dumb employee behavior

[pimp mobile]

i had to can a guy yesterday. i was going to wait until after the 1st of the year, but he just doesn't stop pushing my limits with his attitude and back talking. he missed out on staying at a good company working for a pretty good boss (me). what makes an employee start out so good and the 8-9 months later think he can say anything he wants to the owner? WTF? i am an easy guy to work for ( i have my moments) his skills are very very good. this is why i put up with a little back talk now and then. but in the last 6 to 7 weeks, it has happened 5-6 times. i won't put up with that. i think that he feels he is so good that he can't be replaced. well, i "Trumped" him. i said -go home and i'll see you on friday for your check and it will be your last one. he looked at me in disbelief. he left and called me a few hours later wondering was i serious. i said yep. i'll see ya around. i'll give you a good reference, but i am going for peace in the shop for '08, and this behavior just doesn't fit in my shop. good luck, butcha gotta go. i felt kinda bad being that christmas is around the corner, but i'm not happy or comfortable in my own shop. tuff situation.

[The Gunslinger]

So what was he doing? Just being antagonistic in his behaviour?

[Michaelr]

Originally Posted by pimp mobile

i had to can a guy yesterday. i was going to wait until after the 1st of the year, but he just doesn't stop pushing my limits with his attitude and back talking. he missed out on staying at a good company working for a pretty good boss (me). what makes an employee start out so good and the 8-9 months later think he can say anything he wants to the owner? WTF? i am an easy guy to work for ( i have my moments) his skills are very very good. this is why i put up with a little back talk now and then. but in the last 6 to 7 weeks, it has happened 5-6 times. i won't put up with that. i think that he feels he is so good that he can't be replaced. well, i "Trumped" him. i said -go home and i'll see you on friday for your check and it will be your last one. he looked at me in disbelief. he left and called me a few hours later wondering was i serious. i said yep. i'll see ya around. i'll give you a good reference, but i am going for peace in the shop for '08, and this behavior just doesn't fit in my shop. good luck, butcha gotta go. i felt kinda bad being that christmas is around the corner, but i'm not happy or comfortable in my own shop. tuff situation.

I got fired from one of my first job for being just like what you have described. I thought I was irreplaceable and just couldn't understand why they let me go. I soon worked it out and it taught me one of the most important lessons - that the workplace ain't there for my benefit.
PM - like me I hope he sees the light as I think I have turned out ok in the end. You may well have delivered the most valuable xmas present of his life!
Wish him luck from me.

[pimp mobile]

Originally Posted by The Gunslinger

So what was he doing? Just being antagonistic in his behaviour?

he was being very arguementative. always wanted to do things "his" way. took a few too many risks. thought he was the best cabinet maker in vegas. (he is pretty good though). just stopped fitting in. talked back to me a lot. copped an attitude often. couldn't take direction. wouldn't face up to mistakes, always my fault he made a mistake. at the end he was a pain in the a$$.

[pimp mobile]

Originally Posted by Michaelr

I got fired from one of my first job for being just like what you have described. I thought I was irreplaceable and just couldn't understand why they let me go. I soon worked it out and it taught me one of the most important lessons - that the workplace ain't there for my benefit.
PM - like me I hope he sees the light as I think I have turned out ok in the end. You may well have delivered the most valuable xmas present of his life!
Wish him luck from me.

you might be right. he would be an incredible asset to any company if he would eliminate these behaviors. Michaelr, are you doing anything with the website linking yet? mine is up. although i will be making a lot of changes. lemmie know.

[Michaelr]

Originally Posted by pimp mobile

you might be right. he would be an incredible asset to any company if he would eliminate these behaviors. Michaelr, are you doing anything with the website linking yet? mine is up. although i will be making a lot of changes. lemmie know.

Send me a pm and tell me what website(s) you want linked and I work out which way to do it.

[CUEBALL]

Gotta have a good working environment for all the employees... you made the right decision....

[Daddy Kool]

I believe the first rule is " You must be comfortable in your work place".
If a client makes me uncomfortable with attitude, I just say "Please leave."
10% of people cause 90% of the problems, and the trick is to identify that 10% and send them on their "merry" way!

[Rambit]

You did the right thing. Only thing is I wouldn't give it a second thought Christmas or not. The bottom line is you have a business to run. You put up with far too long IMO from what I'm reading into this. Attitudes like that spread like a cancer and before you know it everyone will be doing it knowing they can get away with it. It's hard to tell if you have a verbal and written warning system in place, but if you don't you need to. By putting up with him too long you made him feel irreplacable I think.

Guys like that tend to become regressive, in other words they're their own worst enemy. Everyone can be replaced too. Sounds to me as he was testing your authority. Also, there is no way you should have to explain why you want a job done YOUR way each time he thinks his way is better. There's a big difference in coming to you with a suggestion to do things differently than to just go off and do it his way.

You may not realize it now, but you just made an example of him to the rest of your employees.

Bernie

[stevesrt8]

Originally Posted by Rambit

You did the right thing. Also, there is no way you should have to explain why you want a job done YOUR way each time he thinks his way is better. Bernie

Bottom line is if you're the boss, then you make the rules. NO ONE makes me uncomfortable in my own biz. No one.