feel is worth holding in consideration when evaluating whether or not to continue or renew their contract, or whether to hire them as an employee.
 For example, a contractor who doesn't show up to do the work they agreed might be annoying. If an employee did that, it would probably be considered absenteeism. We can still sort of think of the contractor as being absent as a simple way to talk about it, but we can't enact any corrective actions like suspension, retraining, reassignment, or anything like that. Our only real option is to cancel or renegotiate the contract.
 However, if the contractor later wants to be hired as an employee would still want to have a record of how they behaved as a contractor and use that to evaluate whether or not hiring them as an employee is likely to be a successful relationship.
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 These general rules apply across the whole business, although individual departments or groups expand on them where necessary.
 Everybody working with us is expected to be familiar with these rules and abide by them to the best of their ability. The goal is that any reasonable person should be able to get a gist of the rules by skimming the table of contents, and then get more detail by reading that section.
 ## How to understand these rules
 We strive for a harmonious workplace and these rules are designed to foster that. These aren't a comprehensive list of things people could get in trouble for. For that, have a look at  [[Write-ups|infractions]], which outlines the 8 major situations that can cause someone to be in trouble. These rules are designed to help people avoid those 8 situations.
 - [[#1. Firearms and weapons are prohibited with limited exceptions|1. Firearms and weapons are prohibited with limited exceptions]]
 	- [[#1. Firearms and weapons are prohibited with limited exceptions#2nd Amendment Workplace|2nd Amendment Workplace]]
 - [[#2. Violence and excessive horseplay aren't allowed.|2. Violence and excessive horseplay aren't allowed.]]
 - [[#3. Sexual harassment and discrimination is not permitted|3. Sexual harassment and discrimination is not permitted]]
 - [[#4. Sexual materials, like porn or sex toys, are not allowed at work.|4. Sexual materials, like porn or sex toys, are not allowed at work.]]
 - [[#5. Use of mind altering substances must be limited and moderated|5. Use of mind altering substances must be limited and moderated]]
 - [[#6. Stealing and conversion of property is not allowed.|6. Stealing and conversion of property is not allowed.]]
 	- [[#6. Stealing and conversion of property is not allowed.#6.1 Customer inventory and disposal|6.1 Customer inventory and disposal]]
 	- [[#6. Stealing and conversion of property is not allowed.#6.2 Personal property at work and cameras|6.2 Personal property at work and cameras]]
 - [[#7. Strong smells aren't allowed around customer inventory.|7. Strong smells aren't allowed around customer inventory.]]
 - [[#8. Messing with other people's work area, tools, or creating distractions is not allowed unless it's your job|8. Messing with other people's work area, tools, or creating distractions is not allowed unless it's your job]]
 - [[#9. Keep common and shared use areas and equipment clear.|9. Keep common and shared use areas and equipment clear.]]
 - [[#10. Don't "help" other people without asking first.|10. Don't "help" other people without asking first.]]
 - [[#11. If your work can't be finished you're responsible for proactively documenting that and notifying people|11. If your work can't be finished you're responsible for proactively documenting that and notifying people]]
 - [[#12. Delays, mistakes, or other problems are to be reported efficiently and proactively.|12. Delays, mistakes, or other problems are to be reported efficiently and proactively.]]
 - [[#13. You are responsible for being honest about what we should expect you to accomplish.|13. You are responsible for being honest about what we should expect you to accomplish.]]
 - [[#14. The concept of "ASAP" is frowned upon and should be avoided.|14. The concept of "ASAP" is frowned upon and should be avoided.]]
 - [[#15. Gossip, rumors, and lying are strongly frowned upon.|15. Gossip, rumors, and lying are strongly frowned upon.]]
 	- [[#15. Gossip, rumors, and lying are strongly frowned upon.#Socializing and personal issues from outside work|Socializing and personal issues from outside work]]
 - [[#16. You are responsible for valuing your own time and that of others.|16. You are responsible for valuing your own time and that of others.]]
 - [[#17. Individual teams and business units can have additional rules.|17. Individual teams and business units can have additional rules.]]
 - [[#18. People allowed to work remotely or on a different schedule are still expected to communicate with the team while on the clock|18. People allowed to work remotely or on a different schedule are still expected to communicate with the team while on the clock]]
 - [[#19. Quality control and assurance measures, as well as posted signs are important and not to be ignored.|19. Quality control and assurance measures, as well as posted signs are important and not to be ignored.]]
 - [[#20. Visitors are generally not allowed without advance permission -- not open to the public|20. Visitors are generally not allowed without advance permission -- not open to the public]]
 - [[#21. Blame games, deflections, and excuses don't fly here.|21. Blame games, deflections, and excuses don't fly here.]]
 - [[#22. Breaks room, rest areas, and dining areas are to be used politely and with personal integrity.|22. Breaks room, rest areas, and dining areas are to be used politely and with personal integrity.]]
 ### 1. Firearms and weapons are prohibited with limited exceptions
 Unless there is special authorization or the weapon is related to the work being done, weapons aren't allowed at work. A weapon is anything that's designed to be a weapon, as well as anything that can be used in an unusual or dangerous way to injure someone else.
 To understand "unusual or dangerous" consider a screw driver. When used in the normal, intended way a screw driver isn't a weapon. However, it's entirely possible to stab someone with a screw driver by using it differently than it's supposed to be used.
 #### 2nd Amendment Workplace
 However, we are a 2nd amendment workplace, and we do allow many people to carry their personal firearms after they've demonstrated they are a sane, safe, and reasonable person who has adequate training in the proper carry of firearms.
 Those carrying firearms are warned they are not to use them except for personal defense in life threatening situations. They must not be used for any other purpose, especially not defending property or threatening people.
 ### 2. Violence and excessive horseplay aren't allowed.
 If you're using violence or threats to control someone else's behavior, that's not okay. Neither is pranking people or playing practical jokes if you're not reasonably sure they're okay with that. On top of that, horseplay is a great way to cause accidents, injuries, and mistakes so don't do it.
 ### 3. Sexual harassment and discrimination is not permitted
 Treating someone differently because of sexual motivations is not alright, and neither is sexually imposing yourself on somebody else. If you feel like someone is harassing you, report it promptly by emailing hr@ldrprep.com. The same applies to treating people differently because of characteristics like their age, ethnicity, religious beliefs, [[military service]], sexual orientation, or gender.
 ### 4. Sexual materials, like porn or sex toys, are not allowed at work.
 These kinds of materials aren't allowed in the workplace unless they're directly related to the work somehow. Use common sense: people do sell and ship these kinds of things, so there might be cases the work involves these kinds of materials. If that happens be an adult about it, and don't make jokes, innuendos, or anything else that could make someone uncomfortable.
 ### 5. Use of mind altering substances must be limited and moderated
 We're talking about medications, alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, supplements, and anything else that's mind-altering or performance-altering.
 Using any substance in a way that causes a risk to process, property, or limb is not allowed.
 People using these kinds of substances are responsible for communicating to the people working around them about any effects on their performance, behavior, or safety.
 Use of substances on the premises or during business hours is generally frowned upon, but may be permitted occasionally if there is a good reason for it and it's not hurting anything.
 For example,  drinking a beer at lunch is fine for most people, especially if they're not keeping it a secret from people working around them and it doesn't mess up their ability to do the job correctly and safely. It's a totally different story to be drinking shots of whiskey while driving a forklift. By the same token, some champagne or even liquor at a company celebration is probably fine, but not if it causes people to do stupid or harmful things.
 ### 6. Stealing and conversion of property is not allowed.
 Messing with another person's property without permission isn't allowed. That includes borrowing, moving it around, etc. This also includes using company supplies for personal use without permission, as well as taking customer inventory without authorization.
 #### 6.1 Customer inventory and disposal
 Sometimes our customers will ask us to dispose of their inventory (which does not necessarily mean throw in the trash). This inventory is not "up for grabs". If it's available for staff to take home we'll make an announcement about it.
 #### 6.2 Personal property at work and cameras
 The company is not responsible for anything that happens to personal property you bring to work. Do not expect us to watch surveillance records upon request to investigate mysteriously missing or damaged personal property. If you have something you're worried about being lost or stolen don't bring it to work.
 ### 7. Strong smells aren't allowed around customer inventory.
 Anything that could leave a lingering smell on customer-owned property isn't permitted around the inventory. That includes things like incense, cigarettes, or strong smelling cleaning products.
 ### 8. Messing with other people's work area, tools, or creating distractions is not allowed unless it's your job
 Everyone is expected to keep distractions to a minimum and avoid messing with other people's work areas.
 Unless it's specifically your job to do these things (unlikely), avoid doing these sorts of things:
 - Loud or excessive phone use;
 - Loud music when people need to concentrate;
 - Interrupting or barging into conversations;
 - rearranging someone's work area;
 - personalizing a shared space, like putting personal decorations on a table used by multiple people;
 - Changing settings on a computer multiple people need to use.
 ### 9. Keep common and shared use areas and equipment clear.
 Everyone is expected to keep work areas neat and organized, free from debris, trip hazards, or trash. This is especially important for common use areas like hallways, meeting rooms, walkways, etc.
 This also applies to equipment, like rolling carts. Those kinds of equipment shouldn't have work left on them without a good reason.
 If there is some reason you have to leave a mess in one of these places, you're responsible for leaving a note with your name, the date, and the general reason it was left there.
 Ideally, the note should provide enough information they can pick up your work where you left off. That way, they can *finish* it, instead of adding double-handling by having to move it out of the way to a temporary spot.
 Failing that, your note should explain enough about the work a person moving it out of the way won't make your job uncessarily more difficult or time consuming.
 Often, the best thing to do is make a [[Redmine]] ticket explaining what needs to be done with the stuff, and then leave the ticket number written the note. That way, other people can actually finish what you were doing if you're not available.
 ### 10. Don't "help" other people without asking first.
 Unwanted or unexpected help can create a safety issue, inject unexpected problems, or waste time.
 Here's an example of what we mean: one time the CEO was pushing a heavy pallet onto a truck. Another guy came over and started pushing it really hard without warning, and it caused the pallet to fall over.
 Avoid that kind of thing, because it can cause people to get hurt, start arguments, or cause other problems.
 On top of this, getting a helpful person to stop doing something can be really difficult. Think about overly helpful family or neighbors who are pushy about "helping" in ways you don't appreciate. It's almost impossible to get them to stop without offending them. It's best to avoid this kind of interaction at work -- so before helping someone, ask if they actually need it.
 ### 11. If your work can't be finished you're responsible for proactively documenting that and notifying people
 If there is any reason you think your work won't be finished on time or the results won't be correct, you are responsible for telling the involved people about it before they need to ask.
 This includes if you notice there is more work to do than usual, and you're not sure whether or not you'll be able to finish it. You're expected to tell the effected people about that before they have to ask you about it.
 Here's an example of this.
 Imagine you normally work on repacking items, and usually you repack 100 items a day. During your shift something goes wrong about half way, and you realize you probably won't be able to finish all 100 items. We expect you to tell your supervisor about it or make a [[QC Report]] as soon as you notice that.
 ### 12. Delays, mistakes, or other problems are to be reported efficiently and proactively.
 This hinges on rule 11. Any kind of problem or mistake is expected to be reported before anyone asks or complains about it, and it needs to be done in an efficient manner.
 By efficient, we generally mean recording the issue through written or electronic means, instead of interrupting other people to tell them about it. The general expected flow is like this:
 If you notice a problem of some kind, ask yourself will this get worse and create more problems if nobody acts right now? If the answer is yes, then interrupt other people, yell for help, etc. Otherwise, just make a [[QC Report]] about it and move on to a different task without interrupting other people or making a panic.
 In general, we take failure to proactively and efficiently report issues more seriously than accidents or mistakes.
 ### 13. You are responsible for being honest about what we should expect you to accomplish.
 You should not accept assignments you think are impractical or unfeasible. You also should not agree to do anything you have no intention of actually doing, or which you think you aren't able to do.
 It is your responsibility to clearly and promptly communicate when an assigned task is impractical or unfeasible. Don’t just say “okay, I’ll do it” if you think it’s a bad idea or it’s impossible. In other words don’t be a “yes person”. Instead, politely explain the problem to your supervisor in a manner which does not undermine their authority in front of coworkers.
 ### 14. The concept of "ASAP" is frowned upon and should be avoided.
 When everything is "as soon as possible" nothing has a priority. ASAP does not value time. ASAP quickly leads to a culture where priorities are unclear or conflict, and no real deadlines or schedules exist. ASAP should only be used when something truly should take priority over everything else.
 Some people tend to use ASAP when they actually mean "this isn't a priority, but as soon as I'm done with everything else I care about, I'll do this". That's what we want to avoid.
 ### 15. Gossip, rumors, and lying are strongly frowned upon.
 Lying about work-related matters is a quick way to get fired. Beyond that, rumors and gossip can be generally harmful to the workplace and are strongly frowned upon.
 You are strongly advised to ask yourself the following three questions before making statements at work:
 1. Am I certain this is true?
 2. Is this a positive thing people will like to hear?
 3. Is it useful for others to know this?
 If you can't answer "yes" to at least 2 of those questions, you should probably keep it to yourself.
 #### Socializing and personal issues from outside work
 Sometimes people are tempted to talk about personal issues from outside work, like relationships, neighbors, family, etc. That's unavoidable and part of being human, but it crosses a line if it's upsetting other people or preventing work from being done. The same is true about politics, conspiracy theories, or other controversial topics.
 It's also pretty normal for people to socialize at work to some degree. However, we're here for a job, not to make friends. We can't make anyone socialize with you or agree with you. Treating someone differently, failing to get your work done, and stuff like that because a person doesn't want to socialize with you is not acceptable.
 On the topic of personal issues relating to work, you should look at the articles about [[Employee Assistance]] and [[Counselling]].
 ### 16. You are responsible for valuing your own time and that of others.
 This is mostly about meetings and conversations. If you're part of a conversation or meeting and you believe there's a better use of your time, you're expected to politely interrupt and say so. For example, "I'm unclear on the purpose of this conversation and what's needed from me. I have this other thing I need to work on, is it okay if go do that instead?"
 Likewise, before striking up a conversation or calling a meeting with other people, you're expected to make sure they have time to talk about it first. The best way to do that is usually to state the general topic, how urgent it is, and how much time you're asking for.
 When possible, [[asynchronous communication]] is strongly advised.
 ### 17. Individual teams and business units can have additional rules.
 Individual areas of the company can have additional rules or regulations, and you're expected to abide by them if you're in that area. If you're working in a different area than usual you should ask the supervisor if there are any rules in that area you might need to know about.
 ### 18. People allowed to work remotely or on a different schedule are still expected to communicate with the team while on the clock
 From time to time we have people who work slightly different schedules than others or work remotely. If that's the case, those people are still expected to attend meetings or scheduled events that involve them. If for some reason they can't, they should not expect the company to reschedule the events or meetings. Likewise, a personal working remotely is expected to be contactable by coworkers. For example, if somebody is working remotely but they keep their noticications muted all day and won't answer the phone, that's a problem.
 ### 19. Quality control and assurance measures, as well as posted signs are important and not to be ignored.
 Quality control and assurance methods, as well as posted signs or warnings are there for a reason. Neglecting or ignoring them can have serious consequences.
 ### 20. Visitors are generally not allowed without advance permission -- not open to the public
 We are generally not open to the public without an appointment.
 Employees are not allowed to bring visitors, guests, or delivery people into the workplace without permission in advance.
 Friends, family, or delivery people can visit during breaks or lunches, providing they don't cause any problems or disruptions, and they're only allowed in the public areas like the lobby and break room. By delivery people, we're talking about stuff like DoorDash. If you want to order DoorDash for lunch, you're expected to clear that with your supervisor and/or make sure it doesn't disrupt other people who have to deal with the unexpected dasher showing up.
 ### 21. Blame games, deflections, and excuses don't fly here.
 You are responsible for your performance, behavior, attendance, and adherence to rules and regulations. Pointing out somebody else did something wrong won't be accepted as an excuse, especially if you didn't previously report it as mentioned in rules 11, 12, and 13.
 Generally speaking, any unscheduled conversation about performance, behavior, attendance, or adherence to rules is expected to last less than 15 minutes. If it involves more than two people total, it should take a max of 5 minutes. If everyone can't get back to work before the time's up, you can expect whichever people are prolonging the discussion to be removed from the work area, which can mean being sent home for the day or even terminated depending on the circumstances.
 Instead of creating a lengthy work stoppage over these matters, people are expected to use their own time to write down what the complaint is and then schedule a time to talk about it in depth.
 ### 22. Breaks room, rest areas, and dining areas are to be used politely and with personal integrity.
 This section almost needs to be it's own article because of how much contention these areas have created in the past.
 1. Personal food or beverages placed in storage areas should be labeled with the owner and date. Anything not labeled will be considered communal property, free for use or consumption by anyone who desires.
 2.  The company may provide various food preparation appliances and equipment, such as microwaves, electric skillets, toasters, or coffee makers. Employees are responsible for cleaning any equipment or appliances they use.
 3.  In general, open beverage containers should not be transported or used outside of designated break areas. Exceptions can be made where there is a low likelihood of spills, such as a coffee mug on a desk that isn’t near customer products. This is *especially* important during the warm months because open containers or beverages thrown away in open trash cans attract hornets.
 4.  The volume level of activities in break areas should be kept low enough that people who are working nearby are not disturbed or disrupted.
 5.  Posted “open hours” or occupancy limits of break and rest areas must be adhered to. If no occupancy limit is posted, the default limit is the number of seats normally available in that room. If no “open hours” are posted, employees should assume the area is off limits during the first and last hours of their shift, except for emergencies.
 6.  Employees are responsible for restocking consumables in rest and break areas, such as napkins, paper towels, and toilet paper providing the necessary supplies are available. Likewise, an employee who creates a mess in any such area is responsible for cleaning it up if appropriate supplies are provided.
 7.  The Company is not liable for any issue arising from food, beverages, or OTC medications an employee chooses to use, whether they are pre-packaged items made available in break or rest areas, a personal item brought to work, or an item provided by another employee. For example, if an employee has an allergy to something like peanuts, and they eat something at work with peanuts in it, the Company isn’t responsible. It is the employee’s responsibility to ask and double check about their allergy.  
 8.  Food and beverages provided by the Company are a privilege that employees aren’t entitled to and is not part of their compensation. The Company has no responsibility to provide snacks or foods beyond water, and is not responsible for providing food or beverage items to adhere to or accommodate spiritual, cultural, or ethnic beliefs, particular diets, or preferences.  
