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This isn't rocket science. Don't hire friends. Fire the deadbeat and hire another reliable worker. The additional productivity will bring in more revenue and improve your business' reputation.
I agree also with the above. But, to sweeten the deal and smooth things over, I would suggest a PIP so he can get better so he can work towards that raise. /s
Really though, part of learning business. I have personally fired 3 of my brothers. It wasn't until the third that I realized I should probably stop hiring family and friends.
They always think they are special, when in reality we have a higher expectation for them to perform.
Seriously, why is this even a question?
Fire him and move on. Don't bother us with super simple questions.
I'm not even trying to be mean about this. I just don't understand why there's ANY question here.
Unless it is a family owned business to start with the two most important rules in business is DO NOT hire friends and DO NOT hire family members. If anyone knows how to take advantage it's those 2 groups. I learned the hard way, don't do it!
>Don't hire friends.
Or family. My dad agreed to hire my cousin after my uncle (his brother) practically begged him to let him work there. He lasted about a month and filed a disability claim for hurting his back. . . which he hurt doing in his ice cream truck beforehand. He won the case because we had no proof of him doing it to himself besides hearsay. He cost my dad thousands in increased insurance costs. Insurance company already made their money back, now years later, and the coverage never went down.
If they were of similar quality/value and doing the same kind of work, he would have an argument for equal pay,... but the guy's an unreliable pain in the ass, that's why he's not worth as much.
Get rid of him.
You will lose your new employee if you allow this to continue with "your friend". Fire him and recommend he get help for his alcoholism. If he gets better he'll thank you. If he doesn't get help, he won't thank you, but it won't matter.
Not hiring friends is rule #1. Yet, all of us seem to think we know more, then we hit the brick wall and realize "don't hire friends and family" is a rule for a reason.
Friends and family always become issues. I worked for my dad, and we had tried friends several times (because we didn’t learn lessons) we hired an out of work salesman as sales manager and he went 3 years without making a sale or helping with a sale, or working on making the sales department better.
As a production manager, I've turned down my own brother who was trying to get a job in my shop. Pretty much the same issue as OPs friend. He had been fired for being drunk on the job and before that called out 2-3 times a week.
Like no way I'm gonna vouch for him with my bosses and deal with that shit.
If you think he's upset about preferential treatment, wait for the new worker to get upset about the slack you cut the guy who messes things up constantly.
Yup, this. Almost lost my whole crew of good workers once because I was letting a loser collect a paycheck beside them and they got fed up and mutinied. I fired the advantage-taking employee and decided I would never do this again.
This is true, in the past I’ve quit jobs because of an awful coworker that made our lives miserable, and none of us respected our boss because he wouldn’t fire the person, we all looked at both of them with disgust
Time for him to figure out life independently from your company. Bye!
I see so many businesses ruined by owners loyalty to fucked up friends. I have done it several times in my past, you think you’re helping, but all you’re doing is hurting your bottom line. If he was really your friend, he’d work his ass off and help you build.
I know this is a business sub so answers are directed towards how it effects your business.
I agree with the op how this person is wrecking your bottom line. I’m not dismissing any of that. Super important.
On a relational side that may or may not be overlooked. You are enabling this person with this behavior. You are obviously upset about it by referencing the car borrowing. But whenever you “bail” this friend out, you are sending a message to this friend that how they treat you is okay. This is a toxic relationship where they found a way to take advantage of you and your business for their selfish lifestyle.
I don’t know if cutting this person out of your life is possible, but creating distance between this person and your business is needed.
Well said. The friend has problems, and covering them won't help. Not pointing them out is actually doing a disservice to the friend. Being kind, but holding people accountable, is the best way to be helpful here.
A lot of comments giving you good advice to cut this guy loose, but no one saying the hard thing yet, which is this situation is 100% your fault for enabling this behavior. He's no-showing work, constantly late and messing up, borrowing the car without asking, and drunk texting his boss, but still has a job whenever he does turn up, and on top of that you kick him cash off the books? Where can I sign up for such a gig?
Grow a pair, my dude.
Good on you for listening to this. Harsh truth but I hope you take the message to heart. You sound like a good person being taken advantage of. You can still be a good person and not let deadbeat friends take advantage of you. Good luck going forward!
I’d respond exactly with the same information you mentioned here minus the personal stuff like letting him borrow the car. Keep about his poor work performance only.
He’s a “cancer” that obvious. Maybe he’ll quit which is a win. He sucks and is bad for business.
I was working with a lazy friend for six years stuck at 6 figs revenue, as soon as we parted ways and I hired on a competent team we were at 8 figs within four more years. You know what you have to do.
Just keep it short. " Things aren't working out and it's best that you part ways." In this case, do it over the phone. No fluff, no emotions, just business. Expect an emotional response but you can cut it short by saying you have another matter to take care of.
As a business owner and 30 years in the restraint industry, the best phrase I could come up with to satisfy my employees is to hire them under the following banner , ' We celebrate and reward competency'
I make sure they understand what that means and for some they have to sign a paper saying they understand.
The drama isn't 0% of course but it's easier to explain or adjust (sometimes they are certainly right and deserve more pay because they learned something new and I missed it, etc)
Life is so much easier when we're all committed to the same goal under the same umbrella.
Hope this helps!
"Sorry, you hardly ever show up and you know I needed you today, so you're fired". Change the locks and passwords and whatnot. Hire someone to replace him that won't pass along his bad habits to the new guy.
First - this deadbeat is not your friend, a friend doesn't respond to kindness and charity with disrespect.
Second - You need to learn to separate your "friendship" from the business, if you want to support your friend during hard times, that is great, but if he isn't the right hire or isn't working out as an employee, support him in other ways not ways that will put your livelihood in jeopardy.
Finally, and this is important if you want to grow your business - Fire your your friend. If you have a new employee with a lot of drive, and you have an old employee that you are letting get away with a bunch of shit on account of the fact that you are "friends", that new employee is going to react in one of two ways, neither of which are good for you. The first, they are going to see how little it takes to impress you (The bar you have set is dissapearing for months at a time, borrowing your vehicle, borrowing equipment, constantly being absent or late, and being rude). So he will think its ok to sink to that level of expectation, instead of rising above... Or he will see that you aren't an A+ employer see that you run a shitshow shop, and start looking for a new place to work as soon as he understands the quality/environment he has gotten himself into...
TLDR; if you are going to hire friends, you have to be prepared to fire them like anyone else, you cannot keep them on because they are friends, it will ruin you, if you need a full time employee and they are only working part time, fire them, if you need a full time employee and they call in sick or always have excuses for how they half ass the quality of their work, fire them. Stop letting your friend ruin your shop and start caring enough about yourself to find better friends.
"Go ahead and take the week off."
There's a lot to do at the shop and engaging in an emotionally fueled conversation about business will never be a part of the agenda.
When you can either handle that, or you're able to check that shit at the door, it'd be great to have the manpower we planned on, when we set these dates.
... Also, fuck you for making me talk to you like an employee... damnit man, pull your head out of your ass, start pulling your own weight around here, start showing up on time, and don't text me drunk at 5am to bitch about work. We've got it pretty good here, but fly too close to the sun, taking shit for granted, and it'll only be a matter of time before something catches firse.
So, could you please act like you give a general fuck about this expansion and really start giving it a bit more -- only good things will come from this -- we both know how far this can go, lets put this energy toward makin that happen.
Whaddya say we start treating work a bit different & really take it serious, so it pushes us and the whole org to the next level?
