Have you ever had to fire somebody?

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   sarahsherlockposted 14 years ago

   This was probably the worst experience of my life so far. Has anyone else got an experience to share?

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      alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I fired a guy a long time ago - he marched up to me and sputtered, "You just want what you want when you want it - don't you! "   I managed to keep a straight face and told him, "if you got that point when you started you would still be here - wouldn't you ! "

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         sarahsherlockposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Nice. Mine was far more drawn out with tears, grievance claims, uncomfortable meetings and action plans. When push comes to shove most organisations won't support you without years of evidence. They're too scared of employment tribunals!

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            alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            You will be working for a big corp or the govenment then where it is hard to get along unless you are a dimwit in drag - or a social butterly  and professional sycophant, been there and escaped to China

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      dutchman1951posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      yes, and I hated it, not a good experience at all.
      
      went through the disiplinary steps with him, it was like getting a tooth pulled with no numbing meds. no good at all.

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         alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         If you were right and justified why should it be painful - just sack him with the necessary paperwork etc of course, but why should you get upset because he can't do his job right ?

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            dutchman1951posted 14 years agoin reply to this

            He was doing his job when he felt like it, But he kept screwing off, leaving the Computer  un-monitored (we are a 911 emergency center) driving to dinners for 2 hr coffee breaks etc....kept it up, doing all kinds of dumb acts., security violations. When he was there and concentrated he worked well, but he would not be consistant.
            
            He had 15 years...He lost  retirment, shortend his pension and benifits at retirment by 1/2. He thought that becaause he was civil service, and Unionized, that I had no power. He was wrong!
            
            Problem is it affected innocent people, his kids, wife...never a good thing like that. Felt bad for them, not so much him, he did it to himself. I even offerd counceling if something was bothering him, he refused that also.
            
            I honestly tried to be fair, gave him an option to resign and while he was considering it, he left the computers and fire phones un-attended to go get donuts!...that was the last straw for me...

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               alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               So he was entirely to blame, and he was responsible for all those others that you mention - not you.

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                  dutchman1951posted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  True Poet, but you still feel for folks, his wife was a great gal, met her several times, a good scout you woud say, or true blue to say it another way, and it was a shame.

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      waynetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes I fired myself from a job that no longer held any interest for me! and I've pretty much fired myself from ever getting another job! working online is the best bet!

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         sarahsherlockposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Ah yes but was it as traumatic as firing somebody else?

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            waynetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            No and yes....No as in I hated the job and yes as in I didn't have any money to do anything for a few years, lived with parents and friends and became a bum for awhile.

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         alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         But if you work for yourself who do you get to abuse and belittle in triplicate ??  How do you get those bright shiny plastic pins that say you are employee of the month - instead of getting a raise. Where do you go to beg for stationery ?  How do you get promoted if you can't flirt with the dept manager ?  And how on earth can you do without sitting at your desk with nothing to do all day because maintenance forgot to bring your computer back ?  And biggest of all - without a boss how do you justify sitting playing computer games all day and chatting online because 'someone' has forgotten to download 'something' ??  HA = tell me that !!

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   alternate poetposted 14 years ago

   The above was during the same interesting times that a young 'cocky' guy marched up to me and asked about work in what I can only describe as a brash and rude manner.  After a while of having to listen to him he asked "so what name do they call you then? "  I told him " Sir!", and he left.  The really funny part about it is that the name they actually called me was 'fat b@st@rd' 

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   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   Yes, I've had to fire people before. It's not pleasant, but also I didn't lose sleep over it either.
   
   Business is business. No room for personal feelings, when employees don't do their job like they are suppose to do them. Those who choose to slack off, while leaving it to others to work, don't deserve to be working.

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      sarahsherlockposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      You weren't worried that when things got tough that your company might side with the one you were trying to manage out?

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         Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Your statement makes no sense. If someone does no work, what sense does it make to pay them?
         
         Are you in the habit of paying people for nothing?

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         alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Yes - this is the problem when offices are run by the professionally job centred - nobody upstairs will make a decision until they are certain they won't get into any kind of issue.  It is modern gutless management that has spread from civil service to business.

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   blondepoetposted 14 years ago

   I have not ever fired anyone but I have set my own hair on fire on one occassion trying to use a lighter to plug a cord in the back of my PC in the dark grrrrr.

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   earnestshubposted 14 years ago

   I have only ever fired people who did not love what they were doing in my own businesses.
   I have been told to get out of my own retail outlet by my manager, then instructed to stop scaring the customers away and take a long break. I did as I was told.
   It did the business the world of good! I was rusty.
   
   I sacked 9 of 11 staff at a business I managed once. That was a record.
   They could not be motivated so they were replaced.
   
   The outcome was business went from $173,000 in long standing debt, to profit in 14 months and debts of only $4,900.
   
   Lazy people don't get to lean on my best workers...... who won't tolerate it anyway.

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      dutchman1951posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I have to agree with this one, very true.  If you love what you do, you do it with zen.

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   Alien invasionposted 14 years ago

   I did. It was a blast.
   

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   Beth100posted 14 years ago

   I have.  It was the first dismissal in my career.  I felt guilty even though the dismissal was just -- unqualified and not performing the tasks as outlined in their job description and the loss of a major contract.  It was then that I decided that I would never do it again.  I haven't. 
   
   I believe in a win-win solution.  As a result, I no longer dismiss anyone.  Instead, I test and analyze their skills/aptitude and place them in a position within the organization that is suitable to their skill and experience.  I believe that it is the responsibility of management/owner to recognize when a mistake has been made when hiring.  The match may not fit, but there is always a solution. 
   
   It is very rare that I have experienced low performance after the shift in re-assigning the person.  Quite the opposite, they are grateful that they are given another opportunity to show that they can succeed.

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   SomewayOuttaHereposted 14 years ago

   ...many times...not just firing for 'a cause or without cause' however....terminations such as layoffs, re-org's....it's not easy but...

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   rmrposted 14 years ago

   Most of the people I've fired didn't want to work, so I never felt bad about it. They wanted to have a job, they just didn't want to do the work.
   
   It was the lay-offs that killed me. Explaining to hard working people why they no longer had a job was heart breaking.I'm glad that I am my only employee now.

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