 9.  Any employee, regardless of job description or position, is expected to assist with cleaning of break and rest areas when asked to do so.  
 10.  If any employee violates the rules about break and rest areas their usage of those areas may be restricted.
 #workplaceRules
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 # LDR Guiding Principles
 We strive to live and breathe by our guiding principles. We believe that through these principles we can improve lives, for ourselves and our customers.
 1.  **We are motivated.** Everything starts with motivated people. We strive to understand what motivates people and how it can be harnessed.
 2.  **We are obsessed with the customer.** We work tirelessly to earn the trust of customers and solve their needs, whatever they are. Every ask is an opportunity to delight our customers. We make short term sacrifices to earn lifetime loyalty.
 3.  **We do what we say.** We do what we say, and say what we do. We decide what we are going to do, and we work towards it regardless of roadblocks or challenges. We under promise and over deliver. When challenges arise or something changes, we are proactive about communicating in a frank and earnest way. There is no confusion or surprise when we operate this way.
 4.  **We do the right thing.** Period.
 5.  **We persevere.** We believe in the power of walking the hard road, finding comfort in discomfort. We seek difficult challenges and push as hard as we can. Our collective resilience is unexpected in this day, age, and industry. All the best things in life are on the other side of fear. We find comfort in discomfort. We relentlessly improve and find innovative solutions. Calm seas do not make good sailors, nor do winners play it safe.
 6.  **We value ideas over hierarchy.** Good ideas can come from anywhere, inside or outside our company. We don’t allow rules or hierarchy to get in the way.
 7.  **We are humbly confident.** We approach situations from a mind set of “we can solve this, we will find a way”. We do not brag or exaggerate, and we do not say “we can’t do it” or “this is too hard”. We don’t limit ourselves with fear or doubt.
 8.  **We value time.** Time is the only thing anyone has. We seek to ensure the time of our customers, employees, and partners is always valued, respected, and honored. We constantly seek to maximize the impact of our actions and usage of our time. Through this, we can do more with less, and move faster than any competition.
 9.  **We act like owners.** We look for problems to solve and we solve them. We help each other and those who matter to us. We have a bias for action and accountability. When we make mistakes, we own up to them. We learn from our mistakes and try again until we succeed.
 10. **We make it fun.** Period.
 ## How these principles are applied
 These principles are intended to be the "spirit" of the law and the factors we consider when making decisions. A person who does something we initially dislike but who has done so in a manner that demonstrates understanding of the principles should be granted a pass.
 ## How to interpret the principles
 The principles were written as above by one of our founders, Jason, at the beginning of the company. They were condensed to fit on a single page. This section talks about the deeper meanings and applications of them.
 A principle is meaningless when it's only aspirational. To be effective and understood, each principle needs to explain what is being prioritized over something else, and that's what this section aims to do.
 ### 1. We are motivated
 This means we prioritize analyzing the motivations of ourselves and others before making decisions, rather than making assumptions or jumping to conclusions.
 This is especially true when it comes to unwanted or unexpected results or behaviors. Where possible, we strive to figure out what motivated the actions and harness that for positive gain, rather than simply assume a person has bad intentions.
 ### 2. We are obsessed with the customer
 We focus on building long term, repeating relationships with healthy businesses rather than making a quick buck. Every time we make a decision that affects customers we need to consider how it will effect their business, employees, and income.
 Put together with the 1st principle, before we make changes or decisions we strive to think about how it will benefit customers. If we can't identify how something benefits, or at least doesn't inconvenience a customer, we don't recommend doing it. For instance, we don't want to do something like change our business hours to be more convenient for ourselves if that will aggravate our customers.
 ### 3. We do what we say
 This means we are careful not to commit to things we aren't positive we can deliver, and if some issue happens we try to communicate about it before someone has to ask us what's going on.
 The power of "no" is very important -- if someone asks us to do something and we don't think it can be done, we should say that instead of getting people's hopes up. By the same token, if we agree to do something and then find out it's not as easy as we though, we strive to communicate that before being asked what the problem is.
 ### 4. We do the right thing
 We strive to prioritize the greatest good for the most people at the end of the day, even if that means short-term pain or difficult situaions. When we find ourselves tempted to make selfish decisions at the expense of others we strive to stop and dig deep into why we're even thinking about that.
 ### 5. We persevere
 We don't just give up immediately when something's not working well, and we try not to let fear of failure hold us back unecessarily. This means when we commit to doing a project, we do so with the committment of seeing it through to the end, even if it really sucks to do that.
 ### 6. We value ideas of heirarchy
 Ideas are often worthless, and the execution of them is what matters. It doesn't really matter where an idea came from, it's about who is able to execute it. That said, we want to avoid the common organizational problem of good ideas being supressed, discounted, or stolen.
 In practice, this means upholding radical transparency within our organization so the most people possible can grasp reality and put forth ideas about it. However, we have to balance that with the amount of organizational bandwidth any individual is allowed to consume. We try to do that by creating methods any member of the company can use to voice ideas clearly, efficiently, and safer without bogging everyone down.
 Our QC Report system is an example of this: it's an anonymous way anyone can point out a concern or make a suggestion that can be read and then chat about by anyone who works with us. That allows anyone to surface an idea and bring it to the forefront of discussion without interrupting other people or sidetracking conversations.
 ### 7. We are humbly confident
 This is really about experiments and trying new things.
 When something new comes up we're unfamiliar with we strive to at least try it before getting bogged down worrying about all the what if's and corner cases.
 This has a lot to do with how our company started. Our founders worked somewhere else that was winding down operations and some customers asked for an alternative. Before worrying about even getting insurance or even a corporate bank account, Jason and Brice found a warehouse they could sublet without a lease, and just *tried* it for a month.
 If they had spent months planning and reseaching every kind of problem that could happen, we wouldn't be here.
 Many people and organizations limit themselves by being overly risk-averse. They are tempted to spend an inordinate amount of time planning, worrying about all the details, and quibbling about fears. We strive not to be that way, and first test whether an idea even makes sense by trying it.
 ### 8. We value time
 We try to invest time now to save time later. We try to avoid spending all our time doing repetive tasks, especially ones that make us unhappy. We try to avoid the attitude of "work harder" or "do it faster", and instead try to think like the laziest person you could ever imagine.
 For example, if there is a door that sticks and we have to open that door 5-6 times a day for the forseeable future, we believe it's a better use of time to spend an hour fixing the door. That way, it's just one less thing we have to do from now on, so we can focus on things that make us happy.
 ### 9. We act like owners
 We try to look for problems that need solved and find solutions without being asked to do so. This can mean our organization is really unstructured in some areas, which is difficult for people who like being told what to do.
 It's like this because we're a B2B solutions provider -- our customers are business owners who want us to solve problems for them. To be good at that, we have to be good at solving our own problems without being told what to do or waiting for permission. It's often much better to call out something we think is a problem, announce what we plan to do, and then just do it unless someone objects.
 This also means that rather than devoting resources to making sure people do things like mow the lawn or clean the bathroom, we put the tools where everybody can access them. If the lawn is still a problem, it means nobody cares enough to do anything about it.
 This is always a point of contention within our organization, especially among newcomers. It's easy to see that various "common sense" issues get basically no attention, and that can be frustrating for people. However, operating this way is what's allowed us to grow into the business we are and it's crucial to our success. Our best ideas and projects came from people taking the sort of initiative this allows for.
 ### 10. We make it fun
 No matter what is going on, we try to prioritize making the situation fun. We believe an angry or upset person can't do their best work and it's bad for everyone if we take ourselves too seriously.
 A core insight we have is the whole supply chain is mad. Thing about it: everywhere from the truck driver, the cashier, the warehouse worker, to the consumer is upset. Nobody can seem to fix any of the issues. Our theory is that's *because* everyone is upset. Even when something bad or inconvenient happens we recommend trying to make solving it fun and engaging.
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 ---
 aliases: 
 infraction: absenteeism
 tags:
  - workplaceRules
  - accountabilty
  - attendance
 ---
 Absenteeism occurs when an employee exhibits unsatisfactory attendance by missing an unacceptable amount of their scheduled work hours. Mainly, that means missing scheduled shifts, but there are some other forms of absense this article will cover.
 To a certain extent, absences can be excused or overlooked. This is mainly the case when an employee has otherwise very good attendance and is absent for reasons outside of their control. The same is often true if an employee who has great attendence needs to unexpectedly take a day off work for personal reasons.
 In general, an employee is considered to have [[satisfactory attendance]] if they are at work for 97% of their scheduled hours. For a person who works [[full-time]], that roughly means they can miss about 7.5 days a year. More than that generally means the employee does not have satisfactory attendance, and even absences for "good reasons" could be considered absenteeism.
 ## Other types of absense
 A person is normally considered absent when they miss all or most of a day they're scheduled to work. However, there are some other kinds of absense. The article on [[Foundations and Governance/General Policies/Attendance]] goes into more detail about this.
 The primary forms of absense aside from the obvious (missing work completely) are as follows:
 - **Missing from post**: an employee is mysteriously missing from their assigned or expected work area. This could be considered absenteeism if it happens often.
 - **Presenteeism**: a person is at work when they shouldn't be. Examples include being very sick and contagious (presenting a risk of getting other people sick) or being in a state where they can't actually do their job (like a bad hangover or without sleep). This could be considered absenteeism if it occurs often.
 - **Virtual absense**: The employee is working remotely or at a satellite location but they're not reachable by coworkers or managers. For example, an employee working remotely has their chat app muted and isn't responding to messages. Another example might be the employee is supposed to be on the clock but isn't answering the phone.
 ## Examples of Absenteeism
 An employee should be written up for Absenteeism in any of the following cases:
 #### Absent with inappropiate notice
 The employee should be written up if they were absent without appropriate notice and they don't have evidence they couldn't have provided notice.
 ##### Example 1: Sick kid magically feeling better
 A person texts you an hour before their shift is supposed to start and they tell you they're going to be absent because their kid was puking last night and is still sick this morning. They don't have any real explanation for why they couldn't send notice last night or the reason they thought their kid would magically feel better this morning.
 ##### Example 2: Notified the wrong way
 A person is absent from work, and they notified you by emailing about or texting a coworker instead of reporting it in the online timeclock software. Their reason for not using the timeclock is their computer was messing up, but they don't have any evidence of that or the same thing has happened several times.
 #### Multiple absences with a pattern
 An employee who is absent more than once for the same general reason over a period of 90 days should be evaluated for a write-up. Factors to consider include:
 - Do they have proof the situation is real?
 - Do they have proof the situation couldn't be avoided or planned for?
 - Do they have proof they have taken reasonable actions to prevent similar situations from happening again?
 If the answer to any of the above questions is no, the employee should be written up for Absenteeism.
 ##### Example 1: Particular days
 The person has shown a trend of being absent on a particular day the week or month, like calling off on Mondays or Fridays. For example, the employee has called off work on a Monday every month for the last 3 months. In one case they said it was because of a broken water heater. Another time it was a sick kid. A third time it was car trouble. However, it always seems to be on a Monday or Friday.
 ##### Example 2: Reactive to situation
 The person has a pattern of calling off work based on a particular kind of event or situation. For example, an employee who is supposed to assist with unloading trucks calls off work for some reason the day after actually having to unload a truck. It's happened 2-3 times within the last three months.
 #### Excessive absences
 If an employee is absent too often, regardless of why they are absent, they should be evaluated for a write-up. Factors to consider include:
 - Have they been absent for more than 3% of their scheduled days over the last 90 days? For most people, this means missing more than 2.5 days.
 - Did their life circumstances change, but the employee failed to update their schedule availability to reflect when they can work?
 - Will they have less than 8 hours of PTO remaining if we were to apply PTO to the most recent absence?
 If the answer is yes to any of the above questions, the employee should be written up.
 #hr #infraction #attendance
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 [[Insubordination]] refers to an employee who is outright disobedient or disrespectful to a manager or owner of a business. This includes engaging in actions or behaviors that undermine authority, like spreading gossip or rumors.
 Insubordination is one of the most serious infractions at our company, and the linked expanded articles explains more about it.
 Examples of insubordination include:
 - Refusal to obey commands of a supervisor
 - Disrespect shown to higher-ups in the form of vulgar or mocking language
 - Directly questioning or mocking management decisions
 - Defacing posted signs or policies
 Additionally, disobedience can mean gestures such as non-verbal cues showing dissatisfaction or eye-rolling.
 #### Bad Employees
 An employee might not show outward or obvious signs of insubordination. For example, an employee that gossips about others or spreads false information is being insubordinate because they are undermining authority by doing so.
 #### When to Detect Insubordination
 You can spot the signs of insubordination when:
 - A directive was issued, but it was never followed through, intentionally.
 - The employee understood instructions that were given but refused to comply.
 - Non-performance or outright refusing to conduct a task.
 Not all factors may be present when it comes to spotting disobedience, but it is best to use good judgment based on each situation.
 #### What Is Not Insubordination
 Some nuanced workplace misunderstandings or miscommunications will happen, and shouldn't be considered insubordination.
 - If the employee misunderstood instructions and did not complete a task as a result.
 - The employee questions any ethics or legalities of a particular directive coming from a manager and did not follow through with the command. An employee should express such concerns to another higher-up.
 - If an employee engages in a private conversation conveying why a direct order was not satisfied.
 #### Solid grounds for termination
 In some cases, insubordination is solid grounds for fast-tracked termination, such as:
 - The employee makes multiple excuses and will not apologize for missed deadlines or incomplete work.
 - The employee blames other people for missed or incomplete work.
 - The employee won't take responsibility for their actions.
 - The employee is blatantly or consistently disregarding a workplace policy, like a posted sign in the work area.
 #### Examples of Insubordination
 This section includes some examples of insubordination.
 ##### Example 1: Habitual
 You ask an employee to do something they clearly understand how to do, like take out the garbage before they leave. They keep leaving for the day without taking out the trash, and they don't come and tell you the reason unless you ask. Every time you ask about it they have an excuse, they try to complain about other people, or they tell you they need to be reminded.
 The person is insubordinate because they are repeatedly failing to do what they're told and they aren't taking constructive steps to fix the reason.
 ##### Example 2: Direct
 You ask an employee to do something specific which you know they're able to do, like unloading the UPS truck. They outright refuse to do it by saying something like "why can't Bob do it?", "fuck you, unload it yourself", or "nah, that's not my job".
 ##### Example 3: Undermining
 An employee isn't directly refusing to follow orders or obey policies. Instead, they are indirectly undermining your authority in a way that causes other people to disrespect authority or feel like disobedience is acceptable.
 For example, you post a sign reminding employees to take out trash at the end of the day. Then, you find out an employee is defacing the sign and joking about it to other people. They post a sign next to yours that's a parody or a joke.
 ##### Example 4: Chain jumping
 This is when an employee disobeys what you've told them and tries to excuse it by asking a different person.
 Here are some examples:
 An employee asks if it's okay to play music over the loudspeaker and you tell them it's not okay because it causes a safety issue if other people can't hear important things over loud music. They don't like your answer, so they go ask somebody else what they think about the situation. They don't mention they already talked to you about it.
 ##### Example 5: Derailing or muddling
 You're trying to talk to employees about what tasks you need them to and a person keeps interrupting the conversation with unrelated things. Despite asking them to hold any questions until you're finished speaking, they keep interrupting or distracting. For example, you're trying to explain which projects everybody should be working on, but somebody keeps making suggestions about how to do the work a different way.
 Another example: you're speaking to several employees about the appropriate way to do the work. An insubordinate keeps re-phrasing what you're saying in a way that over-simplifies or twists the meaning. Like you're trying to explain to people how distractions around the packline can cause all kinds of problems, and you give a bunch of examples of distracting behavior. The person keeps making positive-sounding statements that actually conflict with what you just said. You said "no phone use in the area" and they're saying "if you get a call remember to go outside to take the call"... except that isn't what you want people to do. You want them to turn their phones off while working.
 ##### Example 6: Willful Miscommunication / Misunderstanding
 You're trying to explain to employees the correct thing to do when unloading a truck. One person in particular is more focused something unrelated like playing on their phone or emptying trash. Later on, they don't unload trucks correctly. When you ask them about it, they have excuses like "I didn't know that", "I misunderstood", "I don't remember", or something like that.
 In another case, you've told a person that they are supposed to clock out for break. Instead of doing that, they just text you when they go on break. You tell them they need to use the time clock, but they respond by saying "I just thought you needed to know when I'm on break". You explain to them they need to use the time clock, and instead of agreeing to do that or apologizing for not doing it, they start complaining about other people or they try to change the topic to something else.
 ##### Example 7: [[Shadow process]] champion
 This is where a person champions or encourages an unofficial process to other employees that produces unwanted results and they didn't talk to you about it beforehand.
 For example, you recently talked to employees about making sure they get permission from their supervisor before leaving for break and using the timeclock to clockout. An employee doesn't use the time clock or talk to you about leaving for breaks. Instead, they send a group chat message that they are going on break. After making it clear that is not what you expect them to do, they keep doing it anyway. This is insubordinate because the person is showing other employees it's okay for them to do the same thing, even when it's not.
 ##### Example 8: The non-participant
 This is where a person is habitually a non-participant in training sessions or discussions where processes, rules, or policies are being discussed. Then later, the person claims they didn't know what was expected, misunderstood, etc.
 For example, this person is constantly doing things like the following during meetings:
 - Repeatedly leaving to use the bathroom or check their phone;
 - Sleeping or pretending to sleep;
 - Making small talk and changing the subject;
 - Asking repetitive questions that have already been discussed.
 This is insubordinate for two different reasons. First, it's demonstrating to other employees they can be disrepectful and disruptive. Second, it's providing a later "excuse" for why this person will not do their job correctly.
 #hr #infraction 
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 Misconduct is any behavior that goes against the 
 [[General Rules of Conduct]], [[Guiding Principles]], or other policies that dictate how employees should behave at work. This might include unethical, unprofessional, or even criminal behavior that takes place within a workplace setting.
 Some examples of workplace misconduct include sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying, violence or threats of violence, falsifying records or documents, dishonesty or theft, and misuse of company resources. Misconduct may also occur when an employee's actions or behaviors make the company look bad or sour the company's reputation.
 1. Sexual harassment
 2. Discrimination
 3. Using company resources for personal gain
 4. Unprofessional behavior, such as shouting or swearing
 5. Unauthorized sharing of confidential information
 6. Plagiarism or stealing of ideas
 7. Refusal to follow company policies and procedures 
 8. Falsifying documents or records 
 9. Physical violence or threats in the workplace 
 10. Theft of any kind
 11. Intimidation or bullying
 In other words, misconduct occurs when an employee does something for personal gain that is harmful to other people.
