When to retire?

[buttercup]

We run a small salon, 2 hairdressers & 2 helpers. The helpers (shampoo & clean & answer phone's/ make appointments are both 60 this year)
We love them both dearly however one of them has many health issues (physical & mental) that have led to her..... lets say - not being an effective member of staff. The salon being small & the workload heavy has meant we have all had to rally round to cover this the past year, the situation has become worse lately, especially the last few months & it is affecting not only the bookings but the general (feel) of the salon. You dont come to get your hair done to leave feeling depressed, it's supposed to be a lifting experience.
So the dilema is this member of staff really needs to retire (i know that sounds horrible but its just too much for her now & also too much for us) on top of that its affecting business, it wouldent be so bad if we were a big salon, we could cover the losses, unfortunately thats not the case This is one of those horrible situations where the member of staff says (i live to work in this salon) & the staff know they are paying her wages to just chit chat to customers & not actually work, unfortunately the chit chat she offers is (down or negative) chit chat & the customers are complaining about it daily. We really dont want to say to this member of staff that (maybe her working days are over) but -..... there's always a but
We have been carrying her for over 6 months in the hope that she could at least do half the work she is supposed to & have come to realise its just not going to happen. We are both caring people & dont want to have to do the inevitable but - we are paying for a service thats just not being done.
How long should we continue to do it out of a services rendered attitude? & if we just cant pay her anymore, what do we say? Please remember we do care about this woman.
I know its a horrible question & i feel like a total bitch asking it but our profit margin is so small that if we keep this sort of thing up we are as well going mobile & closing the salon. If you feel you can offer anything to the thread no matter how small we will be gratefull of your comments, we're just so tired & dont know what to do for the best.

[Lon]

We run a small salon, 2 hairdressers & 2 helpers. The helpers (shampoo & clean & answer phone's/ make appointments are both 60 this year)
We love them both dearly however one of them has many health issues (physical & mental) that have led to her..... lets say - not being an effective member of staff. The salon being small & the workload heavy has meant we have all had to rally round to cover this the past year, the situation has become worse lately, especially the last few months & it is affecting not only the bookings but the general (feel) of the salon. You dont come to get your hair done to leave feeling depressed, it's supposed to be a lifting experience.
So the dilema is this member of staff really needs to retire (i know that sounds horrible but its just too much for her now & also too much for us) on top of that its affecting business, it wouldent be so bad if we were a big salon, we could cover the losses, unfortunately thats not the case This is one of those horrible situations where the member of staff says (i live to work in this salon) & the staff know they are paying her wages to just chit chat to customers & not actually work, unfortunately the chit chat she offers is (down or negative) chit chat & the customers are complaining about it daily. We really dont want to say to this member of staff that (maybe her working days are over) but -..... there's always a but
We have been carrying her for over 6 months in the hope that she could at least do half the work she is supposed to & have come to realise its just not going to happen. We are both caring people & dont want to have to do the inevitable but - we are paying for a service thats just not being done.
How long should we continue to do it out of a services rendered attitude? & if we just cant pay her anymore, what do we say? Please remember we do care about this woman.
I know its a horrible question & i feel like a total bitch asking it but our profit margin is so small that if we keep this sort of thing up we are as well going mobile & closing the salon. If you feel you can offer anything to the thread no matter how small we will be gratefull of your comments, we're just so tired & dont know what to do for the best.

It's a real dilemmma isn't it? You have been more than fair and considerate and you owe it to your clientele and yourself, as a business person, to have a serious talk with this employee. I know it will be hard, but be honest, tell her essentially what you have told us. Her actions are now reflecting on you and that's not good. There is no need for others to suffer for the actions of one person, no matter how good a friend.

[Tater Tazz]

Be tactful, we had someone like that where I was employed. We had to let her go. You have to do it the right way though. They can yell discrimation because of there age. I know that you work in beauty palor, and I in retail, but they are all the same when it comes to letting people go.

[Patsy Warnick]

Buttercup

Well, you've allowed ths situation/attitude to go on for too long.
Too long - that its wore you down - and is now waring down you customers.
You'll have to give straight forward guidelines - a probation period perhaps.

Nicely explain her difficulties are to stop at this door, you are now entering the other life - the fun life - the keep a smile on the customers & yourself life.
Complain at home..

Patsy

[sharedfastlane]

could you look into whether your contacts within the biz. give a seminar on retirement? Suggest she does less hours - in the hope you can tail things off?

That's the down side to protecting employees. I know *I* won't want to feel worried to go in when I'm nearing retirement age , but if a person is being paid to attend work really they should be doing the same job as their colleagues and if they CAN'T, then their job maybe needs to be modified.

I wonder if you could Google an agency that deals with employment for people as they age because they might have experience with the flip side of anti-ageism; i.e. how to deal with someone that hasn't noticed they are not functioning the same way.

[sharedfastlane]

I thought a bit more about your situation.

Is there any sickness payment scheme that wouldn't be from your own business whereby the person could be off on pay with depression?