I Chose Pot

Once upon a time at the workplace, at staffing agency. Manufacturing was a major client base and had regular needs and high turnover. A kid walks in dressed up for the interview. Dress shirt and slacks. Articulate. Comfortable. Asked great questions. No work experience, fully understood the role, hours, and pay rate. Hired and gave him his assignment for the next morning.

He no-showed. I called in the afternoon to discuss what had happened. Given this was his first job, traveling to an address he's never been too. Anything could have happened.

It was one of the funniest conversations I’ve ever had with an employee. I asked what happened, why didn't he show for work. It’s important to note that in the 80s in New York, marijuana was not legal. 

He: sighed and said: ‘I chose pot’

Me: ‘Okay, how much is pot paying you and what are the hours?’

He: ‘Pot is smoked. It doesn’t pay you. You smoke it.’

Me: ‘Understood. You are choosing pot, correct?’

He: ‘Yeah’

Me: ‘If pot isn’t paying you, how are you paying for it?’

He: ‘My mom gives me money.’

Me: ‘Is your mom aware of that expectation?’

He: ‘Yeah. She's cool with it’

Mom from the background: NO! Your ass is about to be kicked out.’

Me: ‘Work requires following some simple rules, the main one is no work, no money’

He: mumbled profanity

Mom from the background: ‘His ass will be there in the morning’

Call disconnected

He never showed up. Choices. All these years later, I do wonder about him.