Work went pretty well today, considering. The boss was feeling better and back at work today, after choking a bit yesterday and losing her voice. She recovered well as the day progressed and was able to speak normally to customers by mid-afternoon. We were fairly busy this morning and afternoon. We had a lull for about two hours and then at 5 p.m. things took off again and we were all there a little late, except for the one of us who announced to the boss last week that he would need to be off at 2 p.m. for eleven upcoming Saturdays through October.

He likes to race cars. This created some tension between the boss and me. We are approaching our busy time of year and things have really heated up. When June, and all of the accompanying graduation parties and ceremonies start among the high school, community college and the four year college here we will be hammered with business and really undermanned. While we are taking applications, we often go through several employees at this time of year who last only a brief time, because even though we tell them there will be lots of physical work, they don't seem to understand the job as described. They work for a week or a month and then take a hike when they've had an actual taste of it. Either way, we are always needing extra help at this time of year.

So, great. My co-worker, who has been getting off at 4 p.m. on Saturdays for six years now, decides he will be getting off at 2 p.m.. I know what's happening, as two of my co-worker's sons are racing their own cars this year, he wants to be there when they're racing. My thoughts: That's just tough.

The boss actually did not want me to say anything to this guy about his offhand disregard for the need to be working on one of the two busiest days of the week. He already has the other one off every week. I confronted him anyway. He didn't like it much, but that's okay. He will be working until 4 p.m. as he has in the past, and I will be actively encouraging the boss to find somebody else, who takes the job as it is when they walk in, without trying to make changes to it.

A friend of mine gave me some solid advice on the situation, as well as some valuable insights into some tools to use on the job (which are not in place) that could prevent these kinds of problems in the future. The problem stems from the fact that where I work, we have not moved with the times. Gone are the days when common sense dictated that a job worth doing is a job worth doing well. Employees these days are being given specific objectives to strive for and regular performance reviews to insure that they reach those objectives.

My friend told me, "Each employee should have a regular review with performance objectives. It should be written and signed, with specific measurable goals set for improvement and specific timelines. Failure to meet those objectives will put them on notice. Document everything. Have them sign that they read it, document their feedback and your courses of action." He then asked me if his advice made sense. It really does, but I'm saddened that it does. I mean, I come from a family quite frankly who has a really strong work ethic.

When my Aunt Mary died several years ago, a youth pastor at her memorial used specific examples about her life to inform the young people there that they had nothing like the "work ethic this woman of God had," and that they needed to get it. He told them that they had a responsibility to work hard and do a good job.

It wasn't just the youth at a church in Aloha Oregon that needed such a work ethic, it's a lot of people everywhere.