Perpetual Ruminations

Monday

Monday comes to an end and I start my three days off. I need to make the most of them, since they are about to come to a close real soon. Unless we get a new person hired and trained in right away, it's going to be difficult to get much time off at all. This is the part I dislike about being a supervisor, the employees who just can't be open and honest, and don't give a damn about anything other than their own self.

This is the situation that we are in, again. One person who is always needing time off, can't make it in for one reason or another, and who won't fill in for any of the others. It's been difficult, to say the least, but I tried to work with him on each occasion, have alter schedules, filled in, and even gone in so he can leave early. Each time I find it's a line of crap he's feeding me, and try as I may, I can't get him to understand.

The biggest problem is, no sense of responsibility. He has none, and has no idea that he alone is responsible for his choices. He finds excuses for everything, and just doesn't care. When he needed to find a new vehicle, I offered him as many hours as he wanted. I knew he was looking for more income, and I had hours available, but he didn't want them. But, even when I hired him, he stated to me that he wanted to find a better job than the one he had at that time.

He was working on a dairy, milking cows. He wanted to get a different job and told me he was quitting that job in two weeks. But, he never quit, he just needed me to adjust the schedule to fit his hours on the farm. I did. Next, he needed to take days off to fill in on the farm. Again, I worked with him. The part I just never understood, is why he said he wanted this job, was quitting the other because he didn't like it, and then put this job second to the other.

But, he did eventually quit the farm job, so he could look for other work. I asked if he was looking for a full time job or a part time one. I wanted to know, so I could be prepared when he left, and hire another guard. But, he told me, to my face, that he did not intend to give up the security guard job, but was looking for a part time position that would work around his schedule.

So, I took that as the truth, offered to adjust the schedule to fit as best I could, and then waited. Then he needed a week off, so again, I provided him the time off. I also discovered that if someone else had problems, this person would not come in to work for them. Less than a week ago I learned that this guard had found a new job. He wouldn't tell me to my face, or even call, but had to send a text. I had to arrange to talk to him to learn what was going on.

He said he would be working weekdays but wanted to work as a security guard weekends. I asked him if he wanted every other weekend, or one day each weekend, what ever would work best. He answered, "I will work every weekend, if I can."

So, I set about getting a new schedule set up, with him on just weekends. It meant jumbling everyone around, but we got it working. Not much time for me or my wife, but it worked and would do until we could get another person hired. Then, I found out another guard needs a bit of time off for some personal reasons. It was tough, but we found a way to make it work, and I told him today that Rhonda would go over the schedule with him to make sure everything would work out. It did.

Now tonight, I get a text from the guard who took the new job and wanted to work weekends. He changed his mind and is not giving me two weeks notice. Of course, the coward couldn't call or tell me to my face, but sent a text to me after I got home. So, now we scramble again to redo the schedule yet again. This has been his history since I put him on, lies and excuses all along.

I don't mind losing this person, for this reason, and because he isn't do the job very well anymore. But, I it's this crap of bending over backwards to give him every opportunity, trying my best to make things work for him, and just asking for some honesty in return. I am not a hard-ass with any of my people, and tend to be too easy going. But, I want them to be able to talk to me and be comfortable with it. Instead, I keep getting people like this kid who just don't get it.

I do know the job he is taking, and the place he is going to work at. It isn't a very good place to work and has a high turn around. The pay is good, and their are benefits, after a three month period, but many workers don't last that long. I know they will not tolerate him not working do to weather, especially when the weather isn't that bad. I also know they won't patsy him and fluctuate his schedule, or let him leave early to babysit or what ever he needs to do. He is in for a wake up call, and may even show up looking for his old job. I doubt it, but anything is possible.

I also know he doesn't start for two weeks, and they may very likely contact me for a reference. I will be honest, and when they ask if I would rehire this person, I will have to tell them the truth, "No."

Imagine, pulling all this, then changing your mind, and messing up everyone you work with, then needing a good reference to get the new job. Not much for common sense, and if the job doesn't pan out, then what? Is he going to come and tell me he changed his mind again? Maybe, but I haven't.