Woman hailed as best boss in US after firing herself to spare jobs of staff

LONDON - A woman, who owns a small business in Florida, has been hailed as the best boss in America after she fired herself to avoid making one of her staff redundant.

Lola Gonzalez, 51, found it hard to sack any of her six workers, so she fired herself from her 100,000 dollar a year job as head of a company making background checks for employers.

Gonzalez said cutbacks in the recession meant she had to lose one of her six staff at Accurate Background Checks in Ocala, Florida.

“My husband told me I should cut an employee back. And it angered me,” the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

“I decided that I was going to call my confidant, my good friend, my attorney … and told him what I wanted to do, and he gave me his blessings and told me go for it.

“How could you let somebody go that you trusted and that trusted you?” she stated.

She held a meeting to let her employees know about her decision, and told them: “I want you all to know I have to lay somebody off, and it’s been a very difficult decision. And that person is me.”

Gonzalez said many of the staff thought she was joking, but were stunned when she packed up her belongings from the office.I told them that I was serious, and that I trusted them - I hired them,” she said.

“We provide wise hiring decisions, I mean, information for employers to make the wise hiring decisions. As I hired them, I was confident I was doing the right thing.

“They thought I was crazy,” she added.

Gonzalez, who has found work as a social worker but takes home less than 50 percent of her previous salary, stated that she plans to re-hire herself next year once business picks up. (ANI)