#plus I’ve worked there for over a year without a SINGLE disciplinary action taken against me

[lesbiansanemi]

I genuinely believe that in the event of extreme weather unless you work somewhere NECESSARY to survival, like at a fucking hospital or something, your job should just be closed you should not be required to come in it should be illegal

[topicprinter]

I own and manage a company of approximately five people, plus me (it varies from year to year). I started it with just myself but have hired additional help over the years as business levels dictate. There has been a little bit of turnover but I've been mostly fortunate in that aspect...and therein lies the problem.As the owner, boss, and overall HNIC, I'm far too forgiving.Before I get into it, it's important to say that I've not missed a payroll by even a single day since I hired a payroll company in January 2016. That milestone was me getting my act together, and my promise to the staff that I would never fail them. (before that we were kind of ragtag without much structure in any part of the business, anywhere)That being said, the two main technicians are, simply put, unreliable employees. One has been with the company on and off for 5 years, the other has been with the company for just over 3 years. By the end of this story you may jump to the conclusion, "Well get rid of them and hire new help already!" Heads up, we're a skilled trades industry -- a new tech, properly trained and certified, costs around $20,000 before he or she stops being a liability and becomes a profit-generating asset. Turnover is killer.Now, given, we've obviously been completing projects otherwise the company wouldn't still be in business, however the techs frequently slip up, make mistakes, or double and triple labor costs that eat into the profit. My business-owner-friends have told me that I put up with a lot more bullshit than they ever would...and you know what? Their businesses are thriving.The techs show up late to appointments with customers (think cable guys and time windows), without exaggeration, probably 40% of the time. Sometimes they don't show up at all. It either results in our projects starting late (and lasting later), or we lose business over it altogether. Other times they take 2x-3x as long to complete a task than I projected it for. Sometimes they break or lose company-owned equipment. The mindlessness of one of them is insanely frustrating: several trips to Home Depot to grab supplies when it could have been done in a single trip if he had just planned ahead.It boils my blood when these things happen but I've never actually taken any disciplinary action against them becauseI don't want to create animosity inside them toward the company/me (it affects work and morale)There are times when they do stay late to make up for missed work, or pull off an absolute miracle so I don't feel right saying, "Hey, great hustle! Thanks for getting that done! By the way, here's a write up for being a half hour late three days in a row." (still, the original damage has been done)This year has been particularly difficult because one of the techs tumbled down some stairs while at work and had a two-month medical leave. Yay for higher Worker's Comp premiums. (Truth be told, I have a feeling he was planning it because he was "complaining" about his wrists and shoulder hurting in the few months prior -- "I think I have arthritis, I can't carry ladders anymore." By the way, he's 22)During his lengthy absence I burned through all cash reserves by bringing in untrained, temporary help which resulted in the project running on and on and on... Then, upon his return, our last few jobs have also taken longer to complete than they should have ("getting back into the swing of things" according to him), and cost more than they should have. Keeping tabs on these guys and keeping them focused is like trying to keep two dogs in a bathtub.Fun fact: Both of them were a half hour late to our job just yesterday, leaving the customer waiting around. I wasn't aware of it until the customer called me and asked where we are. Any idea how embarrassing that is??At this point, there is no money left. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Just this week I have started selling off my personal things on Facebook and Craigslist to put some money back in the account so I can make payroll while I wait for payments from the customers to arrive (jobs took longer to complete, so final payments take longer to receive).Here's a stark contrast between them and me: I have never given them an excuse for why their paycheck is late (because it has never been), but they constantly give me excuses for why they can't finish a job on time or why they have to leave early to, for example, take their pregnant fiancée to the doctor, or pet to the vet, or meet repair contractors at their own homes, etc...All of this screwing around has drained the company. I'm now two payments behind on my personal vehicle loan and have run up my wife's and my credit cards just to make sure I make payroll on time, every time. No excuses. They eat before I do, even if they probably, technically, don't deserve it.Here's the harsh truth I have to face: I need to man up and terminate them. I need more reliable help. The company needs dependable staff. I've never been closer to pulling that trigger than I am now, but also now, one of the techs is having a baby in less than two months. I've always felt like it is my responsibility to take care of my staff so they can take care of their families. Somehow I can't face the fact that I need to get rid of him while he has a baby on the way. Even though it shouldn't, it feels like a dick move.It's a true cop out to blame the employees because I, the owner, should have taken control and made those tough decisions long before I ended up this deep in the hole. Ugh.