Lost tools

[ptonsparky]

My help managed to loose a set of Rigid dies 1/2" - 2" plus the ratchet handle. Left the tailgate on the back of his pickup open and managed to loose them. He fessed up & let me know what had happened. Do any of you have a policy on DAAs like this?

$1300 for a new set. Took the profit out of yesterday.

 

[GUNNING]

Give him a big raise then fire him.

Give him a big raise then fire him.

If it happens to the next set fire him. For now give the guy a raise explaining to him the disadvantages of selling the bosses tools and how you are going to have to dock him for the set. Then fire him after you recoup your loss. Look into craigs list, Ebay or pawn shops. They might turn up yet.

 

[mivey]

Depends on the history.

If this guy has a long paper trail at your company, maybe you let him go if he is not that great.

If he is a good guy, a pass might be in order as we all make mistakes. Could make a loyal employee if he is the appreciative sort. Don't keep beating him over the head about it though.

If he is a habitual offender, business dictates he would have to be let go or contribute to the hit on your bottom line. No need to be mean, a lot of nice guys are clumsy and just need to find something different to do where the mistakes are not so costly.

 

[jumper]

I provide all my own hand tools and my company provides the rest (drills, saws, etc). If a tool is broken or worn out, they will only replace it if I turn it in. If I lose it, I have to pay for it. No exceptions. Carelessness should be costly to the person responsible.

 

[satcom]

My help managed to loose a set of Rigid dies 1/2" - 2" plus the ratchet handle. Left the tailgate on the back of his pickup open and managed to loose them. He fessed up & let me know what had happened. Do any of you have a policy on DAAs like this?

$1300 for a new set. Took the profit out of yesterday.

The "back of his pickup open" why was he not in a company truck ?

 

[petersonra]

how you are going to have to dock him for the set.

In most states this is not legal, although sometimes there is some wiggle room.

IMO, you should just write it off to bad luck the first time, with a stern written warning.

Personally, I think it is unfair of an employer to make these kind of decisions after the fact. You and your employees should both know what the consequences of something like this happening, since it is bound to happen now and then. You should not be making decisions ad hoc when it comes up. Just like you should have formal, written policies on drug tests, safety, and other things that come up on a regular basis. Especially these days when you can buy them off the web for next to nothing.

 

[Sharpie]

A set of dies is heavy. unless his truck's bed is slippery, or he was driving like a moron, he shouldn't have lost the dies/ratchet. I could be wrong, but it just sounds a little fishy.

Have you and this employee talked about it?

Have him suggest what should be done. He might be harder on himself than you would. Just a thought.

 

[petersonra]

A set of dies is heavy. unless his truck's bed is slippery, or he was driving like a moron, he shouldn't have lost the dies/ratchet. I could be wrong, but it just sounds a little fishy.

Have you and this employee talked about it?

Have him suggest what should be done. He might be harder on himself than you would. Just a thought.

I suppsoe it is also possible someone lifted them out of the truck while he was stopped at a light or something. not totally unheard of.

 

[zappy]

I provide all my own hand tools and my company provides the rest (drills, saws, etc). If a tool is broken or worn out, they will only replace it if I turn it in. If I lose it, I have to pay for it. No exceptions. Carelessness should be costly to the person responsible.

Can a company legally make you pay for it? Isn't that what they have ins. for?

 

[480sparky]

Can a company legally make you pay for it? Isn't that what they have ins. for?

It can if it's set up that way and the employee knew prior to losing the tool they would be financially responsible.

Some companies have a policy the employee signs upon hiring that they are 'issued' a tool and they are responsible for it. But if such a policy isn't made clear from the beginning, they can't just initiate on out of frustration.

 

[satcom]

Can a company legally make you pay for it? Isn't that what they have ins. for?

In all my years, and the many companies I worked for, required employees to pay for lost issued tools, it was very simple, you lost it, you paid for it. The company never took it from our checks, they had us sign repayment statement for lost company equipment, then we would pay the amount either in one payment of a series of agreed payments.
Just remember the policy was in writing and given to every employee on day of employment.

 

[satcom]

Can a company legally make you pay for it? Isn't that what they have ins. for?

What kind of insurance is that? Dummy proof coverage?

I think most policies are for stolen or accidantial damages, not careless employees

 

[ptonsparky]

He can take a company vehicle and I prefer that he does, he just needs to drive this way to get it. Sometimes it is more convenient for him to drive his own. The tailgate was down because he also had a long ladder in it. The ladder stayed put. Anyone that drives a washboard county road can understand how things bounce out the back of a pickup.
He was a farmer in a former life so I doubt he was driving extra slow.

Why the wire strippers you wish you could loose will stay on the bumper for 100 miles is a different story.

 

[ptonsparky]

I suppsoe it is also possible someone lifted them out of the truck while he was stopped at a light or something. not totally unheard of.

Possible, but not usually done in this area while you are sitting in the cab.

 

[jumper]

I provide all my own hand tools and my company provides the rest (drills, saws, etc). If a tool is broken or worn out, they will only replace it if I turn it in. If I lose it, I have to pay for it. No exceptions. Carelessness should be costly to the person responsible.

Can a company legally make you pay for it? Isn't that what they have ins. for?

It can if it's set up that way and the employee knew prior to losing the tool they would be financially responsible.

Some companies have a policy the employee signs upon hiring that they are 'issued' a tool and they are responsible for it. But if such a policy isn't made clear from the beginning, they can't just initiate on out of frustration.

Yes I signed an agreement to replace lost tools. Insurance will cover any tools that stolen, provided they are properly secured/locked up.

 

[growler]

Well it's an expensive tool and a stupid mistake but I have seen many stupid mistakes made over the years and many cost much more than that.

I guess you could say "stuff happens".

If it's just the one mistake over a period of time then you have to bit the bullet and live with it but if it becomes a habbit then you would have to find another employee.

If you have insurance I would report it as stolen because someone now has your threader and is not going to return it ( it was marked, right). The employee may have left it at the job site, it may have been taken from the back of the truck or it may have fell out, who knows for sure.

 

[rodneee]

who pays?

who pays?

years back i suggested to my boss that an employee who left a portable generator at a jobsite be made to pay for it. my boss said if anybody should pay it should be me. i said i was not even at that jobsite. he replied "you hired the guy, he reports to you, you should have had a better inventory control system in place. etc etc etc. i got his point. he never made either of us pay.

 

[hunt4679]

My help managed to loose a set of Rigid dies 1/2" - 2" plus the ratchet handle. Left the tailgate on the back of his pickup open and managed to loose them. He fessed up & let me know what had happened. Do any of you have a policy on DAAs like this?

$1300 for a new set. Took the profit out of yesterday.

Look on Ebay you can pick these up all day long for a couple hundred dollars!
Make him pay for it in $25 a week payments. If I lost any company tool I wouldnt get in trouble but I feel I would have to replace it. It happens!

 

[wawireguy]

Why didn't he drive back on this country washboard road and look for the tools? Maybe put a add in the paper asking if anyone found them? Were they marked with your company name? Might pay to drop in on the people living on that road and ask if they found them?

 

[jes25]

I think you guys are making way too big of a deal out of this. It happens, the man made a mistake. Every electrician on this forum has lost a tool before.