problem at work

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Sounds to me, other than your helper being an immature punk, that maybe you're scared to tick off the kid. One of the most important things I've learned about running a crew is that it's ok to tick off your helper, and sometimes it's good to do so.

Bottom line is that it's YOUR job, not his. You run it how you want to run it. If he wants to question how things are done tell him if he doesn't like it to call someone to pick him up and take him home because he's not going to waste company time and company gas while he's sitting in the truck with the heater on. Work or go home. If he's got a better way to do things tell him to call the field supervisor so he can run his own truck.

Run the XXXX out of him. Do this by working TOGETHER. Stay on top of him and even if he's moving quick tell him to hurry up. "Come on let's go. We've got to get this thing done." 5 minutes later when he's changing songs again, "If you worked as much as you changed songs we'd be out of here by now." 5 minutes later, "Man for as much time as you took running in those devices you'd think all the plates would be straight." Let him complain (X) all he wants, who cares. He's not paying your check. Make that sucker complain to the boss about you!

Of course you wouldn't treat a good helper like this but a good helper wouldn't act like that.

Trust yourself more in that you can run a good, quality competent job. You're running a truck for a reason (hopefully a good one!). Don't let some shoddy helper give you a bad name.
 
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If you've had a heart to heart talk to him, I see two avenues 1- If you are a member of a union, contact the apprenticeship committee - they have the power to make the boat float one way or another. The committee can insure that he doesn't leave one shop, only to be a burden elsewhere. The industry doesn't need a dead stick in the water, and making us all look bad as electricians. 2 - Since he seems to be "unfit for duty" discharge him as such to avoid legal incrimination, and get rid of him before his bad attitude becomes considered acceptable by others at the shop (or worse -spreads).
 
I'm in the "get-rid-of-him" boat. The electrical trade is too valuable to squander on someone who doesn't care. Find someone who does care to take that guys place. You, your company, and the industry will be better off for it.

Hey... is this guy the owner's relative by chance?:grin:
 
GilbeSpark said:
Sounds to me, other than your helper being an immature punk, that maybe you're scared to piss off the kid. One of the most important things I've learned about running a crew is that it's ok to piss off your helper, and sometimes it's good to do so.
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Agreed. I can clearly remember years back, looking a helper straight in the eye with a wild-eyed gaze when nobody else was around, and telling him that I was going to kill him and make it look like an accident. Naturally, I wouldn't have, but he must have had some doubt. He complained to management, to which I promptly denied, and he didn't show up to work anymore after that. Problem solved.

For the all the more I-pods cost, I might be inclined to snatch it from him and smash it with a hammer right in front of him. Worst case, you'll owe him a new I-pod, but he'll get the point.
 
georgestolz said:
Why? ...................
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"Hey Rookie! Look out! That scaffold is falling!!!!!...... on you."
"Hey, Cubby! Watch out for that!!!!!....... Skytrack."
"Be careful! That switch is!!!!!........ energized."






*Sigh* "I guess he didn't hear me warning him. Oh well, no big loss."
 
Hard to work with?

Hard to work with?

I did have a guy like that before. I spent more time on that guy than the others. Sort of figured out his weakness and bingo! I got him working fine.
A nice and honest talk with the guy can help. Make sure you document everything you do. Make it a habit to spend some time following through with what you have agreed upon. Little things count much for people with attitude problems. If he doesn't fit after some time, get rid of him, replace non-performers with better guys!

My $0.02.
 
I would say talk to him and let him know that your expectations. The guy kind of sounds like bad news, from what I get he is lazy and doesn't care and a 2nd year apprentice with that attitude is going to be trouble.

I think one talk can make difference, mabey at the beginning of the day. Let him know the IPOD is not allowed and what ever else you expect of him work wise. If he cares about his job he'll straighten up and if not you don't need him. I am pretty easy to get a long with as long as you act like you care and you work. I have had a couple of guys I had tell my boss I will not work with this guy. If you are the journeyman and you refuse to work with an apprentice they aren't going to tell you to stay home.

At the company I work for IPODs are against company policy. A lot of guys don't like it, but I am totally for it. They are a distraction, they also cause safety and communication problems. I don't have any problems with a radio at a moderate level.
 
I had the bosses apprentice son on my crew that I was running. He was irratating everyone and not doing his job. This went on for about 8 months. Journeyman came to me ticked off and complaining about him one day, so I called his father for an emergency meeting. The three of us sat in the job trailer, and I told his father either he goes or I go, and it was going to be now. 15 miutes later the boy and his tools were gone for good. I guess they needed me more. Also the rest of the crew was much happier.;)
 
We have earbuds and cell phone language written into our working agreement.
The earbuds are a safety hazard and a distraction, not allowed except break and lunch, same for cell phones and texting.
It is up to each person to inforce the agreement, you have to be accountable if you are the person in charge. You will need to get rid of this person for your our personal safety and his. Do it today. It might save his life.

PS. Doesnt sound like you keep him busy enough.
 
i always set the ground rules for apprentices the first day. one of the rules explains the chain of command on the job and the consequences for not following orders. i make it perfectly clear that when he is working for a journeyman he follows the journeyman's orders 100 per cent and the safety issues that can occur from not doing so. if he/or she feels they are being treated unfairly they can bring it to me, but still "follow the journeyman's orders!

when a journeyman can't get along with his apprentice i usually move the apprentice to another job under a second journeyman. if this doesn't work out -- i get rid of that apprentice....... and believe me--- it has cost me some big union problems-------but thats the way i work it. i have faith in my journeymen or would never assign them an apprentice--thats MY rule.

there are places a radio can be played without any problems--- but common sense plays into this. playing one in an office is beyond common sense. and after being warned-- a second offense -------pay him off!! and an i-pod should never be on any jobsite.............
 
