Hey David, I hate to bug you on Father's Day (Happy Day, by the way!) but I'm wondering if I can ask you an HR question.

Actually, I'll happily throw it open to any interested party.

Background...on Friday, I had a brief, private conversation with an employee of the pet care company (during a staff meeting) about a bit of bad customer service. It was a quiet, civil discussion in which I made a suggestion for a different way to deal with the issue if it ever comes up again. We parted on what I thought were good terms.

An hour later, he stormed into the owner's house screaming, saying that he quit and demanding an apology from me and from the client who complained about him. (Keep in mind, it is actually my job to deal with client complaints and, in this case, I was not unsympathetic to the employee's upset, but he didn't tell us about the issue at the time and, as a result, we could not help him.

He screamed and swore, on a loop, for about a half hour. He threatened to 'track that bitch down', meaning the client who quite rightly complained. He called me names. He must have said he quit 9 or 10 times.

Then, without resolution, he stormed out.

I advised the owner to retrieve the dogs currently in the fellow's care because he was so enraged, it was unclear what he might do.

Apparently, he has 'a habit' of quitting and has done so many times before, but never this violently.

Since Friday, he has threatened to call other clients,and to throw away the keys in his possession.

Today, he has threatened legal action because, "A key factor of my longevity [he's been HIV+ for decades] is believed to be to my reducing as much stress in my life as possible. I want to state that the incident bought on by [my name] was and continues to be very very stressful."

In addition, he is claiming expenses for flea abatement in his house, which he never mentioned before and carpet cleaning costs which again...he did not mention needing until AFTER he went off the rails.

He is a 1099 with the company.

The company owner's husband is advising her to pay him off. I am unsure, given the irrational nature of his behavior, that it will do any good.

I did call the customer who complained and asked that, if he contacts her in any way, she should not engage and call the police.

My question: Does it even qualify as termination if he repeatedly stated that he quit and left on that note?

My question: Does it even qualify as termination if he repeatedly stated that he quit and left on that note?

Sure, though you still have to process it at your end. Just note that it was a voluntary resignation, witnessed by others. Make a note to that fact. Note also that he was erratic and out of control and threatening violence.

Scrappy could probably give you more detailed information.

All you really need to do is document it thoroughly.

You just have to write up a memo noting what happened: "Employee resigned on the spot, before these people (who all sign off on it). Employee's behavior was erratic and threatening violence."

Thanks, David. That's pretty much what I thought.

I had already advised the owner to write up a chronological account of what happened and keep it on file in case the employee actually gets a lawyer.

It's alarming to me that supervision equals grounds for legal action in his mind.

I will give myself credit that, during the lengthy rant, replete with threats and spitting and name calling, I never once lost my cool. "You say I reprimanded you. Okay. What felt like a reprimand?"

Of course there was no response, but that just led to more yelling and how it was all my fault. Oh, and the client who was 'out to get him.'

How sad that we live in a culture now where anything you don't like gives you the right to lose all sense of decorum.

I should mention, this fellow is NOT young. At all. So he doesn't even have the 'kids today' excuse.

Damn, bonny, I'm sorry you have to deal with all this. And this is a different guy than the one who stabbed you in the back previous?

I am so damn cranky. I have work to do and no energy or motivation to do it, and I'm dreading work tomorrow because apparently my coworkers resent me for doing anything (even work related) that pulls my focus from working on the windows. I think everyone's tempers are at the flashpoint from this heat, but it's frustrating to me that they're apparently getting pissed when I'm trying to *help us* by keeping things running more smoothly. It's not like I'm sitting in an air conditioned office or sipping mojitos by a pool - I'm still sweating my ass off. And not saying anything, and just getting more and more passive aggressive... ugh. I think I'm going to send E an email today checking in with her. We have the opportunity to do what we want with this, if all of us work together.

Meara, smonster, I feel you, and I also think you are probably great dates.

Damn, bonny, I'm sorry you have to deal with all this. And this is a different guy than the one who stabbed you in the back previous?

Yep. The other one has since apologized and seems to want to be back in good standing but some of the stuff the older fellow said makes me wonder if the other guy has been spreading (or previously spread) dissent.

Yelling at the owner, the old guy said,"You always take Bonny's side because she's your friend."

There is only one other person I've heard express this sentiment. Everyone else, except for the woman who hates everyone, has had their bacon saved by me enough times that they don't really care that I knew the owner before I was hired.

they're apparently getting pissed when I'm trying to *help us* by keeping things running more smoothly.

OH, ever-loving M G!! I totally relate to this!!

I wish I had something more constructive to offer than an, eye's wide, pointing to you, pointing back to me, pointing to you again, expression of non-verbal understanding on the deepest level.

What is the MATTER with people?

My whole gig is keeping the clients happy and working with the staff to increase their income and reduce their negative experiences. That's ALL! What I do makes life easier for them, but most of them don't 'see' it so they don't get it.

The older guy lost us a client because he made the mistake of accepting an assignment that he should not have and then popping off to the customer about what a pain in the ass her dog was. Yes, the dog is 14.5 years old and suffering from dementia. Yes, the dog pooped in his house. HE MET THE DOG BEFORE TAKING THE GIG!

But, WE lied to him by even asking if anyone wanted to take care of the dog...with a description of his age, by the way. The client 'set him up'.

As it happens, no one is EVER assigned a boarding case. It is all freedom of choice. If no one on the staff takes a particular assignment, we make a qualified referral. So, everything this guy did, was of his own free will. OY.

smonster, I'm with ya, darlin', though I know that is precious little help, under the circumstances.

I took five minutes to look for a decorative L-brace that we could use as a quick fix for sashes out of square and you'd think I took an hour to file my nails. I had a lunch meeting scheduled with my boss to talk about all this stuff and he called to confirm and make sure there were restaurants nearby, and M is bitching (in my hearing while I'm on the phone with him) like we'd taken 20 minutes to discuss the best place to get a snoball in town. I suggested to E that maybe we'd be more efficient if we put tools back when we are done with them so we're not constantly wandering around going "Do you have a hammer? Anybody know where the multi-tool is?" and she reacted with genuine surprise and a bit of skepticism. She's so focused on the work she doesn't stop to consider what it does to my workflow when the work table is constantly cluttered and drill bits just disappear into her pockets.

Also, M keeps bringing up when I took "three days to write a bid" and it didn't take me that long, I was having a fucking nervous breakdown. I get that I left them in the lurch, I apologized and only briefly mentioned the circumstances so it wouldn't seem like I was making excuses... but clearly at least M doesn't see mental illness as true illness. Which is funny considering she smokes pot daily to manage her shit.

bonny sorry you are having to deal with everything.

I'm celebrating turning 40 today with breakfast and being lazy and rain. I'm not raining but it's raining.

I was supposed to go to the ballet performance, but... I didn't want to. I talked to Mom, she was having second thoughts and said I could claim she wasn't feeling well. So we didn't go.

I feel bad, a little, but it's my birthday and I don't wanna.

However I did go through and get rid of more dvds, honestly Icould get rid of more but I'm not ready too yet.

I also called Dad and texted my brother Happy Father's Day. (My brother doesn't answer calls but he will answer texts).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, askye! May this be your happiest year ever.

happy birthday askye