Am I being petty ?

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Buy him a pair of the Atlas blue dipped gloves. They have good dexterity and protect your hands well. Have to be honest I wear gloves most of the time. I see no need to have your hands bleeding and beat up every day from work just to make $5 extra dollars in time. Sometimes I cut the fingers off if I'm handling lots of smaller parts. Tool belts. I won't wear a full belt of tools anymore. Tool bucket, tool box, and empty tool pouch to be filled for work at hand if someone has enough focus to keep me busy on one thing for more than a hour..
 
I'm with ceknight on this one. It sounds like a production issue. Forget about the gloves & tool belt. Ride him about his production rate & if he wants to improve it you have some suggestions. If a guy is taking gloves on & off, or walking a few feet every time he needs a tool instead of reaching for it on his belt his production rate is probably 50%.

Dave
 
tell him that if he doesn't find a place on his person to put the gloves (like his back pocket ?), that you will make a place for him. That place will be on the tip of the boot that he has to have surgically removed, or, if he chooses, he can just put them next to the pink slip on his dresser.
 
As others have noted, I'd tell him if he wants to wear gloves and use tools, he should find a way to keep them on person....or very close at hand.[/QUOTE]

I Said the samething at the end of my thread:grin:
 
We have a guy like that, every little task like getting a part or whatever that means taking more than 20 steps the tools come off. He also has to use the bathroom at least 4-5 times a day. Boss comes over and decides to ram set his tools to the ground, we all got a nice laugh out of watching him struggle to get the nails out without ripping his bags to badly.


Had a framer in my resi laborer days who when it came time to move/set the I-beams, he would need to go to the port-o-potty... so the framers waited until he pulled his little routine on a hot summer day and tied an extension cord around it so he couldn't get out... they then went and took an hour lunch.

Someone suggested shooter gloves its pretty much what I wear all day, works great.
 
Considering that my hands have powdered metal from MC buried in the thick calluses, numerous nicks, have a tendancy to bleed on my work from various cuts, scars, and I can still only partially feel my middle finger of my right hand due to a cut nerve - I'd say they're not your hands....
IMO If you need to worry about something like this - I'd say your lucky - it could be much, much worse in the grand scheme of it all.
 
I wear the these klein gloves often, it all started a few years ago when I yanked on a piece of mc cable hung up on a metal stud, it came loose all the sudden and I ended up punching the edge of the stud adjacent to it. I barely caught the corner of the stud and cut the side of my hand and pinky pretty bad, if I had hit the stud dead on I imagine it would have been much worse.

These gloves are flexible enough and have the thumb, index and middle fingertips exposed so they really do not hinder performance. I couldn't imagine trying to work with a pair of those heavier leather gloves on, is that what he is using? Buy him a pair of these if that is the case, as someone stated above don't tell him he cant wear gloves, what if....?
 
lets see jotting down note for the defense attorney here...I agree if your profit is that tight on the job you have to whine about an employee removing his gloves..reevaluate your bid so next time your are not just working to work..

I have several pairs of gloves and yes the company pays for them..I wear out oh I would say four pair a year and I wear them out on the job and that makes it the companies responsibility..buy the gloves or pay the medical..

lets see I do not do houses but once in a great while..also have not wore a tool belt in years and do not plan on it..there is another medical issue..I now have a tool caddy otherwise just hung my tool pouch on the nearest ladder or what ever would support it..not on the floor always bending down..If your doing residential you can carry the needed tools in your back pocket why carry all that stuff around for exercise..

I am really amazed that some of you have not more issues with the government for employee issues..by whining about whether the employee has his tool pouch on or not and whether he wears gloves or not is setting you up for liability issues..I slip and fell and the injury was compound by the unnecessary tool pouch..or it was caused because my boss was against me wearing gloves..good luck boys when the government comes a knocking..hope they don't interview any of your former employees who have the same complaint..maybe hope they have not filed complaints on you..

Now give yourself more room on the bid and encourage your employees to be better performers not ride their butts continually..make the job site a positive experience as I am sure that is why you guys are out on your own..was not because you could make more money but because you don't need that kind of hassle I can do it better myself...

give the kid a break..in his eyes you are probably under paying him anyway..
 
cschmid said:
give the kid a break..in his eyes you are probably under paying him anyway..
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If the kid has been with him for less than a month I'd give him a break. If he's been there longer I'd show him the door. Then he can go somewhere else and get paid what he deserves.
 
I think its petty to get mad about his gloves, but I do agree about the tool belt. It would drive me mad when somebody didnt want to wear his tool belt. They would shove tools in their pockets and constantly drop them. Im not saying that they need to carry a large array of tools but they should carry the basic set and what ever else is pertinant to the given task, not to mention wire nuts and such.

Most guys that dont want to wear tool belts usually havent given it enough time so that they can get used to it and some guys dont know what works for them. For example I find nylon to be very comfortable and light. And I also like to wear a padded belt with it. Sometimes Ill try someone elses set up and find that it doesnt work for me. Its just trial and error.
 
