Perpetual Ruminations

Monday

Kind of late getting in here tonight, but that's the way it's been going. It's going to be a long week, and it's only Monday. Of course, I started my stretch on Friday, and put in over thirty hours already. Actually it's closer to forty, as of today, and I don't get a day off until Thursday. I just get the one day off this week, then it's right back into it for another six day stretch. But, hopefully that will be about it for a while.

Of course, it's not looking real good at this point, but I will be hopeful. On the up side, I received a message from a security guard who quit last fall; she's looking for work again. She was doing pretty good, but then she started having some issues with what days she could work, what hours, and she started to slack off a bit on her duties. At the time, I didn't know what was going on, except that she was looking for another job and not putting enough into this one. I found out later there was some domestic issues, and it sounds like she has her life back on track again. I'm staying positive about her filling our open position, but I'm also being cautious and talking to her first before putting her back on.

That's the good news, we may have someone training in and since she knows the job, ready to fill in some of the days we need. That would be great, if she can work the days she's needed. On the down side of things is the other person I have working right now. He keeps messing up, and it's starting to look like he's not going to cut it. I don't understand why, he's a good kid, but he just doesn't get things down.

It's like he improves in one area, but then loses it in another. It's not that difficult, and I have made checklists to help out with the new people. But, he's been doing this since February and still not catching on. He also just does not use the checklists and comes up with some off the wall things. I don't know where he gets them, or why, since it's been the same since he trained and started working. It's almost a daily task of speaking with him about something he messed up. It's getting a bit old, and it puts a big demand on my time. Not working time, but my time after I'm off my shift. It also has the store that we work at getting a bit upset and I have a feeling that if it does not straighten out soon, they will tell me they don't want him to work alone.

That would be fine in most jobs, but we are hired to fill certain hours and it doesn't offer much for time when we do have two guards working. We have twenty four to twenty six hours we are authorized  to fill with double coverage, Friday through Monday. And, this double coverage ends on Labor Day weekend. So, if they won't let him work alone, he will be out of work at the end of the summer. It will also put a big damper on our schedule, since we need two people to work the days we have off. One has to work my shift, the other has to work Rhonda's shift, or we cannot get time off together. Right now, this is the case, but if we hire the person I mentioned, we will have our shifts covered and can get time off together again. But if this person messes it up, we won't have anyone without hiring yet another part-time person.

This is also a possibility, but it's going to cut into someone's hours. In fact, we had it set up to make a little extra money this summer filling in some of the double coverage hours, but if he messes it up and can only work the double coverage shifts, it's my hours and Rhonda's hours that will be reduced to help create enough for another person. That is the problem right now, and it all depends on a person who just does not seem to get it. I'm hopeful, and I will try to get through to him. If there are more problems, I will have to confront him with the likelyhood that if he does not shape up fast, I will be forced to reduce his hours, my hours, and Rhonda's hours. I will also be forced to move him into the temporary summer position, and at the end of the summer, his job will terminate.

I hope it goes the opposite and he puts the effort into this and makes it work.