I just got rid of a slacker and it really improved the working conditions for the rest of the guy's. This guy make it easy because he just would not show up on time. He was told that if it continued that he would be let go. He did fine for a short while, but I came back a day early from a conference and found out he didn't even bother comeing in while I was gone. He showed up the next day like nothing had happened. He was actually suprized when I told him to leave his computer, keys, credit cards, ect. It's like a load has been lifted.

Politically profile...Greater likelihood of respect and work ethic from a Christian, Conservative, or preferably both.

LOL!! 3 of the 4 people I have fired were zelots and the biggest pieces of ***** I ever had work for me. One zelot stole $5000 in software from me and used it to start his own company and market my clients.

There's a difference between a Christian and a zealot -zealots never STFU about "Christ" - everything is a reference to God - everything is a blessing from God - Zealots from my experience are also a direct result of drug rehab -

What's the saying? "Nothing is more prudent than a reformed prostitute"

I'm a Catholic myself, but I never pollute the workplace with my beliefs.

rjp

Praise the Lord brother, Amen...Have you heard the Good News?

Jesus loves you...I'll pray for ya!

That is what you get for not tithing to your local church. :D

G'hed, go hire some union or hire some liberals...You will find yourself with lawsuits, being sued for discrimination, or some entitlment issues that will end up being a major pain in the rear.

I employ people and I have found quite the opposite, in fact before I was a Christian (BC), I found Christians (especially of the Protestant persuasion) to share an engrained work ethic, "Protestant work ethic," that makes them feel it is their duty as a Christian, to Christ, to be the best employee they can...This is my experience.

The more zealot the better.

Thread hijack disguised as a short bedtime story - Crack rock and Christ - a tale of two Mortgage offices -

Praise the Lord brother, Amen...Have you heard the Good News?

Jesus loves you...I'll pray for ya!

Oh, those words bring me back to November, 2005 - a time of turbulence, failed office thanks to drugs and a new office -

I worked with this rehab'd crackhead (crackhead #1) who would sign every correspondence with anyone -


"In Christ,

Shawn"

Bibles everywhere, loud, "God is good", hypersensitive as hell, had a probation officer, and although married to (I never understood this) a decent wife with two cute kids - would still spend the day on his office terminal answering the "casual encounters" section of Craigslist.

Guy wound up falling off the wagon, skipped work for over a week as clients called panicking since he wasn't around (he was on a Crack binge*) stealing a computer from the place. Incidentally, the guy who fired him, the guy who owned the office (I was in charge of day to day however) was a rehab crackhead himself (crackhead #2) who fell off the wagon the following week and did the exact same thing.

Crackhead #2 wound up going on his mission (his 10th one that year), draining the bank accounts so we couldn't pay the phone bill or any utilties - getting high with the proceeds and partying and smoking till he hallucinated.

Death blow came when the owner of the business name found out about crackhead #2's 10th mission that year - he lost the franchise. I ordered the place shut down since he was still AWOL.

I wound up taking most of the staff and starting a new office, (I wear the the crown now) since we were effectively unemployed at that moment - I took his franchise. Got a new location, far, far away from his office and rebuilt.

We just opened 2/1/06, thousands and thousands of dollars later, lots of lost biz thanks to the sudden shutdown, but happy.

Funny, it was easy to tell when crackhead #2 was going to slip - he'd start talking about going to Chuch constantly - like he'd mention it somehow, someway work it into a sentence, analogy, eating pizza, whatever - then POOF! That night, he'd wind up missing. He'd call me at 4AM talking about church and going hot tubbing somewhere.

Both are locked up as repeat offenders right now. About the only thing that may save their lives.

*a mission is something that Crackheads go through - they slip and will literally start smoking until their bodies shut down - literally high for 7 days at a time - they become paranoid, lock themselves in their homes, start to hallucinate, don't eat, or sleep during this period - occurs about once a month for most in rehab - NO, I don't speak from personal experience - learned from watching these two idiots I worked with.

Could it be the crack that was the problem?...This phenemona of crack heads coming to the Lord, full bore, and they relapsing is quite common. As an ex-Junkie (fodder for the petty leftists and their comrade fastpat) I have heard the story plenty of times.

