Who provides impact drivers

[theshadows]

Over the years impact drivers have really taken off and become a lot more versatile.

My question is should portable impact drivers be employer or employee provided? We have in the past provided impact drivers along with the other power tools. However as of late it is a tool that is always on my pouch just like linemans or needle nose and never gets left anywhere. My feeling for our company has been if that is the status the tool has then it should be employee provided.

Our Dewalt tools are aging and we have been moving to Milwaukee as a company. I'd like to fully make the transition soon so we are not hauling two power tool bags around.

What are other companies doing in regards to impact drivers. Employer or employee provided?

 

[James L]

If that guy makes more money for you by having an impact driver, then make that investment for your own benefit.

Or if he desires to use his own, let him do that.

I've never understood why a company owner balks at buying a tool that makes his guy considerably better or faster.

 

[jimdavis]

We don't provide cordless drills, impact drivers, etc. for employees. For the most part I consider them hand tools. We have a required tool list for both journeyman and apprentice new hires. Cordless drills are a requirement but impact drivers however are not.

As you say the use of impact drivers is quite common these days...I am constantly scolding my guys about over-use of them on enclosure screws, conduit fittings or whatever. I hate taking something apart after someone has used an impact driver on it. People use them far too much in my opinion.

 

[Martin B]

May I ask how hard it is for a contractor in your area to fined Good employee's?

 

[ptonsparky]

I don't supply the cordless tools but I will replace them or the batteries as long as I get the old one.

 

[iwire]

This is the same type of question as asking which is a better truck "Ford or Chevy' or which food tastes the best.

 

[kenman215]

Over the years impact drivers have really taken off and become a lot more versatile.

My question is should portable impact drivers be employer or employee provided? We have in the past provided impact drivers along with the other power tools. However as of late it is a tool that is always on my pouch just like linemans or needle nose and never gets left anywhere. My feeling for our company has been if that is the status the tool has then it should be employee provided.

Our Dewalt tools are aging and we have been moving to Milwaukee as a company. I'd like to fully make the transition soon so we are not hauling two power tool bags around.

What are other companies doing in regards to impact drivers. Employer or employee provided?

My company specifically outlines in the employee handbook that no workers are allowed to use their own power tools, cordless or otherwise. We exclusively provide Hilti 18V cordless hammer/screw guns and impacts in a set. All of the other cordless tools are Hilti as well, which only makes sense. Personally, I prefer milwaukees.

 

[ActionDave]

My company specifically outlines in the employee handbook that no workers are allowed to use their own power tools, cordless or otherwise......

Interesting. I have always provided my own cordless tools everywhere I have worked, but often thought it would be more fair for my employer to provide them since he is getting the benefit of increased productivity and any conflict about normal wear and tear, repair, and replacement disappear.

How do you handle issues of theft, loss, and abuse? I am sure a lot of your guys take as much care with company issued tools as they would their own, but I would be much surprised if all of them do.

 

[kenman215]

Interesting. I have always provided my own cordless tools everywhere I have worked, but often thought it would be more fair for my employer to provide them since he is getting the benefit of increased productivity and any conflict about normal wear and tear, repair, and replacement disappear.

How do you handle issues of theft, loss, and abuse? I am sure a lot of your guys take as much care with company issued tools as they would their own, but I would be much surprised if all of them do.

Well, theft is a little complicated. When you sign on to the company, you're issued your drill(s). They each have a barcode whose last four digits are engraved into the drill and batteries. So on the day before your first day of employment you basically sign for the drill. At that point, the drill is your responsibility. If it's stolen while on the job, you report it. Usually, they'll call the foreman the guy who reported it stolen is working under and basically ask if they think the guy is telling the truth, kind of as just a character reference. If the guy seems to be on the straight and narrow, they'll issue them a new one, if not he's gotta provide his own from that point on. Other than that, if you quit or are fired you have a week to bring it back or the cops show up at the address of record on your file. Believe it or not, though, in house theft is a very rare thing. It usually happens by other trades, primarily piece work rockers and tapers.

