STATEMENT CONCERNING COVERSATION WITH BRETT SPRINGER
MAY 14, 2006
On Sunday, May 14, 2006, when I arrived at work, trash was
scattered on the roadway in front of the Museum. I placed a
note on the time clock asking if anyone who had worked the day
before could give me a reasonable explanation as to why the
trash had not been taken care of the night before. The response
I received was.... I thought, so and so had done it. One of the
duties Brett had was to remove the trash on the days he worked,
both inside and out. Brett also said that because he left
before anyone else he figured someone else would do it.
Kaye Barlow, Operations Manager, upon arrival to work informed
me that Brett had requested to leave early so he could spend
some time with his father and she said he could. I informed
Kaye that if he had asked me, I would have told him no, but I
would stand by her decision to allow him to leave early. She
asked why and I said that he was going back into his habit of
wanting to leave early everyday he worked.
Around noon, when a large tour was due to come out of the cave,
in an effort to try to help get some business in the food area,
I asked Brett if he would make me a hamburger. Kayla Allen
asked him he if would make her one, as well. Brett immediately
began telling me that he was out of this or that and he couldn’t
do it. I told him, instead of telling me what you don’t have,
make due with what you do and simply state, sure, what would you
like on it. He said, okay and shuffled off to cook the
hamburgers.
After the tour came up, I looked over at the food area and Brett
was nowhere to be seen. Finally, he walked toward the register
from the area of the storeroom and stood at the register until
people left. He did ring up a few sales of ice cream and I do
believe I saw where he made something for someone to eat. Once
the people left, he disappeared again.
Kaye had asked if I would have a talk with him, so when I saw
him appear in food again, I went over and had a quiet talk with
Brett about his behavior. I mentioned to him that he was
skating on thin ice again. He had started talking back and
telling us everything that was wrong or why he couldn’t do what
we were asking him to do. He said he didn’t like being in food
anymore because there wasn’t anything to do and that he wanted
to go back to maintenance. I told him there was plenty to do if
he only would take the initiative to do it.
As I went down the list of things he should keep on top of, he
stood silent for a bit then started in with...”but,”. I stopped
him and said, “Brett, do you know what, ‘turn over a new leaf’
means?” He said no. I told him that it means one needs to
change their ways for the better.
I told him that instead of standing around looking board, he
needed to look for things that needed to be done. Instead of
always saying I don’t have this or that, or no one got me this
or that, make due with what you have. People will understand if
you’re out of something. When asked to do something, don’t talk
back, but say, ‘Sure, I’ll get right on that’.
Brett had been seen leaving the building several times during
the day and was reported by one of our other employees who
stated he was going to his car. Having not seen this myself, I
cannot say if this was actually happening or not, but I do know
for fact that upon several occasions, Brett was not to be found
in the building when he was looked for. I have found the back
door open and the gate open and he was not in the building.
I asked him about his numerous disappearances and at first he
didn’t say anything, then he said he was checking the trash,
although he never had any trash bags in his hands when he came
into the building, nor did I see him with any when I did see him
go outside.
I pointed out to him that the trash was not to be done during
the day, as it was the last thing that needed to be done at the
end of the day, unless we had an extremely heavy day with
customers.
I told him he had become a clock-watcher and that was not good
no matter where you worked. I told him that if his schedule
said he was supposed to work until 5:00 p.m., then that was what
was expected of him and that if when he was doing the outside
trash he didn’t get finished until 5:20, then so be it. I told
him he was always in such a rush to leave, he only half did his
job and that he needed to stop.
Brett said he understood and I walked away from the food area
and went back to main. As Brett was leaving, a little after
2:00 p.m., he informed me that he did not take care of the trash
around the park due to his getting wet when taking the inside
trash out. It was raining at the time and he said it was okay.
Upon arrival at work today, May 15, 2006, trash was again
scattered all over the parking lot. However, in my opinion, I
do not feel Brett should be held accountable for this for we
still have three other employees working after he left, any of
whom could have taken care of it.
Pamela L. Plant
Assistant Manager