what Would you Do About Employee?

[NYboy]

New employee starts work at $500 take home for 40 hours. He works first day, 2nd day never shows up or calls. he is to work 8am to 4pm. 8pm that night his wife calls me begging not to fire him; claimed he got on wrong bus and didn't know my phone number. I told wife I would give him only 1 more chance. next 3 days he is on time, he is off for weekend. Yesterday on time. Today never shows up for work. 815 I tx him are you coming to work no reply. At 11 I tx again your fired, after that tx he replys brother was in car accident last night, he is ok but in hospital I forgot to call. In his first 7 workdays he has not shown up 2x. My sister thinks I am being to hard and should give him one more chance. I feel even if his brother was in accident he should call.

 

[afchicken]

if his brother was rly in a car accedint he may not have had his phone on in the hospital if you are going to fire him i would atleast check eligibility of his claim see if his brother was rly in the hospital. i know i would call asap which would be when i was leaving the hospital

 

[NYboy]

His brother was in accident last night. That gave him all night plus the morning to find a phone. Its kind of like the boy who cryed wolf. When a wolf showed up no one believed him.

 

[urban escapee]

As someone that used to manage 45 emoployees...fired him. I would not have given him another chance on after the first day. Kinda harsh, but that behavior is indicative of what you can expect to see if you keep him, he will be more hassle than he is worth in the long run.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

If he had in fact gotten on the wrong bus, *he* should have called you, not his wife. It seems clear that he is not invested in this job. I sure wouldn't hold it against you for firing him.

 

[chefchick]

Take it from somone who has been there... get rid of him now before one chance becomes 20 before you fire him and get stuck paying him unemployment. If you really are a softie, and don't want to get in trouble with the wife, at least give him a very detailed written warning, with the infractions listed and what acceptable work related behavior is. Make a list of rules about calling in and stick to them. But, IMO, he's trouble and you'd be better off in the long run to hire someone else. we had a guy work for us that lived next door and called in (after three ohurs late) because a bear spread trash in his yard and he had to clean it up. and then he went four wheeling instead.

 

[dewey]

We've probably heard every excuse in the book. Does the company drug test?

Without a (legit) reason for no-show/no-call they would have been let go the first time it happened.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. Sounds like he may have a drug/alcohol problem that keeps him from being reliable and from being able to call off for himself...thus having wife to call for him. I could be overreacting to that scenario but it seems so familiar to me that one can almost spot it after all these years. One no call, no show can be an emergency of some kind...two and you have a pattern. Especially in a new job...one is the most diligent, reliable and hard-working during the first days of a new job as you always want to impress the boss and to convince him to keep you after the probationary period. If he is already absent and not even calling off when he is, he won't be the guy you want. Ever.

 

[MonsterMom]

I would fire him, too.

Just from an employee standpoint, if I made a mistake that caused me to miss the first day, and if my boss gave me a second chance, I would work my butt off to prove that I was worth that second chance. Even with a family member in the hospital I would find a way to call. Once is an accident. Twice is a pattern.

It just seems to me like he doesn't care, and you don't need an employee who doesn't care.

 

[TonySorrento]

Fire the sucker....