Ever had to fire someone?

[oldmamahen]

My husband and I had to do the hardest thing we have ever done this evening. We had to fire our farm-help family which included giving them a 30-day notice on the house they live in, which we own. It's kind of complicated, but basically they worked for us in exchange for a place to live. We have had problems with their work for several months now. Things would get forgotten, wouldn't be done properly, etc. Some mistakes were ones that could have cost us thousands of dollars. We are a very, very young farm and we can't afford to have mistakes like that made. We already can't make all our bills right now, though we expect things to get better as the farm does better

. We simply couldn't afford to keep paying for work that isn't done correctly.

I feel like the devil right now as this puts this family out of a home. I know we made the right decision for our business and our family, but it is definitely the hardest decision I have ever had to make in my life. If you pray, please pray that this family finds a new home and new job very quickly.

This experience has definitely taught me the lesson that everyone always says "don't go into business with friends or family without being ready for it to end badly". It has ended badly for this family and for us and I will never put myself in this position again.

 

[coldupnorth]

So sorry for the stress this decision has cost you and your family. Hopefully the future is brighter for both your family and theirs.

 

[redhen]

Oh boy, only a month to find another place to live?? Yikes,.. yeah, thats tough...
What happens if they cant find a place that quickly?

 

[JD4570]

I feel bad for you. Evicting a person is no fun because you never know how they will take it.Some are quite good about it and understand and other can get violent. In one of our rent houses one former tenant trashed the place. Did about 3k in damage. Another one punched me in the mouth.Fortunately the vast majority left with us having to do minimal clean up and no hard feelings.

 

[chickened]

Don't feel too badly about it, a lot of these arrangements do not last long. There is usually an underlying reason someone needs a home, that is basically free with minimal work in exchange. My experience has been like this and tell me if yours is different. Husband has no job, says he is disabled, wife works, kids are stuck with them. There is a group of people out there that do this for a way of life and they bounce from farm to farm and take advantage of good peoples hospitality with minimal work in return. This may be the break they need to improve their situation and just do not know it yet.

 

[mandelyn]

Yeah, situations like that can get pretty sticky. I've had to fire people before, but that was at a job, I didn't have to evict them on top of it! That must feel terrible, but when it needs to be, what can you do?

I've heard so many horror stories about this kind of thing. They always start out well, with good intentions, and then it fizzles out for some reason.

Our own land lady voiced those concerns when she met us, she wanted to offer low rent in exchange for labor on the house. She had her own list of horror stories. I had no idea people actually make a lifestyle choice like that. Why? I don't get it. We couldn't afford a single family house in the sort of neighborhood we wanted. Found this arrangement and it's been amazing! Granted we work our tails off, but it's been 18 months now and all involved are happy still.

We're the first ones who've lasted more than 4 months. Let alone made it to 18 months. A lot of people have told us not to work so hard because it isn't our house. That's not the kind of people we are though. It is our house, we live here. Improvements help us as much as it helps her. I don't understand why people are so afraid of a little work. You sleep better, and feel better about yourself.

If you let your responsibilities slip, be it work or paying bills on time or anything... where can you honestly expect to be in 5 years?

If we had free rent, that would change a lot for us. You can bet we'd work our tails off to keep it that way too. We have way too many plans and goals to sit idle and waste time. What are we going to do instead, watch TV in a little condo?

Sorry you had to go through this, it must have been terrible. Are you going to look for someone else or avoid it? There has to be reliable workers some where who need the place to stay.

 

[turney31]

Don't feel too badly about it, a lot of these arrangements do not last long. There is usually an underlying reason someone needs a home, that is basically free with minimal work in exchange. My experience has been like this and tell me if yours is different. Husband has no job, says he is disabled, wife works, kids are stuck with them. There is a group of people out there that do this for a way of life and they bounce from farm to farm and take advantage of good peoples hospitality with minimal work in return. This may be the break they need to improve their situation and just do not know it yet.

Oh Boy, chickened Im sorry you have that view. It sucks but you are entitled.

