Tomorrow I'm stuck re-training a guy that has worked for the company, in the exact same position, for over 5 years. He works a few months, goes on a leave of absence, then returns to be re-trained again every year for the entire 4+ years that I've worked there and every time he still continues to be outperformed by literally 90% or more of the department. Very little has changed over the years with our job or our systems and every time he comes back you'd swear it was genuinely his first day if you didn't know any better. I told my boss that the guy has worked here for 5 years and at this point he should be able to just catch up on his e-mails then get back into the swing of things and reach out on a case by case basis if he needs something. I'm all for helping people who are actually new and I certainly think they need an adjustment period before they are expected to perform at their best. That being said, there has to be a point in time where a company recognizes that if someone can't grasp the fundamentals and is incapable of performing at the expected levels, there is a time to move on and fill the position with someone who can. I'm generally very patient and have gotten numerous new and or underperforming employees up to speed but I think this person just flat out isn't cut out for the job. I don't want his incompetence to reflect poorly upon me. The best thing I can think of is to keep detailed records of all our interactions, the work we have done to try to get him up to speed, to show that he has clearly been given the proper expectations and resources, and hope that management finally comes to the same conclusion that I did. What would you guys do if you were in my position?