My Journeyman keeps messing up

A

AC\DC

Senior Member
Location
Florence,Oregon,Lane
Occupation
EC
So I hired a guy a while ago about three months ago he’s nice polite and everything, but his code knowledge is very limited. He’s been landing the grounding electrode on the ground bar not the neutral bar. He forgot to put in the bonding screw that was for one job that happened on another job same thing and then on another job, he forgot to put Gfci breakers After I told him for all this plug with circuits in the garage. There’s been other issues too that I have to go fix he doesn’t know how to troubleshoot or trace. He’s good at pipe bending and it was nice that when I didn’t know how to do an elevator. He knew where like the pit was and he knew certain aspects that I didn’t know cause I’ve never done it but just recently he drilled a hole through the roof really made me mad and he took eight hours to run two cat six cables.

I’ve told him he’s too slow. He’s gotta pick it up. There’s a Service work and if he’s got questions, call me but I’m at the point now or I’m wondering if I’m just he’s not fit for me. Everyone likes him, but I’m paying him 60 bucks an hour seems like for 60 bucks an hour. I should be able to have someone that I don’t have to babysit.
 
J-Man is wide open. He could have spent his entire career doing commercial, and doesn’t know the first thing about residential.

End of the day, if he’s not a good fit for your company, let him go. Just the same with a project. Might be a fine project, but if it’s not a good fit your company, you decline to bid. 👍
 
You said he's good at conduit. Is it possible to have him do just that? I've known lots of guys over the years that did 90% of their work on conduit & they never got good at much else. If you can't keep him busy with conduit, you need to let him go. He is already costing you with what he overlooks. Could bring on some liabilities as well. You don't need that.
 
Yeah, I’m not good at firing people though it hurts me and it’s nice having to help and it’s hard finding the help around here.

Just had one customer yell at me today that he took too long. I took an hour off and they still were complaining though. I think she was just a mean person
 
jmellc said:
You said he's good at conduit. Is it possible to have him do just that? I've known lots of guys over the years that did 90% of their work on conduit & they never got good at much else. If you can't keep him busy with conduit, you need to let him go. He is already costing you with what he overlooks. Could bring on some liabilities as well. You don't need that.
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You know this guy has a license as an inspector in Washington also I thought Washington was hard to get tested

I was trying to get a large pipe job, but I didn’t get it and I’m back doing houses and service work and yeah I don’t know. He said I could use them for only part-time if I want so I mean, I could go back to the grind while trying to open my store and just use them when I’m swamped that may be the best option and then I can oversee what he’s doing because he’s fine if I’m there cause I can watch it correct but I can’t just let him go to town.
 
AC\DC said:
Yeah, I’m not good at firing people though it hurts me and it’s nice having to help and it’s hard finding the help around here.

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I feel your pain. Here's some things that may help:

"If it's not good for everyone, it's not good for anyone." If he understands that he is not able to give you what he needs to give, he should feel that he has a responsibility to move on.

"90% of the firings happen to 10% of the people." I'd bet dollars to donuts this isn't his Rodeo. It's new to you, but not to him. He's probably just waiting to get the word.

Maybe you could say something like, "Don't you think it's time for you to look for another employer. You deserve a better manager."
 
AC\DC said:
So I hired a guy a while ago about three months ago he’s nice polite and everything, but his code knowledge is very limited. He’s been landing the grounding electrode on the ground bar not the neutral bar. He forgot to put in the bonding screw that was for one job that happened on another job same thing and then on another job, he forgot to put Gfci breakers After I told him for all this plug with circuits in the garage. There’s been other issues too that I have to go fix he doesn’t know how to troubleshoot or trace. He’s good at pipe bending and it was nice that when I didn’t know how to do an elevator. He knew where like the pit was and he knew certain aspects that I didn’t know cause I’ve never done it but just recently he drilled a hole through the roof really made me mad and he took eight hours to run two cat six cables.

I’ve told him he’s too slow. He’s gotta pick it up. There’s a Service work and if he’s got questions, call me but I’m at the point now or I’m wondering if I’m just he’s not fit for me. Everyone likes him, but I’m paying him 60 bucks an hour seems like for 60 bucks an hour. I should be able to have someone that I don’t have to babysit.
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You sound like my boss! Are you in Boston LOL?
I am probably only a 1/2 point above your guy, I can bend pipe, I am slow and my code knowledge is very limited, thats why I ordered some MH books and got on here.
Tracing and troubleshooting have been hard for me to learn at my new job and I am trying to get better at that.
Thursday I spent the whole day planning my runs and ordering materials the boss forgot and it appeared nothing happened, boss was frustrated.
Yesterday I ran 500' of EMT with a helper in wood and metal framing with lots of bends and boxes and the boss is happy.
I am used to well drawn plans and at a small shop I had to get used to not getting shop drawings.
I do understand the difference between the service and subpanel and while I may be slow I don't make mistakes like the 20 somethings at my shop that only know how to run MC.
 
slow is one thing I can ignore that- but forgetting bond screws- landing wire in the t-1 instead of l-1- not knowing we’re gfci goes- I got to find the right job for him or he going to have to be let go- I can’t afford it lol
 
I hired a brand new Green apprentice too, so I gotta train him and I need to make sure the apprentice isn’t learning bad habits. I’m just using you guys to vent. I think I know what my decision is gonna be.

I’ll never forgot the one Forman that grabbed my tools threw them in a trash and Told me you better forgot the bad crap you were taught or you will be in there…
Mean but nice guy at same time-
Thanks Dave beck!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
AC\DC said:
I’ve told him he’s too slow. He’s gotta pick it up.
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Incompetence, or mistakes during work hours may be a training issue.

Are employees notified of billable-time limits, with opportunity to report unforeseen complications, or represent their hours in good faith, without costly mistakes, or working backwards?
 
OK, maybe I can get kicked off this Forum. Here goes!

Knowing the NEC has nothing to do with understanding electrical circuits. Give a me a guy that can truly understand the concepts of Ohm's law and apply those concepts to understanding electrical circuits, and we're halfway there. The other half is about showing up on time and being ready to work!
 
ramsy said:
Incompetence, or mistakes during work hours may be a training issue.

Are employees notified of billable-time limits, with opportunity to report unforeseen complications, or represent their hours in good faith, without costly mistakes, or working backwards?
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The guys like 58 you got train bad for a very long time to be this bad.
 
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