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Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 5:26 pm
by Forestboy1978
So basically took on a mate about 2 months ago. Known him 30 years so I was reluctant but he needed work and I thought I'd give him a shot.
A month ago he's picking up bits of purbek stone at the top of this hill and walking them to an area where he was breaking them to top some haunching on a driveway. So I said, take the wheel barrow up he hill and load it and bring it down. Don't walk back and forth with rocks. He said, I'm fine. I said I don't care if you're fine I'm asking you to load the wheel barrow. He said blah blah blah. I said very calmly, I can't have a crew of guys telling me they're fine. I ask you to do something I wont do myself by all means, tell me to do one. If not the answer is YES. He said OK.
Last Monday he's picking up 300mm x 300 mm 1 1/2 inch concrete casts up and walking them to a skip. I said take 2 at a time. They weight 5kg. You can carry 10 kg. He said blah blah.. I walked by later and he's carrying 1 at a time. I picked up 2 in the palm of my hand and with 1 arm held them up at arms reach at eye level and said if you can't *****g carry 2 of these at a time you are in the wrong job. He said fine and walked out.
I processed his mornings work with the accountant and posted his p45 the next day. He apologised for being an "unreasonable dick" I said it's OK, we don't live on the same planet it seems. Good luck.
Can you believe that??? It's a shame cos he showed "some" promise in some areas. To top it off the only reason he was picking up the old paving while I shovelled and wheeled wheel barrows into my truck, is cos he's too weak to wheel full barrows up the ramp so I was taking it easy on him. Did quite a lot for him in that regard and cos I trust him I was looking to train him so was worth more so I could justify paying him more. Obviously my interests but I was looking for ways in his interest too cos he's an old mate. Anyway, he knows he's an idiot and I doubt it has any effect on our friendship other than I lost a lot of respect for him.
So employed a new guy who started last Wednesday. Absolute night and day. If anything, he's almost too eager. I feel like telling him to chill out sometimes lol.
Has anyone experienced anything as pathetic as that or was that a one in a million....
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 5:52 pm
by dig dug dan
I had one guy who started, and was in charge of pushing a wheelbarrow
up a ramp into a skip. He did two, then announced he had had a stomach operation and his stiches had burst open.
he was gone
got someone who does strimming every other friday for half a day, he keeps leaving buttercups and daisies as "its good for bees" I then have to go back and sort it.
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 5:54 pm
by lutonlagerlout
the main lesson here mate is not to do business with friends,I have met blokes through work who have become friends,but friends who you have known for donkeys years can turn out to be useless and it sours your friendship
I gave a mate a job as he was desperate and gave him the ground rules
the minute my back was turned he would be sitting down/lying down, he was a smoker but every time he had a fag he had to stop ,sit down,roll it and then smoke it, would never pick up rubbish or look to do anything proactive unless asked to do so
at no time was he a team player,always looking for the easy way for him,anyway the long and short of it was he had to go.
Got 3 great fellas now 46,44 and 18, all keen to graft and muck in good or bad,we have a craic but get stuck in to the work. its a pleasure going to work with these 3 and that is how it should be 
LLL
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 6:07 pm
by Forestboy1978
The thing is he's just a cook. Earns minimum wage and has to work weekends. I wasn't paying him huge cos frankly he wasn't worth it but he was getting £8.75 and if we finished early and there wasn't anything to do then we finish early. Also, he lives 3 mins walk from out biz so gets lifts in. (he hasn't got a drivers license) 28 days annual leave. All legit. He is an idiot!
The bad thing is is I like his old man. Chalk and cheese. He's a proper bloke if you know what I mean and Mike lives at home again at 37 and speaking to his Dad just a week or so ago he was so pleased he was working for us and learning some skills. He must be a HUGE disappointment to him. I'm not one of these alpha males, we're all different and whatever, but this guy is a disgrace to himself. The guy is a lost cause really.
And I had to work my balls off to keep to schedule this week....
