I own a small cafe, you know? It is my dream, my passion. I have built it from nothing, with my own hands and my own savings. So, for me, hard work and dedication, they are not just words. They are the foundation of everything I do. When I employ people, I look for these qualities. I tell them from the first day, we are a team, and everyone must pull their weight. Punctuality, reliability, these are not negotiable. How can a cafe run if staff is not there to open, to serve the coffee when customers arrive?
I had an employee, her name is Maria. She is working for me maybe eight months now. In the beginning, she was good, very enthusiastic. But after some time, maybe three, four months, the problems started to show. First, it was small things. A few minutes late here, a few minutes late there. I am understanding. Traffic can be bad. So, I talk to her. “Maria,” I say, “we need you here on time. The early customers, they are important.” She says sorry, she will do better. And for a week, maybe two, she is better. Then, it starts again.
Then it became more. She started calling in sick more often. Always with short notice. “My child is sick,” she would say. Or “I have a family emergency.” I have a family too, you know? Everyone has a family. But when you have a job, especially in a small business like mine, you must manage these things. You must have a plan B. I cannot just close the cafe because Maria has a problem. My other employees, they have families too. They manage. They find solutions. They arrange childcare in advance, they have backup plans. Why can Maria not do this?
I truly tried to be flexible. Truly. One time, she said her child’s daycare was closed suddenly. It was her morning shift, a very busy time. She asked if she could switch with someone. I said yes, but she must find the person herself. It is not my job to rearrange the whole schedule because one person has a problem. She could not find anyone. So I had to work her shift, which meant I missed an important meeting for my suppliers. This cost me money. This cost me time. I told her, “Maria, this cannot happen again. You must have a strong backup plan.”
Just last week, it happened again. She was scheduled to open the cafe at 6 AM. The alarm for the cafe system is tied to my phone. At 5:30 AM, I got a text from her. “My child is very sick,” she wrote. “I cannot come in today.” Very sick. Just like that. Thirty minutes before her shift. It is impossible to find a replacement at that hour. I called everyone else. No one could come in. So, what choice did I have? I had to go in myself. Again. I had planned a whole day for bookkeeping and ordering supplies, things I can only do when the cafe is quiet, not when I am making coffee and serving customers.
I was very upset. When she came in for her next shift, which was two days later, I sat her down. I explained it all. “Maria,” I said, “this is not fair to me, to the business, or to your colleagues. Everyone depends on you. This is affecting the business, affecting our reputation with customers who expect their coffee on time.” I told her that I had already given her many warnings, many chances. I showed her the policy manual, which clearly states that repeated short-notice absences or lateness can lead to termination. This is not some hidden rule; it is what everyone agrees to when they sign their contract.
She started to cry. She said she felt I was being heartless. She said she had no one else to help her with her child, that her family lives far away. But what about my business? What about my family? Am I supposed to sacrifice everything for her personal problems? I told her that I understood it was difficult, but that I needed a reliable employee. I told her that if she could not guarantee her attendance, then maybe this job was not the right fit for her. I said I was reducing her hours to only weekend shifts, where it is easier to cover if there is an issue, and also to see if she could be more reliable without the pressure of opening shifts. This way, she still has a job, and I have less risk.
She got very angry. She said this was unfair, that I was punishing her for being a mother. She said she would not be able to live on reduced hours. But this is her choice, is it not? To choose a job where she cannot meet the basic requirements of attendance. I am running a business, not a charity. I must think about all my employees, about the customers, about the future of my cafe. All the other staff, they are now whispering. They look at me strangely. Some of them even told Maria they think I am too harsh. But they do not see the full picture. They do not see the stress I am under, the money I lose when I must cover shifts myself, the effort I put in every single day.
I have given her so many chances. I have been patient. I have explained the rules clearly. I have even offered a solution so she can keep working, just on different shifts. I feel like I have been more than reasonable. My cafe is my life. I cannot let one person’s personal difficulties jeopardize everything I have built.
So now I am asking you. Was I wrong? Am I the jerk for standing firm on my business policies? Please tell me honestly. I believe I am doing what is necessary for my business to succeed and to be fair to all my employees who do manage to come to work on time and fulfill their duties. I feel like people are too soft these days, expecting everything to be easy. I just want to know if my perspective is truly so bad.
