As most of you have who ever hired an employee have experienced, I had an employee leave their position as of last Friday. It is almost always a bittersweet moment (only the few times I’ve had to terminate has it not had any sweetness to the situation). In this case, it was my longest employed worker who first came to me through a hire a youth program managed by the Pacific Gateway Workforce in Long Beach. They asked employers if they would consider allowing someone between the ages of 16 and 24 to come into the business during the summer to learn a skill that would allow them to gain employment. I agreed to do so. Siyta had never worked in an office and had been considering taking a course in medical billing but found out about the hire a youth program and had applied.
She had been eager to learn the skills and at the end of the program I offered her a position in the company as I had been ready to look for another employee at that time. She was thrilled to be offered a job and accepted immediately. She has since become my main payroll processor and many of you have worked directly with her when sending your payroll to be processed, e-mailed pay increases, or had questions regarding paperwork. It will feel a bit strange for a while in the office not seeing her at her computer processing payroll or talking to customers on the phone, but I know she is making this decision based on what will be best for her and her family.
Thankfully I have a fully trained staff who will step into this role, so for those of you who process payroll, know that you will still be well taken care of by Jessica and Justin. Most of you probably already know them, especially if you have bookkeeping done in the office as well. They are both ready to assist you with any questions you may have.
And as a final goodbye, I say, “The best of luck to you Siyta as you walk into this new chapter in your life.”
