what warning can be given?

[redcrx]

will give basic facts.
one employee arrives at work yesterday morn, roads and pathways icy but not bad. He has one of those mobility scooters.
at lunch he announces to his colleague, but not boss, that hes going home. He never comes back after lunch.
today he has called to say hes not coming in but will be in tomorrow (is not phsycic but its payday tomorrow so will arrive regardless of weather)
How should employer deal with this?
Oh and the employee has no trouble getting taxis all over town at any other time, before xmas he didnt turn up for work due to snow but took a taxi and was seen xmas shopping.

[squarebear]

Force the employee to take a holiday day or dock a day's pay.

[redcrx]

oh they wont get paid for it. But i think that a warning should be given as this is a common occurance with this employee

[squarebear]

Oh I see. In that case, a verbal followed by a written if they do it again.

[redcrx]

thanks. squarebear.
I think i shall suggest that (im not the employer as such) to their boss. As i said, the guy will arrive tomorrow for his pay packet but hes needed today as theres a lot of work to get out for tomorrow. He doesnt ever see whats wrong with just doing as he pleases.

[squarebear]

What excuse did he give for not coming in?

[redcrx]

the snow is his excuse but has said he will be in tomorrow.

[redcrx]

sorry, just realised id omitted that from original post.
The snow started here at 12 yesterday, we had none til then. he went for lunchbreak at 12,30 and didnt come back.
hes called this morning to say he wont be in because of snow but that he will be in tomorrow lol

[Panic Button]

I agree that a process should be carried through about this employee's attendance record.

However I suggest making an issue during a period of extreme weather might be unwise.

No doubt at the unfair dismissal tribunal, the apparent unfairness of this will be raised.

[Ankou]

some pointers here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk.../business/7867264.stm

[redcrx]

i see what you mean panic, but this guy will arrive tomorrow for his wages even if theres a foot of snow on ground. We only have about an inch at mo.

[redcrx]

thank ankou.
The main annoyance is that the guy just upped and walked out without saying a word to his boss.

[Panic Button]

When he gets in, tell him the G4S security van couldn't bring his wages, due to thesnow.

[squarebear]

lol I like it!

[Ankou]

there must be something in your employee handbook that says permission must be obtained from a director or above for this ? if so, you can get him on a disciplinary for that.

[Postdog]

Why don't all of you who it's collectively peeing off discuss his attitude with the boss. We have a few like that at our place too, go home for the slightest thing. All said and done, it's not fair on who is left.

[Ankou]

that couls be considered as workplace bullying.
i would go with the lack of permission to leave the office.

also, if we are not coming ointo work for any reason we are required to confirm this by speaking directly to the most senior perosn on the office at the time of calling. if your boss is his boss, has he ever done this ?

[redcrx]

the company is very small, only 4 employees (its my partners company). There is no staff handbook.
when the guy decided to leave yesterday he mentioned he might go home for rest of day to just 1 person, a fellow employee, and yet my partner was sat at the other end of the same room.
My partner does everything he can to keep these guys employed, to the point of having them all sat at work playing cards in the 4 weeks before xmas because they were waiting for a delivery to enable work to continue.
This one employee has a history of doing stuff like this and my partner is struggling to keep from losing his temper lol
Im just trying to find out what he can and cant do to make this employee buck their ideas up bafore they all lose their jobs. its not fair on those who were left to do the work yesterday and today

[Ankou]

oh thats different, i work for a global corporate.

if it were me i'd give him two warnings and sack him. why hasn't your partner already challenged this behaviour ? he is already losing money.

the bloke might consider a small tribunal or something, so i would suggest to your partner that he establishes a diary of this guys attendance and movment and communicaitons with his boss/disciplinhary warnings, in order to build up a case for his dismissal.

[redcrx]

thanks Ankou,
you have same idea as i do,
I think my partner feels some sort of responsibility for the employees, theyve all been there a long time and when busy they are all needed to be there and working flat out, though some days are quiet as i said (the weeks before xmas were an extreme but they do get a few times in year when theres no work to be done)
Im going to suggest a written warning about the behaviour yesterday and perhaps using a holiday day if he cant dock wages.
I have every sympathy for those of genuinly cant get into work at the moment, but this one chap has got alternatives which he uses if he needs to get anywhere else and cant use scooter.
Maybe i should keep the diary for my partner, make a note of everything he tells me about and then show him exactly whats going on.

[Ankou]

its a start.

your partner needs to give him a warning though to set the boundaries of acceptance.