I May Have Actually Grown a Little Bit of Backbone Today.

I did something today that I hated.

I had to confront and employee and tell her she couldn't have something she thought she should have and was taking.

We think we are gracious to our employees in our salon. They have a four day work week, opting to work longer hours in just four days, (9-7 or 10-8) instead of working 9-6 five days a week. The ones who work on Saturdays work from 9-4. We offer the standard 1 week vacation after the first year, after five years, 2 weeks vacation and if they have the fortitude to stick it out for 10 years, a 3 week vacation. (Man, I wish I were still "just" and employee! I'd be taking 3 weeks this year!!)

This particular employee is, overall, a good worker. Occasionally, we've had to have a heart to heart if her attitude seemed to be going south or if she needed a refresher course of our expectations of her.

She starts her week vacation (which somehow ended up to be 10 days long, but that's o.k.) today. The weekend she's due back to work is a prom weekend. It is our policy that stylists do not leave early on "special event" days because, naturally, it will be busy. This particular weekend, this employee will be my most experienced stylist available but a junior stylist will be on hand as well.

Yesterday, as I was trying to make a prom appointment, I realized that she had marked off her book at noon writing underneath that she had a family reunion. I asked if she could accommodate this client and she basically said "yeah, um, if I need to, I will." I replied that I really needed her to work knowing that the junior stylist cannot take on major prom work. (She's a great stylist, but with little experience I won't rely solely on her.) I erased her markings and booked the client.

Today I happened to see her book and again, it is marked out at 12 and the client I booked had been erased. I knew without looking that she had moved it to the other stylist.

I dreaded calling her to confront her about (A.) taking off time without asking for it first and (B.) getting off early on a prom day. I was so nervous I was physically quaking inside.

THAT MADE ME SOOOO MAD!

Here I am, within my rights as an employer, nervous about stating what's right and demanding her to live up to the terms she agreed to as our employee!

I'm sympathetic to the fact that her family is having it's first reunion in a long time and people will be there that she hasn't seen in 10 years. But it's as she stated: "I can't help it the family scheduled a reunion on prom day."

Neither can I, honey.