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New production manager refuses to take off necklace…what would you do?

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The Food Scientist

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Posted 26 May 2020 - 03:43 PM

Any help with this guys:

 

We hired a new Production Manager and he wears a necklace, he says it's his "protection" and can not take it off. Of course rules are rules and he won't listen to me. I will take it to top management.

 

But what would you all do in that case? It's frustrating. 

 

Also its not a chain necklace or anything, no it actually has beads and pearls that are a major food safety hazard! 


Edited by The Food Scientist, 26 May 2020 - 03:43 PM.

Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.


olenazh

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Posted 26 May 2020 - 03:52 PM

It's not a matter of being potentially less of more hazard, but adherence to food safety rules regardless of rank. Especially if it's a person of such a high position who must serve as a model for workers. I would definitely report the top management first, and second, this person would fail food safety/GMP training



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Hoosiersmoker

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Posted 28 May 2020 - 12:07 PM

It ultimately becomes his choice, like all of us have: Do I want to stay here and follow the rules of go leave and go to another company? This would be a critical failure when your auditor asks him about it and he tells them he won't take it off.



olenazh

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Posted 28 May 2020 - 12:55 PM

I recall one curious case at the bakery I used to work for: a lady came to work having one of those Indian religious knives on her waist, kirpan. When she refused to take it off she was fired immediately.  



Setanta

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Posted 28 May 2020 - 01:12 PM

You ned to get your senior management to address this.

If they aren't willing to, it's a bad sign


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The Food Scientist

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Posted 28 May 2020 - 01:35 PM

Got senior management finally and he listened to them.

 

They always see the QA Manager as the enemy  :headhurts:


Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.


Charles.C

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Posted 28 May 2020 - 01:43 PM

Clearly the "protection" works.

 

Hopefully on the auditor also.

 

It's an impossible situation but sadly by no means a unique experience.

 

Previous similar threads often suggest to Run as fast as possible. But not always so easy in the $ World.


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


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Hoosiersmoker

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Posted 28 May 2020 - 01:44 PM

Got senior management finally and he listened to them.

 

They always see the QA Manager as the enemy  :headhurts:

I always try to use that to my advantage! Walk-throughs with the old eagle eye after someone gets a written correction seems to help with inconsistent compliance issues! haha :king:


Edited by Hoosiersmoker, 28 May 2020 - 01:45 PM.


Charles.C

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Posted 28 May 2020 - 02:22 PM

Hi FS,

.

Maybe request the necklace to be inside the shirt if that does not disable the "protection". Some cultures carry their worldly goods in gold necklaces so they dare not leave them off for fear of theft, IMEX auditors can live with this if not visible.


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


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Ryan M.

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Posted 28 May 2020 - 02:31 PM

Well...hopefully you won't always have to go to senior management to address issues with the production manager.  I hope he learned that what you say actually means something....crossing my fingers.

 

Whenever I've run into this with managers I always ask them, how do you think your employees with behave if you choose to not follow policies / procedures?  It always stumps them...or they give a smart ass response.  But, it works 9 out of 10 times; even the not so bright ones get it...most of the time.



The Food Scientist

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Posted 28 May 2020 - 02:35 PM

I am going to conduct a full GMP/Food Safety training next week. And all new employees will sign! 

 

Thanks for the advice!


Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.


Charles.C

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Posted 28 May 2020 - 02:40 PM

I am going to conduct a full GMP/Food Safety training next week. And all new employees will sign! 

 

Thanks for the advice!

Don't forget your corrective action for defects.


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


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Jose 007

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Posted 30 May 2020 - 02:16 AM

Any help with this guys:

 

We hired a new Production Manager and he wears a necklace, he says it's his "protection" and can not take it off. Of course rules are rules and he won't listen to me. I will take it to top management.

 

But what would you all do in that case? It's frustrating. 

 

Also its not a chain necklace or anything, no it actually has beads and pearls that are a major food safety hazard! 

 

I will have our HR handle the issue. But if you have a pre-employment contract signing with a subsection on Adherence to Company policies which clearly states that the employee  will abide to company policies... I think that will help.  Food Safety Policies are part of the company policies that it  required to be complied with. Noncompliance will surely result to disciplinary aciyou, I will ban on.

