Manager learns that self care is the best care

Employee approached me crying, asking if he could park his car in our parking lot overnight and work late “to stay warm”. I asked him what he meant and he told me that he hasn't been paying child support so 100% of his next three paychecks would be garnished and now he couldn't afford rent and was planning on living in his car.

I told him that I wouldn't allow any of my employees to be homeless so I gave him a $6000k interest free loan to pay all of his child support at once, so his paychecks wouldn't be garnished and he wouldn't be homeless.

Then we sat down and I helped him form a budget so he wouldn't have this issue ever again (he makes nearly six figures, just financially illiterate)

Four week later, he requesting PTO because he's flying out of state for a little vacation.

How do you go from on the verge of homelessness over unpaid child support to buying a plane ticket and taking a vacation four weeks later? Wtf man? Why can't people just be normal?

Edit: $6k my bad yall!

I also personally know the guy, he's a good dude just a little deep on the goofy spectrum.

Supposedly the money is being pulled from his paycheck so OP might eventually get paid back. There's some back and forth about whether or not child support can take your whole paycheck. Other manager stories dealing with poors.

One time I had an employee come to me sobbing that he was unable to buy groceries for his family. I spoke with my superiors and we agreed to help him out. I went and bought $500 worth of groceries and we filled his fridge and cupboards. Lots of shelf stable stuff that would last a long time. Beans and rice and stuff.

About a month later he was super excited telling me about the new vr headset he bought. A couple weeks after that it was the airsoft gun he bought to go play with his friends. Couple more weeks on he's showing me the puppy they're going to buy. He didn't understand why I didn't seem excited about the puppy, so I laid it out for him.

Haven't been willing to help an employee in that capacity since, unfortunately. I will show them compassion and even leniency for things like attendance when they're having a hard go at things, but I've learned that that has to be the extent of it.

I had a staff member give me a sob story on how they have to have surgery but do not have enough PTO to cover their surgery. She was very upset since the surgery is not optional and she didn't want to lose her job. I felt bad and donated 40 hours of my PTO to her so she could take the time worry free. Two weeks later she went on a weeklong vacation...

My dad used to give our payroll advances for situations like this semi-regularly. At best, the person just ends up coming back for another one as soon as they paid off that one. At worst, then end up quitting or needing to be fired for cause before it's paid off and we have to garnish it in its entirety in their final paycheck, which usually pisses them off more and some have gotten violent. Even worse, sometimes their final check isn't enough to cover it and we either kiss it goodbye or have to pursue them for it with threat of legal action. I've made him add the stipulation that it has to be taken out of the next check for whatever pay period we're in and cannot be greater than where their takehome pay is at the moment they're asking. Doing that, we've been able to help people that just had a very rare shortfall for rent or something like that so they don't have to go to a payday loan place while also keeping away the people that abuse it.

As everyone mentioned you got played, sorry.

It took me knowing someone who was "always broke " over 10 + years...at first it made sense, they were supporting a lot of kids, no degree and few jobs to accommodate the schedules for various kids and pick up drop off being sick etc...but then she attached herself to a guy who paid big bucks.. and I had hope for her, they got bills paid off, a nice house, help with the kids...except now with the change in support and schedule she continued not to work by choice (no medical issues). Annnnd then came the (in my mind unexpected) money choices...new cars, lots of new tech and junk for her and the kids...then we learn the mortgage is behind and they used COVID as an excuse to blow it off...despite making the same amount of money throughout...dude made 2.5 times more than me and she started asking for help with bills...they scammed medicaid/snap/wic etc and got found out and had to pay it back and got banned for life from receiving benefits.

Long story short she had already fricked her credit and fricked his...got him to quit 3 years before he could retire and cash out.. when the money ran out she ditched his butt.

So I say this: she could get a million dollars and still be broke within a month. It's pointless to give her money because she won't learn. I remember one time hanging out and Bill collectors were calling and they both acted irritated with the people for bothering...she doesn't see this as an obligation to pay back just another free paycheck. Sorry OP.

I own a travel agency, and I've seen the other end of this. His vacation is very likely being covered by a relative or it was purchased before the garnishment was announced and was non-refundable. It's a bad look, and people assume that someone like this is playing them, but it isn't necessarily that they have played you. Just keep this in mind as you move forward.

Travel agent's still exist Also