Fired For Indifference!

joasis

I got in this evening from a job site and asked my foreman, where the step van was..was the new crew out late? And...he said he let one of the guys drive it to town with the warning to take it easy...do not drive it over 50mph....well,....the guy comes back an hour later, hauling ass in and the motor is blown! My foreman could see him coming down the road a mile out....just sent him back to town walking, he was so mad...the guy calls me 15 minutes after the time sheets are in to complain about what happened, and I asked him what he was thinking..he said the van was a piece of sh*t and needed work anyway...so what? So I m,ade sure he understood what FIRED means...I can't wait for the call from the unemployment office saying he is finilng a claim for benifits. Willful destruction of property? Its all I can do to not cuss right now. This guy has a lot of nerve..wants to come in tomorrow morning and whip my foreman, and get his job back......sure, come on...

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Mike Finley

Geeze, WTF is with some people? The guy needs a t-shirt with the words "I don't get it" on it with a big arrow pointed towards his head. You ought to be able to deduct the cost of the repairs right out of his check, at least you could here in Colorado.

I gave my helper the day off today and for some reason I got more done without him around then I did with him helping me? Makes me want to ask him on Monday "Now why do I have you around?"

PipeGuy

I worked for a company that lent one of its trucks to a guy for a few days while his car was being worked on. So he comes in one morning driving his own car - the truck no where to be seen. The owner asks him where the truck is and the guy tells him it ran out of gas yesterday afternoon (30 some miles from the shop with the keys in it) so he got his buddy to pick him up and go get his car from the shop. You should have seen the Owner (Viet Nam era Marine) go insane.

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joasis

Tim, my foreman, said he came hauling ass up, laid on the brakes, and then the smoke and clanking from the engine. He walked around and antifreeze was pouring out of the exhaust pipe.....I think what really pisses me off is I told him, Tim told him, Beto (another foreman) told him, take it easy, 55 mph is way fast for a step van. Being late was not an excuse to destroy the motor....


It is 6:05 am..and he just called, wanting another chance. The sad thing is help is really hard to find, good help is impossible. The answer is still hell no.

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River Rat Dad

A couple thoughts from old RRD:
Here in Michigan while you could fire him (and probably should) you could not deduct the cost of repairs from his check. Thats a cost of doing business, and honestly theres no way to prove his driving caused the problem.

If "hauling ass" or driving over 50 MPH caused an engine failure it would seem to me the engine probably needed rebuilding anyway. Was it an automatic transmission? Or was he able to shift at high RPM's?

Mike Finley

Keep in mind even if Michigan labor laws won't allow you to, you can still deduct anything you want, even if it won't stand up in labor court, the employee still has to dispute it in order for it to not stand up.

Romex-Racer

I like the way you think, Mike. But the Labor Board would probaby do more than make you pay him the wages you were going to pay anyway, they could also levy a fine against to for this violation of the law.

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copusbuilder

That's right. Never mess with a poor defenseless employee when you are an evil corporation

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Bone Saw

I feel your pain Joasis bout the inconvienience of being 1 step van short thanx to some expendable nobody, the fact that he was warned more than once would make me blow a "head gasket".

I have always viewed employees and unemployment as the proverbial "knocking up" of some girl, with the child support nazi's following suit.

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vtgaetano

WORD

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Grumpy

I'm pretty darned sure you can't get away with that in IL. Pretty much the employee is always right and the employer takes all the risk.


Have you considered installing governors on your vehicles to limit their max mph?

This guy was a schlub, it's good that he's gone. What's the rebuild going to cost ya? $2,000? More if it's diesel, probably $5,000.

Grumpy

On a side note, pay him what you owe him then sue him for the damages.

Glasshousebltr

Find a happy place.....find a happy place.....find a happy place.

Bob

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Bob

CE1

I would hire the guy back at min. wage, hand him a repair manual and tell him that he will start making his regular wage as soon as the truck is running again. Solves many problems for you and him?

Mike Finley

I might be wrong about this, I took a look at the Colorado labor guide and what I thought it said isn't what it said!!!!!

recruit4meisner

I like that!

Glasshousebltr

Remember, antifreeze out the exhaust, that means head, head gasket or block, a little much for your everyday butt munch to fix and just from what I've read, butt munch would be a step or two up for this fella.

Bob

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Bob

CE1

It is called the “Incentive Program”. If you want something bad enough, you will find a way to get it.
Carry on!

joasis

305 small block, found a used motor today for $550...a mechanic who owes me some bucks will install this weekend....but still...HE IS SO FIRED! In oklahoma, you are not able to deduct anything from a check except tool purchases if required and agreed upon prior to employment, boots and gloves (no markups), and that is it.

Auto tranny, 55 mph limit due to gearing and safety...yep, the motor was tired, 245k and still running. It used to be a uniform truck, and when I bought it 3 years ago in Amarillo, Tx, I drove it home at 60...and it was wrapping pretty tight. Remember guys when the speed limit was the double nickle? I know a lot of heavier trucks were geared kinda low, especially with the smaller motors. Doh!..the step van is an '85 GMC/Grumman aluminum body.....

I think what really pisses me off is the lack of "think it through" out of these kids we hire. I pay by the hour, there was no reason to flog the crap out of my van...he was 6 miles from his home to the job site...so he saved what?....3 minutes off by driving like a bat out of hell and destroying my motor? Another guy told me he didn't check the oil and coolant every morning as instructed...that is also a firing offense to me. If you ask why a new guy was driving the step van to job sites...because the guy he works with lost his license due to poor judgement off the job....

I don't know how the rest of you deal with lack of good help, try it here where the oilfield is running hard and workover and drilling rigs are starting guys with no experience @$22 and hour and up...all I can offer is to train them in construction and $16 or so if they get to make a good employee.

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mdshunk

In the defense of your employee (not that I think he should have any), but your vehicle was probably in disrepair. My fleet is mostly step vans at the moment. I drive my personal one 75-80 mph every day with no special issues (other than wind gusts). I don't think you have a leg to stand on blaming this person for destroying your equipment. It just happend to have failed when he had misappropriated it.