We have working for us Jehovahs witnesses (great employees, Republican), a tranny (great employee, Republican) and a bunch of other folk, some are cut out for the work and others are not, but those who have a higher responsiblity are generally better employees, as they have more than a boss that pays them to be held responsible to...There are exceptions to every rule, but the ideological underpinnings are oft very informative of work ethic and overall behavior.

Absolutely that was the problem! - or more aptly, vice. Make no mistake, these were bad apples, who used the Church as a way to continue to operate without conscience. Another thing worth noting is that both of these fine citizens were approaching their 40's and still doing this.

Church and the Bible is only meaningful if you actually try to live by it's examples and teachings.

Another thing about those who feel they have a higher authority to answer to, is that they believe in progress, improvement, a goal- they dream. Makes them ambitious and with that, your business grows.

In contrast- the lost, drug addicts, the disgruntled, don't ever see things past tommorow, as a result their work suffers - they just want to make it to the next day, their performance never, ever improves. It's a real detraction if the profession is something like sales. You go through life on a treadmill.

rjp

Precisely. I learned how to be a Christian by watching the hypocrites (more fodder for the petty left), in that I promised myself and God that I wouldn't be one of them...I strive to be a follower of Christ in all I do...My associates and friends have seen a marked difference, night and day...I would venture that 80% of those who call themselves Christian really do walk the talk. I in know way hold myself in higher esteem because of my Faith, for it is not by my self-centered will that I am righteous, I am simply forgiven and strive to be the best man I can be, integrity, character, honor and honesty are what I aim at...these are the marks of a TRUE Christian...The Bible says you judge a tree by its fruit...They call this a resume in the secular as well as Christian world...The Bible does not say to hire crack heads, in fact there are many stories suggesting that they deserve what is coming to them and often the employers reproach and worse.

Did I tell ya that Jesus loves you Randy?... ;)

Maybe Zelot was the wrong word. What these "church types" did to my business still stings to this day.

I do not hire based on race, religion or sex. This would be discrimination and I do not discriminate. I will, however, keep a close eye on an employee once I find out that they are really religious. To me that is a tip off of a future problem.

I do not polute the workplace wiuth my religious beliefs, I use the same rule when I visit online forums. I dont care what religion you are or what you believe and I am sure the same goes for you. I am right you are wrong and in your eyes you are right I am wrong. And life goes on.

Back to the program - the key strategy is progressive discipline.

First the verbal warning.

Then the written warning.

Then time off without pay (check to see if you can do this in your state) (I've even given people time off with pay - so that they can think about the consequence of their actions)

Then termination. I usually spell out the steps of progressive discipline when I give them the written warning (and have them sign acknowledgement)

The few firings I've seen at my current office always included some type of official warning. I know this is going on when the adults bring someone into the conference room by my office. That's when the clock starts ticking. One time I saw a girl actually shape up, really turn herself around, during which time, she started floating resumes around and left on her own. She's even become a client of ours at her new place. But the others were dead-enders who just didn't get it and were canned about two wks. after their official warning. The only warning I ever received was at a previous employer I could not wait to leave. I had an offer from my current job in my hand before the hammer came down at the old place. I was soooo happy to get out of there.

whew..thanks for the re-orientation of the thread, jeremy..for a minute there i thought i'd been teleported back into the 'bush-hating, or related thread..'...:p
ryan

Ya dude, that's what I hear - when ya get to Vegas we can make everyone play "name that scripture..." :)

Signed,

rjp the Catholic.

lol..i'm, catholic and have twice had gf's be forced to breakup with me because their families were missionary baptist..honestly. the first one was when we were about 23, but the second ocurred last year! when i was 39 and the girl 37!! i just had to shake my head and figure i got away in time. it was right after meeting her folks over lunch at their house and '20 question time' about 'why do we worship mary?' and 'why do you feel you have to confess sins to a priest?' the usual anti-catholic blander. good f ****ing riddance..missionary baptist? never again.
ryan

I went to Baylor - baptist school - we used to have a running joke - what does a baptist girl do after sex? cry...

jeremy..i went down in '84 to look at the school..almost went. came home with a 'baylor sailing club' t-shirt. but your joke..is so true that i could cry! ;)
ryan

How funny - I was "captain" of the Baylor Sailing team... 1983

Once knew a plumbing contractor. Said his best employee got twice as much work done as anyone else. But he never once saw him actually do any work... Was always standing around or showing up late. Finally learned to leave him alone. Made his peace and they are both happy. Go figure.