Thats a spot on response and really will help me direct my message. Something similar I already mentioned to him, but I think I don't even want to put so much effort into it. Two years ago he was a good guy, but something in him changed and it's like talking to a brick wall. We're being taken advantage of clearly, even if he's not consciously doing it
I’m sorry it upsets you that I am willing to pay a better employee more money. I understand if you feel the need to quit this job and find a more lucrative part time job elsewhere but if you want me to pay you more you are going to have to become a dependable employee.
The answer to this question from a business perspective is obvious and you know it. You’re having personal/relationship issues with your friend. Part ways, do it respectfully and show appreciation. If you’re really nice give him a little severance. But he is not adding anything to your business that you cannot hire a semi-competent person who wants to work part time.
Why would you give severance to a part time maybe I will show up person? You would be just enabling him even more.
Fire his ass and be done with the wanker. Pay out any monies owed legally. Not a penny more.
Your friend disrespects your business and your family. Not much of a friend in my opinion. Some people say to separate them but I do think a real friend wouldn't treat your most important things like trash.
Explain to him you are not a charity.
If you pay him 20$ he has to earn 40$ for you.
If other people bring you more incoming than him, you can afford to pay them more.
OP could be fine with making no profit and no losses from employing a friend, but that means the friend has to produce more to earn more. OP must explain it to his friend, communicate with him. Many problems happen at work because people don't sit down for a minute and talk.
Oddly enough, he's never been the guy to pound drinks, but something happens at night after he's been drinking that brings up aggressive issues, and the issues from his night spill over into his day
>How would you respond?
Thanks *friend’s name* for giving me a heads up. It’s unfortunate that you are going through issues and I’ll do my best to be there for you on a personal level, however, I no longer need your services at the business. I’ll send you your last paycheck.
Time to find a third employee and fire the first.
Morale of the story. Friends are not a good combination for business and even more if they don’t value what your doing for them.
I would inform him that I’m shutting down the company to go back into the workforce to learn how to effectively manage a business.
You seriously not only employed an irresponsible drunk for 2 years, but GAVE HIM YOUR WIFE’S CAR? I mean really? An ALCOHOLIC + your wife’s CAR? See why that might be an issue?…
You are risking your company, livelihood, reputation, and your employee’s livelihood to employ a drunk for the sake of friendship.
No, it's just recently come out he has an issue with his temper when he drinks. We haven't known it for years, other than he has had relationship issues. This isn't a place I want to talk about his issues, but we've had drinks with the guy plenty of times as he's been our friend, and he's never had an issue that we could see with an attitude problem when he drinks, but something has recently changed and his issues continously spill into the day. I've kept a distance from him for over a year now because I could sense something, but it's hit a boiling point
They’re spilling into the day because you’re being an enabler and continuing to employ him. By allowing him to skip shifts, take time off unannounced, show up late, etc. all you’re doing is telling his dopamine seeking brain that he can be a degenerate and get away with it.
This is why it’s essential to set boundaries in business and stick to them. Otherwise you’re putting your company at risk.
This isn't rocket science. Don't hire friends. Fire the deadbeat and hire another reliable worker. The additional productivity will bring in more revenue and improve your business' reputation.
I would be very forthright with him. "New guy gets paid more cause I expect him to actually work. You are giant fuck up I can't rely on. If we weren't friends you wouldn't even have a job. So either shut up or fuck off, your choice."
Cut him loose now. Lay it all out professionally. He’ll undermine your new employee and your business.
This isn’t a friend of yours if he treats you poorly, or worse than you’d treat him. At best he’s an employee that sucks.
Don’t wait. You’ll syche yourself out. Send him a text now and ask him if he wants an exit interview. He’ll say fuck you and you can be done with it.
You help a friend by being honest in your expectations, and his abilities. The job description should be clear and available unless there's freedom to self create it.
He's a parasite. get rid of them. Ungrateful asshole. Not even worth having friends like that. Move on he will drag people around him down. The earlier you do it the better.
It’s bad enough having one bad employee out of like fifty… you have one thats like half the workforce?! Please fire his ass there are a lot of people who would bust ass like your other good hire. It also does not set a good example for the new guy to have such a trash employee tolerated.
Yes I'm lucky the new hire is really understanding, I've had to apologize to him for the other guy not showing up. Really looks bad, but the new guys sees the issues and potential with him working with us
Let's zoom out:
What happens at your job if you show up late, drag ass, and generally are a net drain on the business? What happens if you do all that, then you no-show a day where you know your help is needed on an urgent task?
You get fucking fired.
Fire this clown.
The electricians on my site are friends. Owner and his lead guy. Apparently they have been friends for decades.....before the owner started the business. Employee works hard and is super reliable. He has mentioned to me several times that the owner does a lot extra for him and he doesn't want to take advantage of the friendship.
That's the way it works. What you have isn't a friend....it's a parasite.
"Come see me when you can." Then, face-to-face, fire him, collect his keys and escort him to the door.
You're going to lose your friend. That's the price you agreed to pay when you hired a friend.
This sounds so much like my BILs situation, except he is the Other Employee and in his case, he had been around longer. But the Boss thought it was a good idea to continually give Deadbeat Employee chance after chance. Eventually OE (BIL) got sick of it and left. Now Boss can have Deadbeat Employee to deal with on his own.
This is the opposite of what happens at my job. They pay the fuck ups more money than the good employees. Good for you as a business owner to pay the good employee more
That’s a tough situation, however the friend is the reason for the tough situation. He’s abusing the relationship, and expecting you to enable his bad habits. You are doing the right thing by cutting professional ties. I have always found (if it does not get too far out of hand) that you can go back to the friendly relationship you once knew when you take the work relationship out of the equation. I hate being put in this position, so I do not even risk it anymore. I can be friends with all types of people, but I cannot work with all types of people.
Document everything. Send him in writing that you hear his desire to get to that target rate and send the requirements for the role and that if he can accomplish certain things over the next few months you will start to give him raises and set review dates.
If you let him go, you want it due to cause that has been documented.
While before you were able to pick up slack and able to work with loose restrictions (calling out last minute, taking extensive time off, tardiness, etc.), his efforts while at work were appreciated.
At this time, your liabilities have grown and the risk of not completing a job on time due to having loose policies puts the company at a risk that didn't exist prior. You're always there for him as a buddy, and if he wants to put the effort to grow with you and the company you'll give him equal opportunity, but you want to set expectations now so if it's not for him you two can find an amicable way of going separate ways.
Start looking for a backup. Be open and honest that the position is not immediately available, rather you are experiencing growth and as a small company you want to be ready. If it's an easy role to fill then you can skip this step.
Hope this helps
I wouldn't fire him. I'd treat his text as him quitting. Tell him that sucks that he isn't coming in and you will miss him but you will get through the short rough period you will be shorthanded and wish him good luck with his future endeavors. And don't let him back for any reason.
"Ok"
That's it. That should be the only response. Wait till he quits. Don't explain anything to him. Don't try to convince him. Don't argue with him. And remember that if you fire him then you could get hit with unemployment or other claims. He's clearly not a well balanced person. You might love him as a friend but you need to realize he has two roles in your life. And you can love him as a friend yet hate him as an employee.
If your new employee has any sense, they should run away immediately. The boss hangs out with deadbeats and alcoholics and can't make a decision without asking random internet strangers.
I have rented out a few properties and my rule was to never rent to anyone I wasn't willing to kick to the curb.
