OK, finally I have some good news to report. After being neglected by Big Boss for a while (she was busy with other things), I reached out, asked for a couple of meetings with concrete agendas, and now I am getting some mentoring.
In January, #2’s (shifty/lying) and #3’s (lazy/insubordinate) staged a mutiny. They requested to get back the control of booking. They did that to be able to come to work whenever, and #3 even stated as much. But they sold it to Non-Mean Boss. I got disturbed enough that I pressed Big Boss on doing something about them not coming in at their scheduled hours. She said yes, (yeah!), and I was able to convince her and HR Boss that we should write them up for that. As we were getting ready to do that, I discovered that they have let some medication expire, and both got a written reprimand on that (skipped verbal). #3 (lazy/insubordinate) lied some, then disagreed, then took credit for having done it at some earlier time (?!), and then refused to sign the form initially.
After that, I caught #2 (shifty/lying) doing time theft, I know he’s been doing it for a while, but I only had it documented for that week, so he was getting a final warning before firing. We met with him, he didn’t know we were only going to do a final warning, and this is a fireable offense, so he started to sweat visibly and to lie, and lie, and lie, and lie. It was pitiful to listen to. He ultimately got off on a technicality, but must have been scared shitless because after that he was always on time, always getting stuff done, showing initiative and setting up things without being told to, and he never again tried to tell me that they are just too busy to get anything minor I ask for done.
Next, we had meetings with #2 and #3 to make sure they are aware of the attendance policy and job description. Now it is actionable if they ignore their scheduled hours, and we can justify dinging them on evaluations when they don’t do a task. #3 refused to look at the University policy, claimed that his lawyer needs to review it, that it doesn’t apply to him, then attacked me personally, and got the final written warning before getting fired. #2 took issue with a job requirement, I told him that he is claiming disability, he came back with an equivocal doctor's note, on a Friday I implemented reasonable accommodation by putting him on the 11-7p shift, and the following Monday he didn’t have the disability any more and was ready to get trained for the task. He organized the training all by himself (initiative!), but he’s not getting back on the morning shift any time soon, as I don’t want to screw over #3, who now got the morning shift
So I am now getting buy-in from higher-ups. I also feel more confident after these events that they are bad, bad employees and that my instincts were right. I also feel more confident that I can get support for corrective action when (not if) they mess up again. Big Boss also told me that what we have on hand is extreme, she is aware now, and that she hasn’t dealt with things this bad before, so that clarified my initial confusion. It is also clear that I cannot work on ‘leading/developing them as part of a team’. After witnessing theft (#2) and not being contrite about letting medication expire and (on paper) putting subjects in danger (#3), I’m done. I also feel more confident about expressing my suggestions to the higher ups - I’ve been doing this for over a year now, and they trust my opinion. It is just good to be able to ‘find myself on the map’ as opposed to being lost like I was at the beginning.
Things are finally moving. I want to thank everybody here who shared their experience and gave me guidance during the initial months of being new and green and hesitant and lost. I am looking forward to more wisdom. :)