Sparky555 said:
I'm with ceknight on this one. It sounds like a production issue. Forget about the gloves & tool belt. Ride him about his production rate & if he wants to improve it you have some suggestions. If a guy is taking gloves on & off, or walking a few feet every time he needs a tool instead of reaching for it on his belt his production rate is probably 50%.

Dave
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I'm in this camp. It's about production. If he can keep up production the way he is working, leave him alone. If he can't, then some improvement can be asked to be achieved.

Or.............. just fire him and hire someone better. Life's too short.
 
Most guys that don't want to wear tool belts usually haven't given it enough time so that they can get used to it and some guys dont know what works for them. For example I find nylon to be very comfortable and light. And I also like to wear a padded belt with it. Sometimes Ill try someone else's set up and find that it doesn't work for me. Its just trial and error.
I haven't worn a tool belt in 32 years of the 38 I have been in the trade, different strokes for different folks as the saying goes. Just because it works for you does not mean your style fits everybody. Read your last sentence.
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Give Me A Break!

Give Me A Break!

This is an opportunity to train the perfect help. Tell him what you expect. GIVE him a cloth nail apron (99 Cent item or free at some supply houses). Tell him the tool belt is necessary so that he is not tired in the afternoon when he goes home from bending down and picking up his tools (don't need to mention the wandering around lost bit). They will always be at hand and where he wants (need) them. Tell him to customize the tools for the work. Wont need the keyhole saw if he is ruffing in pipe etc. Tell him there is a terrible theft problem around the job site and he needs to keep his tools on him. By the time he figures it out he will be strong enough to haul his own tools around. Tell him its so that he will build up enough strength to carry out his duties and his tools. Tell him its a job requirement. Tell him that's what electricians do so take pride in your occupation and put the belt on.

The pouch is like a woman's purse. It should have everything he will ever need. Washers, tek screws, wood screws, fittings, a place to put your gloves... Tell him he will be the hero when the Journeyman needs that fender washer and he has some.

I wear gloves when I think I might hurt my hands. A bad cut on a thumb, finger, palm, knuckle, REALLY cuts down on production. Tell him what you expect. Put the tools in the pouch so that they are all together and the gloves in the pouch. If your going to micromanage, help him with options and groom them with education. Your not allowed to complain without trying to fix the problem. This guy could turn out to be a real keeper if given the right support.
 
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GUNNING said:
~~~Tell him the tool belt is necessary so that he is not tired in the afternoon when he goes home from bending down and picking up his tools (don't need to mention the wandering around lost bit). ~ ~ Tell him there is a terrible theft problem around the job site and he needs to keep his tools on him. By the time he figures it out he will be strong enough to haul his own tools around. Tell him its so that he will build up enough strength to carry out his duties and his tools. Tell him its a job requirement. Tell him that's what electricians do so take pride in your occupation and put the belt on.

The pouch is like a woman's purse. It should have everything he will ever need. Washers, tek screws, wood screws, fittings, a place to put your gloves... Tell him he will be the hero when the Journeyman needs that fender washer and he has some.

I wear gloves when I think I might hurt my hands. A bad cut on a thumb, finger, palm, knuckle, REALLY cuts down on production. ~~Put the tools in the pouch so that they are all together and the gloves in the pouch. If your going to micromanage, help him with options and groom them with education. Your not allowed to complain without trying to fix the problem. This guy could turn out to be a real keeper if given the right support.
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Reading that diatribe made my sciatic nerve twitch!!!!

IMO if one wants to bust butt - they should do it figuratively - not literally. I'm here to tell you that prolonged abuse of the body is a great way to force one into an office job via retraining after a comp claim.

www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/ElectriciansErgo.pdf
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/electricalcontractors/supplemental/hazardindex.html

While wearing a belt may not be for some - like myself - loading it down is not for anyone IMO.

I have several of these matched to tasks - with only light wieght Knipex and WiHa tools for the task.
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vest pouch

vest pouch

I was on a cruise and saw a mechanic with a vest with every wrench and tool in its own pocket. Looked cool, neat, organized, and came in baby blue.
Great Idea. I think it was a Scandinavian product.
Im not saying someone should shlep every tool they own around but I am saying tools should be readily at hand. Make it a company policy. That's what the help is paid for.
Cloth nail aprons are cheap, light and make it easy to have parts that are readily at hand.
 
here is a question for all..do you expect the same production from an apprentice as you do a Journeyman??how do evaluate your employees..if you already have petty problems are you really going to keep the employee??so if not why prolong your and his misery..
 
cschmid said:
here is a question for all..do you expect the same production from an apprentice as you do a Journeyman??how do evaluate your employees..if you already have petty problems are you really going to keep the employee??so if not why prolong your and his misery..
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I have learned this the hard way by keeping guys way too long. I've learned now to go with my first impressions.
 
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