Dont know if it has been said, but it sounds to me like he has wants to get fired so he can collect unemployment benefits , which you’ll end up paying if he’s fired.

I would tell him you are willing to rehire him in the future dependent upon your needs at the time. You need a reliable employee. If he can’t do it, someone else will. Will he be worth the additional hire in the future? That’s your only real delimma.

If an employee cannot make it to his shift, he is not reliable. Talk to him and tell him that you appreciate the work he’s has been doing and how he’s a good employee but you need someone reliable and can consistently make it ti work. Tell him to sort his things out and reach out to you when he’s in a better personal situation.

Go out and start looking for someone. Do not wait for him to come back and if he does come back, bring him on only if you need the extra help. Do not feel personally obligated to him. He’s got too much baggage. Your business first and foremost.

Personal stuff, not my business but it is effecting my business.

I’ve had this conversation with staff before, and what I say is that what you do on your own time is not my concern, unless it’s affecting your ability to work and perform your job. That’s when we need to have a discussion on expectations for work.

I don’t want to loose him but I can’t just hold a job for an undetermined amount of time

You may want to tell this guy exactly this. That you love his work, when he’s able to work, and that he’s a valuable contributor to the team and that doesn’t go unnoticed. However, if you are needing an undetermined amount of time off, that you have scheduling to do, and things that need to get done, and that you’ll need to keep him off the schedule until he’s able to return to work. That may mean that you won’t be able to just automatically insert them back in to the schedule when he gives the all clear.

You could maybe treat this as a leave of absence, like a medical leave (even if not officially as such) and state that you will leave it in his hands to reach out when he’s ready to come back, and that you and him can talk about a gradual return to work.

I posted the job and am looking for someone else. It’s just a shame that a talented person who is well versed in our process just can’t get to work. He seems just too destructive at this point to ever be reliable. I had the whole conversation with him and he said “Well, your the boss” I said I might be the boss for 8 hours but your the boss of yourself for the other 16 and that’s where the issues are.

Fire him for attendance so he can’t file unemployment. Tell him he can reapply for a job when he get his personal life sorted. Sound like a good chance he won’t but you need to move on and not let him cripple your business.

As a small business owner I understand your position but after doing this for a good number of years i have come to the realization that is not worth dealing with employees like that…nobody is irreplaceable. It might take awhile but you will find someone better and drama free.

If you can run your business successfully and exceed your customers’ expectations based on “if he comes to work”, then keep him.

I suspect you cannot. I also suspect the unnecessary stress he puts on you consumes you most of the work week and again on Sunday and takes away from more impactful things you can be doing for your business.

I would hire his replacement.

If and when he returns to work, you can schedule him into a part time work rotation if you have the work available.

I would explain to him, you cannot guarantee that his position or hours will be available should he decide to return.

Regardless of how you label his exit, it sounds like it’s happening and you need a solution for the short term. See if you have someone who is high potential that could grow into most of his role within 3-6 months. While you’re talking with staff, also ask them if they would be ok with coming back and note responses. If he’s a huge contributor in terms of time, then maybe consider if there’s a department about to slow down or someone with bandwidth and see if you can rotate through staff (and since you’re not paying him during this time, spread that out amongst the staff for helping out in the mean time. It’ll maintain the actual cost of labor for that department in your budget so if you have to replace him long term it’s not a sudden hit and it will motivate your staff to do well while helping out(depending on your employees individual motivations)). What I like about this setup is that it easy easy to be honest without having to say too much that if he comes back and you plan for the long term as well, they should be understanding of what this temporary plan is while a more long term solution is found and provide them a concrete timeline.

Long term. It might be a coaching opportunity in letting him know that the business can’t afford to rely on someone who is in and out of the business. It clearly impacts you because it impacts the business. List out what his responsibilities/contributions are and how they help the company be successful(even if he already knows this, just be supportive). Pull his absences over the last year and any communication you have regarding them and just print out a simple list of the more informative aspects of his leaving: amount of notice given, length of time gone, etc. cross reference those dates with your financials. Depending on your lead time for production/service in whatever industry you’re in, or how you would see a disruption of service through cash flow or cost in your books, quantify as best you can(and only if you see an actual correlation, then skip this. Don’t make things up of course) how much money or some quantifiable negative impact it’s had on the business as a result of his absence. Ask him if he were in your shoes, what would he say to this employee? See where’s he’s at or what he says. Depending on how your exchange from here goes, you’ll want to explain to him why you’ve put the plan you have in place and if he is coming back to work, you should impress how his coworkers have been doing well handling his job and what the repercussions will be if certain terms are breached again. Consult your local labor laws as always so you understand what you can and cannot do and work within that. In the us max you can get is 26 weeks of fmla. Some states also have different definitions of job abandonment. Employees like this are easy to set up to let go because they do it to themselves. Having an effective short term plan in place provides you this negotiating position to be in your favor substantially. If he wants to come back and it sounds like he has identified a few changes he can make that you both agree on then be frank about whatever terms you want to, just make sure that you’re able to still face the people and reasonably explain the conditions they’re allowed back. The conversations you’ve probably been having with your staff over a short time will likely shed some light on what their terms might be for accepting him back if his sudden absences impacted them negatively in the past.

People are people. They’re not machines who are always consistent because people are capable of change but machines are not. It’s simply a choice but he has to identify the choices he’s making and how he needs to change them and how you’re able to help him get there willingly. I had an employee once who was chronically late, like all the time by 15-30 minutes. She would always show up and never call out but could just never be on time. I’d even schedule her earlier to compensate so she would arrive at the right time but she was so used to her schedule she couldn’t adjust. However she was a great worker, trustworthy, enjoyable, and super helpful all around so I was willing to overlook it. I did have a conversation at some point as she had a minor leadership role, that she’ll never be able to hold anyone accountable for being late. For me, it was easier to overlook that than hope that one of the next ten people I would bring through wouldn’t be half of those things. Some people can change and some can’t, but it’s how you choose to respond that will shape how you experience it and how it impacts you.

Maybe suggest he get his life together with a life coach, not on your company time.

Sounds like someone with a substance abuse issue. He needs help.

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I imagine once you communicate your willingness to replace him, his attitude is going to improve immediately.

The middle road would be not firing him but not saving his spot and hours if you find a more reliable performer. There are a lot of layoffs right now and probably plenty of people who would be happy to have a decent job depending on the specifics of your company. It isn’t personal. You just need somebody that is reliable and available to get the work done on time. That isn’t really about you or about him but about keeping your team and company successful so you don’t succumb to the same economic problems all of us are coping with right now.

Just tell him, “Bro, we love your work. Can you hire a stunt double for your personal life?”