Karmic Termination
Unless you happen to be a time-traveling cyborg assassin with an Austrian accent, terminations are not any fun at all. This goes for both the person being fired as well as the person doing the firing. Even in cases when the employee has committed an obvious act of insubordination or otherwise gratuitous negative act in the workplace - it is only human to struggle with stripping someone of their finances and general means of living, let alone their daily routines or sense of self-worth. This is not to say that an employer should keep someone on their payroll that stands as a detriment to the business any longer than necessary; I am a firm believer that delaying a deserving termination can only make the situation worse and frankly this delay of the inevitable does no one any good. In my opinion, action should be handled swiftly and with a bit of respect and tact during such unfortunate circumstances.
Aside from a basic sense of human dignity and conscience, there is another extremely important reason for a hotelier to show respect when a termination comes up: the hospitality business is a small world of people with memories like elephants. This is an industry built on networking and contacts, job relocations and department-hopping, buy-outs and mergers…you will meet again and your actions will be remembered.
Case in point:
I recently received an email from my old colleague and friend, Luke Tealy. We had worked together years ago when I served as the weekend manager and he as the Assistance General Manager for a charming extended-stay type hotel. We rarely crossed paths during the work week, however we formed a special bond during a meeting on one occasion, when we voiced our similar disdain for the General Manager’s decisions and handling of the staff as well as the generally dreadful treatment wherein. (A shared loathing such as this tends to draw people together.)
The GM spoke to his employees like peasants sent to serve their King. His language was wrought with foul language, put-downs and negativity. Worst of all was his dependency on fear to gain respect - an effort that is never as fruitful as the opposing side: giving one’s respect in which to earn another’s. In short: he was a despicable ogre and walking Human Resource Claim waiting to happen.
One afternoon, late in the Fall season, trouble was started when Luke had arranged for the landscapers to come in for some leaf removal and final grounds-keeping in preparation for the approaching Winter season. The GM was dismayed…or more accurately - flabbergasted that such decisions were made without his final approval. We can examine both sides of the argument and weigh the appropriate disciplinary action with judgment and reasoning, but given the call I received from Luke that day, it hardly seems worth the time.
I answered my phone while making lunch, which inevitably left a mustard finger print on the ‘talk’ button and subsequent yellow crust in its crevices that never came out, “Hello,” I answered.
A deep exhale came from the other end, “Hey, it's Luke - do you have a minute?”
“Sure, are you at the hotel?” I asked.
“Yeah, just having a final smoke before the execution,” he said with a chuckle.
I hardly let him finish another drag of the cigarette before I shouted, “You think you’re getting canned!?!”
“I know it,” he said with full lungs. “He’s pissed that I set-up some landscaping without him. I was sure he would find something to blow out of proportion; I’m just happy it’s sooner rather than later.”
Luke was not troubled by his pending termination at all. As the AGM, he spent more face-to-face time with the boorish GM than anyone - too much time by his account. With a promise to call me afterward with all the details, Luke hung up and walked the green mile towards his fate.
In true tasteless form, the termination came with a barrage of insults related to job performance and lack of communication, but what pinched a nerve somewhere deep inside Luke was when the GM hurled the final blow, “You might think about the impression you give, with such filthy shoes.”
The words hit Luke’s ear drums like daggers and as if acting upon reflex, his eyes went to his feet. There, on the left shoe, was a glob of grape jelly. Collateral damage from the hour he had spent in the dining room after breakfast, cleaning and resetting tables because two servers called out that day.
Luke told me his only words were, “Who do you think you are?” but he admitted he didn’t stay for the answer.
All these years later we still keep in contact via email and bump into each other at conventions every now and again. In his most recent correspondence, he shared some especially pleasing news…
It’s important to know that Luke continued to work in hotels after his departure. First at a competing hotel in town, then he returned to the same brand in another area of the country. At present, he works as a Quality Inspector for the corporate office. This means he travels the country and carries out surprise inspections on hotels, decides upon scores and relays them back to district managers, which can lead to accolades and in some cases - fines.
As fate would have it, Luke was assigned to a hotel with a familiar face as the General Manager. What followed was the most exhaustive and meticulous inspection one can imagine. Luke penalized the GM for every infraction big and small…even microscopic. No mattress unturned; no dusty storage closet unaccounted for.
With great forethought this time, Luke crafted his departing words and launched them like rockets, “Here’s your copies of the paperwork. You know, if I could take away points for your personal appearance I would have. What kind of impression do you think you are giving the guests with such filthy shoes?”
The GM’s head darted downward; his shoes were covered in dust, debris and cobwebs from the days thorough examination. Before he could look back up, Luke was gone.
~The Innkeeper
*Next Chronicle Post: Thursday*
Posted by Innkeeper at 6/21/2010 11:00 AM 
Categories: Terminations, Collection 1 Chronicles
Tags: Human Resources Hotelier Termination Insult Respect
Categories: Terminations, Collection 1 Chronicles
Tags: Human Resources Hotelier Termination Insult Respect
I love that story. I'm so glad that manager got a taste of karma and it didn't taste like caramel!
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The ultimate "what goes around, comes around" story. I bet we've all wished to be in that predicament with a FEW choice former, and maybe even current, superiors.
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I found your website very interesting. It contains posts and I have read most of them and got a lot from them. To me, you are doing the great work. Such a nice website.
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That was amazing! I have a couple ex-bosses i would LOVE to do that to!!!!!!
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