Damage and abuse happen. We purchase so many Hilti products that all maintence and replacement parts, batteries, etc. are free. 9 times out of ten the repairs are simple and the same and done in our warehouse. A lot of guys, though, really don't treat their company drills like their own, but that is the nice thing about hilti products. Although I prefer Milwaukee for myself, Hilti is by far makes the heaviest duty products I've ever come across. They can't take a pretty severe beating. They're just ungodly expensive.

 

[infinity]

We have a required tool list of hand tools only. All power tools, socket sets, cable cutters, etc. are purchased by our contractor. If your personal tools are stolen only the stuff on the list is covered by insurance. I had my entire tool bag stolen and ended up on the hook for about $500 for personal tools not on the list.

Regarding the OP we currently are using a Milwaukee impact gun which IMO should be a required tool for every crew. The amount of time, and wear and tear it saves on your body is immeasurable.

 

[JoeyD74]

Over the years impact drivers have really taken off and become a lot more versatile.

My question is should portable impact drivers be employer or employee provided? We have in the past provided impact drivers along with the other power tools. However as of late it is a tool that is always on my pouch just like linemans or needle nose and never gets left anywhere. My feeling for our company has been if that is the status the tool has then it should be employee provided.

Our Dewalt tools are aging and we have been moving to Milwaukee as a company. I'd like to fully make the transition soon so we are not hauling two power tool bags around.

What are other companies doing in regards to impact drivers. Employer or employee provided?

Is it your company? Not that it will change my opinion but to me anything that increases productivity should either be supplied by the company or compensated for in pay.

 

[peter d]

I have a M12 Milwaukee Fuel impact gun that stays on my tool bag at all times as I used it constantly. This is one tool that I prefer to supply on my own.

 

[jimdavis]

May I ask how hard it is for a contractor in your area to fined Good employee's?

In the current job market demand definitely exceeds supply. The company I work for currently employs about 200 electricians and still we struggle with manpower issues from time to time.

 

[kenman215]

In the current job market demand definitely exceeds supply. The company I work for currently employs about 200 electricians and still we struggle with manpower issues from time to time.

We struggle with the same issues. We have an HR department, and use two hiring services and we still have trouble finding good guys. One of the major issues we have is that there is a strong Union presence in our area, about 1200-1300 strong. Typically, they have 300-500 on the bench at any given time. A lot of times when we get calls from people seeking employment, they're laid off members who quit with no notice when they get called back in. These are the best guys out there, but, sadly, not a long term solution for staffing.

Out of the probationary hires we do get, we keep probably 1 in 5. Most guys have a tendency to oversell their skill set during the interview process. So as a foreman, I typically don't get my hopes up. The real issue I have, though, is the young, green guys. They have no work ethic, which is the best quality to have to offset a lack of experience, IMO. Seems like a whole generation of young adults have been birthed and raised into a society where they expect to get paid well to do as little as possible. These are the guys I have no patience for. So, yes, good help is very hard to find...

 

[kwired]

I have never worked for a "large" contractor, nor have I ever really been around many other trades that didn't seem to have tools that were considered to belong to the company other then maybe some very basic hand tools. But these were all small enough organizations that the trust issue is way different then it is with large contractors on large projects. I see some guys that are very good at accountability of business or personal items, and others that are good at losing things. I even have a HVAC contractor that is only a one to two man show most of the time that is good at losing his own tools - kind of hard to deal with carelessness when the owner is the one doing it.

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer on how to deal with this - each company needs to find out what works best for them.

A new house I was working on one time a plumber I know well was boring (more like burning) holes for a 1-1/2 or 2 inch drain pipe through some wall studs with a very dull holesaw. I asked him if the boss was too cheap to buy him decent bits for cutting those holes - his reply was he gets paid by the hour and if boss wants him to get more done he certainly has option to provide better equipment, he still works about same hours each day regardless of how much he gets done.

 

[theshadows]

Is it your company? Not that it will change my opinion but to me anything that increases productivity should either be supplied by the company or compensated for in pay.

Yes it is. We are making changes though. We have always in the past paid for all tools. We are changing this and making a company provided tool list because some of the tools aren't being taken care of that well and end up missing quite often.

