"Why they be lyin' on me?"

Putting people to work costs money. Getting people to stay at and continue working is what makes us money in the staffing industry. In other words, people working means I get paid. Under this cruel regime [joke], and in the face of the fairly routine instance of having to end someone's assignment for any reason (bad attendance, poor performance, bad attitude, etc.), I typically try to get them out to work somewhere else as soon as I can. That is, providing they don't royally suck and after a bit of counseling to make sure they don't screw it up again. In general, our candidates get two chances— sometimes three if he/she is lucky or we/our clients are desperate. After that, though, you're done.

We recently had a contractor (we'll call her 'T') who was on her third assignment with us. She was a lucky one. Her first two ends were due to poor performance, so we decided to offer her a position at a client with the easiest job description out of anyone we work with. Perhaps the work at the first two clients was just too hard, we reasoned, so we gave her one final chance.

Credit where credit is due: she was smart enough to accept the offer.

Alas, the host of performance issues continued at the new position. After soldiering along with a sub-par employee for an impressive period of time, though, the client decided to end her assignment after one final (read: major) screw-up.

I was the lucky delegate to call and let her know that the assignment was being terminated, and since I was also the person who ended her first assignment, I knew she was a crier. Those are never fun.

Me: Hey, T. Your supervisor just reached out and let us know that they want to end your assignment. So, you will not be returning after today.

T: [immediately bursts into loud sobbing] What? Why?

Me: There have been a lot of performance issues, and they let us know that, today, you made an error that required an engineer to come look at and fix the problem.

T: What? That's not true! I told them I messed up, and the supervisor just fixed it!

Me: Yes. The supervisor of the engineering department.

T: No! That's not true! Why they be lyin' on me? This ain't fair. This ain't fair!

Me: Well--

T: I can't lose this job! I can't lose this job! Why they be lyin' on me? This ain't fair!

Me: [pause until a break in the crying allows for an interjection] With the assignment being ended, you are not to return on site for any reason or contact your supervisor. Do you have anything on site that I need to go get for you?

[Sidebar: Contractors are not allowed to return on site after assignment termination for several reasons, largely summarized by the fact that emotions tend to run high if you get fired. Before this policy was enacted and before my time, a contractor returned to a client site and proceeded to cause over ten thousand dollars’ worth of damage. If someone returns on site and refuses to leave when asked to do so, we will call the police and have them escorted from the premises. I, personally, have had to do that twice and then requested an escort to walk me to my car at the end of the day just in case. Good times.]

T: [sobbing increases in intensity] I can't lose this job!

Me: Well, it's already lost due to performance issues. Now, do you have anything--

T: I'm still in training! They can't count the mistakes I make in training against me! I'm still training!

Me: Yes, they can. You've been there for six weeks now, and you're making the same mistakes you were making on week one. With training, they're expecting you to make mistakes, but they're also expecting you to learn.

T: Why they be lyin'? It wasn't a big deal, and the supervisor fixed it right away!

Me: Yeah, the supervisor of the engineering department. I'm not going to argue with you. The assignment has been ended, and you are not to return on site.

T: I need to talk to their HR. I'm going to talk to them. The supervisor fired me because he don't like me, and the HR lady wasn't there today, so he got rid of me!

Me: If you'd like to file a complaint, you can speak with our HR. You are not to contact X Company's HR, and you are not to return onsite, do you understand? [I had to reiterate this several times because she returned on site after being ended at the last assignment and attempted to track down the team lead for more details.] Do you have anything in your locker onsite that I need to go get for you.

T: Yes.

Me: Is it a combination lock or a key lock.

T: Key.

Me: You need to bring your key to our office so I can go out and get your belongings.

T: I ain't taking no bus to the office!

Me: Well, you're not going back on site. So you can either drop your key off at our office or mail it in. Either way, we need your key to get your stuff.

T: I refuse.

Me: Well, that's on you. We'll give you to the end of the week to decide whether or not you're going to get your key to us, otherwise we'll let X Company know that you are forfeiting your items. They'll cut the lock off and dispose of everything in the locker. Your choice.

T: This ain't fair! I can't lose this job! This ain't fair!

Me: Well, it's already done, so if you'd like to speak to HR regarding any complaint you have, I can get you transferred.

T: Yes! I want to speak to HR! This ain't fa--

Me: [transfers call to HR]

Let me just say: I have no sympathy to spare for this lady. She's an adult and yet cannot seem to fathom that her job (well, all three of them) was terminated because of her performance.

I suppose if we were to consult the lady in question, the more likely reason is that it must be someone else's fault for why she was fired – that’s what happens when you are a perpetual victim, right? It is unfortunate when all three former places of employment are in cahoots with one another and informed each other to watch out for her, right? Must be a conspiracy…