I am the front desk manager of a small hotel; I am young and good at my job but have come across a situation I'm not used to:

We only have 3 people, including myself, who work at the desk. If someone calls in sick; the only person who can cover is the person who has a day off, so it is always a hassle. Our newest front desk clerk has been with us 5 weeks and called in sick for the 3rd time today. To be fair, the 1st time she was at the beginning of a training shift, said she didn't feel well, so I told her to go home and come back the next day. The 2nd time, she called me 2 hours into her shift saying she couldn't continue- funny enough there was a big farewell party for the girl she replaced the night before, and I know she attended. Today, the 3rd time, she called in sick to the night guy at 7am (due to start 7:30) who called me. I called her back right away and her phone was turned off. I left a message explaining I really thought she should come in, even if it was later today, since I had a root canal scheduled and couldn't miss it; also that I wanted a doctor's note if she didn't come in. That was 8 hours ago and no reply from her. The 2nd and 3rd time she's been sick was also the day before her usual 2 days off.

Now, I'm pretty angry. I had to come in after I got a root canal to cover her shift, and even if she's really sick, I think 3 times in 5 weeks is absurd.

I know I can legally fire her- the province I live in allows anyone to be terminated for any reason if they've been working for less than 3 months. But I don't know if I'm thinking professionally or personally- should I have a "warning talk" with her or just fire her? I know she could be legitimately sick, but she's being unreliable and I can't keep someone on who gets sick this much...

it is NOT a matter of what the law allows or what is stated in a contract
it is a matter of doing what is right for the business and the employee....

do you have an absenteeism policy?
has the policy been explained?
is it enforced equally with all employees?

for the employee and the businesses sake you need to invest in the time to explain the policy, how absenteeism effects everyone (other employees, management and customers), set a clear plan for improvement and then follow it to the letter.

you have invested a lot of money recruiting, hiring and training this employee it is worth a half hour to set forth a plan for improvement and then if need be let her go.