A dark week

Every year annual raises are granted based on the two semi-annual appraisals our employees receive. The second one is based on the months of July-December, and typically delivered the last week of January. If an employee receives a rating of "Needs Immediate Improvement" they then have 30 days to turn around whatever deficiencies were stated in their appraisal. This week marks the 30-day mark for most of those employees. Some turned it around. Some didn't. The firings started Tuesday and haven't stopped yet.

I had to pull the trigger on one today. The decision itself was easy - about as cut and dry as they come. Even relaying the decision to her, although certainly not fun, went smoothly. The hardest part, though, was taking the elevator ride down to the bottom floor and escorting her out. That never stops getting awkward.

The joys of being in management.

This same week I find out that an employee of mine who's pregnant with her first child had one of the early ultrasounds on Monday. Not good news. Evidently there's something terribly wrong with the child's heart, and the doctors have recommended termination. If she carries it to term the child will need several surgeries over the first few months, and if it survives, they've said there's no reason to believe the child will live past three to four years old. A decision needs to be made in the next couple weeks, if not sooner.

Ah, the joys of being in management.

I really do enjoy my job and I love my team, but you take the bad with the good.