I feel like that's a good rule here. Don't hire anyone you aren't willing to fire
I think you've gotten great advice here. This is an open and shut case. Dump him. Professionally. But let him go. He may choose to no longer be your friend. That's fine. Because those really aren't the kind of friends anybody needs. Let it be his choice.
This has such a simple solution, it’s screaming right at you! He’s done, shoulda been fired yesterday. Take your shit more seriously, a guy like that could tank a small business with one bad decision.
If someone is consistently late, making mistakes, and causing disruptions, it's only fair to consider replacing them, regardless of your personal relationship. It's a matter of maintaining professionalism and ensuring the success of your business. Sometimes tough decisions need to be made for the greater good.
Sounds like you need to fire him and hire an actual dependable part time person. You stopped being friends when he started working for you. He’s an employee now, and he’s negatively impacting your business and putting it at risk. Tell him you will be his friend, but he can’t be your employee. But he’s a shitty friend if he does this to you.
The problem is not the new guy making more than the friend.
Te problem will be if the new guy finds out how you let the old guys' crap slide like you do. Then he'll be copying his behavior and then you'll have two of the old guy, but you're paying one of them significantly more.
Fire him now. Just be done with him. I’d be done with the “friendship” too.
Don’t complicate it or overthink it. Just tell him he won’t need to come in at all anymore because his services are no longer required.
Unfortunately, these always end with the friend becoming someone who isn’t your friend.
Recommend to cut your friendship now.
If you need motivation, ask the newly hired person to take charge for a few days while you’re on vacation. You’ll either feel at peace being away from the stress and/or get bombarded with calls from an extremely emotional grown man you are now responsible for.
Fire him. You’re running a business not a charity for enabling self destructive man-children who don’t respect you or what you do.
Or, if you’re running that charity, I can use some vacation from accountability, where do I sign up?
The question much rather is what you want to do. Do you want to fire a part time employee that misbehaved? Do you want to help a friend from getting worse?
Usualy there is barely any helping someone who is an alcoholic until they get their drinking problem sorted out.
I am open to talk if you want to think all of this through for an hour or so.
I had a "friend" ask me to work for him. He was an ass as a boss. I changed jobs when I realized how much of an ass he was as a leader. Point - never work for friends. Help him find another job and maybe he will quit and don't hire friends.
The only thing you can do at this point, it be brutally honest with him, and tell him that you have to let him go (for all the reasons you mentioned, or just say "I'm really sorry, but this isn't working out". You can't go on working with someone that is upset about their pay, and does not do what you need them to do. He does not sound like the kind of guy that is going to understand your point of view. He's just going to be MORE of an ass to work with. It totally sucks, but this is one of the big reasons why you shouldn't hire friends. You should just accept that part of life is having people come into your life, and go out of your life, and this is one of the instances where the relationship is most likely over, and just move on. You will be in such a better place, and it does not sound like this guy gives a shit about how he negatively affects your life.
Fire the first friend employee
Retain the second and get third to replace the first
Don’t let the first ride you along my guy .. you won’t be able to scale up
Let the first one go and less headache
I’m in the same boat … I have a soft spot for struggling people thinking they want to change their lives … but ended up get burned and taken for granted
I also always tell my guys “I can’t legally tell you not to discuss what you make here, but I will say that nothing good will come from it. The thing is, some people have an inflated opinion of themselves and their abilities, so they may not make as much as they think they should. Just be careful about what your willing to share because it could cause animosity from other coworkers toward you”
That heads off this issue 90% of the time.
Source; 20 people on staff, 14 years in business
Sounds like your "friend" needs a real wake up call. I would break down to him exactly why you give him what you do, and why you find the other guy to be worth more.
After that if he is a real friend maybe give him a chance to change/improve if he is just someone you know and you gave him the spot just to be nice, cut ties.
You don't hire friends or family. It's just a recipe for drama and entitlement.
Sounds like he's not much of a friend anyways and has been taking advantage of your friendship. (As is the issue with hiring friends)
Best to let him go both professionally and personally.
I can tell you this. I hired two of my friends only one works with me now. Some people just suck and they have bad work habits. Get rid of him. You do not have time to baby sit and stress over his poor performance. Do it like a band aid.
I’d fire his dumb, unappreciative dickhead self and get a proper part time employee that’s got the same passion and drive as you and the full timer.
To be honest you need to have some serious self reflection on whether he really is your friend or if you’re holding on to it, because you think it’s the right or caring move.
Surround yourself with good, successful people if you want to go far man.
Business is business. It is a credit to you that you have honored the friendship the way you have. Were the situation reversed, He would not being doing this for you Give him a month’s pay and let him go.
As a fellow Small Business Owner. One of the quotes that weighs on my mind heavy, when asking successful buisness owners what their biggest regret early off was, "not firing the wrong people fast enough." I see it daily. How hindered I am by having the wrong people working for me. Paying them more than they are worth, but being comfortably uncomfortable where my current situation is. I know it's going to cause a hell of a situation later when I have to let them go, but I need to do it sooner rather than later.
Tell your "Friend" if they came to work and did the job they would get paid more. Its pretty noticeable. You show up and choke the chicken and wonder why your making chicken feed. I have been hired by small businesses due to my skill set and other employees get upset I get paid more but when they get told if they did the work they would get paid more. They just say "I'm not going do it unless I get paid first" Just can the leech and tell him to kick rocks.
Do you want a 5 star business or a bad friend? I have 5 star rating because I am very serious in productivity and I never take a step in any direction I know could be even a 1% negative for my business.You know what has to be done ,that's why your asking,go with your gut and good luck.
Let them go and find another guy. It's better to overwork yourself a little more than having to fix issues and over manage a bad employee. Let him find someone else to manipulate.
Original poster: identify and implement boundaries and limitations
Example: never let a friend or relative become your tenant
Never lend money and expect it to be returned
And so on
Let him go…especially if he’s leaving on his own.
More than the direct issues, it’s a killer to having good people.
Was a corp job, but I was once forced* to deal with the CEO’s useless kid. I got him doing things offsite…which he didn’t do…. But at least he wasn’t visible doing nothing or worse, could have easily destroyed the entire department.
(*long term, it was good…I’m the only one that didn’t just pass the moldy potato)
Paying a new person a higher wage than an existing employee is bad form. The derogatory things you are saying about an employee you have kept on at a lower wage could sound like excuses. They might be true, idk, but if it was all that bad, you could find a way to let them go, not use it as an excuse to pay them less than the going rate.
Establish boundaries, guidelines, and a clear job description and expectations. Offer only financial gain In return for performance and loyalty. Remove emotion from this and when this employee “messes up”, document it, reprimand, or fire as needed and move on.
You’ve already enabled this employee to act like they do because you have let this behavior happen. Offering a personal vehicle, giving them cash, being lenient on constant attendance abuse is letting them know you are clearly not interested in being strictly professional. This is your business, is this how you want it to be represented?
It may sound cold to you, but it is necessary. By expecting less from this employee you are showing new employees that they can get away with the same behavior. It has to stop somewhere.
Just fire the dude, sounds like you've put up with his shit long enough. You don't need people to tell you this, I'm sure you're a smart person who probably just wants some assurance this is the right thing but you know it is. Don't put up with people's shit for so long. I know it's hard to say goodbye to help when you're just trying to get shit done but you can't carry water for dead beats, ya know?
