Cheeky git!

[D Skelton]

So we're running into the evening yesterday trying to get a job finished. It's 7pm and there's about 30-40mins left, then pack up. My apprentice starts whinging that he's not being paid till 8pm and that he wants to go. I say to him to just muck in with the rest of us and we'll be done soon. He carries on whining about me being unfair, so I say to him "look fella, it's not like I dock your wages when we finish early is it?! You don't seem to complain about being paid for going home early, so suck it up!". He then throws a little bit of a man wobbly saying that he isn't working because he wants to be and that he's doing me a favour by working for me, then leaves the site. I run out after him as he's getting into the van and whip the keys out the barrel.

First time I've ever had to fire someone on the spot!

The bare face cheek of it! Go out of your way to help someone and get that in return.

Balls to him, the lazy little f***er had no initative anyway.

 

[dazza1981]

Now as glenn said the other possible solution is to take on the more mature apprentice with hopefully a better work ethic !!
But i had a guy in his mid forties with me on site and i was in my late twenties at the time, ok so i was not the most experienced sparks alive but had been qualified a few years and had quite alot of experience.
The problem i had was this gent just didn't want to know any of what i was asking of him and thought he knew best ALL the time. I know this was because i was alot younger and he just hated me telling him what to do or try and advise him.
I eventually palmed him off with somebody else and he didn't last long with the firm !!
I generally had an idea if i can work with somebody within the the 20 minutes of meeting with them just by there attitude !!!!!

 

[Rockingit]

Kids have no inclination towards work, full stop. Why should they? The govt now insists on keeping them in education until 18, they stand no chance of getting a part time job as a teenager even if they wanted one due to either modern work laws or competition from the far more reliable OAP market. They see their 'elders' stay on for the big party which is University gaining a pointless piece of paper before going off to 'find themselves' by back-packing for a year. Then they come back to live with mum and dad again. It's a cycle that sucks.

Plus, at school, they are taught piecemeal fashion and have no inclination to 'do the next bit' until they are told. I despair with both of my teenagers, I really do.

 

[dansk]

Kids have no inclination towards work, full stop. Why should they? The govt now insists on keeping them in education until 18, they stand no chance of getting a part time job as a teenager even if they wanted one due to either modern work laws or competition from the far more reliable OAP market. They see their 'elders' stay on for the big party which is University gaining a pointless piece of paper before going off to 'find themselves' by back-packing for a year. Then they come back to live with mum and dad again. It's a cycle that sucks.

Plus, at school, they are taught piecemeal fashion and have no inclination to 'do the next bit' until they are told. I despair with both of my teenagers, I really do.

me too.

 

[rapparee]

Bit of a squandered oppprtunity there from the apprentice ... ah well there are plenty of young fellas chomping at the bit to get a start, look at this forum. Out of curiosity who's van was he going home in

 

[D Skelton]

Just check your standing with that one mate,as the people at the job centre,or what ever it is now,will. If you flirted him out of his normal hours,without him agreeing to stay,he can say he had a visit to his poorly nan booked,and you will struggle... just a thought,as instant dismissal usually requires some form of gross misconduct,which "not getting stuck in",may not be viewed as. Personally,mate,i think you did right,the "book" means diddly to me,but i'm on my own. My first move would have been to offer him the gloves for a straightener,but too long in the tooth to be sat with the muskrers with me belt and laces gone...:stooge_curly:

I get what you're saying bud.

Meh, I ain't that bothered, he can go blabbing if he wants, he wouldn't get anywhere, I'd make sure of it.

 

[Octopus]

In some cases - but i can tell you first hand that our lad came out of school with no life skills or any idea of how to knuckle down and get on with the big wide world.

I didn't realise this was part of the schooling these days??

 

[Rockingit]

I now work with a 45yr joiner/can put his hand to anything with his own van and tools - yeah it costs me more per day, but does it? he turns up 15 mins before me all day everyday, doesnt moan (only a little sometimes) and mucks in just as hard as me.

There's a chap I use on occasions, ex BT technical management now in 'silver surfer retirement' who used to train apprentices etc. Work ethic and work quality 110%, sadly he's just not as fast as the rest of us which means I have to pick and choose the jobs for him. Something like an office fit where you need to spend time to get all the dado trunking absolutely spot-on neat and things like that, where you need someone methodical and careful, he's great - leave him alone and come back at the end of the day. But something more energetic and he's not in the frame!

 

[D Skelton]

Bit of a squandered oppprtunity there from the apprentice ... ah well there are plenty of young fellas chomping at the bit to get a start, look at this forum. Out of curiosity who's van was he going home in

My contracts manager's van. He was borrowing it as his car is of the road at the mo. He had a long walk home, I know for a fact he didn't have bus fare on him.

 

[jamie-spark]

So we're running into the evening yesterday trying to get a job finished. It's 7pm and there's about 30-40mins left, then pack up. My apprentice starts whinging that he's not being paid till 8pm and that he wants to go. I say to him to just muck in with the rest of us and we'll be done soon. He carries on whining about me being unfair, so I say to him "look fella, it's not like I dock your wages when we finish early is it?! You don't seem to complain about being paid for going home early, so suck it up!". He then throws a little bit of a man wobbly saying that he isn't working because he wants to be and that he's doing me a favour by working for me, then leaves the site. I run out after him as he's getting into the van and whip the keys out the barrel.

First time I've ever had to fire someone on the spot!

The bare face cheek of it! Go out of your way to help someone and get that in return.

Balls to him, the lazy little f***er had no initative anyway.

I tell you what, he didn't know how lucky he was. I think everyone on the forum knows how much knowledge you have. A lot of apprentices have goons for journeymen, he should have stayed and soaked it up. He will regret that day I guarantee it

 

[trev]

He will regret that day I guarantee it

Only if he's clever enough to realise how big a ------- he just dropped.

 

[rapparee]

My contracts manager's van. He was borrowing it as his car is of the road at the mo. He had a long walk home, I know for a fact he didn't have bus fare on him.

So he would have been quicker off just working for the extra half hour

 

[dansk]

I didn't realise this was part of the schooling these days??

Its going a bit of topic here - and that's the problem IMHO Murdoch, schools are way too fascinated in graphs and curriculum that they have overlooked the fundamentals.

Its only my view and experiance, i dont disagree with you, but everyone knows discipline is out of the window now in schools and that can only contribute to teenagers attitudes. Its a never ending view this one.

Do you have teenagers at home?

 

[7029 dave]

It's an generation thing, it's just sooo different today, and agree he will be sorry or will he?, kids don't give a stuff these days.!!

 

[Octopus]

Its going a bit of topic here - and that's the problem IMHO Murdoch, schools are way too fascinated in graphs and curriculum that they have overlooked the fundamentals.

Its only my view and experiance, i dont disagree with you, but everyone knows discipline is out of the window now in schools and that can only contribute to teenagers attitudes. Its a never ending view this one.

Do you have teenagers at home?

Oh yes, boy of 15 and girl of 13.

My son has definitely got the "work" ethic.

Schools can not fill the many gaps left by idle, uninterested parents

 

[dansk]

True - i can tell you in my house that's not the case! (idle, uninterested parents)

Your a lucky chap and your son will do well.