AIBU not to buy my employee a leaving card /present?

[EloiseTheFirst]

Small business. Me and 4 part time employees.

I hired this person to start beginning of August.

She resigned beginning of Sept. apparently going elsewhere as she needs more hours.

This is a part time role which was explained in the job ad, before interview, during interview and at job offer.

Employee says she was "job hunted" but I saw this job advertised mid Aug so I don't believe her.

I had to pay another member of staff to work extra hours to train her during a time I can barely afford to be paying double wages. Now I have to start all over again with someone else.

I am convinced she took this job as a stop gap to tide her over until she got something with more hours.

Consequently I'm not planning on giving her a leaving card / present.

Am I being bitter? Or is it fair enough?

No, it would be no gift or card from me.

Id wish her well on her way out but that would be it after only a month.

Don't the jobcentres make claimants take any job going or risk having their benefits cut ('sanctioned')? Also, her circumstances might've changed. Relationship breakdown meaning loss of joint income or rent increase or something else unplanned.

Remain professional. Wish her well and move on. No need for a gift. Card is nice but not essential.

@WaterOffADucksCrack

I don't buy any employees a card or present when they leave! I couldn't afford it even if I wanted to. I think leaving cards and presents are a strange concept in general though.

What? How can you run a business if you can't afford a card? There was a thread here once about someone who didn't get a leaving present. She was very upset about it as it's not normal. I've often been given one even at temp jobs.

@WaterOffADucksCrack

I don't buy any employees a card or present when they leave! I couldn't afford it even if I wanted to. I think leaving cards and presents are a strange concept in general though.

So an employee that had worked for you for 10 years, you wouldn’t even buy a leaning card for? (I’m sure you could afford a card.... you can get them for less that 50p)

I find that far stranger than the concept of leaving presents/cards

"Don't the jobcentres make claimants take any job going or risk having their benefits cut ('sanctioned')?"

Yes, they do. Even if they don't, people's financial situation often means they have to take a job as a stop gap. It's quite normal.

A card to wish her well would ne a nice gesture but I don't think not giving one would be wrong, and there's no requirement to be nice. A gift is definitely not needed!

When this happened at our work we bought a card and a bottle of wine. Nothing else.

"I think that's a bit unfair. She took a job that was 15 hours a week and is going to a new job 40 hours a week."

Comes with the territory of hiring people, you really can't take it personally! Business is business. People need to work to pay bills and put food on the table so will quite rightly take what they can at the time. Not everyone has the luxury to afford to wait until the right thing comes up and clearly in this case it just so happened to come along sooner than she expected. But you can't expect someone to continue to work 15 hours a week out of loyalty when they have the chance to work 40 therefore earning considerably more.

All that being said however, I don't think after only a month you owe her a card or gift.
I'd just wish her well and move on.

I run a small business so I can see this from both sides. Yes it is annoying to think f the time that went into her training, but that just happens in business. Maybe next time you interview you might ask if the prospective employee were seeking full time work and then make a reasoned judgement by their response.

I can recall applying for a full time post and the interviewer asked if I would consider a job share. I responded honestly - that I was really seeking full time work because I was single and had no other income. However I was still prepared to consider job share. The interviewer probably concluded, quite correctly, that if I was offered the job I would still be on the look out for a full time post.

From the employees part she has shown flexibility in taking what work she can find, rather than sitting about on benefit being over choosy. Other posters have made valid points about the nature of the modern economy and that there are two sides to that issue.

I would give her a card and my best wishes but no gift.

No need for card or gift whatsoever. You have obviously just been a stop-gap for her.

She shouldn't have taken the job if she wanted one that offered more hours. You were very upfront about the number of hours you were offering and anyone knows that in most jobs you'll need to be trained at the start, meaning that you are paying them but they are unlikely to be making you any money. They'll be costing you in fact. Unless she's a little dim, she'll know this. So it sounds to me like she lacks ethics. She needed money and was quite happy to cost you money rather than join a company where she would be part of a two-way contribution: a salary from your end, profit generation from hers. So I'd say 'best of luck' but would give no card and no gift.

I agree don’t bother with a card or gift no need. Just give her your good wishes (through gritted teeth).
I hope her replacement stays much longer.

No, don't even get a card!, she's wasted your time and money, yes she may well be entitled to, but morally its not nice, and she has dropped you in it. You'd be a mug to even wish her well.

You don't have to get her anything.

But it really does read like you are taking it personally. The fact you're cross about it and how you outline the situation says so. You think she's taken the piss out of you.

You can't be like that.

Yes it is inconvenient. Yes it's something you could have done without but this is you as a company and not you as an individual. It happens. (God, the stories I could tell!😁)

She needed a job, any job, for food and a roof. She took this one because she was offered it and she did not at that point know when she was going to find another one with the hours she needed. Yes, it was a 'this'll tide me over' job. Again, it happens.

If things are tight for the business right now, try managing without an extra person for a bit if possible.

I am convinced she took this job as a stop gap to tide her over until she got something with more hours.

But people do that kind of thing all the time. You're under no obligation to stay at a job for ages just to great goodwill with the employer.

Why are you even thinking about this. Let her go. She is not loyal to your business or to you. Reward the employees who are dedicated to their job. Buy cakes on a Friday for them ...NICE cakes :)

Surely
Surely
You have more important things to think about than this

you never know when you will meet anyone again in life . A cheap blank card wishing her luck for the future costs little

no card or gift required - shes not been there long enough

just wish her well

I would buy neither a card nor a gift. As I was saying goodbye, I would just wish her well in her next role.

I agree with people upthread, some people just have to accept anything to earn some money and survive at this time. My husband was made redundant during lockdown. He has taken a £14k drop in salary in this new job that he absolutely hates. He will carry on with this job but if something better comes up he will be off like a shot.
A card would be a token gesture

Although she very probably DID take the job with the intention of leaving as soon as she got a FT one... Maybe it wasn't quite like that. Maybe she lives with someone who has just lost their job unexpectedly and now needs a much bigger income than she did before. Maybe she really was headhunted- there was a job being advertised for ages round here that I was approached and asked to apply for.

In any case, I think @VettiyaIruken has it spot on.

A card/gift isn't needed after a month, but CitizenFame and others are right - you're taking this personally and unprofessionally. This woman owes you nothing.

I wouldn’t buy her either but I would wish her well.

Presumably she’s still on a probation period anyway, so not truly permanent yet? Regardless she has every right to leave and to move to something more suitable, this is business not personal. You would similarly have no qualms in acting in the way interest of the business regardless of her feelings.

Maybe you should reconsider your interview and selection process? A big part of this should be based around ensuring THEY want the job, they know what it involves and it fits their needs. TBH it doesn’t sound like you took much interest in this aspect—staff nowadays move a lot more and don’t take a job expecting it to last a decade. Both sides are less loyal!

People move on from jobs all the time - especially part time ones.