| Stay in business long enough and you'll most | | | | at our local university. This particular |
| likely develop friendships with some of your | | | | individual was able to begin and complete our |
| employees. Maybe not a close friendship but | | | | jobs without much supervision. He had |
| one that gives you and them a comfort zone | | | | computer skills that others didn't have at |
| that differs from when they were first hired. | | | | the time, that enabled him to excel in areas |
| As more trust is built or gained through | | | | were we needed more help. I agreed to his |
| ongoing working relations, usually everyone | | | | new schedule and allowed him to come in at |
| lowers their guard a bit and begins to settle | | | | the end of the business day and work till |
| into a ?working relationship?. | | | | late evening. BIG MISTAKE! |
| | | | |
| It's not an uncommon practice or unusual | | | | Shortly thereafter I noticed his production |
| expectation to offer a key to your Office | | | | began to drop off. For some strange reason |
| Manager or a key personal assistant (no pun | | | | his progress diminished and jobs began to |
| intended). In fact, I've found it to be | | | | become incomplete. When I approached him his |
| quite normal that ranking personnel have | | | | response was, ?I had homework?. (Call it a |
| access to certain files and other business | | | | clue when your employee offers up 'homework' |
| trade secrets that are not available to each | | | | as an excuse for not finishing their job). I |
| and every colleague. That doesn't mean they | | | | strongly suggest he communicate with me if |
| know every asset of the company and have | | | | these matters were to continue keeping him |
| access to all things. However an implied | | | | from completing the tasks. He agreed but |
| trust is given and whatever they learn, is to | | | | things didn't change. |
| spur on the company's business and enable | | | | |
| them to do the best job for you as their | | | | I returned to work one Monday morning in |
| employer. | | | | January to find none of the scheduled work |
| | | | was completed. Not one job had even been |
| If you as an employer do not have certain | | | | started! I decided that was it, enough was |
| ?fail safe? tactics in place you are setting | | | | enough and it was time to let him go and move |
| yourself up for a hard lesson. I'm | | | | on. When he arrived later that afternoon I |
| suggesting its not ?if? but only a matter of | | | | expressed my disappointment and fired him! |
| time before someone takes an undue advantage | | | | Upon retrieving the office key, he flipped it |
| of their position. I would agree most are | | | | to me as if to say ? ?so what?! |
| minor and don't require firing, let alone a | | | | |
| lawsuit. However, you would be wise to | | | | A few days later one of my other employees |
| install certain procedures that allow you to | | | | informed me he was competing with me and |
| check up on your employees. | | | | calling our customers. Calling them and |
| | | | offering to do their contract work at |
| It's a good practice to call into your office | | | | one-third of the normal price! This was a |
| and pose as a potential customer (or existing | | | | moment of utter aggravation!! |
| customer) and ask questions about your | | | | |
| products and/or services. Monitor calls if | | | | I later learned he had helped himself to ALL |
| you have a phone system that allows you to do | | | | of our proprietary software (software that |
| such a thing and grade your employee's | | | | had been developed over nearly a decade) |
| performances and critique their customer | | | | along with copying our entire customer |
| service calls. You will learn a great deal | | | | database! This my friends is a whole other |
| as to how your ?real? customers are being | | | | story and would require many pages of writing |
| handled and glean good information in the | | | | to inform you of all that happened over a |
| area of employee conduct. | | | | total of 11 years!! That's right, eleven |
| | | | years of litigation. |
| I'm writing from experience. I had given | | | | |
| extra liberties to one of my employees, | | | | A long story short ? My Company secured over |
| including supplying a key to the office. He | | | | a $650,000.00 judgment, that grew into more |
| had asked me if he could work nights due to | | | | than 1 MILLION over the years! We sued and |
| he wanted to finish up some college classes | | | | we won!! It was an expensive key!!! |