The hardest part about being the owner

[Jen H]

I had to tell someone today that come March, they won't have a job.

I've crunched numbers every way I know how. I've cut my own salary as much as I can afford to. Cut other expenses as much as I can. This lady has been with me the least amount of time, and her mid-week shifts are easy ones for me to go ahead and work.

I have no complaints about her as an employee. This is a purely business decision -- but that sure doesn't make it any easier.

[clovis]

Wow, that is hard!!! Years ago, I had to let a few people go, and I hated it.

I am sure you told her that it wasn't personal, that she was a good employee, etc.

How did she take it?

[Jen H]

She sure wasn't happy.

I did let her know this has nothing to do with her personally. I offered to write a letter of recommendation (I may just do this as March gets closer). If anything changes with my other employees, she's the first in line for the job. I'm also going to keep my ears open for any job openings I can clue her in on.

This is as much notice as I can give her. I hate that I have to let her go at all.

[lharvey]

It is not easy.

Ed has been with me for 10 years. He is low maintainence will do anything you ask and finds stuff to do.

I had to cut his hours back.

It really sucks.

L

[MoonRiver]

The first couple of times I had to let someone go, it was rough. But over the years, a couple of things made it easier.

My employees learned extremely valuable skills working for me. If I had to let them go, they usually quickly found a new job paying as much or more than I had paid them.

I accepted the fact that my job was to do what was best for the business. In the current economic crisis, you have to protect your business. If that means laying someone off, then delaying only threatens the future jobs for you and your other employees.

You are doing the right thing. Good luck.

[clovis]

Jen H,

If business picked up, would you keep her?

Any chance she could cover vacations, sick time, and personal days for the other employees?

Has business slowed down for you?

Clove

[Jen H]

It's not so much that business has slowed down, it's that buying habits have changed. We're selling alot less tobacco and alcohol than we used to, and more groceries. Well, we make more of a margin on alcohol and tobacco than we do on groceries.

She's first on the list for any shifts that do become available. If revenues magically pick up, I'll absolutely keep her on.

[clovis]

Just out of curiosity, since buying habits have changed, are your employees suggestive selling? Everytime, with every customer?

Years ago I managed a convenience store. I learned really fast that suggestive selling works great with tobacco products. Unbelievably well.

The SS would help those margins.

Clove

[Jen H]

Oh, yes. We're suggestive selling. It's just that people don't have the money for those luxuries that they used to. So they decline instead of saying "sure, toss that in too."

I totally understand not having the money for the fun stuff -- I'm in the same boat myself.

[MariaAZ]

I don't have much to add except that I wouldn't be self-employed if a boss hadn't downsized and eliminated my job.

[Jim Bunton]

I am self employed and work alone. My only two problems are My worker is lazy and my boss is a jerk.

Jim

[Dreaming2Loudly]

Originally Posted by Jim Bunton

I am self employed and work alone. My only two problems are My worker is lazy and my boss is a jerk.

Jim

Too funny!!

[MorrisonCorner]

Jen I totally feel your pain.. we had to let a woman go right after Christmas and because there is no work in the area we've offered to keep her on as contract labor doing odd jobs. I feel really bad for her because she's now in this twilight zone... not "unemployed" but not "employed" either. We were able to offer her health insurance for a few more months but it completely sucks.

In retrospect? We should have just cut her loose. It is demoralizing to others to have her coming in and doing odd jobs, a sort of visible reminder of what will probably befall them if the economy doesn't pick up. And of course, she's not exactly chipper when she shows up, she's getting paid much less and no benefits.

sigh.

[Rick]

Maybe you could tell her you will work her shift if she needs to go to an interview, or let her go early with pay before her layoff.

It's not much, but it would be something you could offer.