 ## Notification stance
 When an employee is terminated for misconduct an announcement should be made in most cases.
 Internally, the announcement should explain what happened and cite the particular policy or type of action, but specific details should be excluded. This is to make sure other employees know we take the policy seriously.
 Externally, customers who have had communications with the employee should be notified in a less specific manner. This is to achieve two things. First, if the customer had a bad experience with that employee, they don't blame the rest of us for it. We're demonstrating that we clean up our own mess. Second, if the employee tries to contact the customer later on, the customer will know the employee was terminated for a reason.
 The exception to this notification is where some kind of legal action is expected to take place or where making an announcement might actually cause further problems.
 ## Potentially non-obvious types of misconduct
 ### Actions outside work
 Some actions taken outside work may still be considered a Misconduct infraction where the actions make the company look bad, compromise the trustworthiness of the employee, or involve a coworker.
 Some examples might be:
 - An employee who sends inappropriate text messages to a coworker outside hours.
 - An employee gets into a bar fight while wearing a company logo.
 - An employee is convicted of a crime that infringes on our trust in them, like stealing or fraud.
 ### Time Theft
 Time Theft occurs when an hourly employee claims to have worked hours they didn't actually work, or remains clocked in when they are not actually working.
 Here are some examples of Time Theft.
 #### Ex1: Breakfast hour
 An employee comes to work, clocks in, and then eats breakfast. While eating they aren't doing any work. They're just looking at social media on their phone or chatting with coworkers about personal topics.
 While this might happen from time to time, people are not robots, a person who makes a habit out of it is guilty of Misconduct.
 #### Ex2: Dragging out the day for personal reasons
 Imagine an employee wants an advance on their paycheck so they can put a new tire on their car. They wait until five minutes before their shift ends to ask about it, and the manager informs them we can't help on such short notice. Instead of accepting that answer, the person continues to argue about why they should be given a pay advance, and it causes both them and the manager to be at the office for a half hour after close.
 The employee should not expect this to be paid time. However, the manager can't leave until the employee leaves, so the manager does have to be paid for this time.
 This is also a form of Time Theft, and therefore Misconduct.
 #hr #infraction
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 An infraction for "Other" is used when an action or behavior doesn't clearly fall under one of the major 8 categories. Really, it means whatever happened appears to cause some kind of problem, there might not actually be a rule about it, and we need to decide if there should be.
 Here's an example of this:
 At one point, we had a situation where an employee was parking their car on the sidewalk. That wasn't clearly against any rule, but some people were upset about it. Some people were concerned it made the business look bad. Other people were upset because it made it harder to take out trash. The person who was parking on the sidewalk wasn't aware it was causing an issue for anyone else.
 In that case, a written warning as "Other" is basically saying we need to decide on a policy or rule about it, because nobody can seem to agree about the situation.
 In general, written warnings for "Other" don't trigger any corrective action unless we determine some other box should have been checked and wasn't. Rather, we might ask the employee to stop doing whatever action it is until we decide what the policy should be about it.
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 A Policy Violation occurs when an employee ignores or disregards official methods or rules. A person can be cited for a policy violation even if skipping or disregarding the policy didn't cause an immediate problem.
 The reason is that official processes and methods have been developed over time with care and thought. Each policy and step exists for a reason, usually to avoid some kind of accident, loss, or other problem. When an employee doesn't follow official policies and methods they could be unwittingly creating risks that aren't immediately obvious.
 ## Why policies and processes exist and need to be adhered to
 In general, a policy or process exists because otherwise there won't be any common sense. Policies are generally created around situations where 2-3 people presented with the same decision would likely reach slightly different conclusions or need to debate what to do. That's especially true if they have different levels of experience or perspective about the situation.
 For example, when confronted with a ringing telephone three different people might reach three different conclusions about what they should do:
 - Person A thinks they should get a supervisor.
 - Person B thinks they should ignore the phone and keep working.
 - Person C thinks they should answer "Hello, LDR, how can I help you?"
 All three people are probably reaching conclusions that feel like common sense. The problem being, each of them would probably disagree with each other or be surprised by each other's decision.
 Policies and processes exist to eliminate that kind of confusion and frustration, as well as protect us from non-obvious risks that might be unapparent to people in a given situation.
 ### A policy may exist to protect from harm
 In many cases policies may exist to protect other employees from some kind of unforseen or non-obvious danger.
 For example, if an employee answers the phone, they are not supposed to answer any questions about who's at work or what their schedules are. That might seem arbitrary to people who don't understand the reasons, so they might be tempted to fudge that rule. The problem being that answering questions about who's at work or what their schedule is could aid a stalker in accosting an employee or let a burglar know the employee isn't home.
 ### Policies may exist to ensure consistent results
 In other cases policies may exist to ensure the results of our work are consistently what the customer wants.
 For example, when a person is doing picking or STOW, the placement of barcodes on items matters a lot. However, it's not really important for people doing other jobs. That's why we have a policy to always put the barcode on the smallest side of a product because it makes the work easier for other people. That's important because our customers expect us to locate and ship items on a deadline, which we can't do if picking or STOW are bottlenecked.
 ### Policies may exist to reduce communications overhead and meetings
 For common decisions arising in the business, there may be policies that act as a decision-making framework for how employees are supposed to respond. The purpose of these policies is to improve the consistency of decision making and reduce the time it takes to respond to situations.
 For example, it is unfortunately a situation that sometimes people no-call, no-show, meaning they don't show up to work or contact us. Our policy is if a person does that two days in a row we just assume they quit. That's to avoid needing to have a lengthy debate or discussion about it each time it occurs.
 ## How to avoid and prevent policy violations
 As an employee, the best way to avoid policy violations is checking with your supervisor to clarify any rules, policies, or processes so you fully understand what they are. Before deciding to skip or bend the rules, run it past your supervisor to make sure it won't cause some kind of unforseen problem. This is especially important if you hear something that seems to contradict what you've read or heard.
 As a supervisor, focus on the most important processes and rules in your area. Regularly touch base with your subordinates about them. It may be helpful to distribute memos or post signage to remind employees about important policies.
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 A Quality of Work infraction occurs when an employee's work has too many mistakes or errors. Quality of Work is an issue when either an employee's work has too many minor mistakes or errors over a period of time or a single major mistake, especially if the mistake isn't reversible.
 The quality standards vary by task and project within the business, and they sometimes change based on customer demands.
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 A quantity of work infraction happens when an employee gets less work done than is normally expected. In rare situations, an employee who overproduces may also be created a quantity of work issue, which is explained further below.
 ## Not enough work completed
 Af an employee has a habit of not completing the expected amount of work or they perform a drastically low amount of work, they should be subject to [[Corrective Actions]]. This includes situations where an employee is virtually absent. Like, they were technically at work, but they were so off their game or distracted they didn't really get any work done.
 The best way for employees to avoid this is through proactive communication with their supervisor about any issues that might result in getting less work done. Generally, when an employee is proactive and solution-oriented about this no corrective action will be taken.
 ## Overproduction
 In rare cases it's possible an employee will get so much work done it actually causes a problem for somebody else. This is another kind of quantity of work issue.
 Here's an example. Let's imagine an employee is supposed to build boxes for the packing team to use for shipments. However, the person builds far more boxes than the packing team needs and now they're taking up so much space it's hard to move around the workplace. That might be a case of overproduction. However, cases of overproduction shouldn't normally trigger corrective action unless it's a repeating trend. Instead, a policy should be made about it and discussed with the workforce to avoid the same thing happening again.
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 A [[Safety]] infraction is when someone's actions or behaviors are harmful to (or could harm) people, property, or process in an irreversible way. Safety is very serious, so an employee should be written up whether any actual harm was caused. The write-up should specifically reference what kind of irreversible harm happened or could have happened.
 To elaborate on this, here's what we mean by people, property, or process and irreversible harm.
 #### People, Property, or Process explained.
 ##### People
 The kind of harm would degrade a person's quality of life in a way that can only be healed with time, if at all.
 ##### Property
 The harm would make someone's property less valuable or useful in a way that can't be fixed besides repairing or replacing the property.
 ##### Process
 The harm causes (or could cause) a process to produce incorrect or substandard results in a way that can't be corrected, even by redoing the work.
 #hr #safety #infraction 
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 Tardiness occurs when a person is late to work or leaves early, and this includes returning late from a break or taking a break earlier than permitted. In other words, tardiness is about a lack of punctuality.
 Tardiness can occur for three primary reasons, and the reason for the tardiness should be considered when evaluating whether an employee has committed an infraction.
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 ---
 aliases:
  - returns inspection
  - returns triage
 authors: Jason Thistlethwaite, Will Saunders, Stephanie Neal
 tags:
  - intendedProcess
 ---
 "3-Day" is a nickname for a type of returns processing and inspection where returned products need to be inspected within 3 days of arrival so customers can make informed decisions about their returns. Generally speaking, this inspection includes:
 - Checking if the items received are the right products;
 - Checking for signs of wear and tear or damage to the item or it's packaging;
 - Checking that all parts and accessories are included;
 - Comparing or recording serial numbers;
 - Taking photographs showing the reason we chose the condition;
 - Taking photographs proving how the item arrived to us, including a picture of the full shipping label, what the box looks like, and any damage to the box.
 ## FAQ
 Certain situations often come up with 3-days which employees ask us about. This section is here to answer the questions we here most often.
 ## A few quick definitions about packaging
 To avoid confusion, everybody should know these definitions:
 ### Shipping carton
 Shipping carton refers to the packaging products are shipped in. For example, the box the shipping label is placed on.
 ### Retail packaging
 This refers to outer packaging a product would be in if you found it on a store shelf.
 ### OEM packaging
 This refers to how a product would be packaged from the manufacturer. Retail and OEM packaging are sometimes the same thing.
 ### SIOC packages
 [[SIOC]] means "shippable in own container". This means a product's OEM or Retail packaging is sufficient to be sent directly in the mail by attaching a shipping label. For example, many computer cases, printers, or other large appliances are often SIOC.
 #### Sometimes the single layer of tape on a SIOC package is the factory seal
 ### Return reason says the item doesn't work, but I can't tell if that's true. What should I do?
 This comes up a lot, particularly when we see items like motherboards, radios, or computer parts. It's common to receive something like this that doesn't have any apparent damage, but we can't tell whether or not it's actually defective.
 Here's what to do:
 1. Inspect the item as if it works, checking for any other reason it couldn't be sold as New.
 2. Mark the item whatever condition you would choose based on those factors.
 3. In the item condition comments include a note that says "Defect needs testing"
 ### Serial number on the item doesn't match the box or there isn't one on the box.
 1. Record the serial number that is on the actual item.
 2. Mention in the comment that it doesn't match what's on the box.
 3. Take a picture showing both.
 4. Mark the item "Customer Service Needed" with "wrong item" as the reason.
 ## Item in front of me is not what the order says it should be, or I can't tell if it's the same thing.
 If there is a UPC, ASIN, model number, or other identifying information you can try searching Amazon.com or Google to get a better idea what the item is.
 If you're confident the item in front of you is the right thing mark it Customer Service Needed and then explain in the comments that you can't identify whether the item is the correct product.
 ### The item in front of my is definitely not the product expected in the order.
 For example, the order says you should have a laptop, but the item you received is a speaker. It's something totally different.
 Use the Add Unexpected Item button, and in the following prompts that appear describe the item as well as you can. Try to include make, model, and product name.
 ![[Pasted image 20230124121028.png]]
 Next, the item will appear as an item you can check in. Go ahead and do that, and then proceed with inspecting the item as normal to identify any reasons it couldn't be sold as New. Explain those reasons in the comments, and set the condition to "Customer Service Need" with the explanation "wrong item received".
 ![[Pasted image 20230124121247.png]]
 ## Factory seals and outer box issues
 ### Item contents are sealed but the box isn't.
 Check for evidence about whether the box ever had a seal. For example, look for adhesive residue, cut tape or stickers, or double layers of tape.
 If it seems like the box had a seal, then the item can't be marked New even if the contents are sealed.
 Otherwise, if it seems like there was never a seal on the product, but the parts inside are sealed, it can be marked New if all the parts are included and there are no other problems.
 ### Box has shipping damage but it's sealed
 If the Shipping Carton has damage but the Retail Packaging does not, skip this section. It doesn't apply.
 If the product's OEM or Retail packaging is sealed but has shipping damage proceed as follows:
 1. If the damage is cosmetic, like scuffs or discolorations, do not break the seal. If the cosmetic damage is very minor, the item can be graded "Used - Like New". For anything else, it can't be graded better than "Used - Very Good".
 2. If the damage is holes or tears in the box, then take pictures of what the box  looked like, including the fact it's sealed, before opening the box. These pictures are to demonstrate why it was necessary to break the seal. Then, proceed with the inspection as normal.
 ## The main item is missing but the parts are included
 For example, the product is supposed to be a drone that comes with propellers, a battery, a remote and other accessories. However, the drone is missing, but everything else is incluced.
 In this situation mark the product Customer Service Needed and explain the comment that the main unit is missing. Make sure to take a picture showing the parts that were included.
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 Chaos Shaping is a form of improving efficiency and order in a chaotic environment. It works in tandem with [[Chaos Mapping]]. The basic process works like this:
 ## Identify a Chaos Event
 A Chaos Event is an event that is unplanned or unexpected. You know for sure it will happen, but you can't control when it happens or how often.
 For example, we have no idea when USPS will show up, how many packages they'll have, or even if they will appear.
 ## Observe
 Observe some examples of the chaos event and look for how it's effecting the work area. Pay attention to who is involved and how, what tools or areas it effects, and any other processes that are effected when it happens.
 ## Measure
 You should measure how much the chaos event is effecting your overall operations for a short period of time, like over the course of a week or more. You should measure the following things:
 1. How many times did it happen each day?
 2. How many minutes did it last each day?
 3. How many minutes did it take people to get back to normal work after it was over?
 4. How many people were involved?
 ## Model
 Once you've collected the data over a period of time it can be plugged into a data model to determine how much it's costing you (in terms of wasted productivity) to have the event happening.
 ![[Chaos Measure and Model.ods]]
 The included spreadsheet above provides a basic way to do this using [[Montecarlo Simulations]].
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 #stub #wip 
 This article shows how to add and work with custom fields in [[Redmine]].
 ![[Pasted image 20230123205759.png]]
 ![[Pasted image 20230123205826.png]]
 ![[Pasted image 20230123205853.png]]
 ![[Pasted image 20230123210047.png]]
 ![[Pasted image 20230123210222.png]]
 ![[Pasted image 20230123210240.png]]
 ![[Pasted image 20230123210345.png]]
 ![[Pasted image 20230123210425.png]]
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 #intendedProcesses 
 ---
 ---
 Color and icon coded tags or flags are attached to racks and pallets in the building to indicate their purpose, status, and who is responsible. Icons and colors are used so the information can be quickly understand at a distance. Each flag or tag has a space to write a Redmine ticket number that explains further details.
 There is a finite number of each kind of flag, and they are each numbered.
 ## How kanban fits into this
 Unused flags are kept with the [[Production Manager]]. So, let's say somebody wants to push a rack out for STOW. They are supposed to ask the Production Manager for a STOW flag. If he doesn't have any, indicating they're all in use, that means STOW is behind schedule.
 Likewise, if we have STUCK CHECKIN, the person dealing with that should ask the manager for a STUCK CHECKIN flag. If he doesn't have any, that indicates we have too much STUCK CHECKIN.
 This is intended to be a true Kanban process where the instructions follow the work, and the manager doesn't need to monitor the individual workflows.
 ## Card templates
 The documents attached here are from the original version of this process released in October 2021.The QR codes on them link to the old wiki, so they might need to be updated.
 ![[orange_-_checkin.odt]]
 ![[purple_-_stuck_checkin.odt]]
 ![[red_-_refurb.odt]]
 ![[yellow_-_no_move_prep.odt]]
 ![[green_-_stow.odt]]
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
 Line-head checkin is a work method intended for use with returned items where each package will be the entire contents of the order. It uses a stream-lined method to associate the tracking number and items with an order if they aren't already.
 # Getting to the tool and setting it up
 ![[Pasted image 20230103183423.png]]
 ![[Pasted image 20230103183635.png]]
 ## Setup
 ![[Pasted image 20230103183537.png]]
 Pay careful attention to the settings on the right side of the page. 
 1. Make sure the Mode is set to **Line Head Checkin**.
 2. Make sure the <span style='color: red'>area circled in red</span>  in the picture above is set to the correct category for the type of items being checked in.
 3. Make sure the <span style='color: lime'>area circled in lime</span> is set to the location of the line being used.
 # Getting started and using it
 Scan a tracking number in the input box. If the box is already associated with an order, the screen will pop up a box explaining that.
 If it's not associated with an order, use the provided search box to search for the last 4-5 significant digits of an order ID you can find on the package. This should display a list of expected orders.
 Compare the package you have and it's contents to the expected orders, and select the correct one.
 ![[Pasted image 20230103184237.png]]
 Once you select an order, you will see a page like this. This is the same page that will pop up if the package was already associated with an order.
 Identify each item in the order and give it an item number. Scan each of them into this page. Once you're finished, press Confirm Order. Then, pass the item(s) down the line to the next step in the process.
 This process accomplishes the following:
 1. The package is checked in.
 2. The item(s) are checked in
 3. The items are all set to the appropriate category and location.
 # Corner cases and side issues
 This tools is meant to be very fast for certain kinds of workloads. In particular, these kinds of projects:
 1. 3-day
 2. Danish / jackets
 3. X-trem Global
 However, you will notice there are several things the tool doesn't let you do. You will most likely notice it doesn't print ALCs or allow charging for bags. With experience, you may also notice there are some orders that do exist but won't appear in the tool. This is not a bug. It is by design.
 Any thing that does not seem to work in this page is intended to be sidelined or passed on to the next person. This next section tries to explain that in terms of the jacket inspections.
 ### Explained in terms of jacket inspections
 This is flat-out a faster way to match packages to orders, which is one of the slowest parts about checkin in consumer returns like jackets.
 Work such as carefully confirming the correct SKU or size of jacket, or determing whether the jacket needs repackaged doesn't really fit in the workflow for checkin. It makes more sense to do those things at the inspection step.
 So when using this for jackets, the correct workflow is as follows:
 1. The Line Head speeds through checkin this way. They _do_ bag products if the product is missing a bag, but they don't worry about replacing packaging, messed up zippers, or anything like that.
 2. The Line Head is only concerned about whether the item included passes a basic smell test that it's at least the correct type of item. No more than 5-10 seconds should be spent trying to identify the item. If it's not the correct type of item, the Line Head should sideline it, along with it's original shipping box.
