I had to lay someone off yesterday.
She had worked here 11 years. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. And believe me, it was no picnic for her, either.
The business I am in is nearly entirely dependent on the housing industry - new home sales in particular. We're not real estate agents (though we work with them a lot - a necessary evil) but our bread, butter and the whole fucking kitchen is tied up in the real estate game. So as you might imagine, things have been a little rough around here for a couple years.
Fortunately we're a small company and when the real estate boom was at its boomiest we worked harder, put in long hours and stayed small. So when the boom went to bust, we didn't have a lot of fat to trim from the payroll.
We've lost other employees over the last few years but that was mostly of their own accord or doing. One young guy went go back to school full time, another found a job closer to his home (he'd had a long commute out here to sticksville). One guy had to be fired because he kept wrecking company vehicles; three in two years...we were tolerant but the DUI he received while driving a company truck sealed his fate. Someone else was fired because she was no longer doing the job she was here to do. Refusing to take phone calls, avoiding work she found tedious and worst of all, she was miserable to be around. She acted pissed off at everyone and seemed to enjoy subjecting us all to the silent treatment. Not a good thing when intra-office communication is key. Let me give you a piece of advice: in a poor economy, a poor attitude at work is a bad thing to have. Even if you're not, you had better act as though you're happy to have the job because if you don't, it's pretty easy to find someone else right now who will be.
And now back to my contribution to the nation's unemployed population.
We all have our bad days but she had a good attitude, was always at work on time, did not abuse the use of her sick days, stayed late if it was asked of her to help with a deadline; she was a good employee. Unfortunately, we've been running out of work that fits her skill set. I've tried like hell to keep her busy; scrounging around, digging up work and even giving her things to do that I usually do although it would often require that I spend as much time reviewing her work as I would have spent doing it myself. We put her on a four day week, then a three day week early in the spring. But the struggle to keep her busy continued. The other senior staff member and I discussed her future here a month ago and decided to wait, hoping we would get some new work in. But 30 days came and went and we just did not see an increase in our work load. If anything it's gotten lighter.
So yesterday afternoon we called her into my office, closed the door and told her we were very sorry but we were going to have to let her go.
She was not surprised and said she had been expecting it. How could she not have been? She saw the hoops I was jumping through to find work for her.
There was no drama; no tears or anger...just quiet acceptance. She told us she had enjoyed her time here and liked the people with whom she worked.
I am going to write a letter for her that talks about her good work ethic and what a valuable member of our team she had been. Any prospective employers who call us about her will hear nothing but good things. She can come back any time to use our company resources to put together a portfolio for potential employers. And we're going to continue to pay her for the next month so she won't have to file for unemployment compensation right away while she's looking for another job.
I walked back up to her office with her and we boxed up her stuff. Not much packing to do; although friendly she is a relatively quiet person who kept to herself and had adorned her office sparingly. A couple pictures, a radio, a small desk fan, a water bottle, some tupperware from lunch and that was it.
We walked out to the parking lot and I put the box in her car. I gave her a hug, told her again how sorry I was and to call me if there was anything at all I could do to help land her a job someplace else.
She thanked me, told me I had been a great boss then got in her car and left.
Then I went inside and got back to work so I can keep our other employees busy and try like hell to avoid having to do this again.
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Comments
Thank goodness you guys were smart and stayed small. But it is hurting everyone now.
You handled a tragic situation with grace.
Thank you for being like that. We need more people like you.
And her.
Rated with hugs
From what you describe here, Smithery, you nobly hung on to her as long as you could and are being as helpful as possible. I know it hurts like hell, and you don't feel like that's enough, but you can hold your head up high over that. To better days, my friend.
Of course now I am worried that any day now I will get called into the office for "the talk". I have spent the past week reconnecting with old contacts and feeling out potental jobs just in case.
r~
Anthony - Welcome. Yes, all too common. I'm sorry too.
AHP - We did do everything we thought we could. Working alone would certainly avoid this situation although in my line of work I might be laying off myself right now. To better days indeed, I'll drink to that.
OES - I know this isn't unusual; a lot of employers have to lay people off and it's not fun but obviously it's sure as hell a lot worse for those losing their jobs.
ocular - Good for you, my friend. I've fought for this person in the past but this time there just was no way to stop it.
Joy - Crappy is a good description. Although today I'm still here and she's at home checking the want ads.
lemonpulp - I really tried to find things that were within her ability, and even gave her stuff that wasn't but that she could work on with some assistance. However, you can only do that for so long.
Owl - I agree; the least an employer can do when someone's got to go for a reason like this is be compassionate. We did what we could.
Stim - Thank you. We really did.
I had to lay off an employee who'd been with the company 16 years. He actually couldn't physically do his demanding job any longer, and when things got tight he was sort of an easy target from management's perspective.
However, he probably should have just gone on disablity, but he kept trying to find another job with no luck, started drinking, and got into a real bad spiral of depression and alcohol, that only ended when he shot himself.
It's sad how the economy can chew people up and spit them out and how people can be discarded like that.
Dr. Spud - Thank you. I know, it's like there is an artificiality to the bad economy; so unnecessary. How many billions of amassed wealth are enough? I think we'll be ok; in comparison to other companies in this area that do what we do, we're in good shape. Good luck to you, sir.
Good luck in trying not to lay off anyone else!! It's a tough market right now, for all sides!!
I gave a girl up one day a week to keep my budget in check. I tried to be fair and thank goodness the girls whose husband has a good job chose herself to be the one to give up her Wednesday.
I hope things pick up really soon for you, for everybody.
We most often think of the one losing the work - we less often will see the face of the one who had to give the news. Along with your efforts to keep her working (shorter work weeks, 'make work') you also gave her the time to prepare for the likelihood of the loss. One of the pluses perhaps of small companies, that you could do that for her.
Rated for the man behind the curtain, who's human too.
Elisa – She knew lack of work was the reason she had her hours cut and ultimately why she was laid off. It certainly was not what I wanted to do. Thank you.
Scanner – I know that must have been tough for you. And that’s what I was thinking about. Fortunately her husband works and I believe they will be ok. But it’s not like she was working to pass the time; they needed the money as we all do.
LL2 – Thank you and I’m sorry you’ve had to do this, too. I’m hoping it picks up for everyone too!
Steve – Thank you and yes, that would be great, wouldn’t it?
Seer – I just thought I should write about it, not for sympathy but to explain a little bit about what it’s like. I’ve still got my job so I have nothing to complain about. I just thought it was important to show that employers (hopefully most) do not take laying people off lightly.
Anna1liese – Thank you very much.
I know you did all you could and I'm proud of you. Especially because it bothered you to have to let her go.
I hope that through this unfortunate change you will have the opportunity to fully utilize your current employees.
I love you, honey. And I'm sorry for both of you.
precious items for sale:
32 inch television w/glass stand-$150-( Can't get Fox News)
12 shoes-size 10 and a half--$6.00 each ( laces extra)
two old bikes with slightly flat tires-$10 each or 2 for $15.
Washing machine with slight leak—FREE
White sofa—perfect for dog bed. $50
Old chicken coup—would look good as a rustic yard ornament-$25
Collection of six plastic decorative gnomes-A family for the lonely--$35
Dictionary-first edition—Dictionary of Legal Bullshit-a must for the educated library-$125
Archie and Jughead Comic Series-15 copies in their original plastic cover--$25 each
Original-Set It and Forget it Ronco Rotisserie (w/rib basket) $25
Thank you for your business. Look for Spud tee-shirts coming soon.
I mean, I could understand before how bad it was for some people. It just hasn't occurred to me before to look at it in quite this way.
Please accept my condolences over firing someone whose work you would never question, nor her ethic. It is a sad time for us all.
Barry, that's an R for being truly faithful at work
My business is directly related to tourism, and we took a 5% hit in FY2010 from FY2009. We lost some positions, but fortunately no people because we were able to give up positions that were at that time unfilled. Now as we approach FY2011, our new (approved) budget maintains the status quo. In fact, in certain facotrs, we've actually seen an up-tic in numbers ... equal to or greater than last year. I tell you that becuase in my part of the world ... FL ... we can now smell some recovery, even in light of the Gulf fiasco. So in all likelihood, we will not be laying off this coming year!
Maybe some of that wind will blow your way, too. Remember, in FL our whole economy is based on RE, construction and tourism. Historically, when there is a recession, we are last to feel it; first to recover. But where I live, we have been competing every month with Vegas for the most foreclosures, so we have been reeeel depressed. Yet I tell you ... hope is here, recovery is coming! {{{R}}}
Rod – How fortunate you were able to keep all your people and that it looks like this year you will, too. Tourism has to have been a tough racket these last couple years. Thank you for the optimistic news! We had thought we were seeing some improvement a while back, but it seems things have slacked off again. I think that will be a pattern for some time to come here – ups and downs – before we see steady improvement. Housing is a horror show right now for the most part all though some companies are selling. We’ve seen more commercial work recently – businesses expanding a little here and there so that’s got to be a good sign.
Competing with Vegas for the most foreclosures! That’s an ignoble competition! I hope you lose that one and see more recovery very soon, for both our sakes. Thank you, Rod.
r
Terminating employees is damned tough, even when they deserve it. There's always a family behind that employee and that always haunted me; I always wondered why those who deserved to be terminated weren't thinking of them.
I'm damned glad I no longer work.
MT - Ugh, that's terrible having to lay off a friend. I feel for you, that must have been awful.