I know what most of you will say but I thought I'd get some additional input.

I am wrestling with the idea of firing an employee and I really don't want to do it because, well I guess firing an employee sucks!

My biggest beef with this 36 year old father of 2 is that apparently, everything in his life is more important to him than his job.

He lives 3 miles away from my warehouse and cannot EVER get to work before his 930 start time.

If I don't call or text him almost daily, he will get in at 10 or 1015. I feel like an ahole for having to even type this.

This past week it was:
Monday 1030(had excuse)
Tuesday 1035
Wed 947. I told him it's 930 not 947, he replies it's only 945 on my watch.
Thursday 945
Friday 10 am and I sent him home.

This is the norm and not the exception.

I literally start getting aggavated at around 9.25 because you would think a person would get to work a little early.

I shouldn't have to get aggavated every friggin day.

On top of the fact that he can't get to work on time, what he does do is generally incomplete.

FWIW, I own an interior landscape company and he does a bit of everything. Deliveries, sales, replacements, customer service, etc....

So when I say incomplete, I mean he delivers 20 plants and containers to a new account and the plants are not shiny, or they are missing ground cover.

Or he will go to a build to make replacements(list in hand) and replace the wrong plants.

The problem is that he is a nice guy, personable and customers like him. I like him, he's the kind of person you don't want to get rid of.

If I show up to work after him, he'll typically be standing with his hands in his pockets, while there is stuff to be done.

He has been warned repeatedly about his tardiness and I have had it.

The kicker to all of this is that his passion(coaching basketball to a local HS) doesn't pay him crap and he gets there everyday on time to open up the gym for his kids.

During the regular season, he finishes even earlier.

He typically will work about 5 hours a day(he has a list to do, when it gets done, he's done). Sometimes 8 but rarely.

He day goes like this:

Get to work at 10.30(mind you he shows up like he's been rushing)

Do whatever I ask him to do around the shop then get what he needs to follow his list of things to do.

Gets on the road around 11.15. Stops to get a bite to eat then goes to work.

He plans his day so that he finishes around the time he has to go to coach at his school.

If he gets stuck in traffic and still has one thing to do, he'll leave it for the next day if it means going late to his coaching.

As I said, getting rid of him is the last thing I want to do, but I feel like I am letting myself down.

I am thinking of suspending him for a week with pay, telling him to consider his options for employment, and if he can find a job with liberal hours, that allows him to be done in time to indulge his passion that he should do it, or he has to do things my way.

I know this is long in coming, but it feels like dealing with a son who continues to let you down. You have to deal with a son though.

Thoughts!

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