To Fire or Not to Fire (Part 2) - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

CookeCarpentry · 11-07-2009, 02:32 PM

For those of you who followed part one of this, I had a problem with an employee who overslept, missed work and the subsequent handling of it - which involved being written up and the upcoming pay raise being suspended indefinitely. The thread can be found here: http://www.contractortalk.com/f11/fi...uestion-67131/

This was about 2 weeks ago.

Fast forward to yesterday (Friday). I get a call at 7:30am (our start time for this job is 9am, and he lives no more than 15 minutes from this job). He says that his vehicle will not start and that he has to wait for a friend to come over and repair (or whatever).

I offered to swing by on my way in and give a ride, offer was declined saying that he needed to get this dealt with right away and that he would be in touch with me later in the day to let me know if he was coming in or not.

It's 2:30pm Saturday and I have not heard anything from him.

Your thoughts?

Framer53 · 11-07-2009, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CookeCarpentry

For those of you who followed part one of this, I had a problem with an employee who overslept, missed work and the subsequent handling of it - which involved being written up and the upcoming pay raise being suspended indefinitely. The thread can be found here: http://www.contractortalk.com/f11/fi...uestion-67131/

This was about 2 weeks ago.

Fast forward to yesterday (Friday). I get a call at 7:30am (our start time for this job is 9am, and he lives no more than 15 minutes from this job). He says that his vehicle will not start and that he has to wait for a friend to come over and repair (or whatever).

I offered to swing by on my way in and give a ride, offer was declined saying that he needed to get this dealt with right away and that he would be in touch with me later in the day to let me know if he was coming in or not.

It's 2:30pm Saturday and I have not heard anything from him.

Your thoughts?

I think his time might be up. answer one question, has he been paid yet this week?

**loneframer** · 11-07-2009, 02:40 PM

You're fired

, don't bother thumbing a ride over to pick up your last check either. I'll drop it in the mail on Friday.

KennMacMoragh · 11-07-2009, 02:42 PM

Call him up?

My truck has broken down a few times, nothing I can do about it.

CookeCarpentry · 11-07-2009, 02:43 PM

Framer53 - has NOT been paid (as payday is Friday and he did not show up).

Lone - not saying I disagree with you, care to elaborate on why?

CookeCarpentry · 11-07-2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KennMacMoragh

Call him up?

My truck has broken down a few times, nothing I can do about it.

Kenn - I understand about vehicles breaking down.

Why should it be my responsibility to track him down?

Willie T · 11-07-2009, 02:56 PM

Ya do what you can, and I think you sure have, but you can't become a doormat.

**loneframer** · 11-07-2009, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CookeCarpentry

Framer53 - has NOT been paid (as payday is Friday and he did not show up).

Lone - not saying I disagree with you, care to elaborate on why?

You offered him a ride to work. He declined with a lame excuse. Where would his vehicle be if he was working? At the job, so why did he need to address it on Friday? Saturday with a pocket full of payday would have been the appropriate time to deal with his vehicle if he was committed to keeping a good repore with his employer.
I was an employee for years in construction before I went on my own. When my car broke down, I found a way to work. I totalled my truck on the way to work one day, I was on the job within an hour or two of start time. How you deal with a situation depends on where your priorities lie. His job is not his priority.

CookeCarpentry · 11-07-2009, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loneframer

You offered him a ride to work. He declined with a lame excuse. Where would his vehicle be if he was working? At the job, so why did he need to address it on Friday? Saturday with a pocket full of payday would have been the appropriate time to deal with his vehicle if he was committed to keeping a good repore with his employer.
I was an employee for years in construction before I went on my own. When my car broke down, I found a way to work. I totalled my truck on the way to work one day, I was on the job within an hour or two of start time. How you deal with a situation depends on where your priorities lie. His job is not his priority.

Thanks, lone. Again, not saying I disagree, just looking for some insight (which your provided).

I can't ever remember missing a day of work because of a vehicle problem - if it was broke and I couldn't get it running, I'd ask the boss for a ride (or he'd offer), get a co-worker, friend...hell, I remember having to have my mother drop me off on a jobsite (about 2 weeks into new employment, because I was afraid to call the boss and tell him I was having truck troubles).

Warren · 11-07-2009, 03:12 PM

Fire him. You should not have to deal with his drama all the time. This is now a pattern that will continue. I remember once as a 19 year old employee, I had car trouble. I ended up calling a cab. Cost be a couple of bucks, but my boss was impressed with my resolve to make it to work.

**loneframer** · 11-07-2009, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CookeCarpentry

Thanks, lone. Again, not saying I disagree, just looking for some insight (which your provided).

I can't ever remember missing a day of work because of a vehicle problem - if it was broke and I couldn't get it running, I'd ask the boss for a ride (or he'd offer), get a co-worker, friend...hell, I remember having to have my mother drop me off on a jobsite (about 2 weeks into new employment, because I was afraid to call the boss and tell him I was having truck troubles).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warren

Fire him. You should not have to deal with his drama all the time. This is now a pattern that will continue. I remember once as a 19 year old employee, I had car trouble. I ended up calling a cab. Cost be a couple of bucks, but my boss was impressed with my resolve to make it to work.

These are examples of people who are driven and care about the image they project. In this game, you must care about what other people think in order to suceed. Your employee is thinking of himself with no consideration of how it affects those around him.

Mike Finley · 11-07-2009, 03:43 PM

My two responses from before which I take it you didn't do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

Send him to a piss test tomorrow morning when he shows up. Nip this sh!t in the bud, at least you will know now instead of 12 months and many more painful issues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

Hell yes. You write up the incident and have them sign it. If he refuses to sign it, you write that on the incident report also. "Billbob refused to sign 10-26-2009"

He turns out to be the golden calf for you over the next few years, who cares about the document.

