Quittintime: Found a good employee

In spite of the poor economy I have been busy enough this last year to want to add another employee. Because of the local economy, my scope of work has digressed about 10 years (meaning instead of larger additions and remodels, I’m down to a lot of roofing and what I call dirty remodels - the kind just to repair rather then improve a house).

I have one long term man (Tim) that is very talented, so I was looking for a man somewhere between semi-talented to laborer level.

I have gone through three guys so far.
One lasted a week before he quit.
One made it ten days before I sent him packing.
The last one I had for about 5 months - as winter got colder, he would show up 30 - 90 minutes late, then missed a day without calling - claimed he didn't feel well - no explanation about the lack of a call.
The final straw was the day he did not show when I had a crane scheduled to set trusses. Tim and I had to bust our a**** to get it done short handed. When he stumbled in the next day, I just handed him his last check and told him to leave. He couldn't understand why!!

I had been given the number of a guy by my excavator, called him as the last employee was going down the drive, he was on the job within 2 hours.

He has been great. Reasonably experienced, a good supply of his own tools that he knows how to use (although I generally try to steer them to using my power tools), with a good attitude.

He is willing to learn, takes criticism well, and generally good to work around.

Today he told me that he has a health issue. He needs to have open heart surgery to replace a heart valve. He has some tests to run, and then they are scheduling the surgery.

My first concern was for him personally. He is only 44, with a lot of living yet.
He wants to know if he can still have his job afterwards (about 3 months), which I told him yes.

After all this riff-raff I have had, I get a good man, then this.

Some days, you feel like beating your head into the wall.

Terry

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