Had to fire someone - first time

[Tradd]

I had to fire a woman earlier this week because she was unable to meet clearly spelled out requirements (and she signed a document confirming she understood), 8-5 working hours (1 hour unpaid lunch), in the office, no remote work. She did good work, but left at 3pm each day her first two (and only days), saying she had to get her kids from school. No emergency, it turns out. This would have been an everyday thing. She did not ask for any accommodations during the interview process. We had to let her go on the morning of third day after a talk. She expected to work 6 hours, but get paid for 8. She handed me back unfinished work each day before she left. It doesn’t work that way. She was excellent and we offered a 8-3 or 9-3 schedule, but she didn’t want it. Due to policy constraints from owners, remote work or flexing hours not an option at all. I was sorry to have to let her go, but I had no choice in the matter.

[catherine]

Firing people sucks. I had to fire my project manager because my boss pretty much told me I had to, even though she had worked extremely diligently on her performance improvement plan. I always felt that he wanted me to fire her because she didn't fit into the corporate culture. She was very quiet to the point of being socially awkward, but she was trainable and worked hard.

[Tradd]

I had no issue with this one. Chick had an entitled attitude that I was not going to put up with. Other people (not in the office) told me I should have allowed her to work from home or flex her hours. Neither is a possibility due to owner policies. No control over that. And I’m not going to go to bat for a new employee to WFH when it’s not regularly allowed for long term employees.

[ToomuchStuff]

Getting ready to fire some people. Tired of the eye rolls, and a kid who thinks she can get an owner fired and she can just stand around, or a kid, who thinks they run the business.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I myself have had to fire a couole of people and it was not easy nor pleasant. I will say those few people were not just ambushed fired, however - they were told more than once that their performance was not up to par and they were given more than one chance to improve. Under these conditions, I don't feel so horrible as I would otherwise and I don't feel that I am disrespecting my heritage in the name of tawdry profit. But it was not easy. Rob

[Tradd]

I myself have had to fire a couole of people and it was not easy nor pleasant. I will say those few people were not just ambushed fired, however - they were told more than once that their performance was not up to par and they were given more than one chance to improve. Under these conditions, I don't feel so horrible as I would otherwise and I don't feel that I am disrespecting my heritage in the name of tawdry profit. But it was not easy. Rob

Yeah, I don’t feel bad at all about firing this woman since she signed a document that outlined work hours.

[saguaro]

Yeah, I don’t feel bad at all about firing this woman since she signed a document that outlined work hours.

Years ago I had to let go someone on their second day. They were hired with all job requirements being explicitly laid out. By the second day, she was arguing over the job responsibilities, and then started with "maybe she didn't want this job anyway" and, oh btw, she was interviewing at another company in the area that might be better. After consulting with HR, she agreed to leave only to call from the train station asking if we could spring for her train fare. She was a real piece of work.

Felt zero guilt over it. Incidentally this other company that she said she was interviewing was a local company that had run into serious financial trouble, it was well known employees were jumping ship so I found it interesting she mentioned she might want to work there instead. Could have been bluffing but if she was serious and got hired there, she didn't last very long as the company folded a couple of months later.