He turns out to be just starting out on meth and over the next 2 months you're always scratching your head at his hot and cold routine of being the best employee for a few days then being a f-up, then back to the best employee and then you finally figure it out, at least you have the document in the file.

Plus never doubt the powers of a little wake up call that a write up produces. It lets him know where he stands, that his actions have consequences and that you are a serious employer. If he is a good guy the write up will mean a lot to him, he will take it personally.

If you're not going to follow this priceless free advice that others would be paying me big bucks for I'm not sure I can keep offering it to you.

Guess what my advice to you now is?

Framer53 · 11-07-2009, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CookeCarpentry

Framer53 - has NOT been paid (as payday is Friday and he did not show up).

Lone - not saying I disagree with you, care to elaborate on why?

I would call him to find out if he is OK. If he is, I think I might let him go. Move on to the next suspect!

freemason21 · 11-07-2009, 04:00 PM

how much does he mean to you? is it possible something outside of work is affecting him? if he is valuable to you, and you have a good relationship with him other then the bs that's been taking place, i'd talk to him. if he has some sorry excuse then i'd say it time to fire his a$$.

freemason21 · 11-07-2009, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CookeCarpentry

Thanks, lone. Again, not saying I disagree, just looking for some insight (which your provided).

I can't ever remember missing a day of work because of a vehicle problem - if it was broke and I couldn't get it running, I'd ask the boss for a ride (or he'd offer), get a co-worker, friend...hell, I remember having to have my mother drop me off on a jobsite (about 2 weeks into new employment, because I was afraid to call the boss and tell him I was having truck troubles).

i've had my mom bring me to work a couple of times. i got a whirlwind of ball bustin for that haha

freemason21 · 11-07-2009, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KennMacMoragh

Call him up?

My truck has broken down a few times, nothing I can do about it.

you can always have a legitimate reason for not showing up to work, but there are zero excuses for not calling. if there is any one thing i've learned doing construction your boss is counting on you, and if you leave him in the dark it can screw up an entire day's worth of work! its unacceptable. pick up a phone and call. if i had some personal stuff to deal with i wouldnt call in sick i'd talk to the boss the night before "hey i've got some business to take care of and i'd like to do it tomorrow, if i can, if no i can handle it another day but i need to do it soon" whatever the case is. theres just no reason for leaving someone hangin like that.

KennMacMoragh · 11-07-2009, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CookeCarpentry

Kenn - I understand about vehicles breaking down.

Why should it be my responsibility to track him down?

Sounds like a communication problem between you and him. If I call up my boss and tell him I am sick, he might say "o.k, call us back tomorrow morning and let us know how you're feeling". I'll say "o.k", that way he knows what's going on and when I can possibly get back to work.

As for a truck breaking down, I can think back once where it happened to me. I'll try and remember it right, the conversation I had with my boss went something like this"
Me: I don't think I can make it, I got a problem with my truck
Boss: What's wrong with it?
Me: There's smoke coming out of the wheel, and it drives really funny, I don't want to risk any further damage by driving it more.
Boss: I can give you a ride
Me: Well it would have to be kind of late, I have to have it towed and taken care of in the morning, and I don't know how long that will take.
Boss: O.k
Me: I will have my brother in law give me a ride tomorrow though.

It sounds like you didn't end the conversation with how and when he was going to return to work. I don't know your employee, maybe he does have a problem with responsibility and needs to go. But I don't believe people should be fired unless it's perfectly fair, they shouldn't be fired over a mis-communication issue.

Heritage · 11-07-2009, 04:21 PM

This sounds like the classic symptom's of having a Generation Y employee.

He obviously has a night-time social life and not necessarily a drug addiction. It could mean, he likes girls, parties etc. and hasn't separated personal life from job obligations. But he still needs to pay rent/bills.

You, as an employer may take this as a personal affront but don't take it personal. He doesn't yet see enough promise with you/your company to make a full hearted commitment so he'll push the boundaries time and time again and essentially quit until you fire him.

Bottom line being, you're not his psychiatrist/counselor. You have to protect YOUR interests. I will guarantee that his habits will not change until you fire him. Personally, I would have a sit down talk with him and if he's a decent enough individual he will appreciate this. You tell him that you require a commitment from him, that he has disrespected you and your company, that his personal life is intervening with your schedule and that you have to regretfully fire him. Tell him that if, somewhere down the line he changes his perspective/attitude, then you are willing to bring him back on board and start anew but until he can make that promise to himself/you you have no other choice.

Now if I'm way off track and he's not in his twenties...then you got a crack head on your hands

Mike Finley · 11-07-2009, 04:24 PM

I never knew it was a bosses or an employer's responsibility to drag out all this sh*t out of an employee.

I can't come to work bye....

Wait a minute... why? What's wrong? What can I do? How are you feeling? Can I make it better? When do I get to see you again? Do you still love me?

WTF?

over

WNYcarpenter · 11-07-2009, 04:34 PM

I have no idea what kinda patience you have....I disagree with being a hot-head about this stuff, but I agree that some folks just have constant drama bombs going off all around them....whether it's their fault or not initially, it's a lack of planning that gets people into trouble.

It's tough to crawl out of the gutter without a support system, and no decent role models! It's also hard to leave your looser friends behind even when you know you're better than that.....

I say, pull him aside and say "strike Two"....one more and I'll be forced to find someone more reliable!

edit: Ask the crew....how do they feel about it? It Irks the sh!t out of me when another guy isn't pulling his weight!!