h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm sacking my assistant today - only as she's self-employed all I really have to do is tell her that there won't be as much work (ie none) for her after her week off next week. That gives her 10 days of the contracted 14 day notice period, but as she's breached her contract I don't give a monkeys if she complains about the extra 4 days.

Things just haven't worked out. I don't know if my expectations were too high, I'm hard to get along with, I don't give out enough information at the right time, or my 'let's just crack on and work it all out as we go' attitude has been the problem but I can't go on any longer. Complaint about everything - too much work, work being 'a lot of effort', not enough money, too much mileage (she should have tried working for one of the sitters who cover about 3 towns - I only cover what I can drive to in about 10/15 mins!).

I wanted two things - reliable cover for my regulars through January while I'm away, and some of my time freed up. I'm getting neither, so what's the point of me running around half empty so I can give her work at the same time as me when the idea was an assistant would be working with the dogs while I was in the office. I might just as well go out with a full load as half a load.

When I get back in February I'll be trying again, using this as a learning experience and creating a proper job description and person spec, as I did for the assistant cat sitters (see, I learned!).

No, I don't think you're being unreasonable. I think you're doing the right thing by acting now rather than later, when it could get a good deal messier.

Is there anyone you can take advice from regarding employment issues in future, just so you avoid the pitfalls? Are you a member of an organisation that offers this for free?

Do take care and do it by the book though, the last thing you need is to get sued for unfair dismissal or breach of contract. Even if you win, and you might not (remember you have to give three written warnings if someone does something wrong) it'd still be an incredible amount of hassle.

Anyway take care, hope it all works out well. x

She's self employed, it is noted there is no obligation to give her any work or hours on the contract, and that I can give 2 weeks notice if her services are no longer required, which they aren't, because there is no benefit to her working for me - she's taking up so much time the 30 mins or so a day she is saving me I'm having to spend responding to her latest complaint, or dealing with the obstacles she puts in place when I need to meet to transfer keys over, so I'm losing out.

Also she's already breached the contract herself, both by ignoring instructions which were given verbally *and* in writing by me, and confirmed verbally by two of the clients, and refusing to do work which is on the contract.

I have an HR firm working with me who created the contract and had it checked by their solicitor, so they've said I'm doing nothing wrong by telling her there won't be any regular work after her hols. They did suggest some things for the future, and we're meeting up to make sure I am doing everything right.

Yeah, it sounds like you have everything sewn up there.

I used to be an FSB member and I found the advice lines invaluable. You could call them up any time and they would tell you exactly what to do.

PS: it's horrible having to sack someone because they aren't very good at their job. I did it once and I took no pleasure from it whatsoever. Some sick swine do enjoy it, though.

The things she has done wrong I could deal with, it's the limited hours mainly, and the worry that she's just going to try to make loads of changes while I'm away. And she doesn't put client's needs first - not sure she's aware dog walking is a *service industry*.

Been writing the email for about an hour now *sigh*. Was going to speak to her when I collected the keys, but she just stuffed them through my door, which is against my policy, so she can lump an email.

She's an ex-copper isn't she? Some of them tend to have very trammelled ways of approaching issues and don't 'think outside the box'.

Too used to getting their own way I was thinking!

Email is sent, just hope she accepts it gracefully that she can't offer me what I need and that's really the end of it. No-ones fault, well, maybe mine for not setting out in writing what hours I needed covered - even if it was on a rota basis would have helped, or say, one day a week when I didn't have to go out at all would have helped as I could have made that my office day.

Never mind, I have learned and have made some notes ready in case I am brave enough to try again next year!