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A string of bad experiences and a $100,000 account deficit has made David Rouse nervous about taking on new staff.
As the owner and director of auto servicing and repairs company Auto Clinic in Auckland's Onehunga, Rouse has found that sometimes it's less stressful, and cheaper, to just do the work himself even if it means working a 20-hour day.
Rouse employs eight staff, all with backgrounds in mechanics and electronics, and he says he could do with another two. But he's reluctant to employ someone because the last time he misjudged a candidate it cost the company $100,000.
The employee's CV boasted all the credentials, and it wasn't until he had been paying him for a month that Rouse began to see the man's true colours.
The employee used all his sick days in two months. Then it became apparent the sick days coincided with pay day he was gambling. At first Rouse says he gave his new employee the benefit of the doubt.
"You can't fire someone for being sick."
The employee would come to work 10 minutes late not late enough to be dismissed but late enough to annoy the customers. He was also doing drugs.
Rouse says his business went from making a $90,000 profit to making a loss while he was there.
Fortunately the employee failed to turn up for several days without notice, giving Rouse grounds to dismiss him.
Instead of getting a replacement for six months he has been doing the job himself.
Rouse says National's 90-day worker probation policy would give him the confidence to hire someone.
"One month doesn't allow enough time for spots to start showing in a person. Once you hit two months all their flaws start to show," he says.
