Update on machinist trainee

That's a shame, I know you were pleased with his progress.

As an aside, were his absences for good reasons, or just unexplained?

For example, I know of one company that has a policy of only giving a half week of vacation if you start after the middle of the year. This is actually pretty thin if you are starting a household in a new area, and have to deal with new vehicle registrations, new utility services, new medical plans and so on.

Jim

A couple of things I always had to remember when I had employees:

Define expectations up front, preerrably in writing Employees are employees first, friends second. If a good working relationship develops, even friendship, that's great, but first you expect them to be a good employee. And if that doesn't work out, they are gone.

Very sorry Eric. You just got a lesson in "the youth of today", but try not to judge them all by that one example. I endorse your idea of trying to hire another one. Don't give up on kids, yet. I was once a kid, and look at how good I turned out!

Good advice, indeed. Punctuality just meant to me that you cared something about the guys you're relieving on shift. A lack of it was something I wouldn't put up with.

Garrett Fulton

I hired a guy back in 93 or 94 to train to put in computer networks. He learned really quick and worked really hard, for three weeks. Then he just disappeared for two entire weeks, no phone calls, nothing.

2 weeks later, he came back, into my office and appologized. Said his mother had died and he just needed to get away and clear his head. I bought it and hired him back. He worked another 3 weeks, then went to lunch on Friday and didn't come back for 2 weeks again.

This time he came into my office and appologized and said he had been arrested for speeding at lunch and was just now able to get out. OK, I bought the first excuse, but not this one. I told him sorry, couldn't help him this time.

He said, "OK, well I gotta go, my Mom's in the car waiting for me".

Geeeeez!

Tillman

My father is a dentist. Many of the patients he sees are school age. He says that sometimes a child's mother will phone after a missed appointment and apologise, saying that one of the child's grandparents has died. Sometimes he counts the number of times it happens with the same patient. It is not unknown for the number to exceed four.

Chris

Maybe they're short of cash and afraid to admit it. I've cancelled dentist appointments because of this (no dental insurance). Randy

All the work my dad does is specialist work which is paid for by the health service. The patients don't have to pay anything. No one has dental insurance in England :-).

Chris

well, given the multiple divorce/remarriage scenarios people have been playing out since the 70s, it's not too hard to imagine a child with

5,6,8 or even 10 grandparents.

Tillman

That's nothing. A friend's employee disappeared without a trace for a few days. Finally returned and said he'd been in a *coma*. It might have been true since he couldn't remember the name of the hospital even though there's only one in town.

And I had one once who was AWOL and then came in for his final check. I asked why he hadn't returned any of my messages, and these were his exact words as best I can remember - "I was on a bender and figured you wouldn't take me back". Maybe he's a fortune teller now.

Wayne

I once had a tenant who paid for his first month plus deposit cash. When his second check was due and then late, I started looking for him. I called his employer. He had just quit showing up. He hadn't been to the apartment for several days. I sent him his duly certified notice. I posted it on his front door as well. After about three weeks, untold time and legal expense, I finally found him.

When I asked for his key, he wondered when he could get his deposit back. I just stared at him. I finally responded, "Right after I get all of the rent you owe". I neved did get my rent.

His reason for flaking out on the world. His girlfriend had dumped him.

JW

or teeth

a guy working for one of my ex-employers didn't show up for work for about a week. phone calls and mail didn't get returned (well before email was available). into the 2nd week, someone went to his home to investigate. he was dead sitting in front of the tv for all that time.

I feel for you Eric! In the Cleveland inner city, my track record is a dismal 1 in 10 for keeping employees. The work ethic today has forced me to close my entire wood shop, except for one shaper, and outsource all my other blocks. The more I paid in wages, the sooner their "comfort level" was reached and the more time they missed. I'm just too old to fight it anymore I admire your whole philosophy to clone some knowledge. If you learn some more tricks to handle tardy and absent employees...PLEASE let me know!

That would be an acceptable excuse. Can't use it more than once.

Yup. A former co-worker of mine did the no-call, no-show thing for about a week. Unusual but not unheard of, the guy had some problems.

His friends at the bar, however, also hadn't seen him, which _was_ unheard of. Cops broke in for a "welfare check" and he'd been dead for quite a while. I can't imagine it was real pleasant.

I hear outsourcing to China and India is popular.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Sounds like you did the right thing. It is one thing to train a person in a trade but you shouldn't be expected to train them in being responsible and getting to work on time. Firing the guy may have done him some good.