# What would you do?



## Chris (Feb 20, 2015)

So yesterday I told one of my employees he needed to go to the shop and grab a tool for today's job. He said he was already home for the day, I said that's fine you can grab it in the morning. His reply to that was "I will do it today, it's overtime anyway" I said nevermind I will do it myself and while I am at it go ahead and stay home tomorrow and I will take care of the work.

Now for the backstory. This guy has a company truck which is supposed to stay at the shop at night. I let him take it home everyday under the condition that when we need tools he is going to the shop to get them on his own time, it rarely happens.

He has been giving me problems lately with pay and time. Last week he was running my dump truck and I told him to make sure he leaves the job to get back with no overtime, then I get his time sheets and he has twelve hours of overtime that week. 

He was sent out to do a two hour job that ended up taking him seven hours and I got a call that he was sitting in his truck all day, when I ask him about it he gets defensive like why am I questioning his time.

What would you do about him?


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## oldognewtrick (Feb 20, 2015)

Is he an asset or a liability?


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## Chris (Feb 20, 2015)

Both. I can send him on jobs and he knows what he is doing and does them well.


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## oldognewtrick (Feb 20, 2015)

Well, if the truck was left at the shop, it wouldn't be an issue picking up tools. We pay travel time to our guys for the ride home.


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## oldognewtrick (Feb 20, 2015)

Have a unemotionl discussion with him and revisit the terms of his usage of the vehicle. Document everything.


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## inspectorD (Feb 20, 2015)

My guys would do what I ask, because I always make sure.. they understand the rules.
No arguments over time either. If I mention I will not, be paying any overtime no matter what is going on with the job...things miraculously get finished on time, or I get called immediately, asking what they should do.. They dont want to be giving up their own time to be sittin around not gettin paid. 

Give him the talk, its not worth losing someone that can get the job done, they just need to understand the rules, in a positive way.


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## nealtw (Feb 20, 2015)

The fun part of running a business.


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## Chris (Feb 20, 2015)

Done that already. He has an attitude. He fails to do his time sheets then tells me I shorted him hours. I ask him what times he worked on what days and he doesn't know but he is sure that I shorted him.


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## inspectorD (Feb 20, 2015)

Chris said:


> Done that already. He has an attitude. He fails to do his time sheets then tells me I shorted him hours. I ask him what times he worked on what days and he doesn't know but he is sure that I shorted him.



Sounds like he needs more daily supervision.. or a call everyday at the end, of what he has accomplished, until he gets that he doesn't want you on his back and can be trusted again. There has to be a way to either get it through to him, this is the way.. or your gone. Start with pulling the truck. No more use, done.


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## Chris (Feb 20, 2015)

I'm thinking I might start making take the truck to the shop at night


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## Chris (Feb 20, 2015)

He has worked for me for about 4 years now, at one time he was one of my best guys. He likes to be the boss but he likes to be the kind of boss that points instead of leading. My problem with him is if I ask him if he knows how to do something he always says yes whether he does or not. It's frustrating. He hates doing anything on his own time and feels he is being underpaid yet he makes more than most that work for me. One of those guys that thinks I am rich so milking the clock is not a big deal.

I recently hired a new foreman, he doesn't like that or the foreman. The new foreman is a get it done kind of guy, he is older and would rather spend his time at home that sitting in a truck milking it. they don't get along much at all which is making things worse. I think he feels that I am replacing him but I have givin him the options to be foreman but he doesn't want it. I really want to just let him go but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot either.


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## Big Red (Feb 20, 2015)

My experience with this sort of thing is-----I'm not gonna deal with it.  I never work with people who I don't trust.  You only know about what he HAS done--I imagine there are more things he's done that you don't know about.  Many people today are not the hard workers of years ago.  I won't put up with someone who I have to babysit.  Everyone needs to come to me with a full compliment of abilities and be a quality person that I can put a certain amount of trust in.  If not, they won't work for me.


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## inspectorD (Feb 20, 2015)

Sounds like its Time for a change... Trust is gone, just have him return the truck..and take a vacation..Unpaid. This is the way it is sometimes. I have had over 25 employees in my care.. Most of the time, no problem folks came along, but when they started to have issues.. they got a reality check,,, and it was hit the road, or cash the check. My way.. or your gone. 
I am the owner that Knows what I want My business to look, feel, and sound like. If there is dissention in the rank and file..it goes downhill from there and sometimes others are afraid to say anything, because he has been around a while.

