I had to fire someone today

[littlemissmartypants]

19. It's a hard thing to do. You definitely had cause.

As a boss it's the thing I dreaded the most. But as long as you follow employment laws you'll be fine. I was very grateful for the training I received in that regard.

The most difficult employee termination I had to do was involving a fellow who kept falling asleep on the job. He was responsible for getting severely physically injured patients in and out of bed safely. But he would fall asleep during the process once resulting in a patient falling and being injured. He had to go.

Turns out he had a brain tumor. I had told him that I believed he should have a neurological exam because my experience as a direct care provider was leading me to that supposition. I was correct and he wrote me a card to thank me for "almost certainly saving" his life.

We never know what's behind difficult behavior but I believe it always comes as a warning to be investigated. It may change someone existentially for a lifetime when we are able to make those compassionate suggestions and have them taken to heart.

Well done, vercetti2021. ❤️