The value of "seasoned" staff members

Long before I became "older" myself, I liked to have few older people on our workforce.  They could  draw on their work experience to help mentor some of our younger staff members in learning "how to work".  Of course there was always the danger that they would teach or encourage some bad work habits too.  But generally  they added some stability to our workforce.  By the time they came to Richway, these "mentors" had long ago learned he importance of coming to work every day ---on time, and of  how to work at a steady pace----though sometimes slower than I wanted.

We did try to screen out the ones who would not be a positive influence.

Sometimes things did not work out real well.  Some 35 years ago we had a retired worker who had the capability and experience, but things were just not going well on the job.  I suspected that alcohol was involved, but I was not prepared for what I learned one morning.  I was behind a parts cabinet when his wife came in and said to him, not three feet from me (though of course neither of them knew I was behind then cabinet)  "Glenn, you forgot your bottle this morning.  I put it in your truck for you."  Within just a few days we had more evidence and brought in a counselor for a meeting with him.  We gave him a choice, get treatment or lose his job.  He quit.  Even that probably taught some of our younger employees a lesson.


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