Am I out of line?

[BigWrench55]

I do a lot of jobs that I don't like. I have one in my bay now that I just hate working on. Like I said before if circumstances were different although I would grumble about it ( to myself) ,but otherwise I would do it without hesitation. I do realize that I am out of line and being a baby about it. And I can't truly convey why I just don't want to do it for them without writing a book. I would think that if anyone here would feel the same if they had to put up with some of the things I have. My main problem is that the can do attitude and sacrifice is expected and not appreciated. It should be a two way street. I scratch your back you scratch mine.Although this my job and it is what they pay me to do. They don't care about my problem so why should I care about theirs?I will more than likely do the job, but not without protest. I personally don't care if it will take 5 times as long for me to do it than the guy who originally tore it down. My attitude towards that is it takes as long as it takes. And if you don't like this speed you sure aren't going to like the next. As far as being shown the door because they don't like what I have to say and my protest against doing it. I really don't care. I was looking for a job when I found this one and I will have another one before my box is loaded.

 

[donkey doctor]

Sounds like the very definition of "burnout" d.d.

 

[hosspuller]

BW 55.. I too was in your spot. A happy and enthusiastic employee that was appreciated. Then the management changed. I was pushed into a slot I didn't like. So I became the employee they treated me as. Clock in, clock out. Not a thought beyond. I waited for my opportune moment and left. Do the job they want. Your moment will come. (1 1/2 year) Enjoy it then. I did, and 14 years later I'm still grinning.

 

[skyking1]

I'm with the " keep your head down and do the 1.5 years" and get vested.
Your complaints are valid, you have enough reason to bail but you also have plenty of reason to stick this out. If it helps at all keep venting here.

 

[Old Doug]

Its not easy but and i would have a hard time doing it but do the job and when you are in a better mood figure out what to do. I worked in a shop for 4 years were one guy would take some thing apart and another would put it back together agin. After awhile it seemed normal.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Also, from the beginning of this thread, it sounds like the machine has been sitting around for a while, and even the guy who took it apart may have trouble remembering how it goes together.

But their customer wants it now, so they want to keep them happy.

Also, it's hard imagining a good wrench having a hard time finding work, but the economy is turning. Might be a good time to stay put and keep your head down for a little while.

 

[BigWrench55]

After much consideration and prayer. I have decided that I will move my box, and get the job done. We spoke this morning and I made it perfectly clear that I am doing this under protest. And I made it clear about my feelings for the company in general. I made no promises on when it would be finished. My answer to that question is when I tell you it's finished then you will know. This has likely put a target on my back, but at this point I don't care. And yes D.D. I am burnt out. I lost my passion to bend wrenches a year ago.

 

[donkey doctor]

I've been there. At about the 27 year mark it began to feel like I was not appreciated. Company being bought out didn't help. The new company was so hard to deal with that we unionised. Part of the sweetener to get us to join was the offer to vest us into the union pension plan for all our previous years of service. I had about 28 by then but we had guys with over 40. It was a bit of a no brainer. I stayed another 5 years and retired with 33 years of pensionable service. It's not a lot each month but I've been getting it for 21 years now so has added up. Hang in there if you only have 1 1/2 yrs to get through. Time flies. Good luck. d.d.

 

[Zewnten]

They might want you to work on it because you will do a better/the best job repairing it. Kind of like showing you they do in fact appreciate you/your experience but won't come right out and say it. A compliment in disguise

No such thing as a compliment in disguise from a a company that doesn't have your back.

Unfortunately companies have gotten too used to loyal or desperate employees in bad economies and act like they're doing a favor giving you a paycheck, dealing with it right now. Boss keeps saying the field mechanics don't have this or that, I ask them if they want to pay me like the field mechanics and magically I don't hear from that manager for the rest of the day. \

I hear you and almost every mechanic I've talked to dealer or private is tired of the corporate BS. The rules only favor the company and there's no give, so now there's no take from me. Manager doesn't do his job? Written down when he tries to throw me under the bus with his boss and now the manager looks like a dumb***. Not much more a worker can do other than trying to find green pastures but I'm not sure there's much out there.

 

[ianjoub]

That being said. If I was an employer and I made a covid policy that required you to isolate. I would pay you.

People who do not run successful businesses always know better than those who do.

 

[Zewnten]

If you worked for me:

And I would have paid for you to be off for the two weeks to take care of your daughter during covid. Or put you on unemployment or gave you a bonus of extra vacation/ however I could have made it work out in the books. Good people are hard to find and it has to be a two way street.

People who do not run successful businesses always know better than those who do.

Crane operator is and confirmed that it isn't that big of a leap so let's be constructive. If that's not how you meant it then I apologize I'm just salty about crap businesses.

 

[BigWrench55]

People who do not run successful businesses always know better than those who do.

If you are trying to get a rise out of me then take a walk. I have read your post about looking for the employee that can do it all, but you don't want to pay for it. You are the problem that is a stain on business today. People like you measure success with money and possessions. I measure my success with a well taken care of family, integrity, and doing what pleases my lord and savior Jesus Christ. It is working for arrogant slave drivers like you that has me burnt out from working for anyone.