MY big gripe, NO PHONES, No loud music. If somebody complains about the music its gone cause it must be too loud. NOBODY uses a phone while working, break or lunch only bacause Im not paying them then. I demand undivided attention while working. If they are not concentrating on my work, they are gone. Get rid of one dead head and the production goes WAY up. Do the boss a favor sit him in a chair till the boss gets back or till he leaves.
 
georgestolz said:
So you wouldn't hire a deaf employee? Do you think earplugs should be forbidden?
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you can still hear with earplugs on. I've had 2 kids and 2 men try to work with the i-pod thing on this year. they couldn't hear a thing. That's fine for certain tasks, but then the idiots think they can keep the thing on when they get put on a different task, like pulling wire, when you need to communicate. Finally I had to just pull the plug on the things, I just wished I could have smashed them cause I sure wanted to.
 
Funny, I just started using my ipod on the job sites.:grin:

But there is a time and place.

And this helper's problem goes way beyond the ipod.
 
OSHA all Day !

OSHA all Day !

LawnGuyLandSparky said:
Earplugs don't block all sound. And deaf people are not safe on construction sites.
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Ear Plugs are designed to stop the noise above 60 dB's

Iinteresting read here from OSHA on Head phones enjoy :

Use of Walkman Radio, Tape, or CD Players and Their Effect When Hearing Protection Is In Use here
 
nakulak said:
you can still hear with earplugs on. I've had 2 kids and 2 men try to work with the i-pod thing on this year. they couldn't hear a thing.
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Then, no offense, but they're idiots. :D

It tickles me to no end when GCs and foremen ban mp3 players and boomboxes across the board. It's simply assumed that the listener has the thing cranked all the time, or that the trades will have radio wars with volume and station choice.

Usually, when I listen to mine (when it's permitted) it's barely audible, and only in one ear. I want to hear what's going on around me. If I can't hear the tunes while someone else is making a short-term racket, I don't turn it up, I just keep working.

Some smart alecks will sneak up on you and whisper to the "deaf" ear, and then pitch a fit when they aren't heard. Usually, I'll put in earplugs when asked to get rid of the radio, just to make the point.

When someone talks to me, I'll usually yank the tunes out of my ear for the conversation to make it clear they have my undivided attention.

nakulak said:
That's fine for certain tasks, but then the idiots think they can keep the thing on when they get put on a different task, like pulling wire, when you need to communicate.
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You summed it up nicely: idiots. Why is that suddenly everybody else's problem?

lawnguylandsparky said:
Earplugs don't block all sound.
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No, but I guarantee you I can hear more with an earbud in one ear at a low listening level, than I can with two earplugs in. :)

The earbuds might not be OSHA approved hearing protection, but they are better all around IMO for blocking unexpected high pitched noise (chop saw on steel stud, that sort of thing). Who pops out earplugs to talk with their coworkers, and then pops them back in before the fella cranks the saw back up?

Why is a 120 db chop saw more acceptable than a boombox playing music?

I just get irritated when pretty much all construction workers are treated like four year olds. For some reason, it seems more and more like we are too stupid to be trusted to listen to a boombox at a reasonable volume (with no customers within 20 miles), or to use a personal music player in a responsible fashion.

JMO,
 
I don't permit my helpers to use headphones. Period.

I used to tell them, "1st time I call you, and you don't answer, they go", but, of course, they couldn't hear me the very 1st time anyway.

They are on the job to help me get the job done, and I don't put up with a whole lot of dumb stuff like headphones, cell phone misuse, attitude, etc.

George, they way you use them wouldn't bother me a bit, but there are too many guys who think the music comes before the job.
 
All it takes is one person to crank up ManCow and have radios banned on the job.

All it takes is one person to curse a blue streak and we get lectured on our language.

All it takes is for one person to smoke a coffin nail at the wrong place and smoking is no longer allowed.

I've heard people get reprimanded about their sunflower seed shells scattered all over the job site.

I once had a GC take away the PortaPotty because of the language & artwork that adorned it's walls. (And yes, some of it was, in all truthfulness, really good prose and art!)

I've seen lots of people get sent home for the subject matter on their t-shirts (one even said "Jesus Loves You!").

A job site is just that, a job site. You are here to work, not smoke, fiddle with your iPod, text message your buddies, and fight over what station you're going to listen to. It's not your living room. When we're at your house, we'll play by your rules. But if you work for me, or are at the GC's job site, you play by our rules. And I have enough to do without playing nursemaid to a bunch of cubbies who want nothing more than a paycheck. I can't find time in my day to be the radio brownshirt, the ciggy cop, or waste my time telling people to just grow up and act their age.

Are there mature people on the job site? Absolutely. But like anything else, one bad apple spoils the whole bunch.

Now, if anyone disagrees with me, might I remind you that we are not at 'my house'. We are at Mike's 'house', so we play by his rules while we're here. And I hever heard of anyone complaining about the rules here......
 
I have an MP3 player and use it when its appropiate..I especially like it when I am programing it helps me to stay focused on my work as I have no distractions..Cant tell you whats playing either when in the zone..I have apprentices as well..after third explanation and they still don't get it.. I tell them I can train monkeys to do this job and whats your excuse..As you can tell I get irritated..So do yourself a favor and sit him down and give him a common sense speech..If nothing else comes of it you know you gave it an effort..
 
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