Revolving

[muckefuck]

When you work in a library, you're not used to a lot of churn. Yesterday afternoon, for instance, I went to the retirement party for a colleague who's been here over thirty years, and he was not the longest-serving employee in the room. Even the student workers tend to be stable. One of my first hires was an incoming freshman when I gave him his break, and worked like a dog for me until he graduated four years later.

So it's rare that I've had the experience of a student hire leaving before the end of the term and even rarer that I've had to get rid of anyone. Today was my second firing, and it was only the student's second shift. At the end of our time together on Tuesday, she dropped the bomb that she would only be able to work 80% of the hours required. I accepted as a compromise that she would work longer hours in August. An hour after arriving today, she revealed that she wouldn't be able to do that after all and, in fact, even the schedule she had just submitted to me was iffy. Moreover, she'd known this for some time but wasn't sure how to tell me.

Furious, I assigned her some books to pull from the stacks. Then I fumed. When she came back, I asked her to collect her things and escorted her from the department.

The first time I had to let someone go, I agonised about the decision. This time, I felt like it was absolutely the right thing to do. She had misrepresented herself in order to secure the job. She lied to me. I had no faith in her, no basis for a healthy working relationship. Fortunately, my second choice is still available; with any luck, once the dust settles, I will only have lost a week. It's awkward that he will likely be starting while I'm away, but my second-in-command is eager to have the experience of training him, so it's all good.

Comments

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

You absolutely did the right thing.

Don't lose any sleep.

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Grrrrrrrrrr. Good call.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

It's so annoying that I didn't make it earlier. There were warning signs from the moment I made the offer. I even spoke to Personnel about withdrawing it, but they told me it was already too late.

[mollyc-q.livejournal.com]

Listening to your gut when your gut is telling you something is off about a person is something I am still dealing with, so you have my sympathies. Also, if this student is paying attention, you just did her the biggest favor ever -clearly she does not understand consequences or how to conduct herself like a grown-up - she'll either reflect and learn or she will continue to have things blow up.