 3. The items are fed down the line to inspectors. It is the inspectors who worry about charging for bags and double-checking the SKU. If the inspectors notice the item is not the correct SKU, they are to mark it "Customer Service Needed", succintly explain the issue in the notes, and then move on to the next item.
 Using this method, the Line Head is expected to be able to reach an [[RPH]] in excess of $60/hour. In basic testing the RPH achieved was $81.57/hour. That translates to checking in about 35+ items in an hour.
 ## Why this process
 This process is designed to extremely fast, while simple to do. The reason should be partly obvious (we all like money). Second, this is actually intended for a supervisor to do even though it's very simple.
 The reasons are as follows:
 A supervisor is expected to be interrupted or distracted periodically by situations as they arise. That also means they may need to leave the area of the line for periods of time throughout the day. With this process being so fast and streamlined, it enables the supervisor to do that. It also enables the supervisor to easily have someone else step in for them, since teaching the process shouldn't take more than a couple minutes for an employee who's already familiar with returns processing.
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 #intendedProcesses #workInProgress
 Our general location naming system follows conventions explained in this article.
 Locations are generally a combination of letters or numbers divided by hyphens, like A-01-02-B. Each part of the location code has a particular meaning.
 ## Primary Prefix
 The primary prefix is the combination of characters before the first hyphen, and each of them have a special meaning. The letters can be combined to form special meanings.
 |   Prefix   |   Meaning   |
 |:-----|:-----|
 |   A   |   "Active". This indicates it is active storage that is meant for inventory we need to quickly access and will frequently [[cycle count]]. It should be highly accessible without any special equipment like ladders, stools, forklifts, etc.   |
 | B | "Bulk". Indicates inventory we don't expect to access often or quickly. A ladder is probably needed to access it. |
 | ?S | Small inventory. |
 | ?T | Textiles like jackets, dresses, or shirts which don't hold a particular shape and aren't really stackable. |
 | ?F | Indicates the location should only be accessed with a forklift |
 | D-??? | The location is departmental in nature. The second part of the location is an abbreviation of the department (see [[Circles]]) that controls the location. Important because individual [[Circles]] may have their own internal location naming standards and conventions |
 | P?- | Indicates the location is referring to floor space in front of something else where a pallet may be placed. For example, PA-01-02 means a pallet in front of A-01-02 |
 The Primary Prefix is designed to help a person understand what tools, equipment, or preparations they need before going to the location. It isn't really supposed to tell you where the thing is located.
 The reason is so that a person looking for something in a place like AP-GOKU knows they're looking for a moving rack that could be anywhere in the building, but it has a picture of Goku on it. A location like AF-EAST-01-02 tells you that a forklift is needed, but it is an active location so you shouldn't expect to need to move anything out of the way to access it.
 ## Standard meaning after primary prefix
 Each section of a location after the primary prefix is like a coordinate.
 ![[Location section meanings.svg]]
 So for example, A-03-01-B-3 is telling you the following:
 - It is active storage with no other designations, so it should be quick to reach without any special equipment or preparations.
 - It is in the 3rd aisle of racking.
 - It's the 1st facing in that area, 2nd shelf up from the floor.
 - The area has bins, and you're looking for the 3rd bin.
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 The [[MP-LINE]] is a Multi-Purpose Line that allows for various projects to be processed quickly, like an assempbly line where each person has one specific job along the line.
 ## Danish Jackets
 ### What does the Customer want?
 This project is a great example of the most simple services that falls under [[Asset Reclamation]]. Effectively, what this customer cares about is "what got returned" and "is it re-sellable".
 ### Setup
 The process is staged out into 3 basic components; Check-in, inspection, and QC
 #### Check-in 
 At this step, the key is to correctly identify what order a package belongs to. Once the line lead can verify the package belongs to the correct order, the jacket needs to be correctly identified. For this project this is most easily done by comparing the SKU on the jacket's tag against the SKU listed in the order. Jackets do **not** get marked with a condition at this step, but they ***do*** receive item numbers. This step should take nor longer than a minute to complete. Once the jacket has been checked in, the item just moved to the next step.
 There are 2 competing versions of this that may be used depending on the situation.
 ##### Version 1
 This is the intended version to be used for this process. The head of the line will identify the correct order for the package in hand, check both the package and the jacket in with an item number, and then push the jacket down to the next step.
 ##### Version 2
 A line lead will check the package into the appropriate order and push it down the line **with** its shipping packaging. The next person will check the jacket in and assign an item number to it, then place the jacket in a gaylord to be inspected.
 This version is only intended to be used in situations where we are severely back-logged with inbound inventory for this project and we need to reduce the space used for them prior to inspection. Typically this is done over by the [[3-Day]] line.
 #### Inspection
 It is at this step that an inspector scans the item number and looksover the item. Key things to keep an eye out for are broken zippers, marred leather, tears, dry-rot, stains, or anything else that may cause the jacket to not be considered new. Sometimes the jacket may just need to be gone over with a lint roller or wiped down with a cloth before being considered new, cleaning materials will be provided for these instances. 
 In most cases jackets will receive one of two conditions; either New or Defective. When performing the inspection, make sure to include the size of the jacket in the comments as well. if the jacket is to be marked as defective, be sure to include the reason for marking it so. This stage of the process should ideally take no more than a minute or two. Once complete, the jacket will move on to the next step.
 #### [[QC (Quality Control)]]
 This is the final stage in the process. The goal here is that this is the last pair of eyes on each item to catch any mistakes. The basic gist here is to check to make sure it looks like the job got done correctly and get the item off the line. If an item passes the [[QC (Quality Control)]] check they should ideally immediately go into a final [[STOW]] location. However, most often a cart or rolling rack will be used to hold the items until someone conducts [[STOW]] operations. 
 If an item **does not** pass the [[QC (Quality Control)]] check, then it is to be side-lined somewhere a supervisor or higher postion to look over and address the problem. 
 ### FAQ
 Not everything goes according to plan. There are plenty of corner cases that may come up and pose a serious question at any step of this process. Here are a few that come up the most often:
 #### What do I do when I can't find the order for this package?
 Some times we don't always have the order information for a package. When you can't find the order ID in our system, or there is no order ID listed on the label, the best thing to do is to place it of to the side where it won't be lost. This is called "sidelining". Move on to the next package and notify your supervisor when you get a chance. 
 The supervisor will then auto-request the package if no order ID can be found.
 #### What do I do when the jacket I get is not Danish's brand?
 Danish has 3 brands:
 - FJackets (Fan Jackets)
 - Decrum
 - Blingsoul Angel (BlingAngel)
 If you come across a jacket that does not have either of these brands, the best thing to do is sideline the item with it's shipping package and notify the supervisor the next time you see him/her. 
 The supervisor will look over it and double check the item. If the jacket definitely doesn't match, your supervisor will check it in as an unexpected item and include photos of the shipping label and the jacket.
 #### What do I do if the jacket I have doesn't match what is in the order but it is Danish's jacket and doesn't have a tag?
 In this case, assuming you have correctly identified the order this package belongs to, there are two options:
 * **Option 1:** Sideline the jacket with its packaging and notify the supervisor
 * **Option 2:** Include photos of the packaging, label, and jacket on the order. Then check the jacket in as an unexpected item titled "Unknown Jacket" and include size at check-in if applicable.
 #### Should I cover up old FNSKUs on jackets that have been through Amazon?
 As it currently stands, no, you do not need to cover up old FNSKUs. However this is subject to change.
 #### What do I do when a package has more jackets than what the order calls for?
 There are two common scenarios when this happens.
 * **Situation 1:** There is more than one of the *same* jacket. In this case you can simply click "check in" again for the second jacket and continue as normal. 
 * **Situation 2:** There is 1 or more *different* jackets in the order other than the one that the order has listed. In this case, you can add the additional jacket as an unexpected item **OR** sideline the jacket with its shipping package and notify the supervisor.
 #### What do I do if this FAQ doesn't cover my question?
 If this FAQ does not answer you question, please seek out the supervisor. If the supervisor does not have an answer to your question, ask your supervisor for assitance in filing a QC report so the question can be included here.
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 A Montecarlo throughput simulation breaks a process down into several steps and then runs computerized simulations of the process to determine the most likely results over a period of time.
 Basic shared reference implementation:
 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QSBV5RB9NImf-em41uvrx4mJnYaXDtRH49xHrjKUBwA/edit?usp=sharing
 Where possible I use [[FlexSim]] or [[Maya]] for these things.
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 This article serves as a visual guide to storage and labeling methods that tend to cause problems. Most of these things are impossible to completely avoid, but they should be avoided when it's possible and fixed when we see them.
 ## Why this stuff matters
 A lot of this is about safety and loss prevention. The red-coded things in here represent some kind of safety or loss prevention issue. The yellow-coded stuff represents practices that are okay under limited circumstances only, or where there is only a minor problem.
 The second part of it has to do with pick speed. We need to be able to locate an item in the shortest time possible.
 ### Item stacking
 Stacking items can be a problem.
 ![[good stacking.jpg]]
 This is good. Very few things are stacked. That means picking any of those things doesn't require moving much stuff and the chance of anything falling or getting dropped is pretty low.
 ![[acceptable stacking.jpg]]
 This is mostly fine, except that some of the items are kind of log-jammed together. They could fall over or get knocked behind other things if someone's in a hurry.
 ### Bad stacking examples
 ![[moar stacking.jpg]]
 This example has two major problems. Scanning everything would take too long, and getting anything off the bottom half of the stack would risk things falling over or getting dropped.
 ![[stacking advanced.jpg]]
 Again, we're looking at avalanche of things falling or getting dropped.
 ![[stacking avalanche.jpg]]
 ![[stacking racking bad.jpg]]
 ![[terrible stacking.jpg]]
 ### 99 problems and they're all bins
 ![[good binning 2.jpg]]
 ![[good binning 3.jpg]]
 ![[good binning.jpg]]
 Notice how in the above examples the bin is fully occupied, the items have a general theme in size/shape, and all the barcodes are visible.
 ![[terrible binning.jpg]]
 ![[terrible binning 3.jpg]]
 ![[terrible binning 2 with baby.jpg]]
 ![[stacking in bins.jpg]]
 ![[small or bagged mailpieces should be binned.jpg]]
 ![[mixed bin problem.jpg]]
 ### Very special cases
 ![[mixed depth usage.jpg]]
 This is head injury waiting to happen. Most people enjoy having their head pelted by a torrential downpour of defective hard drives. The grean area is making a good use of space though.
 ![[headache cart.jpg]]
 ![[iranian satan.jpg]]
 ![[extra red cart.jpg]]
 ## Labeling issues
 ![[item number defeated.jpg]]
 ![[this should be a bin.jpg]]
 ![[this should be a bin 2.jpg]]
 ![[stacking the saga continues.jpg]]
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 # Intended Methods for Outbounds
 #intendedProcesses #opinionated
 ## Foreward
 This document is highly #opinionated and makes some assumptions. It might be a little ranty.
 This article applies mostly towards [[Dock Team]].
 # Overall Goals
 The overall goal of this process is to ensure the following things:
 - We have fewer than 1 complaint about a shipping error per 1000 orders we send out.
 - We have fewer than 1 complaint about a shipping delay per 100 orders we send out.
 - Customers are proactively notified about problems before they complain.
 ## Shipping Error Prevention
 A shipping error is defined as a shipment never reached it's destination, arrived at the wrong place, arrived damaged due to improper packaging, or included the incorrect contents.
 Ideally, the following five quality checks are in place around preventing shipping errors.
 - [[#Pre-Pack Quality Check|Pre-Pack Quality Check]] - Make sure each item is the correct item before packing.
 - [[#Post-Pack Quality Check|Post-Pack Quality Check]] - Make sure each box was packed and labeled correctly.
 - [[#Pre-Load Quality Check|Pre-Load Quality Check]] - Make sure the previous step was done and all packages are accounted for before loading any trucks.
 - [[#Post-Load Quality Check|Post-Load Quality Check]] - Make sure everything was loaded that should have been, and nothing we weren't supposed to load.
 - [[#Next-day Followup|Next-day Followup]] - Check to see if any packages we sent out still don't have carrier updates and contact the carrier about it.
 ### Existing methods and tools (carrier pickup, log truck, etc)
 At the time of writing, the reader should suspend their understanding of what these different tools are called or used for. This section will instead focus on explaining what they're supposed to accomplish.
 ### Pre-Pack Quality Check
 We need to make sure the right inventory is picked and delivered to the packline. This is the reason inventory is supposed to be handled strictly by barcode. As the inventory moves to the packing location it should be scanned to update where it's at and who put it there. The electronic pick tool is one way to do this, but it's not the only method.
 #### Failure Modes
 This section will outline the things most likely to go wrong during the Pre-Pack Quality Check and either what to do if they happen or how to prevent them.
 ##### Missing Item
 The most common failure mode is the item can't be found. However, that isn't a failure of this process.
 When this occurs the picker should not spend extra time searching for the item because doing so will delay other work. Searching for missing items is like gambling: we might find it, but there's a high chance we won't. Meanwhile, continuing to do other work instead is guaranteed money.
 ##### Long picks and unattended carts
 Somebody is picking to a cart or bin, but they don't do it continously. The cart/bin gets left alone for periods of time, ranging from 5 minutes to several days. In the worst cases, the stuff being picked isn't being updated to the cart or bin it's actually on.
 There are many reasons this can be a problem.
 Empty carts and empty space are a contested resource. Having carts around, especially blocking aisles, frustrates other people who might be tempted to move them around, move stuff off them, put extra things on them, etc. Whoever does that is probably in a hurry, so there's a good chance they're not updating locations or being very careful. On top of that, the carts can get bumped into and stuff falls off... then people see it on the floor and put it back in the wrong place without updating it.
 There are various ways to avoid or mitigate this problem. The simplest method is using a wave approach to picking.
 Using a wave approach, the picker doesn't try to pick everything or fill the cart. Instead, they pick just enough that can be processed in a short time frame, like 15 or 20 minutes. Then they deliver everything to the packline, clearing off their cart in the process.
 ### Post-Pack Quality Check
 During this step, a person is checking that each package was packed correctly, and then sorting them by which carrier is picking them up. They are supposed to be checking for the following types of problems:
 - Package not secured sealed closed;
 - Holes or tears in the package;
 - Multiple conflicting shipping labels, spals, or other stickers that could confuse other people;
 - Package is appropriately labeled with any hazard placards like "lithium-ion batteries", "flammable", "team lift", "fragile", etc.
 As they do this, they should be updating the location of where the package was put. That step acts as a confirmation/record this process was done, when, by who, and where the packages are when they finish.
 This step is intended to be done more or less simultaneously with packing, where a different person is performing this check within moments after each order was packed.
 At some points in the past, we tried doing this where the packer doesn't actually seal the package closed. Instead, the person doing this step does that. That's so this person can see what is inside, choose appropriate dunnage or bracing, and apply the right placards to the outside of each box.
 There is no single clear reason we stopped doing this. Mainly, this was something the CEO came up with and did with one other person during 2019. That person ended up quitting, and the other people at the time refused to do it this way because they said it takes too much time. #opinionated We had only 1 complaint about outbound shipments prior to that, and it was a day the CEO was packing orders by himself and accidentally shipped an ammo canister along with a motherboard for an RMA.
 ### Pre-Load Quality Check
 This step is to make sure everything we're going to hand the carriers is accounted for and the other quality checks were done. If any package isn't accounted for, we have to account for it before loading anything with the carrier.
 Here's one way to do this:
 If the "Carrier Pickup" tool is used to perform the "Post-Pack Quality Check", every package that passed that step will be sorted by carrier and location (cart). There's also a list of any packages that didn't pass that step.
 To use this, someone would perform the following actions:
 1. A deadline is chosen for each carrier. At that deadline every day, all orders for that carrier stop being processed.
 2. Check the list for any packages that haven't cleared QC. If there are any, try to account for them before the carrier arrives.
 3. If they can be accounted for, great. If not, none of the packages can leave the building until they're all accounted for.
 As this is done, each bin, cart, or bag for the carrier is moved away from the packing area and put in a designated spot that doesn't change. Each one is visibly marked to indicate what carrier it's for and who completed this step. After that, nobody is allowed to put anything new on those carts or in that area.
 ### Post-Load Quality Check
 During this step, the people loading each carrier are making sure they only load the right things for the carrier. They are documenting what they loaded, who did it, and when. They are also supposed to document anything about the pickup that may indicate a problem. For example, weather conditions, unusual drivers or vehicles, and that sort of thing.
 They are supposed to compare a record of what was intended to be shipped out vs. what was actually shipped out.
 ### Next-day Followup
 We've only recently gained the capability to do this, so it hasn't been tried before.
 Basically, any package we give to carriers should have an update to it's tracking status within 24 hours. We're now able to check that. This probably looks like somebody checking that list the following morning and taking action if they see any packages that indicate we shipped them but the carrier has no updates.
 The appropriate action to take is unclear. If the rest of this process was followed it's highly unlikely we didn't give the package to the carrier. Therefore, taking action probably looks like emailing the carrier a list of the packages and asking if they can search for them. It also may include emailing affected customers (before they complain) to let them know what's happening.
 ## Shipping Delay Prevention
 Our customers tell us that shipping delays are a major problem for them, especially when they aren't notified about the delays ahead of time. This section will cover how to deal with this.
 For purposes of measuring this process, a shipping delay counts as a complaint when a customer contacts us to ask why an order hasn't been shipped out yet, and the characterists of the order fall within an agreed SLA. It doesn't count as a complaint if the order doesn't fall into an agreed [[SLA]].
 ### Default SLA for Outbound Orders
 This section talks about the default level of service for outbound orders.
 In general, we can think of outbound orders in two broad categories as [[Fulfillment]] or [[Definitions/Prep]]. Please read carefully, because it's easy to misunderstand these terms. These terms are covered in more detail within their definitions pages.
 Broadly speaking, fulfillment means collecting, packing, and shipping items without changing anything about the product. Prep refers to making changes to the product before it can be fulfilled.
 The confusion here is that sometimes customers place orders that need to be [[Definitions/Prep|prepped]] before they can be fulfilled.