 

[ianjoub]

If you are trying to get a rise out of me then take a walk. I have read your post about looking for the employee that can do it all, but you don't want to pay for it. You are the problem that is a stain on business today. People like you measure success with money and possessions. I measure my success with a well taken care of family, integrity, and doing what pleases my lord and savior Jesus Christ. It is working for arrogant slave drivers like you that has me burnt out from working for anyone.

I was not trying to get a rise out of you. I feel for you. You seem to be having a tough time. My 1st post, number 2 in this thread, was an honest piece of advice and didn't appear to be harmful or hurtful.

I was making a general point. People, not you or just you, seem to always know how others should do things.

I offer a wage for a job. People are free to accept it or not. My problem is with the government interfering with that. When money is taken from people who do work and given to those who don't, it acts as a huge disincentive to be productive for many people. I do not feel you fall into this category.

As for you comment about me not wanting to pay for the employee who can do it all: I could pay for that. If I did pay for that, I would have to raise all my rents, substantially. If I did that, I would end up with a bunch of people telling me how I was doing it all wrong. You know, people who have never done what I am doing before.

How does calling me a stain on business and an arrogant slave driver jibe with your whole lord and savior thing?

 

[BigWrench55]

How does calling me a stain on business and an arrogant slave driver jibe with your whole lord and savior thing?

There's nothing in the Bible that is against telling people like it is.

 

[ianjoub]

There's nothing in the Bible that is against telling people like it is.

paraphrase:

Let him with no sin cast the first stone

 

[BigWrench55]

paraphrase:

Let him with no sin cast the first stone

If you are ever in the DFW area let me know. And we can eat a steak while I will take you to task on what the Bible says.
I call businessmen like you a stain for one simple reason. You need someone who can do it all, but don't want to pay for it. You can afford to, but you fear losing money more than you fear displeasing God ( if you even believe). If you were to believe. Then you wouldn't have to raise the rent on your tenants for paying someone what his worth is. God expects us to do what is right and to not fear. He blessed you with the money you have. If you were to pay people their worth and do right by your tenants. By providing them with a quality handyman and not raise their rent. Then God would bless you with more. He would provide you with tenants who will take care of your rental property. But you fear losing money and thus you get the what you have. Sorry tenants and sorry repairs. Yes it is easy for me to say what I would do if I were a business owner when I'm not. But I don't make that statement flippantly. I say because I don't fear losing money so long as I do what is right in the eyes of my Lord. And while I'm here beating my Bible at you and others here too see. It is what that Bible says is the reason I decided to put my ego aside and do the job that was asked of me.

 

[suladas]

This thread took a turn. I'm not into religion at all so I will not go there.

Rentals are a nightmare though, I found even the best renters don't take care of stuff good at all. I got rid of all 3 of my rentals and doubt I will ever be a landlord again.

I do think there's good and bad employees as there are good and bad employers. The mindset of some people thinking that the employer is always getting rich and can pay more, etc is not true in many cases. There is SO many cases of companies getting big and closing up because bad employees didn't make them any money, obviously sometimes it's mismanagement or other things, but many times the employees have a lot to do with it. They don't take care of equipment so it breaks more and loses value much quicker and because the company grew in size they are more on their own and just don't work. Sure there is the flipside of the cheap employer who will pay as little as possible and skimp on everything to make more profit, I would generalize the bigger the company the more likely that's the case.

Or there's people who don't understand the time it takes to run a company or how much overhead there is. They have no idea about things like insurance, what maintenance cost, financing equipment, etc. They can see a job "oh we did this job in one day for $5k, material is only $2k, wages $1k they made $2k" and don't understand it's not even close. There is so many more expenses to factor in.

I find anytime I see another excavation company I know instantly if it's an hourly employee or a owner operator or small company owner. You can always tell by how fast they are working, and most of the time the way the machines getting run. I'm subbing more and more from another company because they can't find decent help. I charge them a TON but it's still cheaper then their own guys because they are slow, break chit, and do a bad job. These guys I bet make under $30/hr and rent their equipment. I won't touch a job for them that i'm not making at least $200/hr with my equipment, even if it's my mini hoe, most times I make a lot more then that. They should be able to make a fortune doing the jobs, but bad employees make it so they aren't.

 

[John C.]

There are those employers that drive a new pickup every year, have a big RV in the driveway, garage full of toys to fit in a custom trailer, wine and dine every other month in Vegas, divorced two or three times, bankrupted at least once and always try to screw their employees out of every paying minute. I’ve seen that type whine about a free service job on a new machine.

 

[Old Doug]

It took several years to learn this but the bosses job first is to make every cent out of having you there he can. Making friends with his employees is not his second job it may not even be on the list of things to do to help feed his family or to help feed yours. A good worker is someone that gos to work for a paycheck at the end of the week. Go to work keep your head down dont try to be a hero do your job always be on the look out to get screwed around thats why they pay you and always have enough money saved up if it gets to ruff so you can make it till you find a new place to get screwed around.

 

[Tinkerer]

Pray that when you get close to being "fully vested" that your employer doesn't screw you out of your full pension and anything else you earned.
Your attitude at work could trigger it.
My son-in-law was recently screwed over with a huge reduction in both his pension and company provided health insurance.
He was 2 months from retirement when it happened to him.