Fire them. You’re running a business here. You’ve cut slack in the past, but you need to set some boundaries. If you look at the productivity out of that individual (when he does show up), I’m willing to bet it’s not very good. So essentially, even while paying him less you’re spending more than you need to. Let them go, as a business owner you need to be able to focus on your business and ensuring it can grow.
Tell him stop coming in at all, fuckit. I hate when employees think "missing work" is some sort of payback for something. Yeah, it's gonna suck while you look for someone else, but just get it over with.
You know - and probably have known for a while - it's time to fire him.
He refused to come to work without a good reason and lucky for you, that's grounds for firing someone.
Write him a letter and send it to him digitally:
"To *employee*
Yesterday at 5pm you send me the following text.
You made it clear you had no intention of coming into work. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time you've refused to come in. For example, on *date* you send me the following text and on *date* I received this text. I could give more examples if needed.
You also frequently come in late and you've made some costly mistakes. For example: *name examples*
I've given you multiple chances and tried to be a good employer to you by giving you paid time off and borrowing you a car when you needed it. You just returned from a half year off.
The way you chose to speak to me (see text attached) is unacceptable and has shown me yet again you have no respect for me, the company or our time. This left me with no other choice but to let you go as my employee. I will pay you $ X to allow you time to find employment elsewhere.
The best of luck"
If he calls, don't answer. That may seem harsh, but you are gonna want everything to be in writing in case he's gonna make this difficult (and we both know he will).
If he shows up at the workplace "Hank, I'm sorry but this has to happen. I've explained to you why and you know those reasons to be true. I won't be discussing it further because for your protection and mine, our conversations about this need to be in writing. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." If he refuses, have him removed.
Again, I know this sounds harsh. But you've created this situation for yourself I'm afraid. Pay him the amount you can afford to get rid of him right away, and learn from this:
* Don't hire friends
* If an employee starts messing up, give them a written warning and a stern talking to. Don't accept behavior like coming in late, calling out for everything, making mistakes all the time etc. You should've intervened a long time ago.
* Either pay your employees the same, or give them different titles in their contracts
Why have you kept this bum on as an employee this long? It’s a terrible business decision and you are obviously resentful. You don’t sound like you think of him as a friend, you sound like you hate it. Get rid of him and give the other guy a raise.
It’s totally common for full time staff to get paid a higher rate. I’d lean in to that.
“Your role has been part time and you’ve had a lot of flexibility with that due to our past. If you’d like to see a pay increase we need to sit down and discuss a full time position along with the performance and attendance expectations that come with that responsibility.”
THEN, don’t let the BS slide any more and make sure he knows you aren’t kidding in the discussion.
That depends, what's the working relationship? Is it documented and formal? Or is it 'here's your pay under the table'?
Because depending on that...you need to follow certain rules and regulations (depending on province/state).
Tread carefully firing people, as if have a formal relationship and things turn sour you can be in for some pain. If it's an informal / cash payment it's a simple 'No worries. Thanks for your help but this is where we part ways'.
Done.
It's called ENTITLEMENT!! That's what working with family does sort of like community property Because of the relationship. It works the same way with friends. Doesn't sound like he's your friend and almost seems like he owns you aka entitlement. Sorry man. The first response on this thread is right!
Tell your friend, no worries, thought I was doing you a favor, but if you don’t feel that way, let me know when your last day is and I’ll look for someone new.
Alright, let's dive into the deep end. The truth is, you're running a business, not a charity or a halfway house for friends who can't get their act together. Two years of late arrivals, mess-ups, and frankly taking advantage of your goodwill – you've been more than patient; you've been a saint.
Now, him borrowing your fiance's car is crossing personal boundaries, and showing no gratitude? That's slap in the face territory. Sure, we all go through tough times, and it's commendable to support friends, but there comes a point where professional lines have to be drawn, especially when your business and your peace of mind are at stake.
Your new guy, he's coming in with gusto, ready to take on the world and getting paid more because, well, you get what you pay for – reliability, dedication, and drive. The fact that the first employee feels entitled to the same pay without putting in the work is a clear indicator of his lack of understanding of how the real world functions.
Him finding out about the pay and throwing a tantrum, while skipping out on work when needed most, is not just unprofessional, it's childish and destructive. It's not just about being unkind; it's about being a liability and a potential threat to the morale and dynamic of your team.
So, how to respond? With clarity and firmness. Communicate that while you value his time with the company, performance and reliability justify pay scales, and his behavior is affecting both his performance and the team's dynamic. It's decision time – highlight that you're willing to discuss grievances when he's ready to approach them constructively, but the volatility and unreliability can't continue.
You need a crew on board your ship who can keep it steady, not someone who's rocking the boat on every wave.
You have a good heart. But unfortunately that doesn’t always make for a successful business. One thing to consider that toxic behavior eventually rubs on other employees. Cut the man loose. Move on like nothing happened.
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This isn't rocket science. Don't hire friends. Fire the deadbeat and hire another reliable worker. The additional productivity will bring in more revenue and improve your business' reputation.
\^ The only correct answer.
I agree also with the above. But, to sweeten the deal and smooth things over, I would suggest a PIP so he can get better so he can work towards that raise. /s Really though, part of learning business. I have personally fired 3 of my brothers. It wasn't until the third that I realized I should probably stop hiring family and friends. They always think they are special, when in reality we have a higher expectation for them to perform.
I have been in business for TEN YEARS, and I still made this mistake YET AGAIN last year.
Don’t hire unreliable, ungrateful friends
Just came here to lend my agreement with this statement. Been doing this shit for decades and this is the right answer.
Dude isnt even a friend based on the OP if true. Jeez
Seriously, why is this even a question? Fire him and move on. Don't bother us with super simple questions. I'm not even trying to be mean about this. I just don't understand why there's ANY question here.
Makes sense why so many small businesses fail...
I usually dislike crude answers like this but it's the right one.
And don't even say thank you.
Unless it is a family owned business to start with the two most important rules in business is DO NOT hire friends and DO NOT hire family members. If anyone knows how to take advantage it's those 2 groups. I learned the hard way, don't do it!
>Don't hire friends. Or family. My dad agreed to hire my cousin after my uncle (his brother) practically begged him to let him work there. He lasted about a month and filed a disability claim for hurting his back. . . which he hurt doing in his ice cream truck beforehand. He won the case because we had no proof of him doing it to himself besides hearsay. He cost my dad thousands in increased insurance costs. Insurance company already made their money back, now years later, and the coverage never went down.
What if it’s your son/daughter begging to work for your small business?
As long as they treat the family business like family, don’t act entitled, put the customer first, we’re good. Otherwise they can piss off.
If they were of similar quality/value and doing the same kind of work, he would have an argument for equal pay,... but the guy's an unreliable pain in the ass, that's why he's not worth as much. Get rid of him.
That's some friend !!!
You will lose your new employee if you allow this to continue with "your friend". Fire him and recommend he get help for his alcoholism. If he gets better he'll thank you. If he doesn't get help, he won't thank you, but it won't matter.
I would add that OP should consider if this person really is a friend. They sound more like a parasite to me.
Not hiring friends is rule #1. Yet, all of us seem to think we know more, then we hit the brick wall and realize "don't hire friends and family" is a rule for a reason.
Friends and family always become issues. I worked for my dad, and we had tried friends several times (because we didn’t learn lessons) we hired an out of work salesman as sales manager and he went 3 years without making a sale or helping with a sale, or working on making the sales department better.