I worked on a 13,000 acre working cattle ranch. Housing provided was not free, in any sense of the word. Nor was it hospitility, it was well earned!!! It is possible to work sun up to sun down and the boss not be able to see a thing you have done. There is no house worth the getting out of bed in the middle of the night to pull calves, Gather cattle in thunderstorms, swimming flooding creeks on horseback. Haying cows on the tractor with icecicles hanging off of your coat sleves. Repairing 50 year old fencing with patches that just break when you stretch the wire. Waiting days on supplys. Feeding bottle calves. In short, giving, your free life to your employer. Some employers value that house way more than it is really worth. Just say $800. house. .... How much do you work to earn $800?

Now I have said that to say, most of the people I know myself included are honest, honorable and respectful employees who take pride in our job. In all honesty we would do the job for nothing to just have the lifestyle.

To the OP, I am so sorry that you are in this position. In the future make clear in writing what you expect from your hands. I do know that there are people that will take advantage. But there are also employers that value that house too high.
Micah

 

[oldmamahen]

Thanks everyone for your comments. This was not an easy decision to make and I certainly wish it could have ended differently. The wife of the couple is the hardest working person I know and if I could have somehow kept her on, I would have. They have bounced around from job to job and farm to farm, but I don't know all the reasons why. They don't have an easy life and I didn't want to be the one to make it harder, but I have to keep in mind that their own actions caused us to make this decision. It is especially hard because they are our friends and we have many friends in common. Anyway, thanks for the comments and please keep them in your prayers.

 

[chickened]

I beg your pardon but this was not a view it has been a reality for my uncle. You see he has a big heart and lets people take advantage of him. He aked for 300.00 rent in the beginning with the last couple. They paid it for 3 months about 8 years ago. So he told them how about you work for rent. They managed to grade the driveway about once or twice a year with my uncle;s dozer and basically would work if it meant driving the tractor or some other task that was not too physical. He bought fencing had it delivered had a posthole drill attachment and all the equipment to do the work and not one fence got built in 8 years, the fencing is still there.

My uncle did manage to get thier teenage son to finish school and join the military after his parents let him dropout in the 11th grade to go to work.

The other problem was the guy made his wife work while he piddled around. They would eat breakfast lunch and dinner everyday at the local restaurant or deli and cry broke to my uncle.

I logged my uncles property in 2005 and gave about 5 log truck loads of firewood logs to the guy to make some money from at the request of my uncle and the wood rotted where I left it. That cost me about $5000.00

There are large cattle ranches in Oregon that actually pay about $1500.00 a month plus room and board. If you do not work at these ranches you are asked to leave.

What sucks is we have become a bleeding heart society to the extent that we want to help someone without taking off the rose colored glasses to see we are not really helping anyone by enabling them but only furthering their dilemma or as in my case passing it on to someone else... hardly a view though.

To the OP I know what you are going through but you have done the right thing and maybe they will figure it out.

Oh Boy, chickened Im sorry you have that view. It sucks but you are entitled.

I worked on a 13,000 acre working cattle ranch. Housing provided was not free, in any sense of the word. Nor was it hospitility, it was well earned!!! It is possible to work sun up to sun down and the boss not be able to see a thing you have done. There is no house worth the getting out of bed in the middle of the night to pull calves, Gather cattle in thunderstorms, swimming flooding creeks on horseback. Haying cows on the tractor with icecicles hanging off of your coat sleves. Repairing 50 year old fencing with patches that just break when you stretch the wire. Waiting days on supplys. Feeding bottle calves. In short, giving, your free life to your employer. Some employers value that house way more than it is really worth. Just say $800. house. .... How much do you work to earn $800?

Now I have said that to say, most of the people I know myself included are honest, honorable and respectful employees who take pride in our job. In all honesty we would do the job for nothing to just have the lifestyle.

To the OP, I am so sorry that you are in this position. In the future make clear in writing what you expect from your hands. I do know that there are people that will take advantage. But there are also employers that value that house too high.
Micah

 

[turney31]

Stand by my post, every word!