 ### Fulfillment Timeframes
 |   Order Type and Size                   | Timeframe                                          |
 |:----------------------------------------|:---------------------------------------------------|
 | Single item or single package           | 1 business day; same-day if placed before noon     |
 | Single-SKU order; 100 units or less     | 1 business day                                     |
 | Multi-SKU order, 100 units or less      | 2 business days                                    |
 | 100+ items in same order                | 5 business days                                    |
 #### Expected Rates of Work
 Each of the following steps of the work should take a maximum time of 60 seconds per item involved in the shipment and they should be done simultaneously.
 |  Step            |  Max Time (@$15/hour) | Max Time (@$18/hour) |      |
 |:-----------------|:----------------------|:---------------------|:-----|
 |   Pick           | 30 - 60 seconds       | 15 - 45 seconds      |      |
 |   Pack           | 30 - 60 seconds       | 15 - 45 seconds      |      |
 |   Quality Check  | 30 - 60 seconds       | 15 - 45 seconds      |      |
 This table assumes employees working 8 hour shifts with breaks, and an average pick/pack fee of $2.50 plus an additional $0.50 for each item in a shipment after the first.
 ##### Explanation of Simultaneous Flow
 The intended flow means the picker, packer, and QC person are each different people working simultaneously so within the span of a single hour on the clock, a total of at least 60+ outbound items have been processed.
 #### Capacity
 When the work is being done at the expected rates the following table represents the number of items a single packline should be able to process during an 8 hour shift with employees who make an average of $18/hr.
 |   Min Items   | Max Items     | Mean Items      |
 |:-----|:-----|:-----|
 |  158    |  294    | 236     |
 ### Prep before Fulfillment
 When a customer places outbound orders that require [[Definitions/Prep]] before they can be fulfilled, they are supposed to be picked according to the same timeframe as fulfillment.
 Either once picking has begun or the order can't be picked within the expected timeframe, the customer is to be contacted to let them know when they should expect the prep to start. Once items have been picked, the customer should be updated about this to let them know when they should expect the prep to be completed.
 ### SLA Failure Modes
 This section talks about what can go wrong during pick that can lead to a complaint.
 #### Not enough people
 When there are not enough people to properly run a packline it is known to cause delays as well as lead to shipping errors since it's more likely steps will be skipped.
 With fewer people the line can't run simultaneously so the total clock time it takes to complete outbounds correctly is longer unless people skip critical steps designed to prevent errors.
 #### Missed orders
 Sometimes the team picking/packing orders will overlook an order. They don't realize it exists, so they don't work on it. The most common contributing factors to this failure mode are explained below.
 First and foremost, many employees check the list of outbound orders by searching for particular customers. That causes an issue where it's easy to skip over or forget, and means orders from new or 
 infrequent customers will probably be skipped.
 A second failure happens when employees forget to check the list of orders or they make assumptions about who is working on them.
 #### Stagnant bins and material handling equipment
 Sometimes we can end up a shortage of bins, rolling racks, and other methods of moving things efficiently. When that happens it makes any form of picking slower and more error prone.
 There are two common reasons this happens.
 One is a failure of the [[STOW]] process, resulting in inefficient use of storage space. The second is Long Picks with unattended carts, as touched on [[#Long picks and unattended carts|here]]. That's where someone starts a pick or other collection of inventory that can't be finished in a reasonable period of time, so multiple carts or bins are occupied until the long pick is finished.
 #### Damaged / unmaintained carts
 Carts of various kinds can become damaged from misues or lack of maintenance. When that happens they are harder to stear or move around, making movement inefficient.
 #### Blocked aisles and debris on the floor
 Aisles blocked by static projects and inventory, power cords, and other junk on the floor can cause delays in this process.
 # Accountability & Observability
 Here are some #opinionated ways to add acountability to this process.
 The general problem we've had is that most people involved in this process aren't effected by failures. Therefore, they are less motivated to prevent them. For instance, when the CEO was packing outbounds himself he's the one who loses money if we make a mistake. It effects everybody else too in the form of lost profits, but not in a direct way most employees can identify. The other thing about this is that it's very hard to pinpoint exactly who messed up when an error happens.
 Therefore, to put accountability into this process we probably need to do two different things.
 First, if a step was skipped or modified without approval, whoever is responsible for that step should be held accountable. This is regardless whether or not the skipped step definitely caused a problem -- since skipping steps without approval is known to *cause* problems in general.
 Second, each step needs to be made [[Observability|observable]]. That means it should be possible for just about anyone to quickly observe whether or not the step is being done without needing to ask anybody.
 ## Acountability for Outbounds
 At minimum, there should be some record of who was in charge of each of the 5 quality steps each day. That record should probably be kept for 30-45 days, since complaints about shipping errors are sometimes received up to a month later.
 ### Pre-Pack Accountability
 Perhaps the simplest way to handle this would be assigned picklists, since that will keep some record of who did them. However, that's not very observable because checking that means special training or skills. It also opens the door to claims about software bugs and other excuses.
 A more reliable way to handle this might be making some pre-made KanBan cards for picking. A limited number of them exist, and they are easy to identify from a distance. Here's how they would be used:
 - Each time someone wants to pick, they go to a person who distributes these cards.
 - That person helps them fill out the card, and also keeps a record of who has the card.
 - The card has information on it like:
 	- Who it was assigned to
 	- What they are picking
 	- The time they took the card
 The card is hung on whatever they're using to pick. That way, it's super obvious what that cart/bin/whatever is for. If a person hasn't returned their card(s) by the end of a shift, they're held accountable for it in some way.
 ### Post-Pack Accountability
 This could be handled by a pre-made sticker or something. Basically, as each outbound cart is loaded and staged for pickup, some kind of report is attached to the cart that says who did the QC, when, how many packages, etc. We could probably make this something that can be easily printed from NMI.
 The QC person in this step is probably the one who attaches this report. Then, the other person who stages the racks in the outbound area checks each one for this sticker/paper before moving it there.
 If it has the sticker/report, they sign off their initials and a time, indicating they actually checked. If it doesn't have the sticker or there is some problem, they probably push the cart back to the packline it came from and make a QC Report about it or something.
 ### Pre-Load Accountability
 This step overlaps a little with the previous area in terms of attaching some kind of report to each rack.
 A reasonable thing to do here might be creating some kind of reporting mechanism to log that someone actually did this step. Like a list of what locations/racks were checked, by who, and at what time. The report would also ask how many packages were missing, if any.
 ### Post-Load Accountability
 This probably looks like collecting all the reports from each rack that gets loaded on a truck... and maybe even asking the driver to initial them. The reports then get filed somewhere by date and retained for 30-45 days. That way, if there is a complaint from a customer we can easily find out details regarding what happened that day and who was involved. It shouldn't require a programmer to write any database queries. It's just checking a filing cabinet.
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
 #intendedProcesses 
 Overall processes about [[Definitions/Prep|Prep]] are explained here. Most prep is intended to be done by the [[Dock Team]].
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
 # Presort
 Presort is the process by which deliveries are unloaded, documented, and routed to the correct [[Service Area]] or area within the business.
@@ -0,0 +1,361 @@
 ---
 authors: Jason Thistlethwaite, Carlos Garnes, Matthew Crain, Danny Northcutt
 tags:
  - jackets
  - accountabilty
  - workInProgress
  - intendedProcess
  - quality
  - returns
  - livingDocument
  - QMS
 lastRevised: 2023-11-29
 googleDoc:
 ---
 Our goal is to provide the most accurate answers we can to each question/section of this report. Each section should outline the following things:
 1. Each step of the process, from the time we receive a package to when it ultimately leaves the building.
 2. The goal of each step in plain language.
 3. A list of the main mistakes or problems that can happen at that step.
 4. A plain-language explanation of what we do to detect or prevent each error/mistake.
 ## Overall Project Goal
 Each jacket we receive should be properly identified and graded either New or Defective within _____ time frame after we received it. Each jacket marked New should meet the standards that a new owner will be happy to receive their purchase, so it must be free from defects. When the customer orders a jacket to be sent out, the jacket should be picked, packed, and transferred to the shipping carrier within 1 business day.
 Question 1: Is the above statement accurate?
 Statement is as accurate as i understand it.
 Question 2: In each area jackets are processed is there any sort of posted signage that explains the goal of the project?
 No. There is currently no signage stating this goal or objective. Currently conveyed orally during training.
 ## Known failure modes – this section should list all the known major things that can go wrong, which could defeat the overall goal.
 Here’s our job at this step: we want to carefully think of everything that can go wrong with a jacket during each step, even if we don’t think it is likely to happen.
 ### Broad / general:
 1. We can’t afford supplies or people to do the work.
 	1. Jason emails Danish about once a month to remind him he needs to pay. He often pays right away, but other times we may hear no response at all for a week or two.
 2. Storage/space issues
 	1. Regular processing of disposal orders help to free up space for incoming orders and processing. Adequate space and storage also assist with processing times and prevention of missing items.    
 3. Customers may not provide an accurate forecast of volume, which can then surprise us, leading to delays or space issues.
 	1. Most parts of the process are streamlined so we can bring in temporary labor to assist with about 24-hour notice, but only if the customer has only a minimal outstanding balance (otherwise we can’t afford to do this).    
 	2. When customers provide tracking information in advance for inbound shipments we have a forecasting calendar management can use to plan for expected volume.
 ### Presort
 #### Goal:
 Packages delivered to us are sorted the same day by customer or service line to make sure the right group of people in the warehouse receive them in a timely manner. A handheld computer is used to assist with this by scanning packages during receiving. If the customer told us in advance to expect a tracking number, the handheld computer gives the worker an audio queue to assist with faster, more accurate sorting. During this step, if the handheld computer is used, it logs what time each package was sorted and which person did it. That information can be helpful later if the carrier says we received a package but we can’t find it, because we can use that information to check cameras. The lack of this record can indicate the package was truly not delivered to our warehouse. If a package that was scanned during presort has not received a second-touch by an employee within 3 days it triggers an alarm instructing employees to clean the unloading areas and search for missing packages.  
 #### 2. Known errors:
 1. Jacket lost after it was delivered and never reaches the inspection/checkin team.
 	1. Discovered during general warehouse inventory audit.
 	2. There is the possibility of packages falling on the ground while being transported to their storage location.
 	3. We are currently assigning inbound packages for this customer a location during the presort process that should make them easy to locate if this happens.
 	4. We have a system that alerts us about packages not being checked in within 3 days of clearing presort, which brings potentially missing packages to our attention.
 2. Postal service says the jacket was delivered but we actually didn’t receive it.
 	1. Often discovered or verified during general warehouse inventory audit
 	2. We do not currently have measures in place to react to this problem. I suppose camera footage would be the only thing that could prove something like this.
 	3. We have a system that alerts us of packages that were shown as delivered, but never cleared presort or reached check in.
 3. Packages are not addressed properly by the customer, which can cause them to take longer to reach the correct people in the warehouse.
 	1. All packages that are not immediately recognizable because of their shipping label are set aside during presort to allow the most experienced staff to analyze and decide where they need to go in the warehouse.
 6. The handheld computer is not used for some reason, meaning we have less information to investigate a missing package later.
 	1. It is an understood rule and mandatory part of our dock  operations to scan every package we receive in our presort tool, meaning this should never happen.
 	2. Some packages for this account are delivered via postage stamp and do not have a scannable tracking number. We do not currently have a presort protocol for this instance.
 7. Damaged or missing shipping labels. Box with jacket in it but cannot determine its status or account.
 	1. Item is compared to known inbounds and/or received packages which have not been checked in yet.
 	2. We are able to check in packages with damaged or missing shipping labels with a randomly generated internal tracking number. If the order/account cannot be identified, the package is processed as an auto-request. We have agreed to check in packages with no identifiable account to 636397-Decrum.
 8. Delivery drivers leave the packages in a dangerous or nonstandard spot, like putting them in the yard, behind our dumpster, or leaving them on the porch over the weekend.
 	1. We have posted signage outside the building with instructions for how and where to deliver packages, with cameras pointed at these signs and the delivery areas.
 	2. When the customer provided tracking information in advance our software forecasts delivery ETAs. If our software notices a package was marked “delivered” by the carrier but does not receive a scan by any employee within 3 business days, an alert is triggered which compels staff to clean the areas around all doors, search for any packages left outside, and review surveillance footage.
 ### Checkin
 #### Goal: 
 Confirm for sure that each package was received, where it is in the building, and what is inside of it. This is done by comparing the tracking number and info printed on the package to match the package to an order the customer told us to expect. If we cannot match the package, pictures are taken and it is set aside until the customer tells us which order it belongs to.  
 During this step, each package or item is given a unique, standardized barcode that any employee can scan to lookup and accurately identify them at any point after this step. Each of these barcodes has a “blank” spot that gets covered by a colored sticker later after services are completed. We do that so any item that hasn’t been serviced yet can be easily recognized from a distance.  
 Sometimes items received aren’t listed in the expected order contents, or there is no strong way to match them. For example, the order might say to expect a red jacket, but we actually received a pair of shoes. In other cases, the jacket we received doesn’t have any tags or SKU information to easily match to what was expected. In such cases the items are graded “Customer Service Needed”, a pink sticker is applied, and the items skip directly to the STOW step until we hear from the customer regarding what they want us to do with the item.  
 #### Errors
 1. The employee applies the barcode to the item, but doesn’t associate it with the item in the computer system. If that happens and the item has been separated from the package we received it in, there is no good way to match the item to the correct order at a later step.
 	1. Associates are trained not to discard the package until check-in is confirmed complete.
 	2. All items that are checked in are then scanned by another employee in batches before being placed in storage. During this step, errors like unassociated item numbers, missing labels and packing issues are caught and addressed quickly.
 	3. If an item is discovered with a missing item number or unassociated item number, the line is stopped so the issue can be resolved. If the issue cannot be resolved the seller will be contacted with as much information as possible about the situation.
 2. The sender of the package includes items that aren’t supposed to be in the order.
 	1. Process is described above
 	2. Items that likely don’t belong to the seller, as well as extra items received, are checked in as “customer service needed” unless they are a jacket that can be identified by its SKU tag. The goal is to alert the seller and find out what they want done with the item.
 3. Checkin person checks the jacket into the wrong order.
 	1. Each package is handled one by one by employees who understand that it is mandatory to take their time and make sure the items inside are associated with the correct order. They check each package thoroughly for the multitude of places that an order ID may be found.
 	2. If a package has no pre-associated order and contains no order ID on the label or packing slips, it is set aside for the auto-request process during which photos of the package, labels and items are taken for the seller.
 4. Checkin person misidentifies the model, size or SKU of the jacket.
 	1. There is a secondary check during the next step, inspection.
 	2. The inspectors are told to take their time during these steps to ensure items are not misidentified. When an item is missing its tag or doesn’t appear to match the order, it is set aside for a supervisor to handle.
 5. A jacket gets checked in a long time after we receive it.
 	1. In the case that a package is found long after being delivered that has a shipping label and order id, the package is simply checked in as usual, or processed as an auto-request. There is no current standard for contacting the seller when this happens.
 	2. When a jacket is found that does not appear to have been checked in and has no packaging or shipping label, it is identified by SKU and checked against inbound orders that are expecting that SKU. If an order is discovered that has aged without its expected item being received, the jacket is checked into that order. This process is not currently standardized and does not consider the possibility that the jacket in question has not already been checked in.
 	3. Items like this that cannot be matched with a suspected inbound order become stranded inventory, which is sometimes used to fulfill orders that contain missing items of the same SKU in the system. There is not currently any agreement about this with the seller, or any written procedure about it.
 6. A jacket is found somewhere with no identifying information, so as to make assumptions about what order it belongs to.
 	1. When a jacket is found that does not appear to have been checked in and has no packaging or shipping label, it is identified by SKU and checked against inbound orders that are expecting that SKU. If an order is discovered that has aged without its expected item being received, the jacket is checked into that order. This process is not currently standardized and does not consider the possibility that the jacket in question has not already been checked in.
 	2. Items like this that cannot be matched with a suspected inbound order become stranded inventory, which is sometimes used to fulfill orders that contain missing items of the same SKU in the system. There is not currently any agreement about this with the seller, or any written procedure about it.
 ### Gap between checkin and inspection
 Jacket becomes lost or separated from the order after check in (item number not active, falls off, etc).
 1. This gap has been almost eliminated which cuts down (almost eliminated) g. and h. of the previous section. This has been done by inspecting immediately (or same day) after check-in. It's been noted the longer the gap between check-in and inspection, the more difficult it is to identify and/or correct check-in issues.
 2. All items that are checked in are then scanned by another employee in batches before being placed in storage. During this step, errors like unassociated item numbers, missing labels and packing issues are caught and addressed quickly.
 3. If an item is discovered with a missing item number or unassociated item number, the line is stopped so the issue can be resolved. If the issue cannot be resolved the seller will be contacted with as much information as possible about the situation.  
 ### Inspection
 #### Goal
 Each item is inspected according to a checklist provided by the customer, which includes documenting any differences between the item and a new one. The findings are then input into the computer and a colored sticker is placed on the item as a visual indicator this step was completed. The item is then resealed or repackaged for safe storage and so it cannot be tampered with later without breaking the seal.  
 #### Errors
 1. Defects are missed during inspection such as wrinkles, smells, tears, missing or worn buttons, incorrect tags or colors, etc.
 	1. Brief visual inspection during stow/storage process.
 	2. The inspectors follow step by step instructions to check every part of each jacket thoroughly for up to 3 minutes. There is a standardized set of criteria that need to be met for a jacket to be considered New.
 	3. Jackets that do not meet this standard are marked Defective or Damaged.
 2. The jacket is not repackaged in a professional manner, causing it to later become stained, wrinkled, or damaged after we inspected it.
 	1. Brief visual inspection during stow/storage process.
 	2. We use the same poly bags to store each jacket after it is inspected. These bags are thick enough to protect against most damage such as moisture, staining or rips and tears.
 	3. The jackets are stored in a way that minimizes the risk of them becoming wrinkled.
 3. Defects we could fix, like hair or dirt, actually do not get fixed.
 	1. Often a judgment call. As in TOO MUCH dirt, or TOO MUCH hair where cleaning would be excessive.
 	2. The inspectors follow step by step instructions to check every part of each jacket thoroughly for up to 3 minutes. There is a standardized set of criteria that need to be met for a jacket to be considered New.
 	3. Jackets that do not meet this standard are marked Defective or Damaged.
 4. The inspector accidentally marks the item in the wrong condition (eg: they meant to mark it New, but they accidentally mark it defective instead).
 	1. Items are scanned at some point after inspection (during QA or sztow/storage). There is an audible alarm that identifies the condition of the item. If it does not match the color of the sticker the jacket is re-inspected
 	2. There is not currently anything in place to catch/handle this other than the step listed above.
 5. Worker forgets to attach the colored sticker, which can cause someone to think the item has not already been inspected, so it gets inspected twice.
 	1. All items that are checked in are then scanned by another employee in batches before being placed in storage. During this step errors like unassociated item numbers, missing labels/colored stickers and packing issues are caught and addressed quickly.