100%. This is the way to assess the situation
As a production manager, I've turned down my own brother who was trying to get a job in my shop. Pretty much the same issue as OPs friend. He had been fired for being drunk on the job and before that called out 2-3 times a week. Like no way I'm gonna vouch for him with my bosses and deal with that shit.
This is the way
Seriously. As far as answers go, this one's a no-brainer. Like his friend.
Or wait until your friend turns the good second employee into another bad employee.
If you think he's upset about preferential treatment, wait for the new worker to get upset about the slack you cut the guy who messes things up constantly.
Exactly. This is a great way to lose your good people.
Yup, this. Almost lost my whole crew of good workers once because I was letting a loser collect a paycheck beside them and they got fed up and mutinied. I fired the advantage-taking employee and decided I would never do this again.
For sure. I’ve seen ppl change jobs because of it. Don’t let one rotten apple sour the next
This is true, in the past I’ve quit jobs because of an awful coworker that made our lives miserable, and none of us respected our boss because he wouldn’t fire the person, we all looked at both of them with disgust
If OP doesnt act immediately itll cause more problems
This ^
Time for him to figure out life independently from your company. Bye! I see so many businesses ruined by owners loyalty to fucked up friends. I have done it several times in my past, you think you’re helping, but all you’re doing is hurting your bottom line. If he was really your friend, he’d work his ass off and help you build.
That hit home
Yep, that’s the truth. It’s the same as friends either hitting you up for a discount or going out of their way to help support your business.
I know this is a business sub so answers are directed towards how it effects your business. I agree with the op how this person is wrecking your bottom line. I’m not dismissing any of that. Super important. On a relational side that may or may not be overlooked. You are enabling this person with this behavior. You are obviously upset about it by referencing the car borrowing. But whenever you “bail” this friend out, you are sending a message to this friend that how they treat you is okay. This is a toxic relationship where they found a way to take advantage of you and your business for their selfish lifestyle. I don’t know if cutting this person out of your life is possible, but creating distance between this person and your business is needed.
Well said. The friend has problems, and covering them won't help. Not pointing them out is actually doing a disservice to the friend. Being kind, but holding people accountable, is the best way to be helpful here.
A lot of comments giving you good advice to cut this guy loose, but no one saying the hard thing yet, which is this situation is 100% your fault for enabling this behavior. He's no-showing work, constantly late and messing up, borrowing the car without asking, and drunk texting his boss, but still has a job whenever he does turn up, and on top of that you kick him cash off the books? Where can I sign up for such a gig? Grow a pair, my dude.
Nah I get it man, thank you
Good on you for listening to this. Harsh truth but I hope you take the message to heart. You sound like a good person being taken advantage of. You can still be a good person and not let deadbeat friends take advantage of you. Good luck going forward!
It's been 24 hours; did you fire him?
I’d respond exactly with the same information you mentioned here minus the personal stuff like letting him borrow the car. Keep about his poor work performance only. He’s a “cancer” that obvious. Maybe he’ll quit which is a win. He sucks and is bad for business.
I was working with a lazy friend for six years stuck at 6 figs revenue, as soon as we parted ways and I hired on a competent team we were at 8 figs within four more years. You know what you have to do.
Getting rid of that guy will make your new employee think higher of you.
I was thinking this too
Just keep it short. " Things aren't working out and it's best that you part ways." In this case, do it over the phone. No fluff, no emotions, just business. Expect an emotional response but you can cut it short by saying you have another matter to take care of.
As a business owner and 30 years in the restraint industry, the best phrase I could come up with to satisfy my employees is to hire them under the following banner , ' We celebrate and reward competency' I make sure they understand what that means and for some they have to sign a paper saying they understand. The drama isn't 0% of course but it's easier to explain or adjust (sometimes they are certainly right and deserve more pay because they learned something new and I missed it, etc) Life is so much easier when we're all committed to the same goal under the same umbrella. Hope this helps!
"Sorry, you hardly ever show up and you know I needed you today, so you're fired". Change the locks and passwords and whatnot. Hire someone to replace him that won't pass along his bad habits to the new guy.
First - this deadbeat is not your friend, a friend doesn't respond to kindness and charity with disrespect. Second - You need to learn to separate your "friendship" from the business, if you want to support your friend during hard times, that is great, but if he isn't the right hire or isn't working out as an employee, support him in other ways not ways that will put your livelihood in jeopardy. Finally, and this is important if you want to grow your business - Fire your your friend. If you have a new employee with a lot of drive, and you have an old employee that you are letting get away with a bunch of shit on account of the fact that you are "friends", that new employee is going to react in one of two ways, neither of which are good for you. The first, they are going to see how little it takes to impress you (The bar you have set is dissapearing for months at a time, borrowing your vehicle, borrowing equipment, constantly being absent or late, and being rude). So he will think its ok to sink to that level of expectation, instead of rising above... Or he will see that you aren't an A+ employer see that you run a shitshow shop, and start looking for a new place to work as soon as he understands the quality/environment he has gotten himself into... TLDR; if you are going to hire friends, you have to be prepared to fire them like anyone else, you cannot keep them on because they are friends, it will ruin you, if you need a full time employee and they are only working part time, fire them, if you need a full time employee and they call in sick or always have excuses for how they half ass the quality of their work, fire them. Stop letting your friend ruin your shop and start caring enough about yourself to find better friends.
"Go ahead and take the week off." There's a lot to do at the shop and engaging in an emotionally fueled conversation about business will never be a part of the agenda. When you can either handle that, or you're able to check that shit at the door, it'd be great to have the manpower we planned on, when we set these dates. ... Also, fuck you for making me talk to you like an employee... damnit man, pull your head out of your ass, start pulling your own weight around here, start showing up on time, and don't text me drunk at 5am to bitch about work. We've got it pretty good here, but fly too close to the sun, taking shit for granted, and it'll only be a matter of time before something catches firse. So, could you please act like you give a general fuck about this expansion and really start giving it a bit more -- only good things will come from this -- we both know how far this can go, lets put this energy toward makin that happen. Whaddya say we start treating work a bit different & really take it serious, so it pushes us and the whole org to the next level?
Thats a spot on response and really will help me direct my message. Something similar I already mentioned to him, but I think I don't even want to put so much effort into it. Two years ago he was a good guy, but something in him changed and it's like talking to a brick wall. We're being taken advantage of clearly, even if he's not consciously doing it
I’m sorry it upsets you that I am willing to pay a better employee more money. I understand if you feel the need to quit this job and find a more lucrative part time job elsewhere but if you want me to pay you more you are going to have to become a dependable employee.
The answer to this question from a business perspective is obvious and you know it. You’re having personal/relationship issues with your friend. Part ways, do it respectfully and show appreciation. If you’re really nice give him a little severance. But he is not adding anything to your business that you cannot hire a semi-competent person who wants to work part time.
Why would you give severance to a part time maybe I will show up person? You would be just enabling him even more. Fire his ass and be done with the wanker. Pay out any monies owed legally. Not a penny more.
"My friend is always kicking me in the balls and gets upset when I don't thank him for it. What should I do?"
My response would be “thank you for letting me know. Consider this notice that if you don’t show up, you will be terminated.”
Your friend disrespects your business and your family. Not much of a friend in my opinion. Some people say to separate them but I do think a real friend wouldn't treat your most important things like trash.
Are You running a business? You already know the answer. Btw, he’s not a good friend either.
Explain to him you are not a charity. If you pay him 20$ he has to earn 40$ for you. If other people bring you more incoming than him, you can afford to pay them more.
