I am the office manager of a small business, with a receptionist who is a single mother of a 2 year-old, who places her child in the care of her boyfriend's mother while she is at work. She works about 32 hrs/week. Every other week I experience attendance issues with her, mostly around around her son being sick and having to go to the doctor (ear infection, rash, etc.) Or with her care-provider being unable to take care of him. I have told her irregular hours cause us problems and that I am going to have to start taking disciplinary, but want to be sensitive to her situation. When she says, "I have to go home, he's sick again." what do I say? I can't just say, "okay, hope he feels better." There is no backup for her position. How have you guys negotiated sick kids and work?

Respectfully, I think you pose the wrong question. How other parents have dealt with sick children, flat tires, hangovers (smile) is irrelevant to the fact that you need a reliable employee who understands the demands of the job. The bottomline is: you don't owe that single mom anything but what the law and your company policies require. I am a single parent, and I love the fact that I have a very understanding and flexible work environment. However, I do not present issues and situations that TRANSFER my problems onto my coworkers and supervisors. It is not fair for me to make everyone inherit or pay for the shortcomings of my home-life. Those are not wholly my fault; certainly, no one on my job is responsible for my situation. So the real question is: how long are you going to tolerate poor performance and obscene absences?