Advice for Work Issue

[morbid_beauty]

Hello. So I'm a manager at a movie theater and we've been having issues with an employee lately. He's a great employee don't get me wrong, but as of recently he's been complaining about how much he hates it there and how he's "sick and tired" of it. It's a little irritating because he voices this out loud in front of other co-workers. He closes a lot, that's pretty much all he does and I think that might be the root of the problem. I've told him to speak to the manager in charge of the scheduling but he hasn't.
The current issue is that he has called out four times these past two months. He says he's sick or something happened, but I know it isn't true. He told someone something and then did a 180 and told me another different story today. He could eventually get fired for this.
He totally screwed our night shift today. A few people are irritated with him. As a manager I care for my employees and I've tried talking to him. Today I told him what the consequences of his actions would be. I asked him to come in at least for a couple of hours. I feel like I need to have a serious conversation with him. I've gone through a rut where I've felt unmotivated and hated work, but got through it. I just sort of did, but I don't think it'll work for him.
If anyone can give me some sort of advice on how to approach this issue and how to help motivate him. He also earns a hell lot more than the others so we hold him to higher standards. Maybe if we gave him more responsibilities so that he felt like he earned that pay?

[Dionnysia]

Perhaps the best thing would be to be frank with him? Maybe you could ask him why he has been behaving in the manner that which you described? It could be helpful for the employee to know that there is someone that is genuinely concerned with him.

If he doesn't pull through and become a better employee, it might be beneficial to the both of you if you follow through with whatever consequences that you outlined to him.

Hope that helps...not saying or claiming that it will, but I hope it helps nonetheless.

[Nawty_Nazi]

morbid_beauty

Hello. So I'm a manager at a movie theater and we've been having issues with an employee lately. He's a great employee don't get me wrong, but as of recently he's been complaining about how much he hates it there and how he's "sick and tired" of it. It's a little irritating because he voices this out loud in front of other co-workers. He closes a lot, that's pretty much all he does and I think that might be the root of the problem. I've told him to speak to the manager in charge of the scheduling but he hasn't.
The current issue is that he has called out four times these past two months. He says he's sick or something happened, but I know it isn't true. He told someone something and then did a 180 and told me another different story today. He could eventually get fired for this.
He totally screwed our night shift today. A few people are irritated with him. As a manager I care for my employees and I've tried talking to him. Today I told him what the consequences of his actions would be. I asked him to come in at least for a couple of hours. I feel like I need to have a serious conversation with him. I've gone through a rut where I've felt unmotivated and hated work, but got through it. I just sort of did, but I don't think it'll work for him.
If anyone can give me some sort of advice on how to approach this issue and how to help motivate him. He also earns a hell lot more than the others so we hold him to higher standards. Maybe if we gave him more responsibilities so that he felt like he earned that pay?

Is there any chance you can offer him a higher position in management, or offer him a position in management itself if he's not already part of it?

However, naturally don't reward his bad behavior... but use the position bump as the motivation. If he can get his act together and stop "playing sick" and complaining to other people and just do his job like he always does (or used to) and do it well, than you could reward his hard work by pushing him up to a higher position...

I don't know if you have the power to do that. If that's not an option, you could always just use your own authority to lay down the line. Just give him an ultimatum. Either do your job and be professional, or lose it.

I think it's incredibly commendable that you truly care about your employees, but honestly, there are a lot of people out there who don't have jobs, and who would really appreciate having the opportunity to have his job to support themselves, or their families... whatever the case may be. I believe everything happens for a reason. If termination is what it comes down to, it might be the best thing for him. Sometimes that forces a person to be motivated to move on to a better job and work harder for what they really want, rather than settle for what they have at the moment and resort to becoming bitter.

[Shadawn]

Fire him! Fire him! Nobody likes him, he hates it there, why would you want to help him out?

[Gallifrey Crystal Gem]

Try giving him some opening shifts. Giving him more responsibilities could both be good and bad since he has called off in the past but could also motivate him. If his attitude doesn't improve I'd simply tell him that if he really hates working there that he can leave and hire someone to replace him. You can only do so much.

[morbid_beauty]

Thanks for all your advice you guys. Today he said he felt sick and that he had thrown up. I didn't really buy it...I thought maybe he was hungover. How can I possibly believe him? Anyway, I spoke to him before leaving and was really polite and didn't yell. I told him that people pull extra hours to cover his shift and to just hack out tonight. We've all worked sick and that maybe he can go home early if he helps get done some closing work. Apparently, according to another manager he was pretty mad. And that it was a bad idea for me talking to him. and that he knows he's getting a write up. Firstly, he said he would take one and secondly I didn't tell him he was getting one.
He's gotten away with so much because he's been allowed to by management. It sucks that now that I want to be strict with him he's taking it personal. I've only been working at that location for a couple of months...hey deal with it. If he's going to get mad and that that attitude, you know what? he can suck it.

[SammyInsanity]

Call him in for a one on one chat. Tell him complaining about the job ON the job is a no-no. Oh, and tell him that he from here on out he needs Dr's excuses when he calls off! If it doesn't get better, then bye-bye kiddo!

[1aphy]

Clearly he doesn't give a s**t. He probably resents you, too.

Advice? Do what's best for the company. Does he produce enough to make profit? Does his helpfulness outweigh his troublesomeness? If not, fire him. I'm sure he won't mind.