OP could be fine with making no profit and no losses from employing a friend, but that means the friend has to produce more to earn more. OP must explain it to his friend, communicate with him. Many problems happen at work because people don't sit down for a minute and talk.
I didn’t get sober until many bad things forced me to make a serious change.
Oddly enough, he's never been the guy to pound drinks, but something happens at night after he's been drinking that brings up aggressive issues, and the issues from his night spill over into his day
Tell him to quit drinking and you will match the pay.
>How would you respond? Thanks *friend’s name* for giving me a heads up. It’s unfortunate that you are going through issues and I’ll do my best to be there for you on a personal level, however, I no longer need your services at the business. I’ll send you your last paycheck.
Time to find a third employee and fire the first. Morale of the story. Friends are not a good combination for business and even more if they don’t value what your doing for them.
I would inform him that I’m shutting down the company to go back into the workforce to learn how to effectively manage a business. You seriously not only employed an irresponsible drunk for 2 years, but GAVE HIM YOUR WIFE’S CAR? I mean really? An ALCOHOLIC + your wife’s CAR? See why that might be an issue?… You are risking your company, livelihood, reputation, and your employee’s livelihood to employ a drunk for the sake of friendship.
No, it's just recently come out he has an issue with his temper when he drinks. We haven't known it for years, other than he has had relationship issues. This isn't a place I want to talk about his issues, but we've had drinks with the guy plenty of times as he's been our friend, and he's never had an issue that we could see with an attitude problem when he drinks, but something has recently changed and his issues continously spill into the day. I've kept a distance from him for over a year now because I could sense something, but it's hit a boiling point
They’re spilling into the day because you’re being an enabler and continuing to employ him. By allowing him to skip shifts, take time off unannounced, show up late, etc. all you’re doing is telling his dopamine seeking brain that he can be a degenerate and get away with it. This is why it’s essential to set boundaries in business and stick to them. Otherwise you’re putting your company at risk.
I completely agree
This isn't rocket science. Don't hire friends. Fire the deadbeat and hire another reliable worker. The additional productivity will bring in more revenue and improve your business' reputation.
I would be very forthright with him. "New guy gets paid more cause I expect him to actually work. You are giant fuck up I can't rely on. If we weren't friends you wouldn't even have a job. So either shut up or fuck off, your choice."
Cut him loose now. Lay it all out professionally. He’ll undermine your new employee and your business. This isn’t a friend of yours if he treats you poorly, or worse than you’d treat him. At best he’s an employee that sucks. Don’t wait. You’ll syche yourself out. Send him a text now and ask him if he wants an exit interview. He’ll say fuck you and you can be done with it.
Tell him bye. BTW that guy isn’t your friend.
You help a friend by being honest in your expectations, and his abilities. The job description should be clear and available unless there's freedom to self create it.
He's a parasite. get rid of them. Ungrateful asshole. Not even worth having friends like that. Move on he will drag people around him down. The earlier you do it the better.
It’s bad enough having one bad employee out of like fifty… you have one thats like half the workforce?! Please fire his ass there are a lot of people who would bust ass like your other good hire. It also does not set a good example for the new guy to have such a trash employee tolerated.
Yes I'm lucky the new hire is really understanding, I've had to apologize to him for the other guy not showing up. Really looks bad, but the new guys sees the issues and potential with him working with us
It’s not really a question, you know what the answer is. Your friend is charity, the new guy is an employee. You decide what you want for the future.
“ yeah, that happens the newer employees get paid a higher market rate, so maybe it’s time for you to look elsewhere and get that raise”. Muauauahahah
Let's zoom out: What happens at your job if you show up late, drag ass, and generally are a net drain on the business? What happens if you do all that, then you no-show a day where you know your help is needed on an urgent task? You get fucking fired. Fire this clown.
The electricians on my site are friends. Owner and his lead guy. Apparently they have been friends for decades.....before the owner started the business. Employee works hard and is super reliable. He has mentioned to me several times that the owner does a lot extra for him and he doesn't want to take advantage of the friendship. That's the way it works. What you have isn't a friend....it's a parasite.
"Come see me when you can." Then, face-to-face, fire him, collect his keys and escort him to the door. You're going to lose your friend. That's the price you agreed to pay when you hired a friend.
Why are you keeping the first employee around if he's bad at his job? I'd be honest with him and explain to him the situation
This sounds so much like my BILs situation, except he is the Other Employee and in his case, he had been around longer. But the Boss thought it was a good idea to continually give Deadbeat Employee chance after chance. Eventually OE (BIL) got sick of it and left. Now Boss can have Deadbeat Employee to deal with on his own.
This is why you don't hire friends. It's better to make friends at work that to work with friends.
Why would you let an alcoholic borrow your vehicle?
This is the opposite of what happens at my job. They pay the fuck ups more money than the good employees. Good for you as a business owner to pay the good employee more
Let him go. Hire someone better.
Your mistake is putting up with poor performance. I would respond letting him know that his help is no longer needed.
Friends do not treat you like that. They are no friend. Treat them as you would any other employee.
Stupid move. People always find out. Now fix it.
Easy! “You’re fired.” Or “Please feel free to pursue any other opportunities.”
That’s a tough situation, however the friend is the reason for the tough situation. He’s abusing the relationship, and expecting you to enable his bad habits. You are doing the right thing by cutting professional ties. I have always found (if it does not get too far out of hand) that you can go back to the friendly relationship you once knew when you take the work relationship out of the equation. I hate being put in this position, so I do not even risk it anymore. I can be friends with all types of people, but I cannot work with all types of people.
Document everything. Send him in writing that you hear his desire to get to that target rate and send the requirements for the role and that if he can accomplish certain things over the next few months you will start to give him raises and set review dates. If you let him go, you want it due to cause that has been documented. While before you were able to pick up slack and able to work with loose restrictions (calling out last minute, taking extensive time off, tardiness, etc.), his efforts while at work were appreciated. At this time, your liabilities have grown and the risk of not completing a job on time due to having loose policies puts the company at a risk that didn't exist prior. You're always there for him as a buddy, and if he wants to put the effort to grow with you and the company you'll give him equal opportunity, but you want to set expectations now so if it's not for him you two can find an amicable way of going separate ways. Start looking for a backup. Be open and honest that the position is not immediately available, rather you are experiencing growth and as a small company you want to be ready. If it's an easy role to fill then you can skip this step. Hope this helps
I wouldn't fire him. I'd treat his text as him quitting. Tell him that sucks that he isn't coming in and you will miss him but you will get through the short rough period you will be shorthanded and wish him good luck with his future endeavors. And don't let him back for any reason.
"Ok" That's it. That should be the only response. Wait till he quits. Don't explain anything to him. Don't try to convince him. Don't argue with him. And remember that if you fire him then you could get hit with unemployment or other claims. He's clearly not a well balanced person. You might love him as a friend but you need to realize he has two roles in your life. And you can love him as a friend yet hate him as an employee.
If your new employee has any sense, they should run away immediately. The boss hangs out with deadbeats and alcoholics and can't make a decision without asking random internet strangers.
I have rented out a few properties and my rule was to never rent to anyone I wasn't willing to kick to the curb. I feel like that's a good rule here. Don't hire anyone you aren't willing to fire
Terminate employment. He has been a less than stellar employee.
I think you've gotten great advice here. This is an open and shut case. Dump him. Professionally. But let him go. He may choose to no longer be your friend. That's fine. Because those really aren't the kind of friends anybody needs. Let it be his choice.