 	2. If an item reaches this step with no colored sticker applied, the item number is checked to see if it is already associated with an item. If it is, the correct color is applied. If an error occurs and the item is not checked in or conditioned, this is fixed immediately.
 6. The item is not properly sealed, which could cause it to fall out of the packaging later or get dirty.
 	1. Brief visual inspection during stow/storage process.
 	2. We are currently using self seal poly bags to store each jacket that close very securely. Making sure each bag is tightly sealed is part of the process followed by the inspector.  
 ### Gap
 1. Jacket goes where after processing? Can anything bad happen to it during this time?
 2. Jacket is held in a designated location awaiting QA. (DANISH-HOLD-01). As items are removed from here they are scanned by a tool that verifies condition (matched with sticker). There is a visual inspection of packaging and items are sorted by grade before next step (STOW).  
 ### STOW
 #### Goal: 
 Each item is checked to make sure it is properly sealed and labeled, and then it is placed in safe storage so it can be quickly found later to be shipped out or have additional work performed. Every item is to be placed to minimize the risk of falling over or behind something else, and all locations used for storage are at least 20 feet away from any entrance or exit, with multiple security cameras aimed at the area. The cameras retain surveillance footage for no less than 30 days.  
 #### Errors:
 1. Jacket gets put away, but assigned the wrong location code.
 	1. We use software that requires the user to assign the location of items one at a time. This makes it very unlikely that an item is given the wrong location during this step.
 	2. Storage areas for this account are regularly audited to correct this kind of mistake quickly if it is not noticed sooner.
 2. Jacket gets put away in a fashion that will damage or wrinkle it.
    1. Employees that put these items in storage follow a criteria about how this is done, including a limit to how many jackets can be stored in one location and a particular way that they are placed in storage.
 3. Jacket gets put away when nobody actually inspected it.
 	1. Prevented by QA step.
 	2. Each jacket is checked by a second inspector before it is queued up to be put in storage. An issue like this will be caught at this step and corrected.
 4. Jacket never gets put away – it remains on a table or on the floor.
 	1. Area cleaned at end of shift. Any items with questionable status are scanned and put away for processing.
 	2. The Q.C./Q.A step after initial inspection prevents this from happening.  
 ### Pick
 #### Goal
 Given a list of standard barcodes and location codes, an employee searches the warehouse to collect items a customer wants to ship out or have extra work performed on. An employee doing this should be able to pick at least 60 items per hour, unless they are unusual sizes that require special handling. The employee doing this uses a handheld computer to scan each item as they pick to ensure they have the correct item.  
 #### Errors:
 1. A jacket cannot be found at the time the customer wants us to send it out.
 	1. Triggers investigation. Order is marked stuck and the customer is notified.
 	2. We use software that requires the user to assign the location of items one at a time. This makes it very unlikely that an item is not able to be found in the location it was placed in during the STOW process.
 2. The wrong jacket gets picked and taken for packing.
 	1. Items are scanned at packing/shipping.
 	2. We use software that audibly alerts the picker when they make a mistake such as scanning the wrong item number. The picker carefully scans the correct barcode and is given confirmation that they are picking the correct item.
 	3. We use software that prints out the shipping label associated with the item number scanned by the employee. If an item reaches this step that is not meant to ship out, the software will stop the employee from going any further.
 3. A jacket gets lost or damaged between picking and packing.
 	1. Triggers investigation. Order is marked stuck and the customer is notified.
 	2. Each item is assigned a location associated with their destination. When the packer completes the day's orders, they check for ones that were not completed. An item that was not picked or has been lost in transit to the packing area will be noticed at this step and action will be taken to locate it.
 4. Picker doesn’t notice a jacket needs to be picked, so they don’t do it.
 	1. The picker checks for outbound orders in the morning, and periodically through the day and creates a list containing every item that needs to be sent out. Items that are left off of a pick list that they should have been part of will be noticed the next time the list of outbound orders is checked.  
 ### Packing
 #### Goal
 Each picked item is scanned to ensure the correct item was picked and match it to a corresponding outbound shipment. The item is packed for safe shipping. If the customer provided a shipping label in advance, the computer automatically prints the correct label for that item. Otherwise, the employee measures the item and then notifies the customer of the dimensions so a shipping label can be provided later.  
 #### Errors
 1. Jacket gets packed even though it was not supposed to ship out.
 	1. We use software that prints out the label associated with the item number scanned by the employee. If an item reaches this step that is not meant to ship out, the software will stop the employee from going any further.
 	2. The employee places one jacket at a time in the packing area to prevent the wrong item from being placed in a package. There is a camera pointed at this area that is regularly reviewed to ensure this process is adhered to.
 2. Jacket has the wrong shipping label applied.
   1. The Outbound QC tool will catch this if the label was not scanned in the software or if the label is a duplicate. It does this with a loud auditory alarm.
   2. The employee places one jacket at a time in the packing area to prevent the wrong item from being placed in a package.
 3. Jackets are shipped, even though there are obvious quality problems we can see without opening the bag (wrinkles, stains, etc).
 	1. The inspection process is designed to prevent any jackets in this kind of condition from appearing as “New” in the customer’s inventory. Sometimes they ship out “Defective or Damaged” items anyway.
 	2. The employee responsible for packing the item keeps an eye out for these kinds of problems while packing each jacket, however the items are not removed from their bag to be checked at this step.
 4. A jacket gets packed in materials that look bad or cause the jacket to get wrinkled or damaged in transit.
 	1. Each jacket is placed in the same kind of poly bag after it has been inspected. Each jacket is placed in the same kind of poly mailer when it is shipped out. These bags are moisture resistant and thick enough to resist tears to a certain extent. However, these bags are not guaranteed to prevent all potential damage that could occur.
 5. Packing is delayed because we ran out of supplies or somebody called off work.
 	1. We keep track of our supplies and order more before we run out.
 	2. When someone that works on this project is absent there is normally another employee that can take their place. Otherwise temporary labor is used to fill any gaps, if possible.
 	3. Our primary supplier of packing supplies is located less than ½ mile from the warehouse and any supervisor involved with this project is able to drive to our supplier and pick up suppliers on credit if there is an emergency.  
 ### 16. Outbound QC
 #### Goal
   Each packed outbound is spot checked for issues that may cause it to be lost or damaged in shipping, such as extra shipping labels or unsecure tape. As this is done each package is scanned in a computer which records who performed this step and at what time. If no problems are noticed, the packages are then sorted by which carrier will pick them up, and then placed in the designated spot for that carrier.  
 #### Errors
 1. This step is skipped completely, so if there is a problem reported later, we do not have an accurate timestamp to look up the incident on camera.
 	1. A visual indicator warning about any packages that did not reach this step is available in our software for all employees to see.
 	2. As this step is performed, each outbound cart or rack is marked with a blue plunger, of which we have a limited number. The manager can easily notice this step was missed if he sees any carts or racks near the door that do not have an obvious blue plunger attached.
 	3. The packing area is checked for any packages that have not been packed, or have not been sorted for pick up. Any packages found are processed as usual. If there is any reason that an item cannot be identified or associated with an outbound order, it is set aside for a supervisor to investigate.
 2. A package gets sorted incorrectly, which could cause it to be handed to the wrong carrier later.
 	1. Packages that have been packed to ship out are carefully sorted by another employee to ensure they are placed in the correct area. During this process each item is scanned in a computer that alerts them if any steps were skipped by the packer.
 	2. If a package is placed in the wrong area for pickup, there is not currently anything in place to detect this other than the carrier noticing, or the item going missing. 
 3. The person doing this step misses an issue like a package having multiple shipping labels or no shipping label at all. The computer detects this issue, but it is possible a person could fail to respond to the error message.
 	1. The error message generates a loud alarm that can be heard across the building.This may alert another employee to come check that the job was done correctly.
 	2. There is nothing else in place to catch this other than the carrier noticing, before the package goes out with multiple labels or no label at all.  
 ### Pickup
 Copied from [[QMS Pickup]].
 #### Goal
 All of the packed shipments for each carrier are given to the carrier when they arrive at the warehouse, typically each business day between 3PM and 5PM EST.
 #### Errors
 1. Carrier does not show up on time, so the jacket ships behind schedule.
 	1. There is a process in place to call USPS if they have not arrived by 3PM. If they still do not arrive by close of business, we make a best effort attempt to give the packages to the USPS delivery driver on the morning of the next business day.
 	2. A symbol is used to indicate to all employees if USPS did not pick up on the prior day. This symbol tells the employee who receives the USPS drop off that day that they need to give yesterday's shipments to the delivery driver. This gets them in the hands of USPS several hours sooner than if they were picked up in the afternoon, and avoids the risk of them being delayed another day.
 2. Package is handed to the wrong carrier. 
 	1. Racks, bags and carts of outbound packages for each carrier are kept in separate areas of the warehouse to avoid them being mixed.
 	2. When a carrier arrives the responsible employee knows to only give the driver packages from that carrier's designated area. We also use symbols to indicate which carrier packages are for.
 3. Package is never handed to a carrier because it gets lost, stolen, etc.
 	1. Our software monitors all tracking numbers we send out to check for updates to the delivery status. If a package we shipped out does not receive any tracking updates from the carrier within 24 hours it generates an alert which triggers an internal review of surveillance.
 	2. The packing area and all areas between there and the area where the outbound packages are kept before pick up are checked thoroughly for any packages that may have been missed or dropped.
 4. Package gets left on a belt or something and mistaken for a new delivery, so it gets taken back to presort instead of being shipped out.
 	1. The packing area and all areas between there and the area where the outbound packages are kept before pick up are checked thoroughly for any packages that may have been missed or dropped.
 	2. If a package is found in this area it is examined and taken to the correct place. The employee should scan the shipping label or item number to determine if the order has been completed properly. Doing this should avoid the instance of that package being taken to the wrong place.
 5. Carrier/driver does not scan the packages given to them, and then something happens to the package before it reaches the carrier’s regional hub. Note: it is not normal for standard carriers like UPS or USPS to scan each package given to them during the pickup and they will usually refuse to do it.
 	1. Handled the same way as potentially lost or stolen packages.
 	2. We do not currently have another way to address or prevent this.
 	3. Our WMS has a mechanism to detect this in some cases but there is no defined process for checking that or responding to it.
 ### Rebound
 We received a jacket showing signs that it was recently shipped out from our warehouse. The goal is determine whether it should be placed back into storage as New, and whether the customer needs to be notified.
 #### Errors:
 ##### A package is returned to us and is sorted to be checked in as if it is being received as an inbound order.
  1. The employee responsible for the presort process knows that if they see a package with a “Return to Sender” label or something like that, the package should be taken to the outbound area for investigation.     
 2. If the package was returned due to an error we caused, the problem is addressed so it can be sent out properly.    
 3.  If the package was returned by the carrier for another reason, the outbound order is marked “Stuck” in our system. The seller received an email detailing what items were returned and for what reason. The item is then checked for quality to determine if it needs to be restocked to inventory, or inspected again to ensure the condition is accurate.
 ##### The item is checked in as an autorequest or even inspected and given a new item number.
 1. The presort process is meant to prevent an returned outbound from reaching any area other than the outbounds department. Items in this order will only return to inspection if it is determined that they need to be checked again for some reason. 
 2. A returned outbound will alert the employee attempting to check it in as an inbound order that it does not belong there as long as the outbound tracker was recorded when the package was sent out from our warehouse. They are instructed to return these packages to the outbound department for further investigation.
 3. If these warnings fail and the package is processed as an auto-request, the pictures provided should be enough for the seller to notice the problem and contact us to resolve it.  
 ## Service and Support:
 Copied from [[QMS Service and Support]]
 ### Goal:
 The customer may need assistance with the service or have questions about the results. The goal is to ensure they receive accurate, timely answers to questions or concerns they have, or extra work they request that isn’t normally part of the process. To ensure the most accurate answers, we ask customers to email us at [contact@ldrprep.com](mailto:contact@ldrprep.com) which then generates a ticket all staff members can see. The tickets are then assigned to one of the supervisors for the project to mitigate any miscommunications that could occur from having a separate customer service person who doesn’t work on the floor. Tickets of that nature are expected to be responded to by a supervisor within 1-2 business days. If the supervisor cannot answer the question, the ticket is escalated up through management, until it ultimately reaches the CEO if nobody else is able to resolve it.  
 Complaints or frequently asked-about issues should be brought to the attention of the Line Lead most closely related to the Points where the problem was caused and the next earliest Point it could be detected so measures can be put in place to prevent, detect, or reduce the need for customers to contact us about the same thing. Likewise, the relevant Line Leads should report that they have been notified about an issue and explain either what they did about it or what resources they need.  
 ### Known Errors:
 A customer complains about something and the Line Lead doesn’t know about it. This can cause the Line Lead and their team to think they are doing the job correctly when they really aren’t.
 ### Mitigation
 The customer tries to contact us in a different way, like WhatsApp or emailing an employee directly, so it does not reach the ticket tracker.
 1. Our website explains that contacting our company should always be done by emailing [contact@ldrprep.com](mailto:contact@ldrprep.com) or calling the official line at 513-449-2899 and warns customers that contacting us a different way could cause delays or other issues.  
 2. All employees are required to have a warning about this in their email signature.  
 3. A ticket gets marked resolved but the customer wasn’t actually provided a good solution.
 4. Tickets that are closed without any response are reviewed on a regular basis by executive management.
 5. Tickets have a “how did we do” footer in them, and if a customer clicks that we did a bad or neutral job, it triggers an internal review of the ticket.
 6. Tickets are analyzed by a computerized system regularly to detect emails about the same general topic or complaint. When that system detects several complaints about the same general issue in a month, an internal review of the process is triggered whereby the supervisor over the step where the error occurred is asked to conduct an investigation and submit a report explaining either what changes were made to reduce the failure rate or detailing additional resources needed.  
 ## Inspection checklist
 The following checklist covers what our staff check for and perform during the Inspection step of the process.
 1. [ ] Verify item number.    
 2. [ ] Verify [[SKU]] and description. If SKU or Description do not match. Item is sidelined for a supervisor.    
 3. [ ] Jacket laid flat for visual inspection, front and rear, and checked for:
 	1. [ ] Tears, cuts, rips, scratches, and scuffs in the leather and lining.
 	2. [ ] Stains and discoloration on the jacket and accessories.
 	3. [ ] Faulty zippers and snap buttons.
 	4. [ ] Loosened stitching.
 	5. [ ] Wrinkles.
 	6. [ ] Unpleasant odor from the jacket.
 	7. [ ] Pet hair and lint
 	8. [ ] Rub marks or discoloration/fading
 4. [ ] Interior lining checked for 
 	1. signs of wear
 	2. Rips or tears
 	3. Odor
 	4. Pet hair and lint
 5. [ ] Buttons and zippers checked and fastened before folding.
 6. [ ] Folded using the least amount of folds as possible.
 7. [ ] Sealed in new poly bag or original package if usable.
 # QA/QC Gaps
 Let me first define Quality Assurance vs. Quality Control, so we’re talking about the same things.
 Quality Assurance speaks to what steps are in place to make it likely the job is done correctly the first time. Quality Control speaks to measure in place to notice when the job wasn’t done right the first time and measure how often that happens.
 ## Checkin Gap:
 During checkin, some packages will already be associated with orders by the customer. Other packages are not, and the operator attempts to match them by comparing order id numbers on the package with what’s expected in the system.
 If the checkin operator attempts to match a package and matches it to the wrong order, it seems like we are missing a good way for anyone past that step to detect the problem.
 As it stands, it does seem like the problem gets detected but is not well understood, so the methods used to correct it are not always accurate.
 ## Inspection Gap:
 After inspection and refurbishment of each item is finished, the operator reseals the item. If the operator missed something that can’t be easily seen through the packaging, it seems like there is nothing in place for anyone past that step to notice.
 During the last audit we conducted for this project we found that roughly 30% of randomly selected items had problems that should have been noticed or fixed during the inspection step. Most of them were inspected according to methods used a year or more ago. Those problems wouldn’t have been noticed before sending the items out if we hadn’t done the audit. The vast majority of the problems found were wrinkled jackets, which we believe had to do with a combination of careless folding techniques or the manner the jackets are stored. However, we did detect a small amount of other problems during the audit.
@@ -0,0 +1,501 @@
 ---
 authors: Jason Thistlethwaite, Michele Schroeder
 lastRevised: 2024-01-26
 googleDoc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l_PjkSYiH1GJQ4HA4VgUvzuyp2ejnGosJVgxQWJgKvY/edit?usp=sharing
 tags:
  - intendedProcess
  - accountabilty
  - quality
  - returns
  - workInProgress
  - livingDocument
  - QMS
 ---
 Our goal is to provide the most accurate answers we can to each question/section of this report. Each section should outline the following things:
 1. Each step of the process, from the time we receive a package to when it ultimately leaves the building.
 2. The goal of each step in plain language.
 3. A list of the main mistakes or problems that can happen at that step.
 4. A plain-language explanation of what we do to detect or prevent each error/mistake.
 ***
 WARNING: This document has been copied from the “[[QMS - Jackets and Clothing]]” project to use as an example/template.
 ***
 ***
 Action item (to be removed once project reaches next phase):
 The goal right now is to make sure each step of this Service Line has an accurately described goal, the main problems that can happen are documented (even if they don’t happen often), and the actual things in place designed to prevent them are explained.
 Once we have that in place, there will be two phases to this project:
 1. Look at the possible problems we’ve listed, identify anything we can do to improve how they are prevented or detected, do it, and then update this document.
 2. This is expected to be an ongoing process.
 3. Compare the steps in this process to similar documents used in other areas to identify steps that have overlap. Then:
 	1. Standardize that step so it is done the same way in each area.
 	2. If there is a good reason it shouldn’t be done the same way in each area, update each process to explain the differences and reason for them.   
 ***
 Purpose of this project: In order to grow as a company, onboard new customers, or hire additional people we need our main revenue generating services to be well documented with established quality control standards.
 # Overall Project Goal
 Our goal is to sort returned items by how easy they would be to sell, so our customer can more easily recover lost money caused by returns. We do that by performing a visual inspection of each item received to check for any differences between a New unit and what was actually delivered, which includes checking if the received item is the correct product. We document our findings by recording written notes, taking pictures, and assigning a condition grade such as “New”, “Used - Like New”, “Used - Acceptable”, or “Defective”. The goal is to have this completed within 3 business days for consumer returns, and _???_ days for removal orders.
 Question 1: Is the above statement accurate?
 Yes.
