I had an incident with my first and only employee today. He told me at anout 12 o’clock that he just had remembered that he had a doctors appointment that afternoon and would need to leave early. The job I was working on didn’t really require two people and I let him go. He said that his mother was going to pick him up at three. When three rolled around he left and walked to a nearby store to be picked up.
About an hour later his mom stopped by the job site, (she cleans my house so we’re on a friendly basis,) and she asked where he was. I said that he had left and told her to call him. SDhe went to her car, got on the phone and left.
I’m not sure whether to fire him or not. We’ve only had one other issue since he started working with me about a month ago, and besides that it’s been working out very well, (punctual, respectful hardworking, etc.) I don’t want to overereact but I also don’t want him to think that it’s ok to lie to me. I don’t know what to do.
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Unless there are other things going on, that doesn't sound all that bad to me. Is there more to the story?
I guess i should say the other issue i had was that he showed up to a job either very hung over or high and i had to send him home
126647.4 in reply to 126647.2
I guess i should say the other issue i had was that he showed up to a job either very hung over or high and i had to send him home
Yeah, I guess you should mention that! That's a whole 'nother ball of wax. If these two incidents happened in a reasonably short time frame then I'd be having the "Strike Two" talk with him. My guys work hard and play hard and I encourage both. But not together. Not ever. Don't come in hung or high on my time. Not only is it a waste of my money, but it's simply too dangerous. That's a whole seperate issue.View Image
Do you pay for the time off?
Listen to his side of the story. Start by saying your Mom stopped by yesterday at 4 PM, did you connect with her. He will either chip in and add more info or be defensive. Either way you have your answer.
Does he have a pattern of such behavior? Sounds like he could be let off to go to Doc. Does he hunker in and get the job done when a maximum effort push is needed. Does he have promise to grow in skill and talent?
Do you pay unemployment? Normally you employ progressive discipline for firing for cause or you pay unemployment (New York).
I make it perfectly clear and blatantly obvious to my guys that they don't ever NEED to lie to me. If they need time off, I give it to them. If they simply want time off, I give it to them. If they're just having a horrible day (and nothing major is going on at the jobsite) I'll let them split if they need to. It's usually pretty obvious to me when my guys are either getting burned out or have something more important going on in their lives other than work... so I usually beat them to the punch and offer them the day (or afternoon) off. I'd guess that 85% of the time, just knowing that I noticed and actually care, gets them refocused and able to finish out the day or week or whatever. The other 15% of the time they thank me, apologize profusely, and come back with their stuff together ready to go the next day.
Perhaps just a heart to heart is in order?
That being said, you also have to make it perfectly clear that abuse of such a policy will not be tolerated under no uncertain terms. It's a tight rope, but it works well for me with my guys. I could get my guys to work 12 hours a day for me, Sunday included if I wanted to.... because they know they could walk up to me any given day and tell me they'd like to go snowboarding the next day and I'd give 'em the time off and throw them the cash for their lift pass.
So how do you respond if your policy is abused?
My crew is pretty good about self policing. It doesn't take long for a misfit to know he's in the wrong place and the problem usually takes care of itself. If it doesn't, then I take care of it. I have no problem with letting a guy go who just isn't a good fit. If I feel that my trust is being taken advantage of then I would simply the tell the employee as much. I always give them a change to make it right, but three strikes and I'm done. I figure that the first time is a communication problem. The second time is the other party testing the boundaries. And the third time is out right defiance. That's when I'd let them go. But being high on a jobsite would be grounds for immediate firing for me. Simply too dangerous... too much liability... too much exposure for me.... roofs, heavy walls, nailers, saws, ladders, heavy equipment.... it's dangerous without being high.
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Edited 11/16/2009 9:22 pm ET by dieselpig
Pardon the passing hijack... good to see you again Brian. Hope life has been treating you well!PaulB
http://www.finecontracting.com
I would not jump the gun and let him go just yet. Be honest and keep the communication OPEN. Good employees are extremely hard to find. Would suggest a progressive disciplinary procedure which can be developed very easily. Example: incident #1- warning. #2- 2 days off. #3- one week off. #4- Termination.
These are just suggestions, but dont keep it to yourself if you are upset, it only grows into more animosity.
Keep everything on the table. Within your procedure you can state that theft, and dishonest actions are cause for immediate dismissal however.
Good luck. You will feel better if you tried your best to keep your guys, and it will prevent them from walking all over you.
I've got a hair trigger but I don't think I've ever considered firing someone because I suspected, or knew, that they lied to me. Ummmmm....I hate to break this to you.....THEY ALL LIE!!!!!!
