Store owner finds out manager took the entire staff out for coffee instead of opening the store in the morning, considers firing manager for poor judgment: ‘They left and locked the doors’

Every decent manager struggles to find the balance between being liked and being respected by their employees. Some managers value being friendly with everyone and seek companionship along with the people who work under them. Other managers understand that respect is usually earned by setting the rules and enforcing them, which doesn't go hand in hand with being friends with their employees.

That doesn't stop some managers from trying, which is exactly what happened in the story below.

A store owner was surprised to discover that one morning at 9 am, instead of opening the store, his entire staff locked up and went out to get coffee, and they were all led by their manager. They returned from their "morning break" half an hour later, and only then opened the store for customers. Shocked, the owner is now at a crossroads, not knowing how to reprimand the staff and the manager for their actions.

What would you do? Keep scrolling to read the full story and information in the comments to form your approach.

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WWYD? In my absence employees all left at opening and returned a half hour later, including staff manager and hourly employees...

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As much as we encourage healthy relationships with managers and mutual respect, we are not sure this was the way to go. Opening a store 30 minutes late because the entire staff went to get coffee is unheard of, and we definitely think some boundaries must be enforced.
Keep scrolling to read what others thought.
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