Good day ladies and gents.
That’s my situation in a nutshell. I had my only employee call me just after lunch yesterday to let me know he was leaving early to go help a friend finish a painting job.
Now for some details. It’s just myself and him (journeyman and 4th year apprentice, and a friend for the last 17 years). We are absolutely swamped right now with a few houses on the go. I worked through my weekend because I’m trying to get us caught up. I have him working another jobsite, and I’ve already been getting rode pretty hard to hurry up and finish rough-ins so drywall can start.
I let him know on the phone that I was not happy with this decision, but I’m hesitant on what my next step should be.
What say the masses?
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Agree with top comment on having another guy in place. But I also understand the challenge around finding qualified people these days. Clearly there is incentive for him to leave and go elsewhere, what is it? Better pay? Under the table? Pay on day? Regardless figure that out and decide on whether you can offer better since he is so valuable to you. If he is a friend and loyal employee he should be willing to have this conversation with you
His incentive ism he’s the only employee, OP is screwed without him and he wants to earn a big extra, so is pretty much doing as he pleases.
I think for ms there are a few questions missing
Is it a one off occasion? Is he on a contract with a set amount of minimum hours? how early did he leave? Does he stay back longer other times to get jobs done?
For me if it’s a one off he’s gone to help a friend in what would be his own time and he puts the effort in other times you just let it slide. I get that it could be a few hours that your work gets done and all the implications of that being done quicker but if he puts the effort in other times there’s no argument for me on taking a little bit back as I mentioned with the contracted hours it’s effectively his time… if he puts it in elsewhere. If he doesn’t then I guess you’ve got an argument that he’s not fulfilling his contracted hours.
In my job I’m in the middle of this situation I have upper management that wants my department staff to work longer to get jobs done and the staffs incentive is they get paid more but I can’t force them because if they have worked their contracted hours then its their time they are giving up. Time with family or friends to do as they please. If at minimum they are making up their weekly hours then that’s all they are entitled to do.
The other job and the payment of that I guess is his issue should anything come about with taxes where you are from as long as your accounting of his time/taxes is relevant to your area then what he does elsewhere is his problem. I know here in the UK you’re supposed to declare other incomes be it via a 2nd employment or if you are self employed via the tax office (HMRC) directly. Here in the UK you get around 12500 of your earnings that isn’t taxed this is usually spread out over the year of your primary employment so any other declared employment will be taxed fully without this.
To conclude my essay if your employee is putting in the hours for you I think clocking off early the odd time isn’t an issue…if he’s not then you need to question his priorities.
Call him a journeyman and hire a newbie for him to train. He’s sitting on top of the fence. Shake him in or shake him out.
The only problem is that I can’t just slap a journeyman title on him. He’s got another year for his hours, plus 2 rounds of trade school, and finally the red seal exam before he’s a full journeyman.
It doesn’t sound like this is a pattern, yet, only an isolated incident so far. If he is hourly, and leaves early, he doesn’t get paid, right? Do you ever ask him to work late? Seems like some flexibility should be in order in both directions. He doesn’t own the company, you do. You can’t make being understaffed his problem, nor can you make setting unrealistic expectations with customers his problem. You have created a situation where losing the capacity of a single person for a partial day is potentially causing hardship and customer issues. Do you have a plan if he ends up injured or unable to work for a week or two? This is not an employee problem you are solving, this is a capacity planning and business continuity problem that your are solving.