Ditch the problem... it's your best solution at this point. The relationship has changed.... time to move on.
Good luck, been there.. and got rid of the problem..everyone was happy.


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## Chris (Feb 20, 2015)

I'm thinking that's what it will come to. He is already missing most of his tools. Of course not his fault tho.


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## inspectorD (Feb 20, 2015)

Chris said:


> I'm thinking that's what it will come to. He is already missing most of his tools. Of course not his fault tho.



Sorry to say, but usually the behavior change is a result of substance abuse.. see it all to frequently, my guess,, to much Booze. Typical in our field.
Definitely do not want them in your truck. But do not fire them for this reason.. only legitimate concerns.
IF... this is an issue.


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## oldognewtrick (Feb 20, 2015)

We do random drug testing as a requirement for employment. If you don't do testing all you have to do is mention that the INS company might require it. You'll be surprised who doesn't show up for work.


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## Chris (Feb 20, 2015)

Problem is we are swamped with work right now and being down a guy will hurt the company. I just got rid of a couple guys not long ago.

He is a drinker btw, at least that is what the other guys say.


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## havasu (Feb 20, 2015)

You know, I am available to help you!


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## kok328 (Feb 20, 2015)

Competent, hard working help wanted in S. CA, I'm in!!!!
Getting tired of this -30 degrees crap in MI.


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## Chris (Feb 20, 2015)

You can both show up. Plenty of work to go around.


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## slownsteady (Feb 20, 2015)

Curious if this guy became a problem when the new foreman came on board.........?
Of course, if _work became miserable_ for the guy, he might decide to leave


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## Chris (Feb 20, 2015)

It started long before the Forman. Last year I asked him to drop off some shoring at the rental yard on his way home. It was about ten minutes out of the way. He said no unless I'm going to give him overtime. I told him then not to bother and bring it back to the shop and I will return it myself but not to show up to work on Monday until 11am when I get back from dropping it off. The shop is 20 minutes past his house. He ended up doing what I asked but complained about it.

Today he called me at 2:30 and said he got a flat in the tractor. The tractor tires are about a month old so it has to be from running something over. He wanted me to send an emergency tire truck to fix it. I said no that he can pull it off and take it to the shop. He didn't. Then he was supposed to tow a different tractor back to the shop but called and said he wanted to do it monday instead. Again I had to tell him no and listen to him complain. He is just lazy and only wants to go straight home after work and nothing else.


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## havasu (Feb 21, 2015)

Time to start building a packet on this guy, then discipline accordingly. IMHO, he knows you are a soft (nice) boss, and is taking advantage of you.


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## nealtw (Feb 21, 2015)

Two gps trackers, one for the truck, you always know where it is, the other only operates when some one is sitting in the drivers seat.

Dosn't take long to find the coffee shop on the way to the job or extended breaks during the day. as well as start of day and end of day.

A freind of mine is a sales guy for a roofing company, all the managers know about the gps on all the trucks including their own but the workers do not know that it is there.

They let a few minor discressions slide but the have proof if they want to let people go.


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## Big Red (Feb 21, 2015)

Sadly, I agree that there are many of these guys who are either drug users, or boozers, or both.  They only work for the payday so they can go out and blow their money on their habit.  Anyone who's always asking to be paid extra for everything is, at the LEAST, in love with money.  They love it more than they love making a difference in the world--than making a difference for your customers.  People who love money MAY do anything for it--including stealing from you and then selling tools at the pawn shop.  I don't know why you keep him around.  Kick him to the curb before this gets worse.  If he was MINE-----he'd of been gone long ago.  Once I'm uncomfortable with someone and ignore my intuition, I've always paid a bad price.


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## slownsteady (Feb 21, 2015)

Big Red said:


> Sadly, I agree that there are many of these guys who are either drug users, or boozers, or both.  They only work for the payday so they can go out and blow their money on their habit.  Anyone who's always asking to be paid extra for everything is, at the LEAST, in love with money.  They love it more than they love making a difference in the world--than making a difference for your customers.  People who love money MAY do anything for it--including stealing from you and then selling tools at the pawn shop.  I don't know why you keep him around.  Kick him to the curb before this gets worse.  If he was MINE-----he'd of been gone long ago.  Once I'm uncomfortable with someone and ignore my intuition, I've always paid a bad price.



I don't disagree. just want to add gambling addiction as a possibility.


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