Partly as a bit of fun, but mostly as an opportunity to vent...
Employee: "So what's my motivation for getting up at 5am to be on site for 7am?"
What I wanted to say: "Keeping your f-ing job? The fact that we pay you a salary far in excess of what your meagre skillset, dubious intelligence and questionable competence deserves?"
What I actually said: "Your professional pride in the delivery of an excellent service that our clients appreciate."
@ Elizabeth and Amanda
On a couple of occasions in my career I've actually told people that if they feel they can get 25% in another company, then they really ought to give it serious consideration. One occasion was when I was working near Calais, and the (very compentent) young tax manager regularly complained that if he returned to work in Paris he would earn at least 30% more. I agreed with him, but reminded him that the 40 hour week he put in with us would become a 70+ hour week working with a major law firm, that the quality time he had with his young family would certainly disappear, and that the very large house with massive grounds that he had in a low-cost regional city would have to be exchanged for a relatively small appartment. At the end of the day he did actually leave - but it was 7 years later, when the children were older.....
There is always a way.... :-)
You could try putting a little crack in his "I'm irreplaceable" world-view.
Ask him politely and casually if he could help you in creating an Job Description and Person Spec' for his role, as part of a general review of these that you're carrying out, since your recent discussion has highlighted the need to have something ready.... Just in case he ever becomes unavailable, say due to illness or an argument with a passing bus....
A perfectly innocent and entirely reasonable request (even if he refuses), but one which should cause him a few nagging doubts about why you might need a replacement, in the sleepless hours.... :-)