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 9:46 pm
by lutonlagerlout
you know within a few hours if someone has the right attitude
different strokes for different folks!
small things can be ironed out,strength can be built but a bad attitude is there for keeps
good luck
LLL
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2016 1:36 pm
by Tony McC
Years and years ago, we were doing a raft foundation for a garage at the back of a private house, and it involved getting 9 cubes of concrete down the drive. I couldn't get a pump at the time, so it was a case of hey-lads-hey, six of us on the barrows, let the driver squirt it out into the barrows and wheel it down the drive.
I'd started a new lad that day, and at the outset, he ended up on the barrow in front of me, fifth in the line of six. The driver sloshed out the conc, filling each barrow one at a time, almost to the brim, and off they go, wobbling down the drive trying not to spill too much.
The new lad positions his barrow and says to the driver, "Not too much in mine, I'm not as strong as those other lads", whereupon he gets just half a barrow and off he goes.
I move up and tell the driver, "Give that lad a full barrow from now on, as much as possible. He needs building up!"
He jacked after three barrows....and then walked home 8 miles, no money for bus fare, because I wouldn't pay him wages until the following Thursday, like everyone else.
Who takes on a job in the building trade thinking it's an easy life?
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2016 2:28 pm
by lutonlagerlout
barrowing concrete is as hard as it gets,especially where a slight incline is involved
I call it the widowmaker,sorts out the men from the boys,but the extra £40 each and an early day normally makes them smile
LLL
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2016 3:32 pm
by Forestboy1978
Tony McC wrote:Who takes on a job in the building trade thinking it's an easy life?
Idiots do! That's my only explanation!
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2016 12:30 am
by GB_Groundworks
lutonlagerlout wrote:barrowing concrete is as hard as it gets,especially where a slight incline is involved
I call it the widowmaker,sorts out the men from the boys,but the extra £40 each and an early day normally makes them smile
LLL
Our concrete lads got little whipper snapper jack the flash must be 18 5'6" and all of 12 stone he can out barrow me at 6' 20 stone with their great big belle barrows full to the top mind you he does it 7 days a week I always slip him a tenner extra, at £280 for the pump first hour and setup though we now pump most pours over 6m3 or use the dumpers if we can
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2016 7:52 pm
by Forestboy1978
Low centre of gravity. Quite solid build for his height at 12 stone if he isn't fat. Obviously fit too. Custom designed for that sort of work
Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 7:03 pm
by Forestboy1978
So the new guy did something inexplicable today.
I just now noticed it after uploading pics. He fitted a wall plate for the first time. I have shown him how to obv.
Didn't bloody level it. the fence attached to the pillar is obv well and truly *issed. I just didn't see it at the time. Annoyingly it's all built into the gravel board and concrete gravel board is cleated to the wall plate and I've installed a concrete base half way up the gravel board so it's possibly a hell of a job to correct.
I said mate, is it an optical illusion or is that wall plate pissed. Did you level it?
He said he didn't level it but it could be an optical illusion.
I said it's not an optical illusion then I can guarantee it.
WTF...... Been working for 4 months now, levelling EVERYTHING,,, grrrrr
I remained calm though...
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 10:20 am
by digerjones
Least he said he didn't level it.
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 10:43 am
by lutonlagerlout
flip ups I can handle
lying I cannot
anyone can make a mistake
once...
LLL
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 12:21 pm
by Forestboy1978
Yeah, I'm not annoyed. Just amazed really. Other than that he's been quite astute. How can you not know to level something like that??
Oh well, he's going to fix it Mon morning while I have physio.
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 4:01 pm
by London Stone Paving
dig dug dan wrote:got someone who does strimming every other friday for half a day, he keeps leaving buttercups and daisies as "its good for bees" I then have to go back and sort it.
I had a chap once who refused to cut down a small tree because it was bad for the environment. I said: "saw or door, your choice?" He opted for the door. An hour later he came back to site with a sheepish look on his face and said "give me that flipping saw" He then chopped the tree down
You get all sorts :laugh: