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Posted By: bigventure employees - 11/05/05 02:21 PM
We have grown seriously within the past 12 months and have increased our employees by 10. One is my sister who works in the office and the other is an electrician who worked for the company several years ago. Now the problems, the electrician shows up on time every day, never takes time off, will be on call when ever asked and work late if needed, is great with customers, his work quality is terrible even though he has been told and then warned several times to clean it up, it remains bad.
Now my sister, which is the big problem, her office skills aren't what they used to be and it's affecting the work of the other office personel as they have to spend time fixing her mistakes.
Some advice please. I will lay back on the couch as any of the psychologists out there gives advice.
PS I loved my mother.
Posted By: Tiger Re: employees - 11/05/05 05:18 PM
You left out a vital piece of information...What is your position in relation to them (aside from brother)?

Dave
Posted By: iwire Re: employees - 11/05/05 05:36 PM
My suggestion for the guy who is always willing to work is simple.

Tell him he will receive some unpaid time off if he continues to ignore your request to bring his workmanship up.

Make this a part of your company policy, where I work unpaid time off is a definite possibility if someone breaks the rules.

On the other hand paid time off is given out to those that go above and beyond.

The sister, well,...I have four of them, would you like another? [Linked Image]
Posted By: sparky 134 Re: employees - 11/05/05 08:00 PM
Someone who shows up on time everyday is worthless if his work is bad.

With regards to the sister, treat her the same as any other employee. Would you tolerate the same performance from another employee ? If not then warn here about her performance and then fire her if she fails to improve, family or not.....
Posted By: sierra electrician Re: employees - 11/05/05 08:27 PM
Fire the electrician....Promote your sister.
Posted By: Trumpy Re: employees - 11/05/05 10:16 PM
I'd fire the pair of them.
They both sound like a hinderance.
Posted By: Jps1006 Re: employees - 11/06/05 03:09 AM
I like the company policy of unpaid time off with formal write-ups and reviews etc. If the continual reminding and repremanding doesn't seem to work, but the reliablity and attitude are still intack, I wouldn't be too quick to fire him. Maybe you are asking him to to do something beyond his skill level. He might be having problems with concentrating or focusing. Before firing I would try demoting. Usually a morale buster, but if he just can't do what he's being asked, try asking less and paying accordingly. Or is there another position that might fit him better? Move him around if that is an option or put him under a guy that has good quality control. might have to cut pay if he's working under someone.

As for the sister.... her skills aren't what they used to be?? What did they used to be? Then, what dramatic changes have occured in her life since then? Alot of times personal problems can creap into work performance, and if she's working for her brother she might feel she can sluff off a little more on the days she just doesn't feel like it. I would guess it is either a personal issue with her or a lack of respect for her boss or the company. I am assuming since her skills aren't what they used to be that she actually had the skill at one time. If she just doesn't have the skill, that's another issue.
Posted By: bigventure Re: employees - 11/06/05 11:07 AM
Thank you all for the replies. Last year I moved my sister from Tenn. where she was an office manager to here in Mass. To let her go would be awful difficult although being in business for a long time I've had to do something almost as bad. As far as the other electrician goes although he has been a friend for some years I'm afraid the road is his next step as I'm sure he will land on his feet and find another job.
Posted By: Electricmanscott Re: employees - 11/06/05 12:47 PM
"Bigventure" = big resposiblity! By the looks of things economically here in MA you should be able to find decent help pretty soon. Replace the guy. As for the sister business has to be business. I know that is harder for some to accept than others, like maybe your family but if she is dragging the business down it's time to cut her loose.
Posted By: bigventure Re: employees - 11/13/05 01:05 PM
Update,
Bad electrician has voluntary left the company and sister has taken to the idea that I'm boss during working hours and brother after work. Her production and skills have suddenly bloosmed.
Posted By: macmikeman Re: employees - 11/13/05 07:00 PM
Man, things move fast for you.
Posted By: MikeK3145 Re: employees - 11/14/05 12:37 PM
Big,

It’s always fun when you’re working with family. The problems at work just follow you right home.

Let’s start with the electrician. We’ve all seen guys like him. It’s almost as if they know they’re work is substandard and they don’t want to give you least little excuse to fire them easily. Documenting missed shifts or unexcused absences are easy. Visit the local unemployment office and tell them that your employee violated article xxx of the NEC and the examiner’s eyes tend to glaze over.

There are very few “perfect” employees so I like to look at the whole package, adding up the pluses and minuses and then make a decision. If you think you can improve his performance then you need to decide where his deficiencies lie. Pretty much it comes down to two things – training and motivation. Has he been properly trained to do the job? Have your expectations for workmanship been clearly communicated? Motivation is a little harder to gauge. A fairly simple method is to work with the guy or at least nearby so that he knows he’s being “watched”. If his work improves, then you have a motivation issue. If not, it’s training. Remember to praise in public and correct in private. You don’t call the guy an idiot in front of his co-workers.

If you decide that you’d sooner just get rid of the guy then you have a couple of options. If you’re a union shop, you’ll have to follow the union rules. If you’re in an “employment at will” state you can just outright fire him. That won’t stop him from collecting unemployment but he’ll be out of your hair. If you don’t want to pay the unemployment you’ll need to document his infractions. It must be in writing, signed by both parties. You’ll need to clearly describe his deficiencies, what steps he needs to take to correct them, in what time frame, and what steps will be taken if he doesn’t correct them. Unless his offenses are so egregious that no reasonable person would keep this guy employed, you’ll probably have to “write him up” several times.

Follow the same course of action with your sister, although you might want to check with your Mom before firing her.

While it’s great that business has increased to the point where you need to add employees you’re going to find yourself being more of a manager and less of an electrician. Unfortunately management skills aren’t taught in a lot of trade schools, apprentice programs, or even in college (for the electrical engineers). You might consider looking at your local community college for classes on management, people skills, human resources, etc. They aren’t real expensive and are often offered in the evening or on weekend for folks will a full-time job.

You might also consider consulting with a local attorney that specializes in employer labor law to come up with a set of company policies. You may also want to consider “employment practices” insurance which will cover you should an employee (or former employee) decide to sue.

Good luck!
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