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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be confused/pissed off with my employee?

90 replies

emmymillie · 29/04/2015 22:31

I employed a young girl recently as she had some basic skills needed and had no friends so i thought i would help her out as i know her through her mum. I am having to move my offices about 1.5hrs south (1hr drive for her) and i told her from the start this was a possibility. She is from an area where there are no jobs, no opportunities and generally no money, so i think shes quite lucky to have landed herself a job working for me where i'm training her in what she has 'always wanted to do'. So i let her know an approximate moving date, 4 months away so she has lots of notice, and she lets me know that she has decided she cannot possibly travel 1hr to work each day (she already travels 30mins and i pay for it extra) as it will impose on her 'me time'. I understand she wants her own time but i've just spent literally thousands on training her up. I also planned to add on an extra 1/3 of her pay and she knows this, but is going to turn it down on the basis that she wont travel an extra 30 minutes each way bearing in mind she won't be eligible for benefits straight after quitting so will have no money and will have absolutely no job prospects (even after the training i have provided) if she will not travel!

I suppose the way she is going she would have been sacked anyway, she will only work if someone is directly sitting with her telling her what to do and as soon so you stop she goes on facebook for hours even though she has work set to do which she definitely understands. She has a 1/2 hour lunch break (her own choice) but today gave herself 1.5hrs. Then i checked what she had done at the end of the day and she had done the equivalent of 20 minutes work. I walked past her today and saw she was on facebook, messaging someone. I asked her what she was doing and she said 'oh, just on facebook' like that was perfectly acceptable and carried on for another at least 30mins, surely i'm not paying her to send messages on facebook?!

I don't even know how to approach her, she believes that saying she won't travel will stop us moving and doesn't realise she will lose her job. I've never employed anyone like her before (unmotivated teenager with an interesting 'im-better-than-everyone' attitude). I'm pregnant (3rd pregnancy) with my first and my mum popped in and this girl even started telling my mum how she thinks i'm a bit immature to have a child (where did she get that from?!) and how i spend all day pretending to work but actually doing nothing (erm, no.. i think its the other way around, i'm working a minimum of 12hrs a day 7 days a week currently!). We're only a small team and having one person who doesn't fit in really makes an impact.

I only set up my business in 2014 and have never had a problem like this with an employee before. I feel like she should be sacked the way she is acting, I don't need the added stress.. or maybe its just pregnancy hormones and i'm expecting too much?

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 29/04/2015 22:33

She doesn't sound like she'll be a loss. Move and find someone with a better work ethic.

monkeysox · 29/04/2015 22:34

Get rid. She's taking advantage.

ecuse · 29/04/2015 22:35

Definitely sack her!

Jackie0 · 29/04/2015 22:37

She's having a laugh.

ImperialBlether · 29/04/2015 22:39

Oh why are you employing this woman? Please get rid of her! There are so many people wanting work and this one just does not deserve you.

Whereabouts are you?

MissMuesli · 29/04/2015 22:39

You are being taken advantage of massively! Haven't you started disciplining procedures yet?

snowgirl1 · 29/04/2015 22:40

If you only hired her 'recently' and she's already spending working time surfing on facebook and taking extended lunch hours, I'd part company with her.

AuditAngel · 29/04/2015 22:41

Does she have a contract? Does it contain a probationary period? If so, what are the terms?

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 29/04/2015 22:41

Have you got a disciplinary policy written up?

If not, do so now and start following it. Regardless of the move, you should let her go

GiddyOnZackHunt · 29/04/2015 22:41

Give her notice and see if the impending reality kicks her up the arse. If it doesn't then you can look for someone skilled up.

maddening · 29/04/2015 22:41

thank God she is quitting - no awkward situation with your friend having to sack her daughter for being lazy and taking the piss.

GasLIghtShining · 29/04/2015 22:42

Hate to generalize but so many youngsters have the 'it's all about me' attitude.

Not much help to you now but in years to come she will realize what an arse she was and will regret it.

Get rid I say

GiddyOnZackHunt · 29/04/2015 22:43

Oh missed the fb. She thinks she's doing you a favour!

anothernumberone · 29/04/2015 22:44

She is too soon to need to consider a drawn out lay off process. Tell her you understand her concerns re travel and that it is better for both of you to move on now before you don't get less attached to one another pay her her notice and get her gone immediately.

ilovesooty · 29/04/2015 22:45

If you only hired her recently you can dismiss her and employ someone else who might commit better to the job. She's not doing the job you've employed her to do.

SurlyCue · 29/04/2015 22:45

Why on earth are you not telling her to get back to work when you see her on fb or sitting doing nothing or taking 90 minute lunches?

VanitasVanitatum · 29/04/2015 22:45

Just say oh dear, what a shame and be glad you dodged a bullet!

cerealqueen · 29/04/2015 22:45

You must know she is taking the piss and you are enabling her work shy attitude?! You need to deal with her before she demotivates the rest of ypur small team.

cerealqueen · 29/04/2015 22:47

And she is slagging you off to your mum? is this a wind up?

ilovesooty · 29/04/2015 22:47

GasLight you are generalising. I think there are many hard working youngsters out there and older employees can also be lazy.

FadedRed123 · 29/04/2015 22:47

Give her a weeks pay in lieu of notice and sent her home. Why waste any more of your time and money on her? And the additional stress. It's also not fair on the rest of your team, and they'll respect you more for taking firm action against someone not pulling their weight.

Koalafications · 29/04/2015 22:48

Just cut your losses and get rid.

Akire · 29/04/2015 22:49

Definitely start discipline procedures tell her doing 20m work a day is not acceptable here is your first verbal warning! Give her set targets of what will happen again if dosnt complete set tasks without good reason then your are within your rights to sack her if fails again.

I understand it's frustrating when trying to help someone out by training them up but she has to play her part too. Maybe she thinks she will be able to just claim benefits but they will check with you the reason why she is now unemployed. Maybe she is banking on you moving as excuse not getting sacked, but the job centre sure are'nt going to say extra 30m each way is too much!
Do yourself a favour talk to her tomorrow with a bit of luck she sack herself soon :)

DoJo · 29/04/2015 22:50

She sounds like a shit employee regardless of whether she is prepared to travel further. I cannot understand why you have kept her on this long, let alone paid for her travel and planned to increase her pay! It sounds like you will be well rid of her when you move, although I wouldn't waste your money on her for that long if she's slagging you off, stealing from you (effectively by not working while you are paying her) and generally failing to meet even the most basic expectations an employer should have of an employee.

ilovesooty · 29/04/2015 22:52

She'll get a shock when she does eventually qualify for jsa and is expected to apply for jobs 90 minutes away.