Balancing Compassion and Business: Is It Fair to Ask a Sales Head to Resign Due to Personal Crisis?

Dear all,

Wishing you all a very happy and safe Diwali.

In our organization, we have a new sales head (less than 5 months), and his wife has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. As soon as he joined, he had to go on leave as his wife was in a serious condition. The leave was extended for 2 months. He rejoined, but again, due to the same reason, he had to take another 2 weeks of leave. Currently, he has been on leave for the past week, and we have no clarity on his return date. He is a valuable asset, and his absence is causing us to miss out on good business opportunities. However, from a human perspective, his wife is in a critical condition.

The question arises: Can we ask him to resign? Is it fair?

Best Regards,
Sree

Salut Menon,
Je pense à ce moment-là son congé solde est nul, faites de la LOP de son absence, il sera automatiquement rendre démission. Il est pas juste, mais aussi vous pensez que la société de angle.

-- Shash

Dear Sree,

Very sensitive sentiments, and organizations will be in caring hands if all had the same sensitive perspective. What is the employee's own feedback, though? He would also have an opinion and a plan of action? Also, you didn't mention whether he completed a probation period or is still on probation/confirmed. Let me know.

Regards,
Joseph

Gentleman,

Are you empowered to make decisions on this subject on behalf of the company management, for example, the CEO, Managing Directors, and Chairman, etc.? I don't think so.

If so, do one thing: prepare a succession plan and try to replace someone who is the best talent in the market. The market does not wait for anyone, and your company objectives should be your priority, not the wife of the Head of Marketing. If he also falls sick, what will you do? Close down your business for him? Think twice.

Regards,
Rashid

Dear Sree,

Think practically! Try to get in line or visit his place once to check for his availability in the office again. If you feel he is a good asset, then take his portfolio and execute, such that his absence shouldn't be felt. You cannot be emotional in business. "Men may come, men may go, but thee is forever." Keep rocking.

Good Concern,

You can do the following things:

1) Go to his house in person and talk to him.
2) Understand his current situation.
3) Meet his wife and understand the condition.
4) Take the medical details and discuss with the concerned doctor regarding her health, so you get full details.
5) Pen out his roles and responsibilities as of today.
6) Take from him the tasks he and his team are handling.
7) Check with him the delegation of his responsibilities to his team members.
8) Understand his mental strength and determine whether he can work from home.
9) If he is required to meet customers in person, make him meet the customer based on the priority of the customer and the importance of the order value.
10) Keep him cool, make him understand that he is important, and at the same time, make him realize the importance of the business.

No emotion is required here, only practical application is needed.

Hello,

We did experience a similar (not the same) situation in our organization. With the technological advancement, it was possible for us to relieve the husband and still make him work from home. Now, he is able to devote time to his spouse and still earn for the household.

As someone mentioned here, it is the humane approach that really helps in many cases. After all, you call yourself a Human Resources Manager, and you certainly need to care for the staff and their welfare.

The organization is supreme, but organizations are built big by employees, and their welfare needs to be the prime objective.

What I feel is, just talk to him. Ask him whether he is ready to work, then the organization will look after his wife. Also, ask him if he is ready to work from home and look after his wife.

Dear Peers,

Thanks for your valuable suggestion. Few things I forgot to mention in 1st mail is that our organization is situated in UAE and the marketing head is from India and his family is also back in India. So it's not physically feasible for us to go and visit him. Another thing is that he has not completed his probation.

I believed the best approach would be to keep emotions out and make him understand the business situation. At the same time I will make a succession plan also.

Thanks once again
Sree

Hi Sree,

Wishing a happy Diwali to all our HR folks. This is the best example of a Catch-22 situation, wherein you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't!

The employee may be a star performer or a probable star performer, and any organization would do whatever best it can to retain him/her. However, we also have to consider other constraints. Since he is a top sales guy, I am sure he would have come at a high price. Looking from a practical perspective, he is expected to deliver right from the word 'go' given the strategic responsibilities he is given.

What I suggest (it's just a personal opinion), you can ask your HR Head (preferably a director or above) to have a word with him. In case it doesn't work out, probably you can part ways in a positive manner. However, you can also keep an option of 'coming back' once his problem gets sorted out.

Thank you,
Prashant

No, why should you ask him to resign? Just get another person and get on with the job. When he comes back, let us find out how to fit him. You said he is an asset, so any day when he returns, we will be able to accommodate him in some manner or in some profile. Let him at least have the feeling that he is always welcome.

As if he is taking a long break due to his wife's illness and at the same time the company is losing business opportunities. You can talk to the employee about the position that the company is facing problems with. For example, he has to join immediately because you have given him more time. No company will provide these kinds of benefits. Otherwise, you can proceed with your procedure - get everything in written format via email.

Hi,

I do agree with Peer Mohammed. Handle the situation rather than reacting. It is easy to replace, but by handling issues smartly, you can have dedicated people, which is also important for an organization. This kind of unique situation helps you to learn and tame yourself. So do not panic. Just handle it in a cool way.

G Priya Mani

I completely agree with Padmanaban. It's important to be practical, but as an HR professional, we need to take care of our people too. If someone is a valuable asset, asking them to resign due to their absence in the office, especially when they have a genuine reason, is not right. We are all human and we all face challenges that we must navigate. The solution lies in effectively handling and managing such situations. This is where the concept of work-life balance comes in, with the company, especially the HR department, playing a crucial role in maintaining this balance and enhancing the productivity and satisfaction of its employees.

Problems should not always be judged from another person's perspective but by putting oneself in their shoes.

- Shweta.

Hi Friends,

I have a question to ask: what is a catch-22 situation? Please tell me.

Regards,
Jaanu

Dear Sree,

Read about the dilemma of your marketing head. It is a sensitive issue. In an organization, there is always someone who can take on the responsibilities in the absence of the appointment holder, albeit for a short period. Since your company has helped him out so much, a little more won't do any harm. The question is how much is a little more. If the problem is temporary, then some more time and support from the organization would be in order. If the problem is a more permanent one, one can always request the individual to resign. Remember this should be done after due deliberation, and by the highest level of your company's management. A person should understand that he has been helped by the organization. From the man management point of view, a person stands by the organization which stands by him.

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I have corrected the spelling and grammar errors in the text and ensured proper paragraph formatting with a single line break between paragraphs. The original meaning and tone of the message have been preserved.

Hello Jaanu,

A catch-22 is a complex situation where one is faced with contradictory or conflicting conditions. It is a dilemma where the resolution seems impossible due to the contradictory nature of the conditions. This term is derived from the novel "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller. It essentially refers to a no-win scenario or a problematic situation with no easy solution.

I hope this clarifies the concept for you.

Best regards