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Thanks for all the input, but she is gone as of this morning. I felt bad. I know she needed this job. Basically a young woman with low self-esteem who likes to hang out with "bad boys".

flechero wrote:If you are for sure going to let her go- do not "fire" her... (former HR guy) call it a "RIF" (Reduction in force) Firing will eventually need a reason is she files for unemployment or sues you... and in some cases drug addiction (she just needs to claim addiction and seek treatment) can be covered under medical condition or disability. Read that as a place you don't want to go!!

RIF is almost always the preferred method. And you can reevaluate the "need" for the position in a week or so.

Check with your attorney but this is how all the companies I have worked for and with, let people go. (unless there is something requiring legal action like theft, etc.)

That's fine, but she only worked 2 days so far. We just hired her last week. So, we can't really call it a RIF.

bblhd672 wrote:

ml1209 wrote:Yeah, well she came from a recommendation by another current employee - a middle-aged suburban housewife who brings her kid into the office all the time. That's why we let our guard down about this employee. I don't think the housewife even knows about this girl's record, or does she?

Have you seen the show "Weeds"?

No I haven't.

bblhd672 wrote:

ml1209 wrote:Okay I just got off the phone with the LE agency who arrested her. They said she has a lengthy arrest record with them alone for the last 7 years. Some of the arrests are for driving without a license, criminal mischief, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and assault with bodily injury. Wow.

And the drug she was arrested for a few days ago is in the penalty group of hard drugs - cocaine, heroin, meth, etc.

What the heck is aggravated assault with a deadly weapon?

I'd recommend you start conducting background checks on future employees!

Yeah, well she came from a recommendation by another current employee - a middle-aged suburban housewife who brings her kid into the office all the time. That's why we let our guard down about this employee. I don't think the housewife even knows about this girl's record, or does she?

Now I'm also concerned about possible retribution for termination. She has a boyfriend, and possibly other friends I don't know about.

Okay I just got off the phone with the LE agency who arrested her. They said she has a lengthy arrest record with them alone for the last 7 years. Some of the arrests are for driving without a license, criminal mischief, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and assault with bodily injury. Wow.

And the drug she was arrested for a few days ago is in the penalty group of hard drugs - cocaine, heroin, meth, etc.

What the heck is aggravated assault with a deadly weapon?

I called a HR specialist who will come in and do the actual firing. She has experience with this sort of thing, and said an arrest like that would warrant a termination. There were some other charges involved in the arrest, not just possession, which leads me to think this employee could potentially cause a big scene at the best case, and be physically combative at the worst case.

I have had experience with people like this before when I lived in Kingwood, TX. My next-door neighbor had a stripper daughter who was into drugs and hanging out with "bad boys" - well those "bad boys" include Aryan Brotherhood in Porter, TX. This employee also has a boyfriend that we don't know anything about. This employee really reminds me of that stripper daughter. Rough-around-the-edges, chain-smoking White girls who reek of cigarettes and have bad teeth. I also worry about retribution from her friends.

As for my role in all this, I am the general manager for the office.

New assistant. 25-yo woman who looks 35. Was arrested a week ago for possession of a controlled substance. She didn't tell us. She doesn't know we know. What's the best way to let her go?