The Rural Voice, 2001-10, Page 23evaluations. His company also has a
biosecurity agreement that every
employee signs under which the
employee promises not to do things
that will compromise biosecurity,
such as visit other barns. A breach
can bring immediate termination.
He advocated a yearly
employment review with a written
form that lists those aspects that are
required for the job and grades the
employee. When the employee signs
onto that form they understand the
level they're at, he said.
He also uses absentee reports on
which employees sign on for time
they missed, with the form being
'kept in the personnel file. Everyone
should keep a the for each employee
because of the legal implications if
someone must be fired, he said.
That file may include copies of
warning letters to employees
who are not measuring up.
Letting employees know they need to
improve may start 'by extending the
probationary period. His company
also uses suspensions for breaches of
rules, Loucks said.
The company also has "red" rules
and "blue rules". Red rules include
rules for which there is no second
chance including human rights
violations. As women play a bigger
part in the swine industry they must
be protected from unacceptable
behaviour by male co-workers.
Blatant disregard for biosecurity is
also a red rule.
If all attempts to modify the
worker's performance have come to a
dead end, Loucks suggested ways of
easing the firing situation. Meet away
from the farm, he suggested. Present
the dismissal letter and 'stick to the
facts. "Don't get into a 'he said/she
said' situation. Don't get into an
argument."
Give the employee some time to
come back to get personal
belongings.
You'll have to explain what you
did to the remaining members of
your team. If they have problems
with the action, (they may have had a
good personal relationship with the
employee), let them come to you
one-on-one with their concerns.
But the moral, Loucks said, is to
do your homework in hiring so you
won't have to fire often.0
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OCTOBER 2001 19