Anyone ever had to fire someone?

[LameKat]

I've got to fire someone tommorrow and I don't anticipate it going well. Any advice or interesting stories?

[MotherGunner]

I haved fire a lot of people as a manager in the video game industry.  Can you provide some context?

[SMF]

You can go the budget cut excuse or if they are a goof off at work you just pull the aside and explain to that person due to you pantsing Tiffany I'm gonna have to let you go.

Is there a reason why this person is losing his or her job so close to Christmas Mr Scrooge? Lol

[BlueBMW]

My company seems to prefer to let people go right before the holidays... we think its to save the holiday pay. 

If theres a legitimate reason for the termination then I wouldn't sweat it.  While I hate to see someone lose their job, sometimes its necessary.

Good luck lamekat!

[PunkicCyborg]

It's a bad position to be in but on the bright side, it could open up a position for someone more deserving of a good job.

[LameKat]

Context: I'm an electrician running a tenant fit out project. This week is a big deadline for the project so I had to pull some guys from other projects to beef up the crew. This guy we had just hired 2 weeks prior shows up (never met him before) and lays out the story of his life at break. He's been out of work for 4 years, the last job he was on, a piece of 2" conduit fell from a crane hit him on the hard hat and broke 2 vertabrate in his neck, comp destroyed his life, on perscription pain killers, cronic back pain, needs this job really bad. The next he does'nt show up, turns out he worked O.T. the night he worked for me on another job. At about 9am he calls me says he's just leaving the hospital, had to get checked out because his back has hurting him from falling off a ladder on the job I borrowed him from (maybe a week prior?). No one from any other job has mentioned any of this. 2 more days of no shows and I ask my office what's going on, no one knows anything of whats going on. They call the other foreman to ask about the fall, he said the guy slipped on a piece of sheetrock, there are others who confirm this. This is getting beautiful, 2different stories and no one has filled out an accident report.
Next day, payday and he shows up. After an hour his back is killing him and he says he only came in for his check. My boss finally comes out to talk to him the guy ends up crying his eyes out saying he really needs the job,not going to go for a comp claim. Boss asks if he's had any previous problems with his back, he says no. Boss says go home, rest, come back w/ doctors note that says you can go back to work.
Today he shows up goes around asking the guys on the job if he could borrow money, brings me a note from a hollistic healer that says he's being treated. I have to send him home because the note does not say he can go back. On his way home he stops at the office to pick up his check and asks the owner of the company if he can borrow $400? Turns out he borrowed money from the guys on the other jobs as well.

I

[LameKat]

OOpps, new post.
I'm in a strange position as I can't tell if this guy is lying, scamming, on drugs, or in that much of a f*cked situation. I finally convinced my boss to Talk to an agent at our Union hall to square this away, the hall says fire him. I don't if he's got a rep or not but that's the call.
So hows the guy going to react when he sees me standing outside the building with his tools and check when he arrives?

[PunkicCyborg]

Lamekat, that is like what I have to deal with daily, I am responsible for a large crew of subcontractors and it's non stop life crisis's from them

[allyourblood]

As someone who's struggling with 2 jobs right now and jumping at any scrap of extra work I can get, I say send this guy packing. HARD. Too much song and dance for my taste. Begging money while dodging legitimate work and making excuses at every turn? I'd work with a broken arm if I had to.

Shoot, hand your cell phone to him when it's time and I'll fire him.

[bartre]

ayb is right, plus, it sounds to me like this guy has something going on.

as far as how to actually do it, explain your side, and tell him to GTFO.
if you think it might turn sour though, be sure that there are a few people within earshot should he take a swing at you.
laugh if you want, it's happened to me for far far less.

[bust3dstr8]

Hurry up and fire this f*cko so we can drink beer and build some JammaGrafx tomorrow. 

[blueraven]

It sounds like he's an insurance scammer. But y'know, he COULD be telling you the truth.

From what you say LameKat, it sounds fishy. I'd trust what the union rep says.

[MotherGunner]

I would go with what the union says, clearly he has not filed anything so he is not in a protected category.  The fact that he is being dishonest is bad news too.  He can go occupy somewhere instead of bring the rest of the crew down.  Sucks that these guys may be out the money they lent though.

[rag-time4]

I would go with what the union says, clearly he has not filed anything so he is not in a protected category.  The fact that he is being dishonest is bad news too.  He can go occupy somewhere instead of bring the rest of the crew down.  Sucks that these guys may be out the money they lent though.

Interesting. Clearly the guy deserves to be fired, even the union agrees. However, you may upset your other men if this guy is unable to pay his various debts. I don't know about your relationship with others on the crew, but you might gather them or talk with them individually about the matter if your relationship with them is strong and open like that. You might tell them that you and the union would like to fire the guy, but you are concerned that he may not be able to pay back any debts, and you might ask your crew for objections.

That would be my only advice. Clearly you would be in the right to fire him, but the only question in my eyes is how your handle your relationship with the rest of the crew.

It seems the guy obviously should move to a less physically demanding type of work.

[nat]

I've been in middle management before, and came to the conclusion there are absolutely no benefits:

a) You're responsible for everyone underneath you. They f*ck up, you look bad to upper management.

b) You're responsible for everyone underneath you. When it comes time to let someone go, upper management delegates the task off to you. You have to fire them, you look bad to everyone underneath you.

c) You're.... responsible for everyone underneath you. They don't show up, don't pull their weight, whatever, you get to work the extra hours and take up the slack. More often than not, you're salary, so you don't even get so much as a bump on your paycheck for working the extra hours.

I worked in middle management for the better part of a decade, and it's some of the most thankless, rewardless work I've ever been involved in. I can't imagine getting fired, and it was a major chore every time I had to fire someone else. Rarely would they go without a fight, sometimes dragging the fight out over days on end. You feel like shit firing them to begin with (often times, anyway), but somehow you have to convince them it's in the best interest of the company, even when you may not believe it yourself.

First chance I got, I packed my bags and ran as fast as I could over to the IT department where I get paid by the hour and I don't have to answer for anyone but myself.