So, last night I found myself at the hospital at 10:30pm, taking my 8 year old in who was having trouble breathing, and had a 102.6 temperature. Meanwhile, my brother-in-law had one of his teeth break and needed someone to watch his infant daughter while he went to get it repaired at the dentist today.

My wife left to watch his daughter, I stayed home and tended to our kid with soup and antibiotics, and was completely unproductive at work until about Noon when my wife got back. In fact, I was still marginally unproductive due to residual stress from worrying about whether or not our daughter was going to need surgery, die, what have you.

I'm also in the middle of a project that's way behind schedule, migrating from one vendor platform to another. It's behind schedule because of the normal problems one encounters standing up a new environment, learning the quirks, struggling with your sister IT groups to get their pieces right.

And my piece of the puzzle is effectively another day behind, which is not because I am not trying hard enough.

I find the "man up or hit the road" attitude you express pretty damned insulting. Life happens sometimes, and assuming your employees are lying to you, only making excuses for their indifference and laziness, is going to make a very animosity-filled life for you at the office.