Years ago I hired someone to clean the shop, run errands, answer the phone, stage product for next days delivery etc..He was bugging me after a few months to get more involved in other aspects of shop work which I was happy to do since he had proven himself in the tasks I originally hired him to do.
After a few weeks, he started showing up late and sometimes not at all. I chalked up his lateness to problems at home. Took him aside one Friday and questioned him on his sudden change in attendance and informed him he would have to get with it or he would make it necessary for me to replace him with someone more reliable, or have him go back to cleaning...etc.
Seems my Friday talk had worked...at least for another few weeks. One Monday morning he didn't show up, no call, no nothing. Later on that day I get a visit from the Police.. Stan ( not his real name ) had died from a Heroin overdose early Sunday morning.
I learned as time went on that he had been a functioning Heroin addict for years. He never showed his addiction while at work. The indication that something was amiss was when he started showing up late for work. Looking back, I realize now that I should not have put up with his tardiness for as long as I had.