Waterford boss posts 'no complaining' sign at office

WATERFORD TWP., MIch. (WJBK) - A boss puts his staff on notice - no complaining allowed.

But one of his employees responded by complaining to FOX 2.

"Complaining just for the sake of complaining never does any good so that was the context of the initial memo," said Dr. Keith Atkinson.

How would you respond if your supervisor issued this memo at work? It reads "None of us will complain. Effective immediately there will be a no complaint policy in the office. This goes for all employees of Heart Care including the physicians themselves."

FOX 2: "Doctor, I have to ask, do you ever complain about work?"

"Oh never, not at all," he said. "Complaints are a part of life. I know you guys are with the Problem Solvers, so it's about taking those complaints, adapting and overcoming."

Atkinson wrote this letter to his employees last week at the Heart Care office in Waterford.

FOX 2: "What kind of things were people complaining about if you can share?"

"We recently lost one of our medical assistants, and we've had two people who have been literally doing the work of three people," Atkinson said. "The other complaint is people not getting along. It's a he said, she said, kind of thing, dealing with that all the time. You try to talk to both sides to the point you don't even know what happened sometimes."

Some of the employees at the office did not want to comment on camera. However, the doctor wants to stress he took this approach to improve morale at work, making the point that we all have a job, it's never perfect, but we all must come together, work as a team, to get it done.

"However when I read the memo, you can't have a no complaint policy. In fact, our employee handbook says the exact of the opposite," Atkinson said.

Atkinson said he quickly revised the memo. Part of the addendum reads: "Understand that your feedback is welcomed at all times. Again, this is in the context of creating a positive work environment with good morale for all."

"We're going to have an office meeting about it," Atkinson said. "We're going to address any concerns we can, to help morale improve."

The doctor wanted to make one more point that he wants to his employees to feel good about coming to work, because that will improve customer service, which is key at this workplace.

"When people are happy, they work better and ultimately for us," he said. "Patient care is better."