Closed due to employee illness - Page 2

chester · 08-10-2004, 08:27 PM

Yes, once an employee is scheduled, it is their responsibility to find a replacement. However, if I have a really good employee that occasionally gets sick, I won't fire them if they can't get someone to cover their shift. And I can't expect them to work sick and expose their germs to the customers. It's hard to come by good employees and expensive to train new ones. So I do make rare exceptions. In the last year, I've only had to work 2 times because someone was extremely sick. It probably wouldn't happen while I was working at the other location, but if it does, I would have to close it for half a day. I just wanted to know if anyone had experience with doing this and how their customer's reacted. In 10 years, I have never been closed except for posted holidays. I am not liberal on employee absenteeism.

chester · 08-10-2004, 08:28 PM

Yes, once an employee is scheduled, it is their responsibility to find a replacement. However, if I have a really good employee that occasionally gets sick, I won't fire them if they can't get someone to cover their shift. And I can't expect them to work sick and expose their germs to the customers. It's hard to come by good employees and expensive to train new ones. So I do make rare exceptions. In the last year, I've only had to work 2 times because someone was extremely sick. It probably wouldn't happen while I was working at the other location, but if it does, I would have to close it for half a day. I just wanted to know if anyone had experience with doing this and how their customer's reacted. In 10 years, I have never been closed except for posted holidays. I am not liberal on employee absenteeism.

tanu01 · 08-10-2004, 09:28 PM

Chester,I dont know how close your stores are to each other,But if they are within 15 - 20 min you might concider
not opening one of them for earily mornings.
Flick

CarmelCameo · 08-11-2004, 02:17 AM

Chester,
I am an absentee owner too, and also run with a minimal staff. I have a program you might want to adopt. Every 30 days I award my employees with gift certificates for things they LOVE for exceptional performance above and beyond the call of duty... like day spa packages, nail services, pedicures, favorite clothing store certificates, movie and dinner passes etc. They have to earn them and they love going out of their way to earn these rewards. Many certificates cost me nothing in exchange for advertising for them in my salon or in trade with other business owners for certificates from my salon for tanning to use in the same type of employee motivating contests. If one of my employees volunteer to work a shift or even a double shift to cover for an employee who is sick they get awesome perks for doing so. Chances are you won't have to pay time-and-a-half if they aren't already scheduled for 40 hours a week. I also offer to bring them lunch or have it delivered for them. I am truly blessed with very dedicated employees. We are a family, we enjoy helping each other when the need arises. This is definately a better solution than being closed for half a day and losing revenue.

Hope this helps!

chester · 08-12-2004, 07:32 PM

Thanks for the suggestions CarmelCameo. It won't completley eliminate the problem but I'm sure it would help.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Weird Employee Rules	Forever Tan	Salon Management	74	06-02-2007 12:56 PM
Confidentially Agreement	tropicalescape	Salon Management	11	11-05-2006 02:20 PM

08-10-2004, 08:27 PM	#11 (permalink)
chester Join Date: May 12 2004 Location: wyoming mi Posts: 123 Rep Power: 5	Yes, once an employee is scheduled, it is their responsibility to find a replacement. However, if I have a really good employee that occasionally gets sick, I won't fire them if they can't get someone to cover their shift. And I can't expect them to work sick and expose their germs to the customers. It's hard to come by good employees and expensive to train new ones. So I do make rare exceptions. In the last year, I've only had to work 2 times because someone was extremely sick. It probably wouldn't happen while I was working at the other location, but if it does, I would have to close it for half a day. I just wanted to know if anyone had experience with doing this and how their customer's reacted. In 10 years, I have never been closed except for posted holidays. I am not liberal on employee absenteeism.

08-10-2004, 08:28 PM	#12 (permalink)
chester Join Date: May 12 2004 Location: wyoming mi Posts: 123 Rep Power: 5	Yes, once an employee is scheduled, it is their responsibility to find a replacement. However, if I have a really good employee that occasionally gets sick, I won't fire them if they can't get someone to cover their shift. And I can't expect them to work sick and expose their germs to the customers. It's hard to come by good employees and expensive to train new ones. So I do make rare exceptions. In the last year, I've only had to work 2 times because someone was extremely sick. It probably wouldn't happen while I was working at the other location, but if it does, I would have to close it for half a day. I just wanted to know if anyone had experience with doing this and how their customer's reacted. In 10 years, I have never been closed except for posted holidays. I am not liberal on employee absenteeism.

08-10-2004, 09:28 PM	#13 (permalink)
tanu01 "The Man" Join Date: Mar 4 2003 Location: ohio Posts: 3,977 Rep Power: 7	Chester,I dont know how close your stores are to each other,But if they are within 15 - 20 min you might concider not opening one of them for earily mornings. Flick

08-11-2004, 02:17 AM	#14 (permalink)
CarmelCameo Join Date: Aug 11 2004 Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	Chester, I am an absentee owner too, and also run with a minimal staff. I have a program you might want to adopt. Every 30 days I award my employees with gift certificates for things they LOVE for exceptional performance above and beyond the call of duty... like day spa packages, nail services, pedicures, favorite clothing store certificates, movie and dinner passes etc. They have to earn them and they love going out of their way to earn these rewards. Many certificates cost me nothing in exchange for advertising for them in my salon or in trade with other business owners for certificates from my salon for tanning to use in the same type of employee motivating contests. If one of my employees volunteer to work a shift or even a double shift to cover for an employee who is sick they get awesome perks for doing so. Chances are you won't have to pay time-and-a-half if they aren't already scheduled for 40 hours a week. I also offer to bring them lunch or have it delivered for them. I am truly blessed with very dedicated employees. We are a family, we enjoy helping each other when the need arises. This is definately a better solution than being closed for half a day and losing revenue. Hope this helps!

08-12-2004, 07:32 PM	#15 (permalink)
chester Join Date: May 12 2004 Location: wyoming mi Posts: 123 Rep Power: 5	Thanks for the suggestions CarmelCameo. It won't completley eliminate the problem but I'm sure it would help.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)