I think I know the answer but I am curious what other ideas people have. I have an employee that has a long track record of his personal life negatively effecting his work life. The 8 or so hours a day he is as work he is very good and big contributor. The other 16 hours of his day are the issue. However, in the last month he has missed work due to getting a DUI, later on it was fighting with his girlfriend and then columnated in her kicking him out and him need to move all his stuff out. Personal stuff, not my business but it is effecting my business. Well now he needs extended leave to deal with another personal matter. He can’t give me a time table on his return but he says over and over that he isn’t quitting. Well, if he can’t come to work and can’t give a timetable to when he can, that sure sounds like quitting to me. The issue that I don’t know how to deal with is that he is a big contributor, he is great with his skilled job and with customers. I don’t want to loose him but I can’t just hold a job for an undetermined amount of time. I also feel for the guy, he just keeps making poor personal decisions. My guess is reddit would say to just fire him for not being about to coming to work and move on. Is there any reason to not do that? Like I said he is great at what he does, if he is here to do it.
Explain to him the positives that you’ve stated here. Explain to him how his personal life is impacting your business. Explain to him you have been tolerant of this impact up until now but that if he can’t provide a timeline for return you will have terminate his position and he can apply for rehire when he sorts out his situation but there’s no guarantee that a position will be available. By the way, this is coming from someone who is this way. I’m very skilled at my craft so excellent work but I’m aware of that and as such have definitely over extended myself and been a problem child because of my value. I’ve lived in my bosses office, drank on the job and smoked weed on the job and was given a pass on all of it because in the words of my bosses son, “don’t tell my dad I told you but he says you e made him more money than all the employees combined past and present.” My last job I slept in and showed up when I wanted, etc. I was the headache. This behavior will likely not change for him without a coke to Jesus moment. I never tell any of my past employers this or frankly anyone because it would ruin my benefit of being treated that way but this is the cold hard truth.
Many times getting fired was the best thing for me because it forced me into a situation where I had to shape up in order to survive. There are a lot of work environments that have zero tolerance for this behavior, I know this and I adjust accordingly to survive. He knows this too. However, when an employer allows my personal bs to impact them and they don’t do anything about it, I’m going to continue to do it because I now know I can.
He will keep doing this to you also because at the end of the day he is more important to him than you. You need to be more important to you than him. He will adjust, he will survive. You’ll find other good employees with time. It’s unacceptable to allow his behavior to not only impact you and your business but as an extension, your employees and your customers.
Jeez now I feel like I have to delete this and go punch myself in the face for giving away the secrets of us problem children. 😂