Rainaldi let me add a few comments. I still say stay away from following social media. Kids rant too! That said… my father had one very solid rule. Nobody…not even himself as the owner were so valueable that they could not be replaced. Yes it is a pain to replace and train… but I witnessed people from entry level cleanup to plant managers walk in with their own agenda and then with the threat of leaving if their DEMANDS were not addressed…and 100% of them were thanked for their service and escorted to HR to sign off on their paperwork that they were quiting due too whatever reasons they had put forth. Most back stepped really fast but all were terminated. We also never lost an unemployment hearing over termination for these reasons. You dont walk in and say you will quit if you dont get what you want and then say you stay because you realize we wont bite on your demands. Now these were not kids and most made decent money and we had great benefits so I did not feel bad for the few let go. We had a 93% retention rate of over 5 years with 300 or so on payroll. We also had a70%+ rate of temp to hire positions. The other 30% of temps didnt want real fulltime work and most lasted less than 2 weeks. All that said…great or horrible employee…you own the place. If she is needed and refuses then she is gone. I will work around peoples plans and other activities as best we as a company can but in the end you have a business to run. I am 100% supportive that you have to have something other than work. I love the phrase “Work to live, don’t live to work!” If she goes…it sucks and it’s time to hire and train once again. So I guess I am saying try to make it work but dont take any crap. I am kindof playing both sides here…it is a juggling act, Best of luck to you and continued success for your business. - Michael
I want to keep adding here. RG’s comment about your screwed either way is true for many employers but that is my entire point. Build good working relationships with your people and not make everything owner vs employee or mgr vs nonmgr. Even your best workers and YOU will have things come up. Daddio talking about giving advance notice that days xyz are all hands on. Then a party comes up…too bad they need to be at work. Having just had to deal with 2 deaths in the past 4 days I totally feel for the legit circumstances that arise. I also, even though kids, think they do and will learn sometimes the hard way. The comment that if she comes in and doesnt want to be there that her work will show it…that is what I am trying to get through to people here. Treat all your employees well. Pay well. Give benefits as best as the company can. Give those little bonuses and perks when you can. A little company goodwill jesture will go a very long way when you need it in return. Yes when money is tight it is easier said than done…but training a new hire will cost so much more in the long run and you are back at square one with the whole trust issue.
Maybe I live in some sort of bubble?
If one of my staff was posting on a social media site how they were looking forward to an event and then lied to me about the reason for request for that time off I would fire them on the spot if I found out.
(Reality being it’s probably happened. Just never got involved in the whole pretend social scene aka Facebook etc so I live a life of ignorance).
As an aside I would NOT have an issue with any government agency after firing the liar as I could produce proof of their duplicity.
I’d like to think I wouldn’t have hired that person in the first place.
Lie to me and getting fired will pale into insignificance real quick.
Bottom line is the mentality that thinks that they can post their thoughts/wishes/intentions on the internet and be surprised when called on it need to get a grip on reality.
If a staff member is in a position such that you, as the owner, can be “pressured” into bending to their unreasonable demands you should take a long hard look at just who is running the business and your business model.
While I’m ranting, Facebook etc… don’t even think of inviting me to be a “friend”.
Will not happen. Yes, I made a mistake and “signed up” due to pressure from other members of my MC “so that members in others countries could contact me”.
Been trying to cancel it ever since. I got a stream of " be my friend" crap from people I’d met/known over the years.
PLEASE, if somebody can tell me how to completely remove myself from it let me know.
My phone number is 25-zero-893-8-eight-five-three . You want to talk with me, call me. Don’t need to hide. Don’t need Facebook etc…
Before you flame me for being a dinosaur etc, don’t care. Works for me and my business. About to open our second location, must be doing something right.
Thanks everyone for the different points of view. It gives me something to think about. But this person has gone to far already. She has been told that she will lose her job if she does not show up for work Friday night.
Will that be considered quiting or getting fired? How should I word it to protect myself with any unemployment claim?
Thanks again everyone!
My policy is clearly outlined in my employee handbook, a no show is resignation without notice.
Labor law is all over the place and a pain. DO NOT TAKE MY WORD ON ANY OF THIS IN THE LEGAL SENSE!!! Daddio…if I remember right under US Fed law…it takes 3 days or 72 hours to be considered job desertion. Again…this is all from old memory. If you live in an “at will” state…as I do… you can terminate for any reason at all unless a contract is at play. I have seen and heard of unemployment hearings going all over the place also. You say proof via a web page… probably will not hold up. What if she just calls in sick now? Then what…posted pics later? Dont get me wrong the lying is a much larger issue than I think I made clear. I know there will always be problem employees…etc. But, this all falls back on my other post. Build a trusting relationship with your employees. I am not saying “friend” them… I am saying a professional working relationship where you work together in the best interest of the business but also understand that people have lives too. I have been involved with both ways of thinking and in the end… I will take mutual respect and understanding over the other ways every time! I know sometimes it costs money, takes times, and can just be a PITA… but the fewer headaches in the longrun are worth the compromises that it sometimes takes and you usually end up with happier and more productive people on top of it all.
