Just had to fire the guy that works the hardest.
Brokegunner
Posts: 465 ✭✭✭✭✭
Just need to vent here... sorry if this is out of place.
I'm sitting here on my patio enjoying a Padron 64 Sober Soberano Maduro and trying to mentally escape from this place. For those that don't know, I am the managing partner in an investment group that owns an RV park and I moved here full time 6 months ago because the managers I had were not doing their jobs.
Today's problem was one I inherited from their negligence.
We have 100 sites here and the property requires a lot of maintenence. The usual practice here for help is that someone comes in and stays a while and asks if we are hiring. They move their rig to one of the long term spaces and get a very reduced rent in return for working here... with all their hours paid at minimum wage.
When I took over 6 months ago this guy had been here a while and I see he is way behind on his rent (5 months or so). He claims he thought his rent was free now that he's an employee, yet he knows that all the other employees pay. He also paid the reduced rent a few times so I know he's FOS. He tells me he'll get caught up and I offer him more hours and even take some money off his past due balance for odd jobs off the clock... like almost dumb money like $50 an hour for trimming trees and stuff just to try to get him caught up.
Each week I schedule him the days he is available but I really need the most help on weekends and he complains and usually shows up late. He constantly tells me he's the best employee here and no one can work as hard as him, etc. The thing is, that part is true. He works his ass off and I've never seen him standing around or **** off. Dude runs non stop and I rarely have to give him jobs because he's already working on something that needs to be done.
The current situation is he's only getting 20 hrs per pay period (2 weeks) when the other employees average 60. I've lost 5 employees since I took over and only hired 2 but we are getting it done and the place is running much smoother. He came to me around June 1st and said he got another job that pays way better so I kept him at 2 days on the schedule hoping he would now be able to pay his past due rent but barely paid the current and no back rent. Then he just stopped paying again and hasn't paid anything in 12 weeks. His wife works full time in town and the last time we had a discussion about the rent he went on and on about how much she makes and he should be able to get caught up in no time. Same old story.
I have been self employed for the past 25 years and I despise being an employer. I feel like I'm not a good manager but the other employees love it here and tell me they like working for the park. I'm actually regretting not doing this sooner because it was starting to effect the other employees that he comes in at whatever time he feels like it and all of the others are here on time every day.
One of the best things I did was to start hiring outside of the park. Neither of the new employees live here so no reduced rent and no drama with dealing with them living here.
So today I wrote his last check and a termination letter. Go out and knock on his door and he never answers and won't answer his phone. Not unusual. Then he sends a reply at 6pm since his wife is home from work and he's awake finally. He comes in the office with a cig in one hand and a beer in the other, half way **** faced already. It went pretty smooth but I had to hear his rant about what a great employee I'm losing. Heard it all before too many times.
Well that cigar hit the spot and I'm feeling relaxed finally. If you made it this far maybe we can start a thread about being an employer or add a comment about the thankless job of having to fire an employee.
Thanks
"Not all heroes eat crepes"
Comments
In kind employee arrangements are almost always messy. Throw in alcohol issues....
And this right here is what those outside this hobby will never understand
I had a brother in law that was just like that. All kinds of talent and ability, when he felt like it. He's dead now, unfortunately. I always thought that one day he'd grow up, but no. Peter Pan forever. Sounds like you did all you could.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
In my experience rent is like sex, once you get behind, you never catch up.
Don't let the wife know what you spend on guns, ammo or cigars.
This sadly sounds like most places nowadays