Escalation process is like Democles Sword; a series of threats hanging over your head, always there but rarely really falls.

Any call center agent knows it: First absence, verbal warning. Second, written. Third, final warning. Then fourth — well, no need.

By then, you would’ve been terminated. Supposedly.

Look, two years in the company have taught me a lot of things. One of those is that they need you as much as you need the money. One agent — a single attrition — will affect the teams’ statistics sorely.

Remember, a team, aside from making sales or handling calls effectively, must log in certain number of hours to round up a successful campaign. So if one goes, then the blame falls on the administration. Indeed, even a small tooth can cause the entire body to feel ache. Nyahahaha!

Which brings me to my latest problem: Firing an agent. Specifically, I had to fire Tess; "Mommy Tess" to those who know that she has four kids left to her care by her philandering husband. She’s the one who brings food inside the floor despite prohibition; the first one to leave soon as time’s up. And yes, the most frequent to call in for absence.

Well, this time, she has gone far enough. 15 absences ladies and gentlemen! If you consider all the ailments she had given as reason for not going to work, you’d wonder she’s still alive today.

For her last absence, she called in to say that her baby bawls out whenever she attempts to leave his side. Well, what do you say to that? And what did she expect? For baby to sing "So Long, Farewell" instead?

"Mommy Tess," I told her. "You know why we’re talking, don’t you?"

"No," she said honestly. Then she held out her bag of chips. "You want?"

Geesh.

Ignoring her, I said, "Well, you’ve had lots of absences. More than what the company allows."

"Naku, sorry talaga, ha?" she said, breaking into this sing song voice then wrapping her arms around me. "Alam mo naman, anak, kung paano ang maging magulang, di ba? Teka… may asawa ka na ba?"

"Wala pa po, este, none," I said, thinking of the English-only rule. She called me "anak." Thoughts of my own mom entered my head poignantly.

No, must be professional.

"And that’s beside the point, mommy, er, Tess," I said firmly. "So with your 15 absences I have no choice but to ..."

"Wait," she said, her mobile phone suddenly singing "Sasakyan Kita." Dyos ko, day. Obviously, she has left her turned phone on despite "strict" prohibition.

But define "strict"…

"Hello?" she said, motioning a hand to me to wait. "Ano?!? Bakit? Pano nangyari yon? …Tapos?"

Mommy Tess kept nodding, her face creased in consternation. "Ay nako, hindi pwede yan! Teka — uuwi ako!"

What the——? No! No! No…

"You can’t…" I began.

"Hawakan mo to, anak," she said handing me the bag of chips. "Lumayas daw ang yaya ng baby ko! Dyos ko, buti di niya tinangay ang anak ko! Hay naku, wala ka na talagang mapagkatiwalaan sa panahon ngayon, tsk, tsk! Pano, alis na muna ako, anak? Kailangan asikasuhin ko to agad! Syempre, ikaw man, uunahin mo ang pamilya mo, di ba?!"

"Opo," I blurted out without thinking.

But Tess was already out the door.

Five minutes later, our operations manager was beside me.

"Well, that seemed to have gone well. So you fired her, huh?"

"She’s gone," I said. Well, that’s the truth.

"Good!"

I nodded.

Then I held out something to him. "You want?"