So we have been working on the required list of tools that need to be personally provided and the list that the company will provide. Then if someone wants to try out the latest gadget or they loose a tool they can do it on their dime and not the company's.

The dividing line has pretty much turned into if it's in your personal pouch or your daily floor bag it should be personally provided. Bigger stuff (benders, power tools, ladders, etc) and all ppe will be company provided.

When we started switching to Milwaukee I bought a m12 hex impact and the difference between it and my old dewalt xrp18 hex impact was amazing. I started using it for everything that wasn't live. Once this happened I started keeping in on my belt and not putting it in the power tool bag (which will be company provided). This is when I became undecided on which list to put it on.

 

[kwired]

A potential problem I see with cordless tools being required to be personally owned/provided is problems related to battery sharing and charger sharing between employees - unless nobody has same product lines that use same batteries. Then if you only require a drill or impact driver to be personally owned but provide other cordless tools in the same product line you still have same issues with batteries and chargers.

I don't think I'd ever require an employee to provide cordless tools, and wouldn't expect to have to provide my own should I work for someone else, if I liked my own better I may bring it, but that does open the door for expectations so I probably wouldn't anyway.

 

[theshadows]

A potential problem I see with cordless tools being required to be personally owned/provided is problems related to battery sharing and charger sharing between employees - unless nobody has same product lines that use same batteries. Then if you only require a drill or impact driver to be personally owned but provide other cordless tools in the same product line you still have same issues with batteries and chargers.

I don't think I'd ever require an employee to provide cordless tools, and wouldn't expect to have to provide my own should I work for someone else, if I liked my own better I may bring it, but that does open the door for expectations so I probably wouldn't anyway.

Thanks for your input everyone.

This above is the approach I will take. It's the same one we use with ppe. We provide it but if you want a fancy hard hat, safety glasses, or arrest harness you need to provide it.

 

[iwire]

This above is the approach I will take. It's the same one we use with ppe. We provide it but if you want a fancy hard hat, safety glasses, or arrest harness you need to provide it.

Be careful with that, OSHA requires you to provide the training and the PPE.

Allowing employees to bring their own can make it difficult to make sure it is the proper PPE for the job and prove to OSHA you are providing it.

 

[Fulthrotl]

We struggle with the same issues. We have an HR department, and use two hiring services and we still have trouble finding good guys. One of the major issues we have is that there is a strong Union presence in our area, about 1200-1300 strong. Typically, they have 300-500 on the bench at any given time. A lot of times when we get calls from people seeking employment, they're laid off members who quit with no notice when they get called back in. These are the best guys out there, but, sadly, not a long term solution for staffing.

Out of the probationary hires we do get, we keep probably 1 in 5. Most guys have a tendency to oversell their skill set during the interview process. So as a foreman, I typically don't get my hopes up. The real issue I have, though, is the young, green guys. They have no work ethic, which is the best quality to have to offset a lack of experience, IMO. Seems like a whole generation of young adults have been birthed and raised into a society where they expect to get paid well to do as little as possible. These are the guys I have no patience for. So, yes, good help is very hard to find...

if you like the union members you have had work for you, a simple solution would be
to become a union contractor. just teasing.... :angel:

as for them quitting abruptly when they no longer need you, isn't it about at the same
speed you let go of people that you don't need any more? the shoe placed on the other
foot sure can pinch.

and abrupt quitting is the least problematic aspect of hiring union members in a merit
shop environment. http://www.ibewlu363.org/site_v1/join_363/Salting.html

as you say, there is a problem with getting qualified help. there has been a migration
away from blue collar for a long time now. capable people are not as enthusiastic about
entering a craft such as electricianeering. the work can be physically hard, employment
sporadic and seasonal, and the compensation package not attractive enough.

my spouse is a compensation director for a fortune 500 company. she knows what a job
is worth. it's her job to place people in chairs, and compensate them enough that they
don't leave for someone else's chair, and no more.

most mid level office staff make more than most electricians. on the west coast, a
very common salary for mid level office is $75 ~ 80k a year, with benefits. how many sparky's
make $80k a year with benefits?

a lot of the folks i see working as electricians, 30 years my junior, aren't inspiring in either
their skill set, or their drive to be good at what they do.