 Question 2: In each area 3-days are processed is there any sort of posted signage that explains the goal of the project?
 No, not really. There is a binder in the work area, but you’d have to dig it out. We do not regularly review the binder or check to see if the processes have changed. There are posted signs/reminders about handling unexpected items, taking pictures, and the criteria for item conditions.
 ## Known failure modes – this section should list all the known major things that can go wrong, which could defeat the overall goal.
 Here’s our job at this step: we want to carefully think of everything that can go wrong with a return during each step, even if we don’t think it is likely to happen.
 ## Broad / general:
 1. We can’t afford supplies or people to do the work.
 	1. Customers for this service are expected to keep a deposit with us (payment in advance), which they refill periodically.
 2. Storage/space issues
    1. Customers might allow their returns to collect in our warehouse and remain in storage for a long time.
    2. Items in storage longer than 3 months are charged extra fees in addition to the regular storage costs.
    3. Customers may not provide an accurate forecast of volume, which can then surprise us, leading to delays or space issues.
 3. Equipment failure – this job requires special printers and cameras; if they get lost, broken, etc. the work can’t be done efficiently.
 	1. When equipment fails, ask the CEO to fix it. If he’s not available, try to work around the problem.
 	2. As far as we know, there is not a preventative maintenance schedule for any of the equipment or tools.
 4. Attendance / staffing 
 	1. The job is done on a tight deadline, which can be a problem if people quit, call off, show up late, or work on the wrong things.
 	2. Observed issues of this kind may be verbally mentioned to other people.
 	3. Bad fit people who don’t follow directions or care about improvement are allowed to keep working without anything being done about it.
 	4. The CEO typically fires people after receiving enough complaints or evidence of serious issues, but cannot act quickly when staff do not document observed behaviors.
 	5. Workers may believe they are doing a good job when they actually aren’t unless there is accessible, regularly reviewed information detailing what the job entails or how success is measured.
 		1. Weekly reports issued to each worker on Wednesdays outline the overall billable work each person completed and their attendance.
 		2. When the report shows underperformance the Line Lead is supposed to complete a report explaining the reason, but there isn’t anything in place to enforce that and the Wednesday report doesn’t mention they’re expected to do that.
 		3. The [[Service Area]] has a binder containing various written documents about the work.
 			1. The binder is not easy to find.
 			2. The binder is not regularly referenced to answer questions or check how to do the job.
 			3. The binder is not regularly reviewed for accuracy or completeness, and is not regularly updated.
 ## [[Presort]]:
 ### Goal: 
 Packages delivered to us are sorted the same day by customer or service line to make sure the right group of people in the warehouse receive them in a timely manner. A handheld computer is used to assist with this by scanning packages during receiving. If the customer told us in advance to expect a tracking number, the handheld computer gives the worker an audio queue to assist with faster, more accurate sorting. During this step, if the handheld computer is used, it logs what time each package was sorted and which person did it. That information can be helpful later if the carrier says we received a package but we can’t find it, because we can use that information to check cameras. The lack of this record can indicate the package was truly not delivered to our warehouse. If a package that was scanned during presort has not received a second-touch by an employee within 3 days it triggers an alarm instructing employees to clean the unloading areas and search for missing packages.
 ### Known Errors:
 #### Extremely delayed routing
 A package for 3-day gets mistakenly put with slower-moving inventory, such as getting stacked in a wrapped pallet of jackets, which can make it take much longer than 3 days for the package to reach the Inspection step.
 1. When slower moving inventory is presorted it has locations set to represent what pallet it’s on. That way, if a customer asks about a particular package we can at least tell which pallet to search.
 2. As long as the customer provided the tracking number in advance, this problem is unlikely to happen because of the audible warning during presort. 
 #### Packages not intended for 3-day reach 3-day.
 1. We check the account number or name on each package before moving to the next step. If it is not a customer we expect, we give the package to somebody else. There is no real standard for who that is, but it is usually either the Manager, the person who did Presort, or another Line Lead  
 2. Sometimes the 3-DAY Line Lead will put the package where it’s assumed to belong based on the account number. If they are unsure, they ask the Manager or the PACKLINE-C Line Lead (person who does most presorting and small outbound shipments). 
 3. A package intended for a different service, but from a customer who uses this service reaches this area. Example: a customer uses both our Returns Service and Prep Service, and one of the packages they sent for Prep ends up on the Returns Service Line.
 	1. This would be caught during checkin, because the screen will say it is for a different type of order/service.
 #### Package from new customer mistakenly sent to wrong place
 A package from a new customer wanting this service is either not routed to the service area, or is taken there and mistaken as something that doesn’t belong there.
 Example: a new customer the Line Lead is not familiar with because they don’t recognize the name or account number.
 1. This is handled the same way as [[#Packages not intended for 3-day reach 3-day.]]
 2. In theory, the Line Lead could look up who the customer is and check what service they need, but at the time of writing there isn’t a standard for doing that.  
 ## Checkin
 ### Revision Needed (January 26, 2024):
 As of the past week, this process has been adjusted to more closely align with how checkin of jackets is handled. The following sections need to be updated to reflect that, and then this notice can be removed. The basic change can be described as follows:
 - During checkin each package is opened, the contents are identified, and given item numbers.
 - Characteristics about the item like dimensions, billing category, or handling requirements are recorded during checkin.
 ### Goal:
 Confirm for sure that each package was received, where it is in the building, and what is inside of it. This is done by comparing the tracking number and info printed on the package to match the package to an order the customer told us to expect. If we cannot match the package, pictures are taken and it is set aside until the customer tells us which order it belongs to.  
 During this step, each package or item is given a unique, standardized barcode that any employee can scan to lookup and accurately identify them at any point after this step. Each of these barcodes has a “blank” spot that gets covered by a colored sticker later after services are completed. We do that so any item that hasn’t been serviced yet can be easily recognized from a distance.  
 Items we can’t properly identify or which we expect the customer is likely to request additional work are [[STOW]]ed in the nearby vicinity of the service area so they are segregated from completed work and quick to access upon request.  
 For instance, in the current warehouse configuration, all of these items are placed on the designated rack AP-RACK-01 by the end of the day. Workers performing this step may have individual short-term storage areas for these types of items they expect to access/work on soon. Items that can’t be identified or don’t match the order are graded “Customer Service Needed”, and have a pink sticker applied to them.  
 ### Known errors:
 #### Checkin lag / delayed checkin
 In this Service Line, the package is checked in first, and the contents are checked in later during the Inspection step. That is supposed to happen on the same business day. If it is delayed until a later day, the following issues can occur:
 1. Customer gets upset because the Inspection is not completed within 3 business days.
 2. A malicious actor could open the package and steal or replace the contents, and it may go unnoticed.
 3. Ties up the belt or other resources, making it difficult to use the area for other purposes.
 ##### Mitigation
 1. Near the end of the shift, checkin is put on pause until the next shift if it seems the remaining work will not pass Inspection before the end of the day. This is based on the experienced opinion/estimate by the Line Lead.
 2. Verbal reminders to staff not to leave the belt loaded at the end of the day. There is no posted sign.
 3. There is an automated system that generates a warning if a package still has not been checked in or given a location after 3 days. It is not clear if anyone checks this warning or takes action about it.
 4. At the end of the day, the packages waiting to be checked in are reorganized in chronological order so they will be checked in first-in, first-out style. There is currently no way to know this needs to be done or tell if someone already did it, except to ask the Line Lead.  
 #### Incorrectly identified items
 Incorrectly identified item: the worker incorrectly identifies the item(s) and then the customer later tries to ship it out or sell it, and is upset because the item doesn’t exist or it’s not the right make/model.
 1. Extreme example 1: “Microwave” – worker checked in a walker (like for disabled people) as a microwave.
 2. Extreme example 2: “Over 9000” – the worker incorrectly inputs a different quantity of items than we actually received, leading to “missing” inventory we never actually had.
 3. Common Example: The item received is a slightly different make or model than what we were supposed to get, and the worker doesn’t notice.
 ##### Mitigations
 1. Verbal reminders from the Line Lead to subordinates like “make sure you double check the model numbers”.
 2. There is a posted sign in the work area explaining that if you can’t confidently identify an item it should be added to the order as an “unexpected item”, graded “Customer Service Needed”, and pictures taken.
 3. The software defaults to a quantity of “1”, and inputting any other number is an extra step, which is supposed to prevent someone accidentally typing a larger number, but could also lead to checking in only 1 item, when there are actually 2+.
 4. There is a warning triggered by the software whenever more than 20% of the items in the same order were “unexpected”. This is to trigger a second person to verify the items were not misidentified or checked in incorrectly. However, there is no posted signage or official process about what triggers this warning, who should respond, or what specifically they should do about it.
 5. We take pictures of each item during checkin, so even if it was not identified correctly, the customer has the opportunity to notice what the item actually is.  
 #### Item received in multiple parts is checked in as separate units
 An Item received in multiple parts is checked in as separate units. This can cause confusion about what’s in inventory or lead to mistakes during Picking/Packing.
 Example: The order says to expect a 2-pack of hard drives. Only one hard drive is in the box. The worker checks it in as a two-pack, but says in the comments that only one drive was received. Later, the 2nd drive shows up, and it is checked in the same way, resulting in two separate 2-packs appearing in inventory.  
 ##### Mitigation
 There is currently nothing in place to mitigate this.
 #### Checking a package into the wrong order or wrong customer’s account.
 We receive a package without a customer account number or matching order id, but it looks like something a customer sells so we make an assumption about which customer it is.
 Example: A new customer for Prep sent a margarita maker that wasn’t labeled the right way. The Manager and other staff assumed it was probably a return for 3-days, so it was checked into the wrong account ([[AUTOREQUEST]]).
 ##### Mitigation and ways it can happen
 1. If the customer provided tracking information in advance it’s virtually impossible for this to occur by accident unless the package has more than one shipping label on it or the barcode is not scannable.
 2. If a package doesn’t match an order and does not have an account number we recognize, we check with the Manager first. It is unclear what his process is for determining next steps.
 #### ALC put on the wrong box
 If an ALC is put on the incorrect package it can cause [[#Checking a package into the wrong order or wrong customer’s account.]]
 ##### Mitigation
 Packages are checked in one at a time to reduce the chance someone will accidentally put the ALC on the wrong box.
 #### Dimensions not recorded or input incorrectly
 Dimensions for packages we will keep after Inspection should have their dimensions recorded during checkin so we can bill storage. If this is skipped or done incorrectly we may not be able to charge storage or the customer could be charged the wrong amount.
 ##### Mitigation:
 1. There is a computer-assisted QC process performed after Inspection which will alert the workers if a box or the items inside are missing dimensions. It does not detect incorrect dimensions.
 2. There is a different software tool a person could use at any later step to detect the same thing (Bulk Update), but nobody is particularly assigned to use that tool or check for this.
 3. The WMS has a method to check for items in storage that are missing dimensions, but there is no designated process or person for doing that regularly.
 4. The WMS generates an automated email to [contact@ldrprep.com](mailto:contact@ldrprep.com) (which appears as a customer service ticket) on the 1st of each month listing any boxes in storage that are missing dimensions. It is unclear if anyone acts on that ticket. It is usually closed without being updated.  
 #### Items become separated from the box before they reach Inspection.
 If an item becomes separated from the tracking number or ALC it arrived with before reaching checkin, there is no way to confidently identify which order the item belongs to or which customer sent it.  
 This is especially an issue if the same item gets checked in more than once or an employee makes assumptions about what order it belongs to.
 Examples:
 1. We received a package with 2 Milwaukee rechargeable batteries worth about $400, and they never reached the Inspection step. They were later found under someone’s desk.
 2. We received a $200 polycom phone that cleared checkin but never reached Inspection. It was never found, and the problem wasn’t noticed until after we no longer had camera footage.
 ##### Mitigation
 1. Each package is checked in one at a time by a worker who has no other duties (they are not multitasking)
 2. The checkin area is on camera from multiple angles.
 3. Loose items that have already been inspected are not handled near the checkin area to reduce room for confusion.
 4. Unless the order can’t be identified, packages are not opened until they reach the Inspection step. If opening the box doesn’t enable us to identify the order, pictures are taken showing the contents at the time (and any paperwork or shipping labels), then the packages are put in a designated area that is not used for other purposes.  
 ## Checkin GAP:
 The packages are not normally opened during checkin step. The parts of the Checkin step related to identifying the items and confirming we received them are typically performed during the Inspection step, although it is not strictly necessary to separate those two steps. They can be done all at once by a single person. However, the two steps were separated and the use of a conveyor belt between them was implemented in 2022, which significantly reduced the number of mistakes the process generated, so it is strongly recommended to have this GAP in place.  
 Precaution: If a person decides it is necessary to skip this GAP and perform the Checkin and Inspection steps together, the following precautions should be taken:
 1. Use one intake location for packages that haven’t been checked in yet, and a different location to put them as they are finished so they don’t get mixed together.
 2. REMOVE DISTRACTIONS FROM THE WORK AREA: Avoid side conversations, interruptions, multi-tasking, walking away for any reason before each item is finished, intoxication, or anything else like that. The primary way this process fails is by having a single distracted person who accidentally skips steps, misreads details, or does steps out of order.  
 ## Inspection
 ### Goal
 Visually inspect each received item to check for any reasons it can’t be sold as New, such as signs of tampering or use, or differences between the expected product and what we actually received. We assign a resale condition like “New”, “Used”, or “Damaged”, explain the reason in a typed note, and take pictures to prove what we’ve seen. Afterwards, the item is resealed or repackaged for safe storage and given a colored sticker to indicate the service has been completed. For this Service Line, the “checkin” of received items is performed during the Inspection step. During this step small details like mismatching serial numbers or model numbers should be checked and any discrepancies documented.  
 Our customers use the information we collect to decide the best way to recover the money from their returned item, such as selling it again, returning to their supplier, filing a damage claim with the shipper, or charging a restocking fee to the consumer. Incomplete or inaccurate information recorded during this step can cause our customer to make an irreversible decision about their item which then causes further losses or complaints.  
 The information that needs to be recorded depends on the situation as follows:
 1. Shipping damage: If the product seems like it could have been damaged in shipping, our customer needs pictures showing all six sides of the box including any printed “seal” on the box describing its “crush test” rating.  
 2. Factory sealed: If the item appears to be factory sealed, pictures showing that it is sealed on all sides and has not been opened must be taken to prove it was never tampered with.  
 ### Known Errors
 #### Forgetting to record condition information / upload pictures
 Forgetting to record information or take pictures can trigger two different problems:
 1. The customer may decide to ship the item out or sell it when they wouldn’t have done that if the correct information was provided, and then they may ask us to replace the item which can be expensive.  
 2. The customer emails or calls us to complain about the missing pictures/information, which wastes more time than doing the job correctly the first time.
 ##### Mitigation
 1. The picture system displays the pictures the worker has taken and gives a count, so the worker can notice they did not upload everything.  
 2. There are posted signs in the work area describing what type of pictures to take.
 3. Some problems of this kind can be detected in the QC step.
 #### Destroying or discarding the shipping label or any paperwork like packing slips before they’ve been photographed.
 This can cause major confusion and wasted time, including the customer emailing us to ask for information we can’t produce.  
 ##### Mitigation
 There is nothing currently in place to mitigate this.
 #### Item number barcode does not get attached directly to the item, or it is not linked to the item in the software.
 If this occurs, there is no confident way to identify what order the item belongs to later, who owns it, where it should be in the building, or tell whether or not it’s even in inventory.
 Examples of problem:
 1. Multiple similar items are received in the same package, but they are not identical because they have different serial numbers or conditions. The worker attaches the item numbers to the outside of the box they arrived in, but not to the individual units. Later, that makes it nearly impossible to figure out which is which.
 2. The worker attaches the item number to the item, but forgets to save the data entry in the computer that links the barcode to the item. That causes it to seem like the item never arrived, and if someone scans it later they won’t be able to match it to an order, find out what it is, or who it belongs to.
 3. Putting packing tape over thermal printed barcodes causes them to fade over time, and eventually become unreadable.
 ##### Mitigation
 1. The QC Step can detect this problem if it happens, but there is no guarantee that it can be fixed, especially if the shipping label or box the item arrived in is gone.  
 2. Roughly once per hour an automated system warns any worker if they seem to have “skipped” any item numbers, which can be a way to detect this has happened. There’s nothing in place to ensure this warning is acted upon or to document how often it found a real problem.
 #### Leaving components out of the box:
 During this process all components of an item are usually removed from the package to count them, check for damage or missing pieces, and photograph them. It is possible a worker may forget to put everything back in the box. This causes the recorded information to be inaccurate.
 Example: an item includes screws or something. The worker forgets to put them back in the box, so then when someone buys it they are upset and want a refund.  
 ##### Mitigation
 1. Staff work on one item at a time and are expected to keep the table free from clutter.
 #### Injury, messes, or accidents (leaks, broken glass, sharp edges)
 Many returned items have this type of problem and there isn’t necessarily a good way to tell until the box is opened. That can cause several issues if not handled properly:
 1. Injury to the person Inspecting the item.
 2. Damage to other inventory if the “mess” or danger isn’t properly sealed, labeled, or contained.
 ##### Mitigation
 1. Items of this nature are labeled with clear warning labels, and are typically sealed in extra layers such as plastic bags or outer boxing.    
 2. Items like this are stored away from other inventory.    
 3. Work gloves are available for staff.    
 4. N95 masks are available incase of particulates.    
 5. Customers are charged extra for handling these types of items.
 #### Failure to record product dimensions
 Failure to record product dimensions for items that are being kept in storage without the outer package they arrived in. This refers to the dimensions of the item itself, not the package it was shipped in. Failing to record these dimensions can cause several problems:
   1. If the customer tries to ship the item out of our warehouse and purchase shipping for it, they will be quoted the wrong price.  
   2. If the Pick/Pack person attempts using our software to recommend what box the product should be packed in, it will provide incorrect answers. 
   3. It can cause us to charge the customer the wrong amount for storage.
 ##### Mitigation
 1. The QC step can detect when neither the box or item dimensions were recorded, but that does not solve issues #1 or #2.    
 2. The [[Bulk Update]] tool can detect this problem, but it is not normally used during this workflow.    
 3. There is a panel in the WMS that lists products in inventory that are missing dimensions, but there is no designated person or schedule for checking/fixing that.
 #### Product set to wrong category
 Setting the wrong category for the item can cause the customer to be charged the wrong amount.
 Example: We receive a hard drive, set the category to “hard drives”, but the customer wanted them to be categorized under “non-functional inspection”, which triggers a different service charge.  