You don't even know why he left and you're already firing him. He may have had a good reason...maybe he farted and it was wet. Maybe he needed a few rounds with a hooker. Maybe he was heading for the tool store to buy you a new saw.
Fire the guy when he deserves it. You haven't proved your case yet and....the next guy you hire might really be a screw up.
Count your blessings.
I have guys doing things like that almost everyday
I'm exaggerating a little bit but I've got guys taking off to go fishing, hunting, football, out of town for a few days, you name it
I always had guys taking off for all that stuff too. For the most part of my career, I didn't care and used to tell them to come to work when they are sick and take off and do fun stuff when they were healthy. That makes sense to me....I don't want to lay our moaning on my day off LOL.
I did fire one guy for lying about his mother dying though. That just peeved me off. The only reason I knew was because he told me that his mother was laid out in my Step Father in Laws funeral home. Of course, I didn't believe him (I rarely believed any excuses that were given to me) and I called my father in law and asked LOL. For the most part of my career, I refused to listen to any reasons why someone was late or missing. I just really didn't care and couldn't see any reason why they should explain anything to me. I didn't want them calling in the morning to tell me that they weren't coming in because "I'll know that you aren't here, when you aren't here". I've built enough houses alone to the point that I didn't really need anyone.
I had one guy who was chronically late and absent. One day, I decided that I never wanted him coming up near me groveling again so I put him on a special "flexible work hour" schedule...meaning he could work anytime he wanted and come in any time and leave any time and take as many days off as he wanted. The next day he came in half an hour after we started and he walked up to me to give me his excuse. I should have fired him for being stupid. I really hated his groveling.
I called an employee an hour and 15 mins before start time. To get him there on time. Thought it would embarass him.
he ended up liking it.
(he still was late once or twice)
Edited 11/16/2009 11:55 pm ET by Scrapr
I couldn't stand the owner of the Pipeorgan shop I worked in. But I loved the work. I found the best of both worlds was to start work at 0400 and when he arrived at 0900 have a quick tete-a-tete, and do a few more hours, then book out at 1 in the afternoon.
I had jsut enough of him to keep things rolling, and the shop to myself for 5 glorious hours.
Time clock kept it honest. I also missed sitting in a lot of traffic to and fro.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
PROUD MEMBER OF THE " I ROCKED WITH REZ" CLUB
blue, this thread reminds me again( as if i needed reminding!)-why I am done,Done DONE with employees! I will never be able to understand what in the world is so hard about getting out of bed and showing up for work ON TIME? want to go skiing?-great!- go on the weekend-and buy your own lift ticket!I freely admidt- I am not cut out to be an employer- primarily because I resent all the things that suddenly seem to be MY responsibility-case in point- the correspondence I now have to carry on with my county with regaurds to a guy who hasn't worked with me in 6 months and isn't paying child support for his 6 month-3week old daughter!got to run,
stephen
"I put him on a special "flexible work hour" schedule...meaning he could work anytime he wanted and come in any time and leave any time and take as many days off as he wanted."Did that once, and added that I would be using a flexible pay schedule too.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
My first "construction" job was working for re-modeler in my neighborhood who paid $5 hour cash ( in 1983), told me to keep track of my own hours and ask him when I whenever I wanted pay. I had to tell him the day before if I wasn't going to be there...
we are suppose to work 7-3:30 but for the last 26 years been on flex time, I start every morning at 4:30 and walk in the house at 6:30its common, very common to leave the house at 10 pm work all nigh and then get off at 5 pm the next day.Last monday tuesday we had that so called hurricane, I was rain out so I stayed in bed, never did call in, the office went crazy.
Jim and Brian, framers tend to be a different breed of employee anyway.
I think I have seen every type of human on the planet working framing. Seems to attrack the different human!
Jim and Brian, framers tend to be a different breed of employee anyway.
This is so true. Maybe it also takes a different breed of boss? View Image
Boss? You mean straw boss.
Call it what you like.View Image
I guess you could call it "cat herder".
You know you are having a bad day, when the herder is there, but no cats!>G<
LOLWere you watching me?
Yo u want me to share the video?>G<
I think so!
I would (rather innocently) ask him if he had gotten together with his mother since she showed up at the job looking for him. Then, let him do the talking and decide if he's being straight with you.
Just tell him what's up!
Let him know that you won't put up with lying and maybe let him know that from now on you will be watching him closely. That should be enough to straighten his back and to be more careful with what he tells you while giving him more respect for the jobsite!
I'd call him out on it and see what he says.
I don't think I'd fire him if everything else you said is true but I'd want to put an end to it.
I'd fire him for being a doper
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Didn't know that was confirmed