A rumble and a mini rant as there is no one at home to moan at.

Being the Boss

I had to fire someone today. An employee who had been at the place 15 years.

So far since I’ve taken this role on, I have given him two verbal warnings, two written warning, one being his final, and historically he had at least one or two written per year previously, even dating back to his first PM where it noted he was pretty useless, always late and possibly drunk.

Long and short of it was he didn’t follow procedures and caused us to have a serious breach of our duty of care, thankfully nothing happened.

I’m working my arse off to get this place moving forwards rather than stagnating as it has for the past 8 years, and having someone on staff who was prepared to jeaporadize that by not following the rules and procedures isnt on.

4th one now, 2nd in this job, horrible thing to have to do.

He said to me – You haven’t seen me at my best yet. Please give me another chance.

I did think maybe I could, but 9 months and Ive not seen anything, but it was simple, if he was allowed another chance, and something happens, and this is all recorded in his file, it’s my neck that gets chopped.

I suspect there is another one on Monday who isn’t happy with the terms of his new contract. In the past he was given an easy time, monday mornings off, fridays off.

I came in and told them not a chance, you are in monday all day and Friday, I don’t care if you have to go to another job 200km away on Friday evening, that is your problem not mine.

And they towed the line.

I have been waiting months to be approached to be asked for Fridays off due to starting a new university course by one of the group of employees who I stopped that easy life for.

I gave him the option of 80% contract and Friday off or nothing, he felt it was unfair as he would be paid less for the same workload, and he has had Friday’s off for years and isn’t allocated any work on Friday’s anyway.

I suspect he will leave. One of his partners in crime, who I only found out after 6 months, didn’t actually have anything to do, kept asking for 3 days off here and 4 days off there, to go on photoshoots.

Last time he just went didn’t ask leaving a leave request in my tray. Had him called and told it was unpaid leave, and to stop taking the piss, so he quit, even though he wasn’t doing anything.

I knew if I pushed back at him he would walk and he did. We are overstaffed anyway.

9 months, 4 members of staff pushed or fired 2 more likely to go.

I’m told people understand why I am trying to cut the dead weight, but with exceptionally strong labour laws here, it is hard to do without being ran through the labour court.

I have one case pending, and two formal complaints in against me and the company at a couple of government offices.

I was told a long time ago, that it is lonely at the top, today is one of those days where I appreciate that comment.

Now that is all off my chest I’m going to look at carbon frames and decide if I will have one sent out.

with exceptionally strong labour laws here, it is hard to do without being ran through the labour court.

When are you?

Edit: or perhaps less metaphysically, where are you?

Sounds like a drag – initially.

IIRC you’re in education aren’t you?

And they towed the line.

Toed the line. Pick up your P45, and don’t let the door smack you on the arse as you leave. 😀

^ I am. And when it comes to duty of care I am somewhat over protective of everything.

I’ve got a parental revolt against fee rises, with one father trying to ruin the our name and again strong laws to protect him and his family, even though we are fee paying. Although I don’t have to take his two year old in.

One of the best parts of the last few weeks has been sitting him down and telling him that his daughter misses the cut off date by 6 days.

Can I bend the rules for him and let her in.?

Can you stop being a twunt? No. Then why on earth would I want to help you out?

I wouldn’t have any qualms about what you’re doing. It sounds like you’ve got a bunch of people on your hands who’ve been allowed to take the piss for years.

^ It is effectively that. The old administrator came across as strong and purposeful, but there was this underlying fear that it is difficult to recruit people outside of the city. So she let people get away with things, some terrible things, that would have you suspended from post anywhere else.

I’m by no means any sort of super head who knows everything, but I do know that having favourites, letting people do what they want, and bending rules to favour the parents is not how to do things.

One of the long term staff was moaning at me weeks ago about how the old head had favourites, my response was, “I dislike all of you equally” thankfully he understands my humour.

I’ve been the one who was brought in to shake the place up at a previous employer. Either buck up or **** off. Total different field. Plastic manufacturing. The company was, many years ago a rubber moulding company, very labour intensive, that had slowly transferred everything to automated injection moulding.

The team was very skill light, but there were some good people. I turned the team into a skilled enough group to be able to do what was needed and brought in a couple of highly skilled engineers to do that kind of work. There were a number of casualties along the way, but when it came down to the final few, which were all family members of the owne, the brakes were put on and I was left in the position of having to keep the useless.

I was repeatedly beaten over the head for under performing staff, even though they were the ones I couldn’t get rid of, and I was eventually made redundant. We had a conversation that went something like:

“You are fired for repeated low performance”
“Well, on what grounds, lets see the paper trail of warnings, etc.”
“I can do what I like, I’m the boss”
“Industrial tribunal or pay me to go away? Your choice?”
“……..”
“Thank you for that very large cheque. Goodbye”