No matter what kind of business you run—construction, tech, or anything in between—sooner or later you’re going to deal with it:
A good employee starts slipping. Deadlines are missed. Performance drops. Something’s clearly wrong.
But what do you do when the problem isn’t work-related?
In a recent episode of ProfitDig Live, Jeff Givens shared a real-life story that hits this question head-on. He talked about an engineer on his team—someone who had worked with him for years, someone reliable, productive, and easy to get along with. But then life happened.
This particular employee was in his mid-40s, single, and living with his aging parents. His father’s health was failing. His mother was in the early stages of dementia. And suddenly, this guy wasn’t just trying to do his job—he was basically full-time caregiving for two people who could no longer care for themselves.
Understandably, his work started to suffer.
Jeff could see it. You can usually tell when something’s off, especially with someone you’ve worked closely with for a long time. There’s a look in their eyes, a change in tone—signs that something deeper is going on.
Month after month, things got worse. Then his father passed away. His mother’s condition declined further. It became clear that something had to give.
The Hard Conversation
Jeff made a tough call: sit the employee down for a very direct, very uncomfortable conversation.
“I told him, you need to take time off and get your life in order,” Jeff said. “Because if you don’t, you’re going to lose your job.”
That’s a tough thing to say to a friend and coworker of seven-plus years—but it was the truth.
Jeff wasn’t trying to punish him. In fact, he did the opposite. He offered the employee a fully paid month off—no responsibilities, no work check-ins—just time to get things sorted. And more importantly, he gave him the freedom to come up with his own plan.
And you know what? It worked.
The employee returned after a month, having addressed the major issues in his personal life. He didn’t fix everything—some situations, like caregiving and grief, are ongoing—but he got to a place where he could focus on work during work hours and take care of life after hours.
Performance improved. Productivity bounced back. The company kept a valuable team member, and that employee regained a sense of control over both his life and his work.
Why This Matters for Business Owners and Managers
Look, not every situation is going to end like this. But as Jeff pointed out, it’s usually way more expensive and painful to fire someone and hire their replacement—especially if they’ve been doing the job well for years—than it is to give them a little breathing room when they hit a rough patch.
The real takeaway here is this: Don’t be afraid to have the hard conversation. But don’t go into it with a hammer, either. If someone has shown themselves to be valuable, loyal, and competent, maybe what they need most is your support—not a pink slip.
Jeff summed it up well: “Even if you have to have an uncomfortable conversation, it’s not going to be as uncomfortable as saying, ‘We have to let you go.’”
A Few Things to Remember:
Everyone goes through tough seasons—some tougher than others.
If you’ve built trust, employees may be willing to open up and work toward a solution.
Giving someone time to get back on track might be the best business decision you can make.
Clear expectations and timelines are key. Support doesn’t mean a free pass forever.
Empathy doesn’t make you a soft leader. It makes you a smart one.