AITA for Rating My Employee Lower Because She Won't Work Overtime?

As a manager with two employees, one who sticks strictly to her work hours and another who goes above and beyond, a clash over performance ratings and rewards has left me questioning my decisions.

I manage a small team of two people, "Jack" and "Jill," in a contracts department of a manufacturer. I hired both of them myself as shortly after being promoted to manage the group after my then-boss left, both of my direct reports left -- one because he retired, the other because she got pregnant and decided to be a SAHM. It was a struggle at first since Jack and Jill were new to the company but we quickly got into what I thought was a good place. They've both worked for me for 2 years.

Jack is a single guy, no kids. Jill is also single, but explained to me in her interview (two years ago) that she is a mom to a 5-year-old and work-life balance was extremely important to her. She said she'd give 100% during the scheduled working hours (8:30 to 5, of which 1/2 hour is lunch) but that she would not work extra hours, wouldn't take work home, wouldn't work weekends, and couldn't travel. I hired her with that understanding.

"I thought this arrangement was working well."

We have a lot of routine work that can just be done anytime (part of the reason I can respect Jill's boundaries), but sometimes projects come along that require immediate attention. For example, we're in the Eastern time zone and a contract may come in at 4 pm our time from our West Coast team and they may want it reviewed and turned around that same day, with whoever does the review being available for follow-up into the early evening, as they're trying to close the deal. Jill can't take those projects because of her strict 5 pm limitation, so I either do them myself, or if Jack is willing and able to do them, he takes some of them. To be clear, I do not dump all of these on Jack; I do my share of after-hours work.

"The result is that, while I hired them at the same salary, Jack has received slightly higher raises and bigger year-end bonuses than Jill..."

This all came to a head when I was called into HR after Jill's most recent performance review (to close out her 2nd year). As I did the first time, I rated her "successful." We only have three options - "needs improvement," "successful" and "outstanding." We also are limited overall within the company to no more than 10% "outstanding"; since I only have 2 direct reports, I have to lobby just to get even one "outstanding." The first year I rated them both successful and this year I rated Jack outstanding and Jill successful.

🏠 The Aftermath

After these revelations, Jill was understandably upset. She felt penalized for her work boundaries and the consequences were evident.

Jack continued to excel and receive higher rewards due to his willingness to work beyond regular hours, while Jill stuck to her agreed-upon schedule.

This situation highlighted the impact of differing work ethics and availability on career progression and compensation within the team.

"The disparity in rewards reflects more than just hours worked."

The aftermath revealed the repercussions of prioritizing work boundaries over additional effort in a competitive work environment.

💭 Emotional Reflection

This dilemma raises questions about fairness, recognition, and the balance between personal boundaries and professional advancement.

The emotional reflection on this scenario delves into the complexities of evaluating performance based on differing work approaches.

It is evident that while one employee's dedication is commendable, the impact on others with different priorities cannot be ignored.

Considering this situation, how would you react if you were in Jill or Jack's shoes?

"Jill's boundaries should be respected, but does it hinder her career growth?"

"Jack's extra effort deserves recognition, but at what cost to Jill?"

"Is it fair to base performance ratings solely on willingness to work beyond scheduled hours?"

The responses reflect the conflicting perspectives on balancing personal boundaries and professional growth within a team dynamic.

🌱 Final Thoughts

This scenario underscores the challenges of managing employees with varying work ethics and the impact it can have on performance evaluations and rewards.

The dilemma showcases the delicate balance between recognizing dedication and respecting personal boundaries in a professional setting.

What do you think?
Would you have left, or stayed and kept trying to make it work? Share your thoughts below 👇