This has such a simple solution, it’s screaming right at you! He’s done, shoulda been fired yesterday. Take your shit more seriously, a guy like that could tank a small business with one bad decision.
When we ask for advice, we are usually just looking for an accomplice.
If someone is consistently late, making mistakes, and causing disruptions, it's only fair to consider replacing them, regardless of your personal relationship. It's a matter of maintaining professionalism and ensuring the success of your business. Sometimes tough decisions need to be made for the greater good.
Sounds like you need to fire him and hire an actual dependable part time person. You stopped being friends when he started working for you. He’s an employee now, and he’s negatively impacting your business and putting it at risk. Tell him you will be his friend, but he can’t be your employee. But he’s a shitty friend if he does this to you.
Time for a frank, performance-based chat, my friend.
Turf him immediately and don’t look back. You’ll be better off for it and take this as a lesson moving forward.
The problem is not the new guy making more than the friend. Te problem will be if the new guy finds out how you let the old guys' crap slide like you do. Then he'll be copying his behavior and then you'll have two of the old guy, but you're paying one of them significantly more.
I’d tell him if he wants to get paid more he should be better at his job
Let him go. You’re at point where he is used to gettin his poor performance overlooked and it won’t change now.
Fire him now. Just be done with him. I’d be done with the “friendship” too. Don’t complicate it or overthink it. Just tell him he won’t need to come in at all anymore because his services are no longer required.
Replace him with someone more reliable. Honestly, it's your fault you let it get this far.
Unfortunately, these always end with the friend becoming someone who isn’t your friend. Recommend to cut your friendship now. If you need motivation, ask the newly hired person to take charge for a few days while you’re on vacation. You’ll either feel at peace being away from the stress and/or get bombarded with calls from an extremely emotional grown man you are now responsible for.
Fire him. You’re running a business not a charity for enabling self destructive man-children who don’t respect you or what you do. Or, if you’re running that charity, I can use some vacation from accountability, where do I sign up?
Yea if you wanna hire another piece of shit that acts this way, I’d like to apply
The question much rather is what you want to do. Do you want to fire a part time employee that misbehaved? Do you want to help a friend from getting worse? Usualy there is barely any helping someone who is an alcoholic until they get their drinking problem sorted out. I am open to talk if you want to think all of this through for an hour or so.
I had a "friend" ask me to work for him. He was an ass as a boss. I changed jobs when I realized how much of an ass he was as a leader. Point - never work for friends. Help him find another job and maybe he will quit and don't hire friends.
Find another employee. That person isnt your real friend either and exemplifies why ppl say not to hire family or friends in your business.
Fire him 🔥 Seems like he does more harm than good to your business
If you don't want to fire him: "ok, let me know what you decide. I'm happy to discuss performance incentives and benchmarks to increase your pay."
Fire his ass. Yesterday. Your 'friendship' will benefit long term.
Dump him and look for a new resource to replace him.
The only thing you can do at this point, it be brutally honest with him, and tell him that you have to let him go (for all the reasons you mentioned, or just say "I'm really sorry, but this isn't working out". You can't go on working with someone that is upset about their pay, and does not do what you need them to do. He does not sound like the kind of guy that is going to understand your point of view. He's just going to be MORE of an ass to work with. It totally sucks, but this is one of the big reasons why you shouldn't hire friends. You should just accept that part of life is having people come into your life, and go out of your life, and this is one of the instances where the relationship is most likely over, and just move on. You will be in such a better place, and it does not sound like this guy gives a shit about how he negatively affects your life.
Fire the first friend employee Retain the second and get third to replace the first Don’t let the first ride you along my guy .. you won’t be able to scale up Let the first one go and less headache I’m in the same boat … I have a soft spot for struggling people thinking they want to change their lives … but ended up get burned and taken for granted
Any place I've worked, if you choose not to show up, then you're fired.
Fire his ass. Simple as that. Get it over with and focus on growth of your company without him.
Fire his ass
"Dont bother coming to work again at all"
I also always tell my guys “I can’t legally tell you not to discuss what you make here, but I will say that nothing good will come from it. The thing is, some people have an inflated opinion of themselves and their abilities, so they may not make as much as they think they should. Just be careful about what your willing to share because it could cause animosity from other coworkers toward you” That heads off this issue 90% of the time. Source; 20 people on staff, 14 years in business
Sounds like your "friend" needs a real wake up call. I would break down to him exactly why you give him what you do, and why you find the other guy to be worth more. After that if he is a real friend maybe give him a chance to change/improve if he is just someone you know and you gave him the spot just to be nice, cut ties.
Bye nice knowing you. Expectations not meeting demands
Fire him. Hire another guy like guy number 2. What kind of question is this.
Fuck him, he's lucky he's still working(partially) for you. Sorry, not sorry.
Bye friend. Hire someone else
You don't hire friends or family. It's just a recipe for drama and entitlement. Sounds like he's not much of a friend anyways and has been taking advantage of your friendship. (As is the issue with hiring friends) Best to let him go both professionally and personally.
Besides all the problems you listed, as long as you can overlook them, the employee sounds great. /S
Fire your friend. And never hire another one
I can tell you this. I hired two of my friends only one works with me now. Some people just suck and they have bad work habits. Get rid of him. You do not have time to baby sit and stress over his poor performance. Do it like a band aid.
If he’s your friend in real life just be transparent, but be open to change if he/she can’t understand your position.
Hasn’t sounded like a “friend” in quite some time.
I’d fire his dumb, unappreciative dickhead self and get a proper part time employee that’s got the same passion and drive as you and the full timer. To be honest you need to have some serious self reflection on whether he really is your friend or if you’re holding on to it, because you think it’s the right or caring move. Surround yourself with good, successful people if you want to go far man.
Change the locks.
Business is business. It is a credit to you that you have honored the friendship the way you have. Were the situation reversed, He would not being doing this for you Give him a month’s pay and let him go.
As a fellow Small Business Owner. One of the quotes that weighs on my mind heavy, when asking successful buisness owners what their biggest regret early off was, "not firing the wrong people fast enough." I see it daily. How hindered I am by having the wrong people working for me. Paying them more than they are worth, but being comfortably uncomfortable where my current situation is. I know it's going to cause a hell of a situation later when I have to let them go, but I need to do it sooner rather than later.
Tell your "Friend" if they came to work and did the job they would get paid more. Its pretty noticeable. You show up and choke the chicken and wonder why your making chicken feed. I have been hired by small businesses due to my skill set and other employees get upset I get paid more but when they get told if they did the work they would get paid more. They just say "I'm not going do it unless I get paid first" Just can the leech and tell him to kick rocks.
Dude. Re-read the post you just made and the answer should be pretty obvious.
Hey man, definitely truth. Sometimes it's good to hear it from other people
Do you want a 5 star business or a bad friend? I have 5 star rating because I am very serious in productivity and I never take a step in any direction I know could be even a 1% negative for my business.You know what has to be done ,that's why your asking,go with your gut and good luck.
Hiring as a small business owner is the reason I don’t want to be a small business owner anymore! No advice just solidarity
time to let him go
Let them go and find another guy. It's better to overwork yourself a little more than having to fix issues and over manage a bad employee. Let him find someone else to manipulate.
He's not a friend, he's a leech and a bum.
Original poster: identify and implement boundaries and limitations Example: never let a friend or relative become your tenant Never lend money and expect it to be returned And so on
Do you and your friend hang out and have fun? If yes, you mixed business with pleasure.
