Perhaps I have allowed La’loorn’s behavior to continue for too long. It is not something I am very experienced with personally. I have no issues like this with the Pfahrn who work for me, or the other non-Pfahrn. As a culture, Pfahrn loathe these kinds of silly interpersonal machinations.
I will also look into transferring La’loorn to another post, or to another sector’s crew, if not terminating him outright. I do not wish for my team’s morale to suffer over one member. Suffer it will, if this behavior is left unchecked.
One of the unfortunate things about working for Maxim Colonies is that they do not have a contract system in place such as we use on Pfahrn, and which prevents time-wasting situations such as the one I now am dealing with. But they pay my salary, the work is agreeable—normally—so I must comply with their company regulations.
That means I cannot simply terminate La’loorn for failure to perform his duties in a satisfactory manner. I must “coach” him first. If I do not follow the proper personnel protocols, he can file a grievance and petition for a review by my supervisor.
When that lift terminates below the berthing level, I make the walk through that level to the dedicated and secure berthing personnel service lift. After I swipe my ID and key the biometric lock, the door opens and I step inside. It will take me to the level where the control room for our berthing sector is located. I could also access it via the public lift system, but that means going through Customs, and it will take longer.
As I enter the control room, that is where I find La’loorn literally wringing his hands over one of the master control panels for our berthing sector. I believe that is another reason I am frequently put off by his behavior. He is frequently given to bouts of melodrama.
It is as if he has never met a Pfahrn before, if he believes that is a successful manipulation tactic to use upon me.
“Explain yourself,” I immediately demand upon striding into the control room.
As he begins to ramble about a personnel shortage for that afternoon’s shift, I only let him get midway through his story before I cut him off.
“You created the schedule this week, did you not?”
“Yes, but—”
“And our personnel needs have not changed since that schedule was created, have they?”
“No, but—”
“Was there an emergency created by a serious injury or illness, or an unscheduled ship arrival?”
“No, but—”
“Then why would youdeliberatelycreate a shortage of personnel in the afternoon shift when you know you will not have enough coverage with an X-Kaffer class cargo freighter scheduled for tractor? Our staffing guidelines clearly state we require a minimum offiveengineer technicians dedicated to the berthing of that vessel. Their arrival has been on our schedule for over a week, because they are meeting with the comms retrofit team, who asked we notify them as soon as they are berthed.”
“Because Bakely said that his son’s girlfriend was coming for a visit, and—”
I hold up my hand, silencing him. “Bakely was on the work schedule for today. You gave him leave when he was scheduled to work without requiring him to provide coverage for his shift first?”
“Well, I thought it was—”
I hold up my hand again. “Stop.Now.” I lean in, press my hand to the biometric lock on the control console, and pull up the daily roster. “Why is Bob not here?”
“Bob” is the short name for another Shalfin who is on my team, but as they frequently do, he has taken a Standard name because his Shalfin name is far too long and complex for the average Standard-speaker to pronounce.
“He said he wasn’t feeling well this morning, and—”
“Where is his medical clearance form? If he is ill enough to miss his shift, then he is ill enough he must go to medical and submit a form. Why is it not here? And why did you not call in a replacement for his shift when that occurred?”
I look at La’loorn and spot blue high in his cheeks. I know from research I have undertaken that it is commonly a physiological sign indicating emotional discomfort, if not outright lying, in a Shalfin.
“I-I t-told him it was okay for him to—”
“Stop.” I straighten. “Call Bob and Bakely and get them in here.Now.”
“But Bakely will be upset with me! And so will Bob!”
“If I call Bakely in, he will be evenmoreupset with you by the timeIam finished with him.” I log out of my connection. “There are your two missing personnel.” I head for the door. “Problem solved. I will expect you in my office promptly at 0800 in three days, upon my first day returned from leave, for an immediate disciplinary discussion.”
“What?”
I stop at the doorway and turn. “You have made a habit of creating completely preventable issues when I am due to return from leave, and it willnothappen again. I verbally warned you the last time. This time, you will be written up for it and demoted.”
