This is a first-person account (Liz from Augusta) delivered in a YouTube video about a personnel decision: a high-performing, well-liked employee with chronic migraine-related absences and lateness was given time for treatment and a leave of absence but ultimately was let go after repeated lateness because of its negative effect on team culture and operations. Liz explains the trade-offs (value of the individual vs. fairness to the team), describes how the decision was handled (compassionate, offered reference, invited to reapply next spring), and provides managerial guidance on prioritizing team culture.
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Hi there. This is Liz from Augusta. I'm the facilitator of communication. Last week, I was called the beacon of trust, my new name, and the heart of Augusta. So we had something happen yesterday, and I thought that maybe I would share a little bit of it to maybe help someone else and another business owner. So many times we have challenges with employees that we try to work with them. And if it's a health issue, especially now with COVID you know, you don't want to second guess anyone who's not feeling well and make sure they were off and got the time they needed for quarantine or anything like that. But sometimes people have injuries, nagging injuries, stuff they had come into your company with, and you try to be sensitive to that because they're a person of high value, high character, and they're somebody that fits well with your team culture. So we had someone who had had some really bad migraines, and they actually had this all checked out, and it turned out to be some difficulty in their spine from their childhood and the way they had grown. So they needed a lot of therapy. And so we started working with them on their therapy, and they were able to take multiple days off and get better and work on that. But they were continually late and calling in multiple times because that, of course, with migraines, they're horrible, and you need to be in bed, and you're not going to make somebody come to work in that kind of condition when they're throwing up and very ill. So this went on for a long period of time. And so once the person had had a lot of treatments and needed some treatments, we gave them some more time to get well and then to come back and try to integrate back with the team with their schedule and the different routes and jobs. But as you know, in our industry, you want to try to use every piece of equipment, every truck, and, you know, have everything out for the best efficiency and for the best revenue for the company. So what was happening is I needed to give them a lighter duty or a shorter day, but they'd be taking a truck for the whole day and would only be able to do two or three mows and then come back. So what we decided was best for the company and for this person to take a little bit of a leave of absence, do all their treatments and therapy and come back because we wanted them back. So that's what we did. And then they got in touch with me. Hey, I'm good to go. Feel 100%. I can do a full day's route and so awesome. The whole team welcomed them back and we jumped back in. But we did let them know that if there's multiple days off or lates, we would have to let you go again. So yesterday it kind of came to that point again. So what is more important than absolutely anything else for your team and the culture is that you show up and if you're very talented, good at something, maybe the other team members aren't. And all the business owners struggle with this. It could be somebody who's really talented and the team can't do without them on certain projects. But their attitude is horrible and it's like poison amongst the team. Then for the sake of the team you need to make the hard decision to let that person go. You would watch other people rise to their position and take their place with a good attitude and knowing that you cared about the rest of the team enough to let them go is very important. This person was not like that. They were absolutely fantastic, loved by everyone, fantastic communicator about their jobs and their routes. And actually this past week Lee had had them go do a repair on a fence for a customer and it's something they were able to just figure out, troubleshoot and just took care of it. And somebody like that is very, very appreciated to have on the team. So they were late three times in the past week and we had our off site team meeting and you know, said they were going to be there and never showed up. And just multiple things like that where it's saying to the team that okay, the rest of you need to be here. We're on P4P. We want to get in our trucks and get out the door but if you show up late, okay, we'll just work with you. So we arrived for mowing at 7:50. We're supposed to be ready to roll out and on P4P it's to your advantage to get ready and get out of here. So it was a two man team and the one guy was in his truck, ready, sitting, ready to go and the other guy drove in at 7:52. And so I went out and talked to him and he knew like it's happened multiple times. I don't know why, there's no reason for it. I'm really sorry and can I talk to Mike? And I said, well actually you probably don't want to talk to Mike because when you were late last week he told me I should fire you. And so I knew that Mike would more than support that and probably not be as lenient as me even. I told him, we love you a lot, we want you here, but it's like the least, least of things is to show up for your team and not have them sitting there waiting on you. And so I know it is very difficult to come to those decisions sometimes to have to fire somebody who is so good, even when you're short on people. But you'll find that the culture of the other guys who look at that, the guy who was in the truck waiting to leave, waiting for him, that speaks so highly to him, that we valued him so much and his coming to work early and being on time and ready to roll out. And I was completely supportive of this young man. I said, go get another job. I will even give you a reference, but I will tell them that you had a hard time getting to work on time. And I said, you spend the winter, like, figuring it out. It's a life decision that for the rest of your life will affect every job you do. And you're more than welcome to come back next spring. So even in that, with them leaving, it's on positive terms, but they know and they want to be here so bad. So I'm hoping that they do make the hard changes and do come back, but for the sake of the rest of the team and what it speaks to them, it's very important to do hard things and you can still do it with love and concern and care, but always do what's best for the team. Let us know if you have any questions on this topic or concerns. We're always here for you. Have a wonderful day.