 ##### Mitigation
 1. There is nothing in place within the [[Service Area]] to detect or prevent this.
 2. If a product has been received before, it will default to the same category used previously, so workers don’t need to make this decision again for the same products.
 3. Leaving the category as the default “Uncategorized” prevents assigning the item a condition.  
 #### Product characteristics like “team lift”, “fragile”, “dangerous goods”, SIOC, or “oversize” are not properly selected.
 As with billing categories, these flags are assigned to the product, not the item, so they will apply to all other units of the product currently in storage or received in the future. Failing to set these properly can cause several problems:
 1. The customer is charged the incorrect amount.
 2. These flags are meant to be warnings to other employees at different steps, particularly STOW, Picking, and Packing. If these are missing, it can cause safety issues or damage to inventory.
 ##### Mitigation
 1. Reminders and verbal explanations.
 2. The onscreen system shows icons and toggles for these flags, but doesn’t explain when to select them.  
 #### Replacement parts mistaken for returns needing inspection
 Replacement parts for a previously Inspected item are received and assumed to be items needing Inspection, when they might not be.
 Example: We receive and Inspect a motherboard that is missing accessories like cords. A week later, another package arrives with the same tracking number, and the missing cords are included.  
 This can cause the following problems:
 1. The customer may not expect us to perform the Inspection on the replacement parts. Instead, they are expecting us to re-open the original unit and add the parts.  
 2. The item the parts are for could have already been shipped out or disposed of.  
 ##### Mitigation
 There is currently nothing in place to mitigate this.
 #### Items or boxes are not properly sealed or repackaged after inspection.
 This can cause several issues:
 1. Things fall out of the box while in storage.
 2. The item gets mistaken for SIOC (ships-in-own-container) by the Packing people, who then think it doesn’t need protective packaging materials.
 ##### Mitigations
 1. The Packing team complains when they notice this problem. The Packing team’s own QC step checks for the 2nd issue.
   2. Person doing [[STOW]] should notice the 1st issue, but there is no official designated person for that or method to report it.
 #### Item numbers are put on the incorrect side of items/boxes, or ALC on the opposite side of the box from the item number.
 Problems:
 1. It can make STOW and Picking inefficient or error prone.
 3. It could cause a person seeing a package on a shelf to think the item is a forwarding order or [[AUTOREQUEST]] (if the [[ALC]] is visible but the item number isn’t).
 ##### Mitigation
 1. Verbal reminders.
 2. The training binder at the [[Service Area]] explains this problem.
 ## Gap: QC Tool / Step:
 ### Goal:
 The goal is to double check each Inspected item before it leaves the Service Area to detect the most common problems that may lead to a complaint or double-handling later. When any problem is found, it is intended to be discussed the following morning among the team, and a report turned into the Manager explaining what changes to the work area, process, or training materials were made to reduce the chances of similar issues happening again or a different form explaining how an outside factor caused the problem.  
 The QC step is also intended to make sure that each item’s location is accurate whenever it will be left for the next shift or moved to a different area. This also includes ensuring that a second person has looked at each item Inspected. That is intended to be accomplished by having each person’s output rack QC’d by somebody else (not themselves).  
 ### Known errors:
 ##### Not performing the step at all
 many earlier Points of this Service Line rely on this step to detect common problems, so if this step is skipped multiple other problems can result.   
 ##### Wrong location / not moving items
 As this process is performed the software asks the worker for two locations, the “Pass” and “Problem” location, respectively. If these locations are filled out incorrectly or the item is not moved to the correct spot based on whether it Passes or flags, it can later cause major difficulties locating the inventory.
 ##### Reporting process skipped
 Repeated mistakes, issues with staff, problems with equipment, or issues caused by external factors may continue without being solved. All of the issues detected during this step are well-known indicators the worker might have been distracted or confused, so if these errors do not trigger the correct reports it can cause ongoing distractions or points of confusion to be left unaddressed.
 #### Person QC’s their own rack instead of having someone else do it.
 This can cause other problems, mainly:
 1. The person silently fixes detected issues instead of addressing what causes them.
 2.  An unscrupulous person may “hide” problems a different person would notice.
 #### General Examples:
 1. Same person making a repeated mistake. The Line Lead knows about it, perhaps has told the Manager, but there isn’t enough documentation to take action.
 2. The QC Tool is flagging something it shouldn’t, so the alarm starts to be ignored (boy who cried wolf), and the developer doesn’t know that so they can’t update the QC Tool, which then causes the same problems as skipping the QC Step completely. 
 3. External actors like delivery people in the area are causing problems the Line Lead and team can’t prevent, but external assistance is not given because there’s no documentation. 
 #### Mitigation
 ## STOW:
 ### Goal:
 Each item is checked to make sure it is properly sealed and labeled, and then it is placed in safe storage so it can be quickly found later to be shipped out or have additional work performed. Every item is to be placed to minimize the risk of falling over or behind something else, and all locations used for storage are at least 20 feet away from any entrance or exit, with multiple security cameras aimed at the area. The cameras retain surveillance footage for no less than 30 days.
 Items anticipated to be shipped very soon, such as within the next 1-3 days, should be placed as close as possible to the Packing area, but away from any other Service Lines.
 ### Known errors:
 #### Leaving Inspected items in the Service Area at the end of a shift
 1. Any items left on the floor can cause a trip hazard, and could cause lost inventory because the floor does not have location codes.  
 2. Items set to the location of a rack, but not actually ON that rack, can cause lost inventory or inefficient Picking.
 3. It can trigger the Picker to need to find items in the Service Area, which can cause distractions or mistakes for both this Service Line and for the Picking process    
 4. The current Service Area (PACKLINE-A) is within 20ft of a door that is a high-traffic area where 3rd party people frequently come and go with packages, which presents a lot of room for theft or human error.    
 5. It can cause the Inspection step to be delayed if the inventory left in the Service Area is taking up too much space.
 ##### Mitigation
 1. Verbal reminders.
 2. Automated company-wide notice at 4PM daily all staff are forced to read, but which no specific person enforces. 
 #### Stacking large items on pallets
 Sometimes there can be a temptation to stack large items on pallets. This can improve the efficiency of Inspection sometimes, but harms the efficiency of Picking.    
 ## Picking:
 ### Goal:
 Given a list of standard barcodes and location codes, an employee searches the warehouse to collect items a customer wants to ship out or have extra work performed on. An employee doing this should be able to pick at least 60 items per hour, unless they are unusual sizes that require special handling. The employee doing this uses a handheld computer to scan each item as they pick to ensure they have the correct item.  
 ### Known errors:
 At the time of writing, the team on this line was either unaware of errors that can happen during picking or chose not to include them.
 ## Packing:
 ### Goal
 Each picked item is scanned to ensure the correct item was picked and match it to a corresponding outbound shipment. The item is packed for safe shipping. If the customer provided a shipping label in advance, the computer automatically prints the correct label for that item. Otherwise, the employee measures the item and then notifies the customer of the dimensions so a shipping label can be provided later.  
 ### Known errors:
 #### Wrong item(s) packaged. It is possible to pack incorrect items for an order.
 ##### Mitigation
 1. Most inventory is assigned unique [[Item Number]] codes during the Checkin step, and these codes are scanned during packing. If the worker scans an unexpected code the software stops them from packing the item.  
 2. Most picking is performed using item barcodes as well, which adds a 2-step check to catch the wrong item before it gets packed.
 #### Wrong label applied to package / same label applied to more than one package.
 If the wrong label is put on a package it will get delivered to the wrong place. That defeats the entire purpose of the project, and can trigger customers to ask for reimbursement of items.
 #### Multiple conflicting labels on the same package.
 Sometimes packages might be re-used boxes we previously received with a different shipping label on them. If a label like that is left on the package it can cause confusion for carriers, resulting in a lost package or delivery delays.  
 #### Inadequate packaging / protection causing item loss or damage. 
 Items shipped can get damaged or lost in shipping if the packaging isn’t sufficient to protect the contents.
 #### Labels become separated from the package.
 It is possible for the shipping label to fall off a package or become damaged so the carrier doesn’t know what the package is or where to deliver it. This is especially possible for items shipped in bags or when we bundle several boxes together by taping them. In both cases, it is easy for the bag to get torn during shipping or for the tape to come loose and the boxes to get separated.  
 ## Outbound QC:
 ### Goal:
 Each packed outbound is spot checked for issues that may cause it to be lost or damaged in shipping, such as extra shipping labels or unsecure tape. As this is done each package is scanned in a computer which records who performed this step and at what time. If no problems are noticed, the packages are then sorted by which carrier will pick them up, and then placed in the designated spot for that carrier. 
 ### Known errors:  
 ## Pickup
 ### Goal:
 All of the packed shipments for each carrier are given to the carrier when they arrive at the warehouse, typically each business day between 3PM and 5PM EST.  
 ### Known errors:  
 ## Rebound:
 We may receive an item that seems like it was previously sent through this service. Unclear what is supposed to happen.  
 ## Service and Support:
 ### Goal:
 The customer may need assistance with the service or have questions about the results. The goal is to ensure they receive accurate, timely answers to questions or concerns they have, or extra work they request that isn’t normally part of the process. To ensure the most accurate answers, we ask customers to email us at [contact@ldrprep.com](mailto:contact@ldrprep.com) which then generates a ticket all staff members can see. The tickets are then assigned to one of the supervisors for the project to mitigate any miscommunications that could occur from having a separate customer service person who doesn’t work on the floor. Tickets of that nature are expected to be responded to by a supervisor within 1-2 business days. If the supervisor cannot answer the question, the ticket is escalated up through management, until it ultimately reaches the CEO if nobody else is able to resolve it.  
 Complaints or frequently asked-about issues should be brought to the attention of the Line Lead most closely related to the Points where the problem was caused and the next earliest Point it could be detected so measures can be put in place to prevent, detect, or reduce the need for customers to contact us about the same thing. Likewise, the relevant Line Leads should report that they have been notified about an issue and explain either what they did about it or what resources they need.  
 ### Known Errors:
 A customer complains about something and the Line Lead doesn’t know about it. This can cause the Line Lead and their team to think they are doing the job correctly when they really aren’t.
 ### Mitigation
 The customer tries to contact us in a different way, like WhatsApp or emailing an employee directly, so it does not reach the ticket tracker.
 1. Our website explains that contacting our company should always be done by emailing [contact@ldrprep.com](mailto:contact@ldrprep.com) or calling the official line at 513-449-2899 and warns customers that contacting us a different way could cause delays or other issues.  
 2. All employees are required to have a warning about this in their email signature.  
 3. A ticket gets marked resolved but the customer wasn’t actually provided a good solution.
 4. Tickets that are closed without any response are reviewed on a regular basis by executive management.
 5. Tickets have a “how did we do” footer in them, and if a customer clicks that we did a bad or neutral job, it triggers an internal review of the ticket.
 6. Tickets are analyzed by a computerized system regularly to detect emails about the same general topic or complaint. When that system detects several complaints about the same general issue in a month, an internal review of the process is triggered whereby the supervisor over the step where the error occurred is asked to conduct an investigation and submit a report explaining either what changes were made to reduce the failure rate or detailing additional resources needed.  
 ---
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
 ### Pickup
 #### Goal
 All of the packed shipments for each carrier are given to the carrier when they arrive at the warehouse, typically each business day between 3PM and 5PM EST.
 #### Errors
 1. Carrier does not show up on time, so the jacket ships behind schedule.
 	1. There is a process in place to call USPS if they have not arrived by 3PM. If they still do not arrive by close of business, we make a best effort attempt to give the packages to the USPS delivery driver on the morning of the next business day.
 	2. A symbol is used to indicate to all employees if USPS did not pick up on the prior day. This symbol tells the employee who receives the USPS drop off that day that they need to give yesterday's shipments to the delivery driver. This gets them in the hands of USPS several hours sooner than if they were picked up in the afternoon, and avoids the risk of them being delayed another day.
 2. Package is handed to the wrong carrier. 
 	1. Racks, bags and carts of outbound packages for each carrier are kept in separate areas of the warehouse to avoid them being mixed.
 	2. When a carrier arrives the responsible employee knows to only give the driver packages from that carrier's designated area. We also use symbols to indicate which carrier packages are for.
 3. Package is never handed to a carrier because it gets lost, stolen, etc.
 	1. Our software monitors all tracking numbers we send out to check for updates to the delivery status. If a package we shipped out does not receive any tracking updates from the carrier within 24 hours it generates an alert which triggers an internal review of surveillance.
 	2. The packing area and all areas between there and the area where the outbound packages are kept before pick up are checked thoroughly for any packages that may have been missed or dropped.
 4. Package gets left on a belt or something and mistaken for a new delivery, so it gets taken back to presort instead of being shipped out.
 	1. The packing area and all areas between there and the area where the outbound packages are kept before pick up are checked thoroughly for any packages that may have been missed or dropped.
 	2. If a package is found in this area it is examined and taken to the correct place. The employee should scan the shipping label or item number to determine if the order has been completed properly. Doing this should avoid the instance of that package being taken to the wrong place.
 5. Carrier/driver does not scan the packages given to them, and then something happens to the package before it reaches the carrier’s regional hub. Note: it is not normal for standard carriers like UPS or USPS to scan each package given to them during the pickup and they will usually refuse to do it.
 	1. Handled the same way as potentially lost or stolen packages.
 	2. We do not currently have another way to address or prevent this.
 	3. Our WMS has a mechanism to detect this in some cases but there is no defined process for checking that or responding to it.
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
 ## Service and Support:
 ### Goal:
 The customer may need assistance with the service or have questions about the results. The goal is to ensure they receive accurate, timely answers to questions or concerns they have, or extra work they request that isn’t normally part of the process. To ensure the most accurate answers, we ask customers to email us at [contact@ldrprep.com](mailto:contact@ldrprep.com) which then generates a ticket all staff members can see. The tickets are then assigned to one of the supervisors for the project to mitigate any miscommunications that could occur from having a separate customer service person who doesn’t work on the floor. Tickets of that nature are expected to be responded to by a supervisor within 1-2 business days. If the supervisor cannot answer the question, the ticket is escalated up through management, until it ultimately reaches the CEO if nobody else is able to resolve it.  
 Complaints or frequently asked-about issues should be brought to the attention of the Line Lead most closely related to the Points where the problem was caused and the next earliest Point it could be detected so measures can be put in place to prevent, detect, or reduce the need for customers to contact us about the same thing. Likewise, the relevant Line Leads should report that they have been notified about an issue and explain either what they did about it or what resources they need.  
 ### Known Errors:
 A customer complains about something and the Line Lead doesn’t know about it. This can cause the Line Lead and their team to think they are doing the job correctly when they really aren’t.
 ### Mitigation
 The customer tries to contact us in a different way, like WhatsApp or emailing an employee directly, so it does not reach the ticket tracker.
 1. Our website explains that contacting our company should always be done by emailing [contact@ldrprep.com](mailto:contact@ldrprep.com) or calling the official line at 513-449-2899 and warns customers that contacting us a different way could cause delays or other issues.  
 2. All employees are required to have a warning about this in their email signature.  
 3. A ticket gets marked resolved but the customer wasn’t actually provided a good solution.
 4. Tickets that are closed without any response are reviewed on a regular basis by executive management.
 5. Tickets have a “how did we do” footer in them, and if a customer clicks that we did a bad or neutral job, it triggers an internal review of the ticket.
 6. Tickets are analyzed by a computerized system regularly to detect emails about the same general topic or complaint. When that system detects several complaints about the same general issue in a month, an internal review of the process is triggered whereby the supervisor over the step where the error occurred is asked to conduct an investigation and submit a report explaining either what changes were made to reduce the failure rate or detailing additional resources needed.  
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
 This folder is for storing sections of QMS documents that can be used like building blocks in other areas because they are the same.
--- a/Show More
+++ b/Show More
		`@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@`
							`Making decisions takes information and planning, and a person or organization can only make so many decisions at a time. Decision capacity is a reference to this, but it's not a great word to use without context because it makes the underlying problem opaque.`

							`For instance, if somebody says we don't have the decision capacity to do that right now, the problem could be lack of information, lack of time, or just feeling burnt out... all of which require different solutions.`
		`@@ -0,0 +1 @@`
							A Monte Carlo simulation is a computerized mathematical technique that uses probability distributions and random numbers to simulate an outcome. It is used to analyze a variety of different outcomes, from predicting the future performance of stocks and investments, to assessing the risk of certain decisions. Monte Carlo simulations can also be used to model physical phenomena such as weather forecasting and climate modeling. The main advantage of Monte Carlo simulations is that they allow for the modeling of complex systems which would otherwise be too complex or costly to solve analytically.
		`@@ -0,0 +1 @@`
							`,MSI/jason,MSI,27.12.2022 20:18,file:///C:/Users/jason/AppData/Roaming/LibreOffice/4;`
		`@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@`
							`Coaching focuses on the present the future by highlighting expectations and talking about how to reach them. Coaching is usually a step before [[Counselling]]. Coaching focues on "how" to do better, whereas [[Counselling]] focuses on why the unwanted behavior is happening.`

							`#hr #writeups`
		`@@ -0,0 +1 @@`
							`Ressassignment occurs when an employee is transferred to a different position, location, department, or shift as a means to correct an issue in the workplace. Employees could be reassigned for a variety of reasons like [[Corrective Actions\|corrective action]], [[Restructuring]], or because the employee requested it.`
		`@@ -0,0 +1 @@`
							`Our standard business hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. From time to time the company operates extra shifts or slight changes in these hours.`
		`@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@`
							`## Logistics Done Right is an Equal Opportunity Employer`

							`Logistics Done Right Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, which does not discriminate in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral or other aspects of employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, physical or mental disability, or genetic information.`
		`@@ -0,0 +1 @@`
							`LDR utilizes a weekly pay period which begins on Wednesday and ends on the Tuesday of the following calendar week. This means that payroll is typically run on Wednesdays and employees should receive pay by Friday. We do this so employees have their pay available by the weekend.`
		`@@ -0,0 +1 @@`
							`We generally pay our staff using direct deposit. We make exceptions sometimes, but we prefer to avoid that because of the extra complication and overhead it causes.`
		`@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@`
							`It can be tempting to personalize work areas, like putting up posters or decorations, or other things to make it feel a little more like home. This is generally allowed providing our stance about [[Personal Property at Work]] is adhered to, and personalizations don't cause some kind of problem.`

							`Generally speaking, unless you've been given a desk and a computer that only you have a password for, you don't actually have a station that is truly yours, even if you do tend to work in the same area most of the time. If you decide to personalize an area like that it's best to check with your supervisor first to make sure it won't cause some kind of problem.`