Another One Bites the Dust

I do really well when it comes to censoring myself in front of others. I have the patience of a saint and will do just about anything for anyone. But when patience has run out, it should be considered doomsday for just about anyone involved.

We had this employee who got terminated today. And man, was she a trip… Her interview went well, answered questions well….but when it came to training, she missed at least a day and a half, but she had done enough of the training and enough shadowing hours to go into census at a PRTF. What we didn’t realize when she was first hired was that she was essentially deaf. At a PRTF, we rely heavily on being able to keep sight and sound on our kiddos for their safety and for hours. Our heads have to be on a swivel.

She tried to deny it at first. And then she came in with a hearing aide and relied heavily on reading our lips. She was dumber than a box of rocks, honestly, even if she HAD been able to hear us. She couldn’t perform her job duties, was refusing to comply with company policy, and when she got called out on it….well, saying that she didn’t take responsibility was putting it kindly.

She was coached by my supervisor and me. She was informed she HAS to follow kids’ safety plans, she HAS to wear her hearing aide, etc.

A week later, I found out she hadn’t completed her paperwork when working in another residence. So I told her she HAD to stay late to complete it as it is company policy all paperwork be completed before leaving for the evening. So she stayed. Every time she asked for my help, she expected me to drop everything I was doing to help her with the paperwork. She became really rude and insubordinate about it too. The FIFTH time she demanded my help (demanding is putting it nicely, yet again), she said to me, “I know you don’t like me. But this needs to get done.” Ya think??!!! So I helped her, she finished and then went on her merry way.

Well, I ended up having to write a hell of a report. I not only had to pass along my own observations but my employees’ complaints as well as the kids we care after. It was a lengthy list. Considering the fact she had already been coached, was still in her first 30 days, was missing training which she was making absolutely NO effort to complete… well HR said she needed to be terminated. At OUR PRTF, we do actual exit interviews.

So when she came in to work today (an hour late), she was told that my supervisor and her needed to meet for a meeting. She completely ignored me, looked at my fellow assistant manager and said, “Well, it was nice knowing you.” Then she said to our supervisor, “Am I being fired? We don’t need to do this. I will just go home.” My supervisor said, “No, we DO need to do this, and we will.”

Apparently, the exit interview didn’t go well. My supervisor and our head supervisor both brought a copy of MY report on her with my name blacked out to the exit interview. You know what she told them??? “Whoever sent that report is a bold faced liar.” (Honestly, I cracked up when I was told about this. Lying is one of my pet peeves, and I refuse to do so, especially at work when it comes to our kids’ safety, even if it were to save my own ass. I have learned it’s much better to turn myself in than to have someone else turn me in.) So after that, she became belligerent and was refusing to accept ANY responsibility for her own actions. It was SO bad in fact, the head supervisor had to shut it down and said, “This is done. You are done.”

So long story short. Bad employee, fired employee. When our kids are at risk, you aren’t a good fit.

Work vs Life

So today was a real eye opener as to how crappy employees can be…

I am new to my management position, and will have been an assistant team lead for my workplace for two months on the 2nd. I have already learned a lot, but tonight felt like a new low.

We had this one employee named Taren(name changed for her privacy). I actually really liked her. She did her job well, didn’t typically complain, was a fast learner and completed her paperwork every night before leaving the workplace.

Well, her attendance started drastically slipping, called in for the fourth or fifth time on Friday (still in her 90 days) and then was a no call no show on Sunday. She was finally scheduled to come back in to work today. She came to the pre-shift meeting, found out she was working a different house than usual, and then disappeared. Like…literally disappeared. I didn’t find out until one of my fellow assistant team leads messaged me to ask when I was going to send her. She apparently grabbed all her stuff and just left without telling anyone at all. She ignored all our phone calls from myself and MY boss, and it became official when we discovered she had unfriended everyone from work on FB.

Well me…August has a history of being a shitty month for me. My mom always ended up in the psych ward right before school started in August, and right before my birthday, in August. I have learned not to make any plans for my birthday. Ever. Every time I do, it falls through without fail. Last year, I got to go see my mom for my birthday but ended up with the worst case of strep I’ve ever had in my life. So this year, I made no plans other than to spend it BY MYSELF and keeping it low key. And then with Taren self terminating like that? Looks like I will be spending my birthday at work instead, at least until I took another look at the schedule. Taren wasn’t scheduled to work this weekend, which means I’m in the clear and don’t have to go in to cover her shifts. Thank the Lord!

I might actually be able to enjoy this birthday. I’m not holding my breath though. Knowing my luck, my truck will end up dying, I will get struck by lightening, or maybe my house will catch on fire. Who knows?!

 

 

 

Where I Need to be (written 08.20.16)

Long have I been searching
For what it means to be
A significant person
In an ocean of humanity.

Each day has been a struggle
Sliding back more and more
Some day I don’t know
What I’m even fighting for.

I had days I wanted to
Just give up and die
Rather than taste the wind
And learn how to fly.

I don’t know how it happened
The change came like a bang
When my thought process changed
And I said it could all hang.

I do what makes me happy now
I do it all for me
I thank the good Lord above
For how it came to be.

My happiness comes from Him above
This I know to be true
But sometimes I need reminding
I need not be blue.

He made those little changes
Where each day became mine
Now I know, whatever may come
That He will keep me fine.

I’m finally where I need to be
Some days a trial to be sure
But each night I sleep in peace
My pain much less to endure.