Incredibly pissed off right now and just needed someplace to vent. One of my employees decided to quit today without notice. My main kitchen guy, who I have personally trained and groomed, left, without notice, because he was tired of getting reprimanded for things he was not doing or not doing correctly. Same guy, I bought wardrobe for so that he could have proper clothes to wear in the kitchen. Showed him how to cook, how to taste and how to create and evaluate food. And the thanks was to say, screw you I got another job, but lets still be friends. Seriously? Dude in what world, can you leave a job, where the boss has bent over backwards to take care of you, leave without any notice and still be on good terms? Wow. I never cease to be amazed but the stupidity of others.

I've been the guy, being groomed for my own store. I was the owners only friend. One day, out of the blue, he fired me. I had no problem continuing our friendship. However, he was arrested three days later for five counts of tax fraud.

I do sympathise with you, it seems to me that nowadays the words loyalty, honour, commitment, trustworthiness, honesty, fair dealing have very little currency in this present world. When I started work many years ago all the above were evident, both in the workforce and the management. Now it seems the sentiment is 'near enough is good enough' or 'put off today what you might do tomorrow' and none of the above qualities are particularly evident. I don't know what to blame for this situation, but it has come about quite spectacularly. Your ex-employee has definitely shown a lack of most, if not all those qualities and as you have to keep on to him also displays the sentiments I mentioned. It is a sad state of affairs and I have no answers as to how it could be remedied. I would remain on speaking terms, but he must be seriously deluded if he thinks you can be friends after this sort of betrayal.

All the best,

Paul