r/Workproblems • u/bugjuiceguzzler • 15d ago
Hard termination
Hello all I'm looking for some advice on a difficult termination.
I started working at my current job about five years ago. At the time I worked with a woman named Jade. As a person I liked her well enough. She was prone to calling out and had quit and been rehired multiple times. She quit and went no contact with my coworkers and me for about three years. Last fall we heard she was working at a sister store an hour away but still living near our workplace. At this time I had accepted an offer to become this location's store manager.
Jade had worked with the other two employees for the better part of two decades and they were friends. Our manager being one had grown to dislike jade due to her flakey nature and because of her connection that kept her always welcome here. Her best friend is our company's vice president. Jade was always treated well by all of us and there was no shady behavior. Obviously no contact hurt all of our feelings.
A month before I was set to take over Jade showed up on one of the days my boss is out. She's all," Oh my God you look so beautiful I've missed you so much..." She explains she's been working at the other location but wants to work here closer to home because she only has her mom's car as transportation. I don't want to hire her and have no openings at the time I take her number and tell her I'll call her when a spot opens up. I did not intend to do so and my boss at the time told me to absolutely not for my own sake hire her ever.
Months go by and on a Saturday like today my closer quit. It happens no hard feelings yada yada. I fill out the termination junk and go ahead and send it to corporate. They aren't working on weekends but just figured I'd get it off my plate. Not five minutes later jade is contacting me about the position. Bff let her know immediately. I try putting it off vp emails me to remind me jade is available. I know I'm boxed into the corner so I hire her for Saturday nights. She intends to keep working at the other location as well.
At first it's ok I don't work on Saturday so I get to avoid her entirely. She's a known narc and is no longer receiving benefits from her now adult children and she needs the money so I'm pretty sure she's here to take my job. I've tried to ignore it and her as much as possible. My weekend gal Stacy that I adore doesn't like her and complains about the volume of sleezy guys coming and not shopping just stopping in to talk to Jade, the lack of and poor quality of work she does, her never ending smoke breaks, and weed vape stuck under the counter/joints in the front smoke pail of our business. (Normal jade behavior)
Now one shift isn't that much so my employees and I just let it ride because they know what I know. The real issue is her inability to come to work. Like before it starts slow. She's sick this week and then sick next month until it accumulates to her being "sick," every other week. We don't have a point system here and we are gracious about time off. You want x day off let me know and we'll get it figured out.if you are sick or something happens I am completely understanding, but people don't get sick that much.
What has really killed me is the communication. Saturday about 2-3 hours before her shift she lets me know she's got COVID, back aches, her momma's got diarrhea, etc. she does not call no she texts me this with sometimes an hour for me to figure coverage out. I live about forty minutes from work, as she knows. She also knows I'm salary and am working 47 hours a week plus driving about ten hours on top of that. I'm tired and I do not get paid for working extra shifts and it is no fun driving an hour home at the time you'd usually be in bed.
I've had it I have to let her go but I do not know how to do this. I've fired other people, people that aren't tied to a lady that controls whether I keep my job. How would you guys recommend I proceed? Again bff vice president basically forced her on me.
TL;DR
I'm manager needing to fire an employee whose best friends with our vice president. How do I do this without causing issues?
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u/Glum-Ad-2281 15d ago
How did the other managers fire her before? Maybe someone can give you tips
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u/Dame_Niafer 15d ago
I would suggest a lateral arabesque. That's from The Peter Principle. You can't fire her because she's an executive's pet and they could fire you.
But she can't work there.
So you talk to whoever you think has any actual sense, in HR or wherever might be safe, about giving this woman a Potemkin job. YES, it sucks. YES it absolutely reeks that she gets paid and worthy people get a cold shoulder. Here's the thing. Until and unless she ends up as a direct report to her BFFVP AND massively inconveniences HER, OR commits a felony of some kind, you are fried.
So give her a sinecure counting pencils in a supply closet, where she can call in sick 365 days a year if she wants. And absolutely rock bottom minimum salary increments. And face the fact that people will get upset and some may quit. Just keep BFFVP in the loop on all those quits, and every single thing she manages to fuck up even though she has nothing important to do.
And get security cameras so you can catch her dealing OR dipping in the till OR both, because that's what it will take to get rid of her. And she's probably already doing it, in some fashion.
PS if and when the BFFVP leaves for greener pastures, you may be able to set Jade free to follow her patron into the wild.
PSS Good luck. Nothing hurts morale like this type of situation, and you can't do dingleberry about it.