Perpetual Ruminations

Wednesday

Another late entry, I'm going to have to work on getting in here earlier. I tried something different today, and it backfired on me. Even so, I suppose it's for the best, but it definitely did not work out the way I had intended.

Things have gone from busy at work to hectic, now, we have topped that at frantic,and in another two weeks, it will be damn near impossible. I had just gotten things set up so we could start a regular routine, when one of the guards started needing every Sunday off. Only, instead of stating this, he would wait, then put in for a Sunday off. Since he was already a problem, I just assumed his Sunday shift, planning on him either taking the hint and getting his shit together, or I would just hire another guard and reduce his hours until he quit.

But, this kind of messed up our routine, and I had to make some last minute adjustments. We had no more than started our new routine, when this guy bombs out and quits. No forewarning, no nothing. Now, because of some of his problems, he could have been fired before right before Christmas. Instead, I talked to him and gave him another chance. I didn't think it would do any good, but I just didn't want to fire him during the holidays.

He did good for a couple of weeks, then got another right up during an audit for the same stupid shit. On top of that, he again showed up for work over thirty minutes late the following day. Again, I should have just went in and terminated him on the spot. I did go in, but instead of firing him, I talked to him. I explained that by all standards, it appeared he wanted to get fired, and was doing his absolute best to accomplish this. Then, I just asked him flat out if he wanted to keep his job, quit his job, or have me terminate his job. Before he answered, I told him he could have any of the three, but to think it over and make the decision he truly wanted.

He told me he wanted to keep his job, and actually wanted more hours. I told him that by every rule and company policy, he should have already been fired. But, if he was serious and wanted the job, and if he was willing to do things right and hold the job, I would give him one last chance. I also told him that by March or April, we would have more hours available. If, by then he was doing things right, he could take as many hours as he wanted, as long as he didn't go into overtime.

Then, two weeks later, he leaves me a voice message stating he is quitting. He called right at the time he should have been clocking in for his shift, and tells me he is done. It's also the first day of another guards vacation, so we are now short two people, and cannot cover the shifts without putting someone into overtime.

That's when it went hectic. We tried to hire someone in, but just did not have any luck at all. Then, on April first, another guard exited his position, after giving me ample notice. Again, we had been trying to get another guard hired and trained, but they all just bombed. They would work one four hour training session, then quit.

So, we ended up short another person, and at the same time, started the extra coverage, so it's frantic. In two more weeks we go into full double coverage, and will add in another two shifts. We will be filling six positions with three guards. Now, if everyone wanted hours, we could fill it with five. At full time hours, we could even scrape by with four guards, as long as no one takes time off. but with three, there isn't any way we can cover the hours. Right now we are at ten hours a week over time, in two weeks that will increase to twenty two, possibly even twenty six, if they want all the hours  of double coverage filled.

That is going to be completely insane, since the night guard does not want any more than twenty to thirty hours max. He is now at thirty-nine and a half, and has only one day off a week. Rhonda and I have no days off, and she is at forty-one and I am at forty seven. Next week I'll jump to forty-nine, and then in two weeks... Well, I don't even want to think about that.