if you were a manager of a store?

Question

and you hired someone but they where mentally slow...and they kept messing up and no matter how many times you tell them to do smoething they just dont get it and do the complete opposite...would you fire the person?

Answer 1

I would question your management skills for hiring them in the first place. You knew the person was mentally challenged, so if you are going to give them the opportunity which sounds like was out of pity, then I have no pity on you for giving one false hope. Either they had what your looking for in the position or didn't.

You really have a lot to learn as a responsible manager. Your employees should be valued and it is your job to work with and train the folks you hire. If this person is mentally challenged and messes up but is a good worker who shows up on time and takes pride in there job, then it comes down to a call on morals. Rather then fire the associate, try and shift responsibility of job duties which they will be happy about either way in most cases. Surely you can find something for this individual to do, so do your job for once and manage THEM!

Irritated and dumbfounded at this question,
Skull

Answer 2

It depends - if you hired them because they were mentally slow, then you must have hired them for a job that was within their capacity - if you hired someone who was totally unsuitable, then you are the one who should be fired.

When working with someone mentally slow, perhaps writing down the job into small discrete steps will give you a better result from them. Perhaps you don't have the ability to explain to them what needs to occur in a message style that they can understand.

Be real careful about firing them - you have to have proof that they can't do the job, or they can sue you for discrimination. Document the job responsibilities, document what it or isn't occurring - hopefully with more than one person participating - and then if it doesn't work out, you may offer to allow them to quit (with 2 weeks pay) - that is a more humane way to handle than firing them.

Answer 3

Can you put them in a less challenging position? Some times people that are slower than the rest of us, need true step by step instruction. You'd be surprised how many things we assume when training people.

But then there are the other people, I worked once with a woman, nice as could be but she just "didn't get it". We waited tables and she could never remember after 2 years how to place the salt (seriously). Her third year with the company and they had to let her go.

I would say if they are truly mentally challenged, try and find something they can do within their means. Call your state department of employment, find out if your tax dollars support training people with special needs, chances are there are specialist on staff that are supported by grants or taxes that can come to your place of business to help you train the individual in question.

If they are just thick skulled, you probably need to let them go.

Answer 4

Consider this. Morally you may find the idea of letting them go alittle reprehensible, but operationally you have an obligation to keep the store running smoothly. Punishments trickle down from the top, failures run up hill. When they do poorly, the store does poorly, and it reflects poorly (and directly) on you. Its the corporation, or business owner who hands you a check, not the "special" employee. I've made the same mistake and almost lost my job. You have to cut ties with anyone not capable of meeting standard after reprimand.