 

If I were you I'll ban that person from entering areas with open  products. Oh well that will be your second option. You can assign that person to areas where products are already packed.. However , your challenge here is the opinion of your other employees in the area. They will surely  question the bias of your implementation. I mean, they might question why you are strict with rank and file employees and yet lenient on your Production Manager.

 

Always remember that there must be no exemption to your food safety policies. And that manager must put that on his/her mind as well. Kick him/her out of the company if he is not willing to comply!



SQFconsultant

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Posted 30 May 2020 - 02:25 AM

Maybe he/she just needs to be trained on gmps? It should sink it and if it does not you need to follow your company procedure for warnings, etc.


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Posted 30 May 2020 - 12:37 PM

talk with senior management for this



Charles.C

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Posted 30 May 2020 - 02:24 PM

talk with senior management for this

Post 6 ?


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


TimG

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Posted 01 June 2020 - 12:51 PM

Got senior management finally and he listened to them.

 

They always see the QA Manager as the enemy  :headhurts:

 

So he removed it? I'm a bit shocked it worked out this way, to be honest.

Hopefully that doesn't start a department feud...



The Food Scientist

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Posted 01 June 2020 - 01:34 PM

Yes he removed (by order of someone else and not me the SQFP) and never put it on again. I am conducting new training this week. What does a SQFP/FS Manager need to do to earn respect? Geeez!


Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.


Setanta

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Posted 01 June 2020 - 01:49 PM

Yes he removed (by order of someone else and not me the SQFP) and never put it on again. I am conducting new training this week. What does a SQFP/FS Manager need to do to earn respect? Geeez!

 

Any Respect a QA receives from Production is fleeting at best!               :whoosh:   


-Setanta         

 

 

 


pHruit

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Posted 01 June 2020 - 01:50 PM

What does a SQFP/FS Manager need to do to earn respect? Geeez!

I'm no expert, but I think something along the lines of turning water into wine, or possibly summoning a lightening bolt on command to smite those who can't follow a basic set of food safety requirements (or at least give them a thoroughly good startling). Short of that I fear we're all in for a career that includes a range of daft challenges that shouldn't exist...



TimG

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Posted 01 June 2020 - 01:52 PM

I wouldn't take it too personally. Plant and production managers are typically A-type personality's, in fact it's what usually makes them excel in that position. They're (maybe we're, I won't admit to it) the hardest to convince, but sometimes the ole "do it or look for a different job" approach works.

At the very least it impresses on them the importance of keeping the contraband out of sight.



The Food Scientist

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Posted 01 June 2020 - 02:29 PM

I wouldn't take it too personally. Plant and production managers are typically A-type personality's, in fact it's what usually makes them excel in that position. They're (maybe we're, I won't admit to it) the hardest to convince, but sometimes the ole "do it or look for a different job" approach works.

At the very least it impresses on them the importance of keeping the contraband out of sight.

 

I agree but it is not the case with all of them. I worked in places that had the Plant/Production managers follow all directions and were willing to coordinate. They were trained very well on topics in Food Safety and you could trust them with all those rules in your absence. It is a culture thing I guess. And it needs time!


Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.


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Posted 01 June 2020 - 05:58 PM

Make sure that this is captured within your induction, which all staff regardless of position and function need to go through.

You don't want to get caught out further down the line. Glad you got sorted, just make sure it's monitored but in the correct way, include personal hygiene within your GMP audits whether they're weekly or monthly and keep anonymous, the last thing you need is friction between Technical and Production. 



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Posted 01 June 2020 - 07:15 PM

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that has to deal with these things. It's always a fight when getting people to take off jewelry or fake nails, especially when it's supervisors and managers that don't listen.



The Food Scientist

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Posted 01 June 2020 - 07:29 PM

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that has to deal with these things. It's always a fight when getting people to take off jewelry or fake nails, especially when it's supervisors and managers that don't listen.

 

I read somewhere a while ago that around 3 out of 5 companies go through this. So don't worry it happens very often! 


Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.




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