I guess it is a good thing I’m in Canada :lol:
Your in a bad spot either way. Firing her is not going to help the situation at all since you are understaffed. In my opinion I would not fire her yet. You need her next week. Your staffing problem is not going to solve itself over the weekend. Hire a couple of people on Monday. Once they are up and running, can the girl. Even if she only shows up half the time, at least that is half the time you are staffed. When she doesn’t show up kick the staff some extra money that is having to cover. Regardless of when you fire her the staff will know you are capable of it.
I guess I look at it I am in the business to run a pizza shop, not prove points to employees.
However, if the employee did something terrible to a customer or something, of course you have to let them go right away
There are plenty of people who have to work holidays. Emergency personnel such as firemen, policemen, nurses, etc. Don’t let the inmates run the institution. If she is going to get time off for any reason, just because she doesn’t feel like working, what kind of example is set for your remaining employees?
I hope when you hire people, that you make clear what the rules are and that they may have to work holidays.
If they want to be kids, let them be kids on their time.
pat
Bingo. When emotions come into play, it is easy to forget this.
I have worked in places that had “flexible” scheduling or “rigid” scheduling…And from I remember the places with “flexible” scheduling were better workplaces…Happy workers = happy customers…
AJ, I understand what you are saying, but if I let her tell me that she is NOT working and let her get away with it, what kind of message does that send to everyone else?? The fact that we just gave her a raise 3 weeks ago with the agreement that she would work ONE weekend day a week is another factor. She worked the first one, came in and left an hour later with a hangover the next week, and is now telling me that she will NOT work this one.
Royster, I think the main problem is that we have to been flexible in the past. We would bend over backwards and just let the place run shorthanded while employees needed time off. That is what we are curtailing now. We still allow them time off if they can get it covered, but will not give them off without coverage. We work around everyone’s schedule every week, from college, high school functions, and other jobs.
I don’t think we are being unreasonable telling her No show, No job.
Is it time to simply have more warm bodies available to be scheduled?
If you’re cutting it this close, where there is no one else to cover a shift even with this much notice, my suggestion would be to get at least 2 more who could be available, and WANT to be available. It sounds like you have gone above and beyond for the young lady in question, and she seems to want to work at her convenience and not yours. Surely, there are several (maybe not even teenagers) who would jump at the chance to work a busy Friday night on a regular basis, and pull in tips galore. It will cost you on the bottom line for a while, but 1)you’ll find at least a couple more good employees 2)you will have enough horses to cover anything 3) maybe you and your wife can take part of a Friday off now and then.
Your sanity is as important as anything…all of this can’t be good for you. The customers will suffer if you’re short, and that will be bad for the business, which is worse for you.
I know, it’s too late to help tonight, but for the future, it’s time.
Oh, I completely agree. She has to go. The question is when, and you know what kind of shape you are in staff wise better than any of us.
I have been in your spot before, and faced this exact thing. Unfortunately for the business I let is slide, but didn’t forget. As soon I was able, I phased them out. I also normally don’t tell them it was for that exact thing as then you just look like a vindictive ass.
Her being gone on friday night is a given, whether you fire her or not. The question is how will firing effect your next week. If its poorly, again, the business and the customer are the most important thing
I have been having this same problem. My solution… I hired 2 more employees. The employee that was giving me the problem complained that next week he has 4 days off. My comment to him was “3 of the 4 days you told me you could not work”. He said “yes, I needed 3 days off but not 4”. I told him “I had to hire more employees to cover all the days off that you need and I have to spread around the available working hours”.
With 18 years of experience as an owner/operator in a small town employing exclusively young adults to operate my business, this thread reminded me of earlier years.
I have found that even the best staff eventually peak and the once the thrill is gone, it never comes back and it’s time to move on.
I appreciate the relationships I’ve had with over a hundred young people who’ve worked alongside me but I’ve also learned *the hard way) that our relationship at it’s core is business.
“Special” scheduling requirements (no weekends, etc.) for a senior “MVP” employee are usually the beginning of the end.
I love my staff, and due to a poor economy the six of them easily account for over 15 years of cumulative experience with me, yet every and any one of them can be replaced quite easily…and every single one of them knows it!
If a high school senior showed up “hung over”, I don’t believe I’d be so forgiving.
Just wanted to give everyone an update:
This employee is no longer an employee of ours. She did not come in last Friday night (as expected) and even had the nerve to call in an order for her boyfriend to pickup (didn’t really want to take the order, but why turn down a $40 order!!). We found out that they were actually on a double date that night. She came in Monday night to work and my wife told her that she is not working tonight and that she had lost her job. She turned around, rolled her eyes and walked out.
I cannot believe how some people think. I guess she thought that we were not serious about losing her job if she did not show up. Oh well, we just hired two new employees yesterday with experience that will be able to jump right in. Everything happens for a reason.
Thanks again for everyone’s input…
I know I am late chiming in but, I have a strict policy two weeks notice for a day off or you find someone to work for you. We have a small staff and if you need time off for a “family function” then your family should know that you as an employee need to ask for it off at least two weeks in advance. Quite simply if you don’t follow the policy find another job.