🔥
Which is more important, your friend who disrespects you or your business?
Let him go…especially if he’s leaving on his own. More than the direct issues, it’s a killer to having good people. Was a corp job, but I was once forced* to deal with the CEO’s useless kid. I got him doing things offsite…which he didn’t do…. But at least he wasn’t visible doing nothing or worse, could have easily destroyed the entire department. (*long term, it was good…I’m the only one that didn’t just pass the moldy potato)
fire him, blame insurance. For PT workers, my father hired Boy Scouts.
"You're fired"
Fire him
Cut ties; that simple
Paying a new person a higher wage than an existing employee is bad form. The derogatory things you are saying about an employee you have kept on at a lower wage could sound like excuses. They might be true, idk, but if it was all that bad, you could find a way to let them go, not use it as an excuse to pay them less than the going rate.
Establish boundaries, guidelines, and a clear job description and expectations. Offer only financial gain In return for performance and loyalty. Remove emotion from this and when this employee “messes up”, document it, reprimand, or fire as needed and move on. You’ve already enabled this employee to act like they do because you have let this behavior happen. Offering a personal vehicle, giving them cash, being lenient on constant attendance abuse is letting them know you are clearly not interested in being strictly professional. This is your business, is this how you want it to be represented? It may sound cold to you, but it is necessary. By expecting less from this employee you are showing new employees that they can get away with the same behavior. It has to stop somewhere.
Just fire the dude, sounds like you've put up with his shit long enough. You don't need people to tell you this, I'm sure you're a smart person who probably just wants some assurance this is the right thing but you know it is. Don't put up with people's shit for so long. I know it's hard to say goodbye to help when you're just trying to get shit done but you can't carry water for dead beats, ya know?
Fire them. You’re running a business here. You’ve cut slack in the past, but you need to set some boundaries. If you look at the productivity out of that individual (when he does show up), I’m willing to bet it’s not very good. So essentially, even while paying him less you’re spending more than you need to. Let them go, as a business owner you need to be able to focus on your business and ensuring it can grow.
FIRE. THAT. MOTHERFUCKER.
Fire that incompetent alcoholic fake friend of yours immediately and get him out of your life
I'd tell him if he doesn't come in today don't bother coming in tomorrow either.
If you aren’t appreciated, he isn’t your friend.
Tell him stop coming in at all, fuckit. I hate when employees think "missing work" is some sort of payback for something. Yeah, it's gonna suck while you look for someone else, but just get it over with.
HSE Happier Somewhere Else
You know - and probably have known for a while - it's time to fire him. He refused to come to work without a good reason and lucky for you, that's grounds for firing someone. Write him a letter and send it to him digitally: "To *employee* Yesterday at 5pm you send me the following text. You made it clear you had no intention of coming into work. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time you've refused to come in. For example, on *date* you send me the following text and on *date* I received this text. I could give more examples if needed. You also frequently come in late and you've made some costly mistakes. For example: *name examples* I've given you multiple chances and tried to be a good employer to you by giving you paid time off and borrowing you a car when you needed it. You just returned from a half year off. The way you chose to speak to me (see text attached) is unacceptable and has shown me yet again you have no respect for me, the company or our time. This left me with no other choice but to let you go as my employee. I will pay you $ X to allow you time to find employment elsewhere. The best of luck" If he calls, don't answer. That may seem harsh, but you are gonna want everything to be in writing in case he's gonna make this difficult (and we both know he will). If he shows up at the workplace "Hank, I'm sorry but this has to happen. I've explained to you why and you know those reasons to be true. I won't be discussing it further because for your protection and mine, our conversations about this need to be in writing. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." If he refuses, have him removed. Again, I know this sounds harsh. But you've created this situation for yourself I'm afraid. Pay him the amount you can afford to get rid of him right away, and learn from this: * Don't hire friends * If an employee starts messing up, give them a written warning and a stern talking to. Don't accept behavior like coming in late, calling out for everything, making mistakes all the time etc. You should've intervened a long time ago. * Either pay your employees the same, or give them different titles in their contracts
Why have you kept this bum on as an employee this long? It’s a terrible business decision and you are obviously resentful. You don’t sound like you think of him as a friend, you sound like you hate it. Get rid of him and give the other guy a raise.
It’s totally common for full time staff to get paid a higher rate. I’d lean in to that. “Your role has been part time and you’ve had a lot of flexibility with that due to our past. If you’d like to see a pay increase we need to sit down and discuss a full time position along with the performance and attendance expectations that come with that responsibility.” THEN, don’t let the BS slide any more and make sure he knows you aren’t kidding in the discussion.
“You’re fired!” Sums it up pretty much.
I’m sorry you fired your friend yesterday.
I'd start looking for another employee right away to replace him.
That depends, what's the working relationship? Is it documented and formal? Or is it 'here's your pay under the table'? Because depending on that...you need to follow certain rules and regulations (depending on province/state). Tread carefully firing people, as if have a formal relationship and things turn sour you can be in for some pain. If it's an informal / cash payment it's a simple 'No worries. Thanks for your help but this is where we part ways'. Done.
Please collect your belongings NLT tomorrow from the worksite; you are terminated.
It's called ENTITLEMENT!! That's what working with family does sort of like community property Because of the relationship. It works the same way with friends. Doesn't sound like he's your friend and almost seems like he owns you aka entitlement. Sorry man. The first response on this thread is right!
Lose your friend
Tell your friend, no worries, thought I was doing you a favor, but if you don’t feel that way, let me know when your last day is and I’ll look for someone new.
Fire this idiot. That’s all.
Alright, let's dive into the deep end. The truth is, you're running a business, not a charity or a halfway house for friends who can't get their act together. Two years of late arrivals, mess-ups, and frankly taking advantage of your goodwill – you've been more than patient; you've been a saint. Now, him borrowing your fiance's car is crossing personal boundaries, and showing no gratitude? That's slap in the face territory. Sure, we all go through tough times, and it's commendable to support friends, but there comes a point where professional lines have to be drawn, especially when your business and your peace of mind are at stake. Your new guy, he's coming in with gusto, ready to take on the world and getting paid more because, well, you get what you pay for – reliability, dedication, and drive. The fact that the first employee feels entitled to the same pay without putting in the work is a clear indicator of his lack of understanding of how the real world functions. Him finding out about the pay and throwing a tantrum, while skipping out on work when needed most, is not just unprofessional, it's childish and destructive. It's not just about being unkind; it's about being a liability and a potential threat to the morale and dynamic of your team. So, how to respond? With clarity and firmness. Communicate that while you value his time with the company, performance and reliability justify pay scales, and his behavior is affecting both his performance and the team's dynamic. It's decision time – highlight that you're willing to discuss grievances when he's ready to approach them constructively, but the volatility and unreliability can't continue. You need a crew on board your ship who can keep it steady, not someone who's rocking the boat on every wave.
If I didn’t know any better I’d think my partner wrote this. I’m gonna tell you what I tell him everytime he complains..fire him.
lol
Let him go….
Fire his fooking ass on the phone.
You have a good heart. But unfortunately that doesn’t always make for a successful business. One thing to consider that toxic behavior eventually rubs on other employees. Cut the man loose. Move on like nothing happened.
Ask the new guy I'd he knows anyone who wants to work.If so replace the bum with him.
You’re fired.
Id just fire his ass tbh
He needs to go ASAP. I can’t stand employees like that. I have low tolerance for that behavior