To Fire Or Not To Fire (Part 2)

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

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

Originally Posted by Heritage

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

Originally Posted by Heritage

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.

Originally Posted by CookeCarpentry

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).

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

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

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

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

Originally Posted by KennMacMoragh

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.

Originally Posted by Heritage

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

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

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

Originally Posted by WNYcarpenter

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!!

Originally Posted by Framer53

It really isn't the bosses responsibility, Mike. The problem is the young employees don't think!

I do agree that it might be time to move on, but I guess I am a softee and like to know the reasons!

Originally Posted by KennMacMoragh

In Toronto I can see that. But Wayne, Pennsylvania?


I would call him up, ask when and how he's going to get back to work. If he doesn't answer and doesn't return your call, then get rid of him.

Originally Posted by loneframer

I have a prediction.
Call him and ask him when he is returning to work.
He may reply by saying "I just figured I was fired after my car trouble, that's why I didn't call you."
If you offer to allow him back, the result will be a useless POS employee that figures he's got you over a barrel, otherwise you wouldn't have called him back after he repeatedly took advantage of you. He will become increasingly less dependable until you lose your composure one day and blow a head gasket. This will result in the inadvertant attempted assault with a handsaw..... Not that I've ever been down that road before.

Originally Posted by Tinstaafl

I wonder why he was trying to start his vehicle at 7:30? Maybe he wasn't at home?

I agree with Lone and others; I have never let a crippled vehicle keep me from getting to work. OTOH, he did have the decency to let you know. OTOOH, he never followed up. Sigh.

You're never going to get a consensus from this group; we're too varied. And honestly, we're all talking through our hats anyway without being there and knowing far more about you, him and the business than we can get from a couple of forum messages.

Me, I'm a wuss. I'd wait for strike three.

Originally Posted by rselectric1

Definitely strike 2!

I would let him know that strike 3 will not have to be a very major infraction.

He's on "double secret probation"

Originally Posted by thom

Are you a boss or a doormat?

The sooner you make that decision, the sooner you can get on with running your company.

Originally Posted by Bill Z

I've been an employer for 33 years. In the beginning, I'd coddle the installers, help them with milk money, truck payments, bail..... the list goes on.

One day I woke up and fired all the losers and never looked back. You get what you allow.

In your case, you want more for the employee than he does. You know what a mistake it is to blow off a job. Don't make his problems your problems.

If you let this guy treat you this way, eventually everyone else will too.

Originally Posted by CookeCarpentry

So, after having this on my mind all day yesterday and today, I called said employee around 3:30pm to find out what the deal was.

I asked why he did not call back yesterday when he said he would - he told me he figured since I didn't hear from him that I would have assumed he was still trying to fix his car.

Told him that he was being let go and to mail me his last time card to get his last check, reminding him that this was the 2nd time in two weeks something like this happened.

He said ok, and hung up.

5 minutes later his mom called me , every 5 minutes until I picked up the phone....wanting to inform me that his car was in fact broke and that this was only the 2nd time it happened (missing work), and to give him another chance.

Originally Posted by rselectric1

Watch out Mark. He told his mom on you. His mom might even call your mom.

Originally Posted by CookeCarpentry

So, after having this on my mind all day yesterday and today, I called said employee around 3:30pm to find out what the deal was.

I asked why he did not call back yesterday when he said he would - he told me he figured since I didn't hear from him that I would have assumed he was still trying to fix his car.

Told him that he was being let go and to mail me his last time card to get his last check, reminding him that this was the 2nd time in two weeks something like this happened.

He said ok, and hung up.

5 minutes later his mom called me , every 5 minutes until I picked up the phone....wanting to inform me that his car was in fact broke and that this was only the 2nd time it happened (missing work), and to give him another chance.

Originally Posted by Mrmac204

I"m telling my mom on you!!!! what, is he 5 years old????

Holy F$#* this kid needs to grow up/grow some and move out of mom's house.

Young folks do need life lessons! and you just taught him one. Responsibility! show up on time and quit the g-darn whining.

I think you did both of you a favour. You've made room on your crew for possibly a new person who will show up and give you an honest day's work.

He gets to watch tv at mom's and think about how he's gonna make the next truck payment, or perhaps learn how to say "do you want biggie size?"

there's an ouside chance that he will stop and think- hey maybe I won't pull that sh(*e on the next job. could it be - just maybe- that "I" am responsible for my own actions?????????? hmmmmmmmm

You tried to help this kid. He wasn't bright enough to clue in.

Done.

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.

Originally Posted by celtic

Deny Everything, Admit Nothing, Demand Proof